St. Cloud State University Policies & Procedures

Policies

Web Standards Link☍

Create PDF: Web Standards

Current Status: Approved

Policy Type: All University

Effective Date: 12/22/2014

Last Updated: 02/14/2019

Applies To: Students, Faculty, Staff

Responsible University Officer: Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management

Policy Owner: Executive Director of Marketing & Communication

Policy Contact: Office of Information Technology, Office of University Communication

Rationale

The Web Standards policy and procedures are designed to help website contributors promote a consistent University brand message, to provide ease of navigation for users, and to promote the use of visual design components which are consistent with, complementary to, and supportive of the image of the University. St. Cloud State University website contributors play a critical role in keeping the website current with relevant and timely information. St. Cloud State University has adopted Web Standards to provide a consistent user experience for site visitors.

Policy

All St. Cloud State University websites are subject to state and federal laws, Board Policies and Procedures of Minnesota State Colleges and Universities, and University policies including the Web Standards and policies relating to accessibility, Minnesota State acceptable use, copyright, advertising, dynamic website development, captioning and privacy.

All official University websites must comply with the Web Standards set forth in this policy document and the associated procedures. Web Standards apply to St. Cloud State University official websites that disseminate administrative or academic information and include but are not limited to the following websites:

Colleges and Schools
Academic departments and programs
Administrative offices and services
University-designated committees
University sponsored conferences and workshops held annually
University policies and procedures
University online services
Other academic and administrative units of the University

Governing Authority

The Communication Technologies Committee is responsible for developing and enforcing the Web Standards and overseeing the development of the St. Cloud State web environment. Questions or comments regarding web standards should be directed to the Communication Technologies Committee.

Procedure

University Websites or Webpages must adhere to the following Standards

University Header/Footer: Every page in the official St. Cloud State University web environment will contain the official St. Cloud State University header and footer.
University Templates: All St. Cloud State University websites will use one of the official (approved) university website templates for their web presence. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis for significant reason when determined appropriate by the Communication Technologies Committee.
Third Party Websites and Applications: Websites and software application tools developed or hosted by third party vendors should use an official university template. When programmatic or technological restrictions prevent full compliance with the web standards policy variations and exceptions must be approved by the Communication Technologies Committee.
Department Email Account: An official St Cloud State University e-mail address is required to be listed on the website and to be monitored/checked regularly (daily). Each department or office will obtain a department/office email account for this purpose. The email may be redirected to one or more individual email accounts.
Content: Content, including the written word and photography, are essential elements of every website and must be accurate, current and relevant. Each website must have a designated content owner. Among the responsibilities of each designated content owner is the need to check websites periodically, at least monthly, to ensure all content is accurate and timely. All members of the campus community should report suspected errors or omissions in the website to the department/office email listed on the website. Use of copyrighted material on St Cloud State University websites should only be accomplished with appropriate permission.
Department Academic Program and Course Information: Undergraduate and graduate program descriptions/requirements and course descriptions are located in the St. Cloud State University online catalog. All references to this information must be in the form of links to the online catalog. Anyone finding error in the online catalog should inform Academic Affairs. If changes to program or course information are necessary it should be addressed through the established curriculum process.

Compliance

If a site is found out of compliance with the Standards, the contact person for that site will be notified, a time limit may be imposed for bringing the site back into compliance. Assistance will be provided for bringing the website into compliance.

Assistance

Training: Training on Cascade Server, as well as best practices for website design and content creation, is available through the Application and Web Development Team.
Website Support: Please contact the Application and Web Development Team at web@stcloudstate.edu or (320) 308-5508 for help, advice and assistance in creating a new website or implementing the Web Standards. Personnel from University Communications are also available to assist with website content creation and editing.

** Questions, concerns, or comments related to the web standards policy or procedures should be directed to the Communications Technologies Committee.

Contacts

Responsible University Officer Woods, Jason L. Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management	jlwoods@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-5455
Owner Hammer, Adam E. Executive Director of Marketing & Communication	aehammer@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-2104
Contact Engelman, Caryn L. Office of University Communication	clengelman@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-3152
Contact Monn, Mark A. Office of Information Technology	mamonn@stcloudstate.edu 320-308-5508

To make a comment or suggest changes to this policy:

St. Cloud State University Users: Login
Non-St. Cloud State Users: Email comments to policy@stcloudstate.edu