IU Northwest Web Page Content and Update Policy   

Scope

This policy applies to:

• content management on the iun.edu website
• all content managers responsible for website content

Policy Statement

Per the procedures below, all content managers are responsible for maintaining accurate, timely content on their unit website(s).

All unit lead content managers and content managers are responsible for collaborating with the Office of Marketing and Communication (OMC) and the UITS-NW Web Services Team, as needed.

Reason for Policy

The website is the primary information source for IU Northwest, receiving more visitors annually than campus itself. It serves both internal and external audiences, including faculty, staff, current students, prospective students, alumni, members of the news media, donors, parents, friends, and more.

As such, it is important to keep in mind that iun.edu has multiple functions, which include helping to meet strategic marketing goals for recruitment, provide support for current students (retention), faculty and staff, facilitate community outreach, and comply with federal and state requirements.

In order to maintain the look and feel of the website and to meet important goals, the OMC and Web Services team have developed a policy addressing review, approval, and execution of content changes to unit webpages, including academic and administrative departments. Requests for variance from this policy will be reviewed on an individual basis, but it is the intent of OMC and the Web Services Team to adhere to the policy as set forth below.

Definitions

• Academic Website/Page:  Any website or page for an academic unit, including schools and schools’ individual degree programs.

• Administrative Services Page:  Any website or page for support services on campus, including faculty, staff, and student support, such as Human Resources, Admissions, Financial Aid, etc.
• Content:  The textual, visual, or aural content that is encountered as part of the user experience on websites. It may include, among other things, text, images, sounds, videos, links to other pages or websites, and animations.
• Content Manager (CM ): A person technically capable of adding/modifying webpages and content. 
• Lead Content Manager (LCM ): A Content Manager with the added responsibility to be the conduit between Content Managers and the Web Services Team.  
• Office of Marketing and Communications (OMC):  The functional owner of the iun.edu website. 

• UITS NW Web Services Team : The IU Northwest technical staff responsible for technical aspects of iun.edu. 
• Web Content Management System (WCMS):  Indiana University's Web Content Management System  for creating and managing websites.

Academic Pages 

The academic department web page templates have been designed in collaboration with IU Studios to provide end users with easy navigation and a smooth and consistent look and feel. Elements of the academic department web pages include: 

• Main landing page/website home page with a summary of majors, program highlights, banner photo, and department title. Banner photos must be approved by OMC.  
• Left navigation menu which has been designed to meet the overall needs of each unit. Dropdown menus in the left navigation include:

• About Us

• Faculty/Staff
• Degrees and Programs
• Student Resources
• Classes
• Related Information or other similar titles 

• Contact page

Guidelines

• Left navigation menu titles are not open to changes by CMs or LCMs (see Content Change Process). The links contained within these dropdowns will be consistent for each unit. Additional links may be added within the scope of this policy.

• New pages may be added but must be in support of website goals. Content that is duplicated or can be located on other pages or websites will not be approved for inclusion. Content that is not relevant to the program or does not meet the goals of iun.edu will not be approved. 
• External links will be considered, but external links must open in a new window, and MUST NOT redirect the user’s main tab to a non-iun.edu website.
• Departmental content other than general information must be  no more than two years out of date . It is the responsibility of each unit to review their page(s) once per semester, or more frequently as required, to ensure that information, photos, and links are up to date.
• Older materials and content that are no longer relevant, such as older photos, outdated syllabi, expired course materials, etc., will be retired from the web page(s) and may be migrated to other IU platforms as appropriate.
• OMC reserves the right to change or remove content as deemed necessary.

• PDFs are no longer accepted for use on iun.edu. If you have a PDF with information you need to have on the web, consider a web page, web form, or link to a shared drive. You may request a consultation to help review and determine the best options.
• Sunsetting (retiring of webpages) approvals will be established and handled on a per unit basis, with the dean, if applicable, director, or their designee charged with establishing and supporting the agreed upon content policy process in collaboration with OMC and Web Services. 

Administrative Services Pages 

Administrative Services pages conform to a different website structure than Academic Pages, with all necessary links to sub-pages appearing on that administrative landing page. Those links will be determined by the needs of each administrative office, in consultation with the Web Services Team.

Because administrative content and information is apt to change more frequently than academic content,  administrative pages must be reviewed once per semester and updated accordingly at least once per year .

Content Change Process

Every effort has been made to provide each department or administrative unit with a fully functioning website with the required content. Due to the nature of websites, it is expected that changes will be needed in support of the campus goals, to meet new or changing academic requirements, or for other valid reasons.

It is strongly suggested that unit and administrative CMs first consult with their LCMs before making anything other than minor changes. LCMs are urged to consult with OMC and/or the Web Services team to develop a plan for changes that exceed minor work.

Please familiarize yourself with the following information before planning changes. In order to maintain the standards and organization of iun.edu websites, some changes will require working with and obtaining approval for the work from OMC.

Scope of Changes

The following items may be changed by CMs without OMC approval: 

• Faculty/staff updates (contact information for employees should be updated every time a department has a hire, transfer, or termination.)
• Dates of programs/events
• Typographical errors
• Changes in degree offerings or requirements (in consultation with Academic Affairs) 
• Contact Information

• Single new page (please consult with OMC and the Web Services team to ensure architectural and content integrity)
• New internal links
• New external links. External links should be reviewed periodically to ensure the destinations are live and appropriate for iun.edu users. OMC reserves the right to remove any external links that are broken or deemed to be inappropriate. External links must open in a new window.
• Sub-navigation tab titles

The following items need to be reviewed by OMC before being changed or added. Please contact OMC and/or the Web Services Team so that we can work with you to meet your needs: 

• All images, including the banner photo. Please note that photos of minors under the age of 18 are prohibited, unless approved by OMC. Please consult with OMC and the Web Services Team regarding exemptions to this rule.
• Testimonials/quotes
• New or existing main navigation tab titles
• New pages (more than a single page) 

Following is the review process for change requests:

1. Departmental or division web page managers will submit an  online request form  describing the proposed change. 

1. OMC will discuss the request with the Web Services team to determine approval and implementation steps.

Approvals will be processed through the Service Now request system. Please allow up to two weeks for the review process to be completed.