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World Wide Web Content Policy
I. Purpose
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 needed.
The SUNY Brockport Web Content policy proposes to set the College's standard for: (a) establishing acceptable use of the medium, (b) enhancing the College's mission by clarifying responsibilities of authors, and (c) encouraging accurate, useful and attractive presentations of information.
Departments, administrative units, student organizations and individuals are encouraged to publish information on the Web, provided such information supports the mission of the College and does not violate articulated policies or procedures.
II. Scope
The Web policy applies to: (a) information on the Internet and Web publications, (b) all official SUNY Brockport material, and (c) all unofficial content posted by individuals and student groups within the SUNY Brockport Internet domain (brockport.edu).
III. Standards for Official SUNY Brockport Web Pages
Official Web content consists of all pages representing the College at an institutional level. This includes: (a) the top-level Web pages maintained by the Web Manager, (b) Web pages of academic departments, excluding instructional or course-related Web pages (particularly those using course management software), and (c) Web pages of all other College offices, excluding Intranet material which is password protected and for internal use only (e.g., College 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 SUNY Brockport material at or near the top of the page;
- clearly identify the name of the department, unit or organization publishing the document;
- link back to the College’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 99-3;
- 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 SUNY Brockport Marketing Manual and Style Guide; and
- be approved by the Office of Marketing Communications (textual content), the Office of Design & Production (graphical content), the Web Manager (policy compliance), and the respective department heads prior to posting to the Web. Substantive changes must be similarly approved; small changes such as phone number updates need not be reviewed.
A. Standards for Page Design
The main page for any SUNY Brockport Web site (e.g., a site for an administrative office, academic department, event, etc.) must conform to the current and corresponding Brockport template. The Web Manager will determine which template is appropriate for a given site (e.g., Academics or Student Life & Services). Appeals of this determination may be made through the Web Advisory Committee.
It is recommended and encouraged that all pages in the site use the assigned template as a minimum standard. However, a department with sufficient resources may wish to develop a unique site and go beyond the confines of the standard template, e.g., for a graduate program section within an academic department. This is allowed with approval of Marketing Communications, Design and Production, and the Web Manager. All official pages, whether they use the SUNY Brockport template or not, must conform to the above eight rules, however.
Derivative works based on the SUNY 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 template, even by SUNY Brockport departments.
B. Standards for Links
Links within the official College Web site to outside commercial entities (“dot-coms”) are regulated by New York State Technology Policy 96-8, as are all New York state agencies. This policy states, “Agencies should not provide links to private businesses, 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”).
Providing equal access to all entities that request links is not an acceptable practice at SUNY Brockport. 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 SUNY Brockport. 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 SUNY Brockport (e.g., the Brockport Auxiliary Service Corporation, basc1.com). For clarifications, please contact the Web Manager.
Academic and other related departments are strongly encouraged to link their pages to the official College catalogs rather than repeat catalog information. This will decrease the amount of out-of-date information as well as provide consistency.
C. Standards for Individual Faculty and Staff within Offices and Departments
Individual faculty and staff may have one page within any associated department’s Web site, maintained by the departmental Web content provider, at the sole discretion of that Web content provider. As an official Web page, its content must be limited to the academic or professional role of the individual at the College. This page may have a link to the individual’s personal, unofficial Web page/site, provided the link is not portrayed as official College content.
Pages containing links to personal Web pages or sites which are not
official Brockport content (excluding course-related and intranet Web
pages), especially those within the brockport.edu domain, should contain
the following or a similar disclaimer:
"Sections linked from this page are maintained by independent groups
and individuals, and do not in any way constitute official SUNY Brockport
content. The views expressed in the personal home pages are those of
the page authors, and comments on those pages should be directed to
the page authors."
D. 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.
IV. 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 State Technology Policy 99-3. They may incorporate the appropriate SUNY Brockport template. Use of course management software such as Angel or the SUNY Learning Network fully complies with SUNY Brockport's policy for course-related pages and is encouraged. Contact the Web Manager for further details.
V. Standards for Unofficial Web Pages (Student Groups and Personal Web Pages)
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 College.
On-campus student organizations may maintain Web pages at Brockport, as long as they are not meant to represent official SUNY Brockport 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.acs.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. Any unofficial page containing material that has been or may be deemed offensive by one or more persons must be preceded by a warning page or confirmation message containing the following or a similar message: “The following page contains material that may be deemed offensive to some users.”
VI. Technical Support
The Web Manager in Information Technology Services will maintain the campus Web server and top-level links to unit publications on the main SUNY 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 SUNY Brockport Web pages. IT Support Services will handle all technical support issues related to unofficial content and course-related Web pages.
VII. Policy Distribution
This Web policy, with the most current revisions, will be linked from the College's official web site. The SUNY Brockport World Wide Web Policy will also be included in future editions of the appropriate College publications.
VIII. Policy Decisions
With the evolving nature of technology, the Web Advisory Committee will continue to review and may make specific changes or additions to the SUNY Brockport Web Policy, with the input and approval of upper-level administrators as necessary.
IX. 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 SUNY Brockport Web Content policy can result in the immediate loss of Brockport Internet domain Web-hosting privileges.
Furthermore, if such activities also violate the College's Code of Student Conduct and the Computing Code of Ethics, 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 College 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 SUNY Brockport Web Content policy.
X. Policy Implementation/Grace Period
This policy became effective June 26, 2002, with the approval of the President’s Staff. 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 2002 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 needing assistance creating or updating a Web page should contact the College Web Manager. It is expected that office and department Web sites be reviewed and updated at least yearly by the appropriate unit head.
XI. 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.
Adopted by Web Advisory Committee, May 20, 2002
For questions and further information please contact the Web Manager
Mail to: webmaster@brockport.edu, or call (585) 395-2385,
