Rutgers Core Component Library

The RCCL is maintained by UCM and the RCCL Core Working Group, which includes members from the Office of Information Technology-Web Consulting Services (WCS) and Rutgers Communications and Marketing (R-Comm). RCCL updates are released quarterly and include new features, bug fixes, quality of life improvements, component enhancements, etc.  

The RCCL uses responsive design for a good user experience on mobile devices, and it adheres to current web accessibility standards.

The Drupal RCCL is delivered preconfigured Content Types that can be used to create standard website pages, including a homepage, informational pages, news articles, staff directory, events, and more. The WordPress version of the RCCL mirrors the Drupal version's visual aesthetic.

Color choices, fonts, and point sizes are all preset.

Content Types are pre-configured with a variety of hero options and Drupal “Paragraphs” -- modular components that can be stacked and arranged to display site content in a variety of ways.  

• Learn more about RCCL Content Types
• Learn more about RCCL Components
• Review the RCCL Style Guide (NetID required)

The flagship RCCL product makes use of Drupal Core and a collection of approved contributed modules.

WordPress RCCL leverages the visual block editor experience that is core to the WordPress platform.

Creating and maintaining accessible digital content is an ongoing responsibility for all content editors, website owners, and developers at Rutgers.

The Rutgers Core Component Library (RCCL) is designed to meet or exceed WCAG 2.1 AA standards, and maintaining an accessible platform remains a top priority for the RCCL development team. If you encounter accessibility issues that appear to stem from the RCCL code base, please report them to the RCCL technical team so they can be addressed.

While RCCL provides a strong foundation with built-in accessibility features, accessibility is not just about code—it’s about communication. Content creators using RCCL must ensure that the information they publish is accessible to all users, including individuals with disabilities.

Even as RCCL continues to evolve with accessibility improvements, the responsibility for accessible content lies with the people who create it. This includes formatting text for readability, providing descriptive alt text for images, ensuring documents (PDFs, Word, PowerPoint) are accessible, and making videos usable with captions and transcripts.

The RCCL core code base may not be modified. Customization of the RCCL should be done using a Drupal subtheme or WordPress child theme to avoid conflicts as the RCCL core codebase evolves. 

WCS provides RCCL website hosting, setup and maintenance. All RCCL sites must be set up through WCS, even if they will be transferred to a vendor for development or content production.

RCCL sites are required to use Pantheon hosting and use the custom RCCL upstream managed by WCS. Exceptions to this requirement may be granted on a limited basis.

WCS may be contracted for an annual RCCL maintenance agreement, wherein they would apply any RCCL updates, Drupal version updates, security updates, and provide consulting and technical support. WCS charges a one-time RCCL setup fee that includes Pantheon setup and Shibboleth/NetID login integration. WCS also charges annual administrative and maintenance fees for RCCL sites.

More about RCCL pricing with WCS: https://wcs.oit.rutgers.edu/pricing/#rccl

Rutgers units using the RCCL for a website project should expect to invest mostly in content-related items. While some web design and development may be needed to achieve project goals, in most cases an RCCL project does not need to be a web development project or carry the costs associated with one.

Review RCCL Web Project Request for Quote Guidelines

Customizations to the RCCL are not considered to be a part of the RCCL. Maintaining and supporting customizations is the responsibility of the unit. Units may contribute their customizations back the RCCL core codebase, with approval from the RCCL Core Working Group.

Should your RCCL project necessitate a custom feature, component or component extension, this must be reported to the RCCL Core Working Group (rccltechteam@rutgers.edu). 

RCCL is intended to reduce the investment and effort in website design and development. ACE vendors should familiarize themselves with the RCCL components and determine how existing components can be used or extended to meet the content needs of clients. This perspective is essential to providing a meaningful and effective SOW. 

Custom components are not necessary in many cases. 

Wireframes are not necessary when using the RCCL out of the box. A wireframe is acceptable to include on a SOW if it demonstrates a new feature or component.  

The WCS RCCL setup fee includes Pantheon setup and Shibboleth/NetID login integration – this should not be included in a vendor SOW. 

Google Analytics can be set up via Google Tag Manager using the included feature on the RCCL. An out-of-the box GA4 set up with no custom configuration takes under 15 minutes and should be scoped accordingly in an SOW.  

ACE Vendors providing SOWs on RCCL projects should primarily focus their deliverables on: 

• Discovery
• Content audit
• Information architecture
• Content production
• Content population
• Custom design and development work that cannot be achieved with the RCCL out of the box