World Wide Web Content Policy

Policy Statement

The quality of information presented on the College’s Web pages plays an important role in shaping the image of SUNY Brockport. Thus a cogent and concise policy statement is in place.

This Web Content policy sets the College’s standard for:

• establishing acceptable use of those Web pages,
• enhancing the College’s mission by clarifying responsibilities of Web content authors, and
• requiring accurate, useful and attractive presentations of information on those Web pages.

Academic departments, administrative offices, student organizations and individuals are encouraged to publish information on the College’s Web pages, provided such information supports the mission of the College and is in compliance with these policies.

Applicability

The Web policy applies to all official SUNY Brockport material, and all unofficial content posted by individuals and student groups within University’s Internet domain (brockport.edu).

Definitions

There are no definitions for this policy at this time.

Policy Procedures

Standards for Official SUNY Brockport Web Pages

Official Web content consists of all Web pages representing the University at an institutional level. This includes:

• Top-level Web pages maintained by the Web Manager,
• Web pages of academic departments, excluding instructional or course-related Web pages (particularly those using course management software), and
• Web pages of all other University offices, excluding Intranet material which is password protected and for internal use only (e.g., University minutes).

Department and administrative heads are responsible for ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of Web page content for their respective departments and units.

Each official SUNY Brockport Web page must:

• Clearly identify itself as University material in an approved template
• Clearly identify the name of the department, unit or organization publishing the document;
• Link back to the University’s official home page, www.brockport.edu;
• Be accessible to all, especially including the visually challenged accessing the Web through non-traditional means (i.e., the page must comply with New York State Technology Policy P08-005 (Review the policy online at http://www.cio.ny.gov/Policy/NYS-P08-005.pdf).
• Contain a current e-mail address of the author, owner or sponsor of the information in the page;
• Contain a publication or efficacy date for any time-sensitive information or data, and be updated so the information or data remains current;
• Meet the standards established in the University-wide Brockport Marketing Manual and Style Guide; and
• Be approved by the Office of University Communications and the respective unit heads prior to posting to the Web. Small changes such as phone number updates need not be reviewed. For clarification or to request University graphics, contact the Office of University Communications.

A. Standards for Academic Department Websites

Required elements:

Departments must use the University’s Web templates (which include header and footer navigation bars) on all department Webpages

Homepage:

1. Brief introduction on department homepage targeted at prospective students and/or their families.

2. Profile of current student or recent graduate with photo. Photo can be an action shot – doesn’t necessarily have to be a static head shot. Could also be photo of student working with member of department faculty or a group of students engaged in academic endeavor in department. Could also be photo/profile of current faculty member and their research/creative activity.

3. Clear, concise contact information to reach the department office.

Link or on Homepage:

1. List of accrediting agencies that recognize this department.

Left Navigation Link:

1. Statement of how the department can help students set and achieve their goals (this could be included in the brief introduction).

2. Clear description of course requirements for all undergraduate and graduate majors and minors within the department with a link to current catalog course descriptions.

3. Clear description of the major and how it can be applied to future academic pursuits or career goals. This would be the “What Can I Do With A Major In” [WCIDWAMI] segment. Career Services has pages available to meet this need at http://www.brockport.edu/career/majors/default.html.

4. List of faculty (with photo) and staff including office location, office phone and email addresses. For faculty, include office hours for current semester.

5. Information regarding internship/off-campus opportunities. If department does not offer internships, this can be a link to the Career Services’ internship site.

6. List of department’s student clubs (including honor societies) and contact information.

7. Homepage of specific School (School of The Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, School of Health and Human Performance, School of Education and Human Services or School of Science and Mathematics and, when appropriate, School of Business)

8. Alumni relations link (Alumni Association, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.)

9. Graduate program. Graduate-only departments (ie: Counselor Education, Public Administration, Educational Administration) would have appropriate homepage copy and links that would be specific to graduate students. Example: the Apply Now (Masters/Advanced Certificate) link would go to the Graduate Apply Now page.

Suggested elements:

In addition, departments may choose to add the following to their sites:

• Photos of department activities and facilities should populate the entire site.
• Testimonials from alumni/ examples of student/faculty/alumni success. Can link to Alumni survey information at http://www.brockport.edu/08 (understanding that the last two digits will change as each succeeding year’s report goes online.)
• Blogs by current students/faculty
• Research opportunities for students
• Department specific scholarships
• Teacher certification programs within department
• Ongoing research projects by faculty/staff
• Letter of welcome from chair
• Mission statement (may be required by certain accreditation agencies)
• Samples of Scholars’ Day presentations

All department Websites must be approved prior to launch by The Office of University Communications.

B. Standards for Non-Academic Department Page Design

The main page for any SUNY Brockport Web site (e.g., a site for an administrative office, academic department, event) must conform to a current Brockport template. The Web Manager in conjunction with the office of University Communications will determine the appropriate template. Appeals of this determination may be made through the Web Advisory Committee.

Derivative works based on the Brockport template and/or the graphics used therein are prohibited. These graphics are made available for use within the approved template only, and may not be altered and/or used outside the approved templates.

All non-academic Web sites must be approved prior to launch by The Office of University Communications.

C. Standards for Links

The University’s Website should not provide links to private businesses (“dot-com’s”), unless all such businesses are provided equal access; unless a formal business partnership has been approved; and/or unless the reason for the link is primarily educational in nature. Please note that this policy does not apply to links to non-commercial or non-profit organizations (“dot-orgs”).

Links to commercial and non-profit sites are permitted on an educational basis; however, the links themselves must not be misconstrued as advertisements (logos and trademarks are prohibited, even if permission is granted for their use by the organization, and even if the images are not links). They must not be done in such a way as to give the appearance of the approval, support, or endorsement of The University. A disclaimer disavowing endorsement may be appropriate. Only President’s Staff can grant exemptions to the advertising ban. Disclaimers are not necessary for any commercial links that have approved business partnerships with The University (e.g. the Brockport Auxiliary Service Corporation: www.basc1.com). For clarifications, please contact the Web Manager.
Academic and other related departments and programs should link their pages to the official University catalogs rather than repeat catalog information.

D. Standards for Individual Faculty and Staff within Offices and Departments

Individual faculty and staff may include one page of content related to their academic or professional role at the University on their associated unit/department’s website. This page may have a link to the individual’s personal, unofficial Web page/site, provided the link is not portrayed as official University content.

E. Standards for Department-Affiliated Student Groups

Academic departments may maintain official pages within their sites for student groups within the major, provided the above rules for official content are followed. This is primarily allowed if the departmental Web content provider also maintains the student-group pages. However, the preferred location for such information is the www.itss.brockport.edu server.

Standards for Course-related Web Pages

Even though course-related and Intranet Web pages are not official content, they are still subject to other policies, particularly New York Technology Policy P08-005. (Review the policy online at http://www.cio.ny.gov/Policy/NYS-P08-005.pdf.)

They may incorporate the appropriate SUNY Brockport template. Use of course management software such as Angel or the SUNY Learning Network fully complies with Brockport’s policy for course-related pages and is encouraged. Contact the Web Manager for further details.

Standards for Unofficial Web Pages (Student Groups and Personal Web Sites)

Unofficial content is defined as any other Web content from the brockport.edu domain not previously described, including personal pages or student organization pages not part of a department’s or major’s web site. A personal page is defined as a Web page for any individual faculty or staff member or student maintained by that individual for personal or professional information, provided the latter is strictly related to one’s service to the University.

On-campus student organizations may maintain Web pages at Brockport, as long as they are not meant to represent official University content. The Brockport Student Government president is responsible for ensuring the accuracy and timeliness of Web page content for his/her organization. BSG is responsible for the content of its student group pages. Individual advisors will be responsible for the content of the Web pages of their student organizations as outlined in the following paragraph.

All unofficial pages should be located on www.itss.brockport.edu or some other server. Unofficial pages will not be allowed on www.brockport.edu, with the exception of administrative-level Intranet pages that are accessible only through a password, course-related material, and pages of academic major-related student clubs.

The use of SUNY Brockport resources to store or transfer illegal material or material for personal business or personal gain is prohibited. Authors and/or managers of personal and other unofficial pages must adhere to this prohibition. Violations can result in immediate loss of Brockport Internet domain (brockport.edu) Web-hosting privileges.

Technical Support

The Web Manager will maintain the campus Web server and top-level links to unit publications on the main Brockport Web server (www.brockport.edu). IT Support Services will maintain Web-server space for unofficial pages at www.itss.brockport.edu.

The Web Manager will identify, evaluate, and provide technical support for software tools for the creation of official Web pages. The Web Manager will consult with authors on the appropriate tools for their needs and provide instruction concerning creation and maintenance of official Brockport Web pages. IT Support Services will handle all technical support issues related to unofficial content and course-related Web pages.

Policy Distribution

This Web Content Policy, with the most current revisions, will be linked from the University’s official Web site.

Policy Decisions

The Web Advisory Committee will continue to review and recommend specific changes or additions to the University’s Web Policy.

Policy Enforcement

SUNY Brockport seeks to enhance the use of technological resources and not to police those resources. However, engaging in any activity that does not conform to the University’s Web Content policy can result in the immediate loss of Brockport Internet domain Web-hosting privileges.

Furthermore, if such activities also violate the University’s Code of Student Social Conduct or any federal, state, or local laws, (e.g. copyright, libel, privacy), they may be referred to the appropriate campus unit for resolution. Such cases may result in suspension from the University as well as prosecution by outside authorities.

Where appropriate, the Web Manager may work with Web page authors and/or managers to ensure that Web pages are brought into compliance with The University’s Web Content Policy.

Policy Implementation/Grace Period

This policy was updated on March 30, 2010 by the Web Advisory Committee and forwarded to the University Provost for review by President’s Cabinet. Effective date is August 23, 2010. Content providers will be expected to have the pages for which they are responsible compliant with the parts of this policy which pertains to them by the first day of classes in the fall 2010 semester, or one month after the above effective date, whichever is later. Future changes to this policy will have at least a one-month grace period for content providers to make their pages compliant. Departments, units, offices and programs needing assistance creating or updating a Web page should contact the Office of University Communications. It is expected that office and department Web sites be reviewed and updated at least yearly by the appropriate unit head.

Links to Related Procedures and Information

There are no links for this policy at this time.

Contact Information

Policy Questions

Please direct all questions regarding this policy to the Web Manager (contact information below) who will either respond directly to the questions (copying the chair of the Web Advisory Committee) or forward questions to the Web Advisory Committee as appropriate.

Web Manager: Gian Carlo Cervone

History (in descending order)

Approval

There are no approvals for this policy at this time.