Corporate Website Procedures
Approved by: Vice-Chancellor
Designated officer: Director, Marketing and Communications
Date approved: 5 December 2006
Related documents:
- USC Style Guide for Print and Web
- USC Corporate Website Content and Images Guide
- USC Guide to Writing for the Web
- USC Corporate Website Manual for Authors and Coordinators
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
- USC Corporate Website Support Group Terms of Reference
- Managing Records of Webpages and Websites, April 2002, Queensland State Archives
- USC Strategic Recordkeeping Implementation Plan
Definitions
A content management system (CMS) is the database behind the University’s corporate website which holds the content of the website.
Content on the corporate website consists of text, tables, images, PDFs, links, news articles, testimonials, events and metadata.
Metadata is information about a particular page that is stored as part of the page and is only visible in edit mode (not the live site) eg keywords, page summary, etc.
A resource gallery holds images and PDFs that can be included in webpages.
Templates are used to give the website a consistent look and feel.
A web browser provides a graphical interface that lets users click buttons, icons and menu options to view and navigate webpages.
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Procedures
1. Responsibility and management
1.1 The Vice-Chancellor, or designate, is responsible for the authorisation of:
1.1.1 external links
1.1.2 advertising
1.1.3 sponsorship
1.1.4 shortened URLs
1.2 The Director, Marketing and Communications, or designate, is responsible for:
1.2.1 corporate identity, visual design, content and project management of the corporate website
1.2.2 amending or removing any material from the corporate website that is subject to an Australian Broadcast Authority take-down notice, does not conform to the policy and/or procedures, adversely reflects on the University or is outdated
1.2.3 changing the Authors and Coordinators nominated for each page on the corporate website
1.2.4 ensuring that the material on the corporate website complies with the University’s Style Guide and is consistent, accurate and current
1.2.5 approving exceptions to the Corporate Website Procedures when required
1.2.6 assisting Authors and Coordinators with help desk support services
1.2.7 providing website training for Authors and Coordinators
1.2.8 approving new categories of content
1.2.9 approving manual updates to publish information to the live site
1.3 The Corporate Website Application Support Group is responsible for identifying and recommending:
1.3.1 technologies required to deliver a dynamic website
1.3.2 policy, procedures and guidelines for the governance of the website
1.3.3 future development, new services and new categories of material
1.3.4 resources required for supporting the website to the ICT Board
1.4 The Director, Information Technology Services, or designate, is responsible for:
1.4.1 managing the University web server which hosts the corporate website
1.4.2 providing technical advice and assistance to the Director, Marketing and Communications, and to the Corporate Website Application Support Group
1.4.3 routine technical maintenance for the corporate website
1.5 Designated Coordinators in faculties and administrative areas are responsible for creating and authorising the publication of material in their pages on the corporate website and for ensuring that this material is correct and regularly updated. Designated Coordinators are appointed by the head of areas.
1.6 Designated Authors in faculties and administrative areas are responsible for creating and editing material in their pages on the corporate website and for ensuring that all material is correct and regularly updated. Designated Authors are appointed by the head of areas.
1.7 The Copyright Officer and Privacy Officer are responsible for conducting audits, responding to complaints, and implementing take down notices to remove materials that infringe copyright and privacy legislation.
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2. Format
2.1 The site can be viewed in html, text-only, large font size and printer-friendly mode.
2.2 Content on the corporate website resides in the corporate website CMS, except where content is propriety to other systems or is more appropriate to remain within the authoritative system or database, (eg SOLAR, Library catalogue, etc).
2.3 To ensure visual consistency, pages make use of templates that include the standard University page layout, headers, footers and metadata tags, except for pages which have been approved by the Corporate Website Application Support Group.
2.4 The navigation and URL of content in the CMS is automatically determined by the placement of pages on the site.
3. Content
3.1 All content on the corporate website must:
3.1.1 relate to the purpose and content of the corporate website as outlined in the Corporate Website Policy
3.1.2 not include individual webpages for staff until guidelines are developed
3.1.3 use links to avoid duplication of information
3.1.4 include metadata (eg the review date, keywords and page summary, etc)
3.1.5 include legal requirements where appropriate (eg CRICOS provider number, privacy, disclaimer, copyright, the University’s ABN)
3.1.6 be primarily for the University’s external target audience (including high school students, guidance officers, parents, teachers, prospective students, alumni, prospective staff, the community, government, partners, business and industry)
3.1.7 not be exclusively for current students and staff
3.2 For assistance in providing content, refer to the following documents:
3.2.1 USC Website Content and Image Guide for writing content
3.2.2 USC Style Guide for Print and Web for University style conventions
3.2.3 USC Inclusive and Non-discriminatory Language Policy for language requirements
3.2.4 USC Corporate Website Manual for Authors and Coordinators for website requirements
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4. Online forms
4.1 Online forms must comply with the W3C’s accessibility guidelines.
4.2 For users that are unable to complete the form online, an alternative method of supplying the information or a University contact must be provided.
4.3 Online forms must include a disclaimer and a link to the Privacy Plan.
5. Tables
5.1 Any tables used on the website must be designed and formatted to ensure accessibility and usability.
6. Images
6.1 Digital images to be placed in a resource gallery and used on the website are normally of 72 dpi minimum resolution and in the following formats:
6.1.1 Staff images: 120 wide x 160 high (pixels)
6.1.2 General content images: 160 wide x 160 high (pixels)
6.1.3 Jpg or gif files
6.1.4 rgb colour
6.2 Images that cannot be clearly viewed at the above sizes (eg campus maps) may be an exception.
6.3 Images on the website may be protected by copyright and moral rights. To request an image to be used on the website:
6.3.1 forward a hard copy of a signed Model Release Form or a Talent Release Form to Marketing and Communications giving the permission of the relevant person to use their image or an image of their work
6.3.2 send an email to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au>, including:
6.3.2.1 image(s)
6.3.2.2 type of image (eg staff image or general content image)
6.3.2.3 description of the image (ie the description which supplies the alternate text for the text-only site)
6.3.2.4 name of the resource gallery in which the image is to be located
6.4 Marketing and Communications will place the signed Model Release Forms and Talent Release Forms on RecFind.
6.5 The Director, Marketing and Communications, or designate, will check the image for clarity and appropriateness before the image is placed in a resource gallery. Images will be assessed on the criteria listed in the USC Corporate Website Content and Image Guide.
6.6 If images are to be deleted from the resource gallery, send an email to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au> noting the:
6.6.1 specific image to be deleted from the resource galleries
6.6.2 specific URL addresses of pages on which this image appears
6.6.3 the reason for the deletion of this image from the website
6.7 The image will be placed in the resource gallery within three working days after the image and associated information (including the Model Release Form or a Talent Release Form) has been provided to Marketing and Communications.
6.8 All images placed on the website must have alternate text.
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7. PDFs
7.1 PDFs should only be added to the site in exceptional circumstances as these documents:
7.1.1 may reduce the ability to provide users with equal access to information on the website because they may not be:
7.1.1.1 read on the text-only site
7.1.1.2 downloadable due to size and user browser
7.1.2 are not searchable by some search engines
7.1.3 have to be manually added to, and deleted from, the resource galleries by Marketing and Communications, not the Authors and Coordinators
7.1.4 are not included in the navigation on the page (eg breadcrumbs)
7.2 Large PDF documents (files over 200 KB), such as the Annual Report, will be provided as a full document and with the option to download separate sections or a version with no images. In addition, contact details must be provided on the webpage to assist with providing a printed version of the PDF document.
7.3 All PDF documents open in a new window to ensure the site remains open when the PDF is closed.
7.4 On a content page, as part of a link to a PDF, include the size of the PDF.
7.5 Where possible, text and a PDF may be provided to assist with accessibility and choice for users.
7.6 To comply with W3C requirements, PDFs (such as brochures) will not be loaded to the corporate website when the information can be loaded as content in a webpage.
7.7 If a PDF is required to be loaded to the website, send an email to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au> including:
7.7.1 a Word version of the document to be loaded as the PDF
7.7.2 the name of the PDF resource gallery in which the PDF is to be stored
8. Internal links
8.1 Hyperlinked text is used as a means to:
8.1.1 move users around the site efficiently
8.1.2 assist users in finding information
8.1.3 avoid duplication of material
8.1.4 ensure minimum scrolling by placing additional information on other pages
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9. Links to external sites
9.1 The approved links to external sites are:
9.1.1 Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC)
9.1.2 Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST)
9.1.3 Australian Government
9.1.4 Library channel links to databases and research sites
9.1.5 Academic papers on publishers’ websites (from academic staff profile pages on the corporate website)
9.2 All other links to external sites may be approved based on a statement, emailed to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au>, including:
9.2.1 an explanation of the relevance to the purpose of the corporate website (refer to the Corporate Website Policy for the purpose)
9.2.2 an explanation of the relevance to the teaching, research, learning or administrative functions of the University
9.2.3 the URL of the external site where the reference(s) to the University of the Sunshine Coast occurs
9.3 Only in exceptional circumstances will links to commercial sites be approved.
9.4 Due to the automatic timeframes behind the workflow, external links require approval before being added to a page.
9.5 The URL of the approved external site on a page must be included in the ‘URL Location’ metadata of that page.
9.6 Requests for links to external sites, other than those specified in 8.1, will be considered by the Vice-Chancellor or designate.
9.7 To appeal decisions, a submission must be sent to the Vice-Chancellor, via <website@usc.edu.au>, outlining the reasons for the appeal and providing the statement specified in 8.2.
10. Anchor links
10.1 To improve usability on the site, anchor links are to be provided at the top of long pages.
11. Back to top links
11.1 On long pages, provide back to top links at the bottom of the page.
11.2 To avoid scrolling on very long pages, provide back to top links at regular intervals throughout the page.
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12. Useful links
12.1 The links in the useful links area are to be used for contact details, further information and to assist users to navigate through the site levels.
12.2 The notes in the useful links area are to be used for providing information that needs to be highlighted, such as closing dates.
13. News articles
13.1 All items in the News Resource Gallery are press releases written by the Media Relations Coordinator. If Authors and Coordinators have an item for a press release, provide this information to the Media Relations Coordinator in Marketing and Communications.
14. Profiles
14.1 If a student/graduate/staff/employer profile is to be added to the website, provide the following information to the Media Relations Coordinator in Marketing and Communications:
14.1.1 details of the profile
14.1.2 an image, if available, with a completed and signed Model Release Form
15. Events listed on the events page and home page
15.1 The events listed on the events page or the home page on the corporate website are related to the activities of the University (eg Keep PACE information sessions, Art Gallery exhibitions, etc).
15.2 These events must be available to an external audience (eg the public). Events only available to an internal audience (eg staff and students) should be placed on the intranet.
15.3 To request an event to be added on the website, send an email with the event’s details to Marketing and Communications at website@usc.edu.au.
15.4 On the day after the event occurs, the event will be automatically deleted from the website unless Marketing and Communications has been previously notified.
15.5 If information about the event is to be moved to a different area on the website when the event is no longer current, (eg conference information to move from the events area to a faculty page), please notify Marketing and Communications when requesting the event to be placed on the website.
16. Blogs
16.1 To assist in student recruitment, student blogs are loaded by Marketing and Communications. No other blogs can be loaded to the website.
16.2 Content in student blogs must not be illegal, obscene, defamatory, threatening, invasive of privacy, injurious, objectionable, infringing on intellectual property rights or misleading.
16.3 A disclaimer must be loaded to each student blog page noting that the opinions expressed are expressed strictly in their individual capabilities, not as representatives of the University of the Sunshine Coast.
16.4 The University of the Sunshine Coast name is not to be used in student blogs to endorse or promote any product, opinion or cause.
17. New pages
17.1 Before new pages are added, contact Marketing and Communications on <website@usc.edu.au>. New material must be in accordance with the Policy.
18. Shortened URLs
18.1 The defined sites approved for shortened URLs are:
18.1.1 Faculties
18.1.2 Research Institutes and Centres
18.1.3 International Relations
18.1.4 English Language Programs
18.1.5 Library
18.1.6 Conferences
18.1.7 Privacy Plan
18.1.8 Headstart
18.8.9 Graduation
18.1.10 Events
18.1.11 Noosa
18.1.12 Nursing Timetable because of the reciprocal external site at CQU
18.2 Shortened URLs will not be approved for academic programs.
18.3 Requests for shortened URLs may be approved based on a statement, emailed to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au>, including an explanation of the relevance of the shortened URL to the purpose of the corporate website (refer to the Corporate Website Policy for the purpose)
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19. Advertising
19.1 Paid advertising is not allowed on the corporate website unless approved by the Vice-Chancellor, or designate. Only in exceptional circumstances will approval be granted.
19.2 Advertising of private businesses or consultancy services by staff or students is not permitted.
20. Sponsorship
20.1 Organisations sponsoring University activities may be acknowledged in text on relevant pages.
20.2 Organisations sponsoring University activities will have their logos added to the corporate website if approved by the Vice-Chancellor, or designate. Only in exceptional circumstances will approval be granted.
20.3 Sponsors logos will be placed only at the bottom of a page.
20.4 Only in exceptional circumstances will approved be granted for external links to a sponsor’s website.
20.5 Requests for sponsorship to be acknowledged should be submitted to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au> and contain:
20.5.1 the name of the company sponsoring activities
20.5.2 the type of sponsorship
20.5.3 a short statement supporting the request
20.5.4 the timing of the sponsorship
20.5.5 specifications outlining the requirements of the acknowledgement on the relevant page (ie text, graphics, layout)
20.5.6 the amount of sponsorship
20.6 Sponsorship will not be accepted for services or products, or from organisations concerning the following:
20.6.1 cigarettes and alcohol
20.6.2 gambling services or establishments
20.6.3 sex services or establishments
20.6.4 political advertisements
20.6.5 any advertisement inconsistent with University policies and relevant legislation
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21. Copyright
21.1 A link to the copyright statement is on the footer of each page on the website.
21.2 Material including images and text on the website may be protected by copyright and moral rights. All material, including material deemed ‘copyright free’, may be audited for copyright compliance.
21.3 For more information about copyright, go to <https://my.usc.edu.au/information/copyright> or contact the University’s Copyright Officer at Copyright@usc.edu.au.
22. Privacy
22.1 A privacy statement can be accessed on the website in the footer of each webpage.
22.2 The University’s Privacy Plan is published on the website at <www.usc.edu.au/privacyplan> and includes procedures for gaining access to, or amending personal information.
22.3 Non-USC contact details for staff and students will not be loaded on the corporate website.
22.4 For more information about privacy, contact the University’s Privacy Officer at FOI@usc.edu.au.
23. Disclaimer
23.1 A link to the disclaimer statement is on the footer of each page on the website.
24. Records management
24.1 Webpage and website records required to be retained as business records of the University are captured and managed in accordance with the Strategic Recordkeeping Implementation Plan.
24.2 Webpage and website records are disposed of according to the University’s retention and disposal schedules.
25. Standards
25.1 Standards and processes on the corporate website will be regularly reviewed to ensure a best practice site that meets recognised usability and accessibility guidelines. Standards include:
25.1.1 complying with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Version 1, Priority 1 and 2
25.1.2 ensuring the text-only site does not use Javascript
25.1.3 keeping download times minimised
25.1.4 designing the site to be viewed on different sized browsers
25.1.5 incorporating alternative modes of access (eg text-only, print-friendly, large font)
25.1.6 breaking long scrolling pages into several smaller pages where possible
25.1.7 using metadata to increase the efficiency of the search engine
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26. Quality assurance
26.1 The University is committed to a quality website through the following quality control processes:
26.1.1 The CMS stores the content in a database, allowing the visual design to be changed efficiently when required.
26.1.2 Templates, style guidelines and editorial control ensure a visual, navigational and editorial consistency across the website.
26.1.3 The quality and accuracy of content is subject to an approval process before the content is published.
26.1.4 Currency of information is assisted by an automatic reminder notifying Authors and Coordinators to review each page on a designated date. These review dates should be set or re-set for:
26.1.4.1 content other than policies and archived student handbooks, every six months, and
26.1.4.2 policies and procedures, every 12 months.
26.1.5 Review dates for archived student handbooks are to be set for 2004 to ensure no automatic reminder emails are sent for these pages.
26.1.6 Accessibility to information on the website is maintained by processes nominated in the above procedures.
26.1.7 The CMS stores approved versions of each page enabling the rollback of content to a previous version, if required.
26.1.8 The website is backed-up daily.
26.1.9 Each page has a set of metadata to identify the title, publisher, creator, date created, date modified, date of next review. In addition, the meta data has a page summary and keywords to be used by internal and external search engines.
26.1.10 Website statistics are collected and analysed on a monthly basis.
26.1.11 Compliance checking of the website is undertaken.
27. Language
27.1 Webpages should use language that is in accordance with the University’s policy on Inclusive and Non-discriminatory Language.
27.2 If content in languages other than English is required, send an email to Marketing and Communications at <website@usc.edu.au> noting the:
27.2.1 specific language to be used
27.2.2 where the content will be on the website
27.2.3 the process which will be used by the relevant Authors and Coordinators to ensure these pages are regularly reviewed and updated
28. Training and support
28.1 To assist Authors and Coordinators understand the functionality and resources available in the CMS, training is conducted by Human Resources and Marketing and Communications.
28.2 The Corporate Website Manual for Authors and Coordinators is available for further assistance.
28.3 Ongoing support and advice regarding content and updating the site can be sought from Marketing and Communications at website@usc.edu.au.
28.4 Technical advice on computer access or problems can be sought from the IT Service Desk at ITServiceDesk@usc.edu.au.
29. Security
29.1 To maintain secure Author and Coordinator permissions and access, Marketing and Communications must be notified at <website@usc.edu.au> of any staffing changes in Authorship or Coordination.
29.2 Data collected via online forms is to be stored in a secure location.
29.3 To protect the corporate website, the webserver must have adequate security, such as firewalls, backups, data protection, and administrative procedures.
29.4 Content in the website CMS cannot be edited or created from an off-campus location.
30. URL and page naming conventions
30.1 In addition to the ‘Name’ of the page, the URL is determined by the placement of the respective pages within the site structure. When Authors create new pages, the ‘Name’ of the page is to be short and have no spaces.
30.2 If programs listed in the online Student Handbook have recommended enrolment patterns, the ‘Name’ of the program channel is the program code for that program (eg the Bachelor of Arts channel name is ‘AR301’).
30.3 The ‘Name’ used for staff profile pages is the surname of the staff member.
31. Requests for changes or new functionality
31.1 All changes and requests are logged by Marketing and Communications in the IT Services TrackIt system. To request a change or new feature, send and email to <website@usc.edu.au> giving details of the problem or the change requested.
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