Overview

The Sub-Directory field organizes profiles into departments, programs, offices, centers, laboratories, or other organizational groupings.

Sub-Directories serve two purposes:

• Group related profiles together on directory pages.
• Create automatic links between profiles and matching directory pages.

Unlike the AU/Division/Office field, Sub-Directories are free-form values. The framework does not validate entries against a predefined list, making consistency especially important.

Understanding Sub-Directories

A Sub-Directory represents a logical grouping of profiles within an organizational unit.

Examples include:

• Biology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Student Success
• Honors Program
• Academic Advising

A profile may belong to multiple Sub-Directories.

For example, a faculty member might belong to:

• Biology
• Honors Program
• Undergraduate Research

Each Sub-Directory should be entered as a separate value using the + button.

Creating a New Sub-Directory

Before creating a new Sub-Directory, determine whether the department or program already exists.

If the same department is already being used elsewhere on the site, reuse the existing value exactly as it appears.

If the department does not already exist:

1. Edit the appropriate Person Profile.
2.  field.
3. Select + to add a new entry.
4. Enter the department or program name.
5. Save the profile.

If visitors should be able to browse that department, create a corresponding Directory page using the same Sub-Directory value.

Naming Guidelines

Because Sub-Directories are entered manually, editors should follow consistent naming conventions.

Recommended

• Biology
• Mechanical Engineering
• Student Success
• Mathematics

Avoid

• biology
• Biology Department
• Dept. of Biology
• (with an extra space before or after the name)

Choose one naming convention and use it consistently throughout the website.

Multiple Sub-Directories

Profiles may belong to more than one department or program.

Each additional department should be entered as a separate Sub-Directory value.

Do not combine multiple departments into a single field.

Correct

• Biology
• Honors Program
• Undergraduate Research

Incorrect

• Biology, Honors Program
• Biology / Honors Program

Automatic “Appears in” Links

When a profile contains one or more Sub-Directory values, the framework automatically searches the current website for matching directory pages.

If a matching directory page is found, the profile displays an Appears in section linking visitors directly to that directory.

No manual linking is required.

If no matching directory page exists, the Sub-Directory name is displayed as plain text.

Framework Note

Automatic links are created only within the current website. Profiles may appear on multiple websites, but the Appears insection links only to matching directory pages on the current site.

Exact Matching

Sub-Directory values must exactly match the corresponding Directory Listing Subset configured on a directory page.

For example:

Mechanical Engineering

Mechanical Engineering

These values match, and the profile appears in the directory.

However, the following values do not match:

• Mechanical engineering
• Mechanical Engineering Department
• Mechanical Engineering (with a trailing space)

Even small differences prevent the framework from recognizing the relationship.

Best Practice
Copy and paste existing Sub-Directory values whenever possible to avoid accidental differences.

Publishing Changes

Adding or modifying a Sub-Directory affects both the profile and any directory pages that reference that value.

After making changes:

1. Publish the Person Profile.
2. Publish any affected Directory page(s).

Publishing only the profile does not update directory listings when organizational information has changed.

Troubleshooting

My profile is not appearing in the directory.

Verify the following:

• The profile has been published.
• The directory page has been published.
• The Profile Type matches the directory configuration.
• The AU/Division/Office matches the directory configuration.
• The Directory Listing Subset exactly matches the profile’s Sub-Directory.
• There are no extra spaces before or after the Sub-Directory value.

The “Appears in” link is missing.

Check the following:

• A matching directory page exists on the current website.
• The directory uses the same Sub-Directory value.
• The profile and directory have both been published.
• The Sub-Directory values match exactly.

If no matching directory page exists, the Sub-Directory name will display as plain text instead of a hyperlink.