Web Standards and Practices Guide

The university's Web Standards and Practices Guide is a joint project of the Office of Communications and the Office of Information Technology Services (ITS). 

This guide is for everyone working with university and university-affiliated webpages, including vendors hired for web-related projects.

You are encouraged, but not required to follow this guide if you are working on Web-based instructional materials, individual, or personal webpages.

Applying Standards and Practices

Note: Individual and personal webpages may not use university templates, designs, or logo(s).

This guide covers many topics, ranging from writing style to specifications for code used in web-based applications. Not all topics will apply to your specific project.

To help determine which topics are most relevant, click the heading most applicable to your project to view the suggested list.

What if something within the standards is not appropriate for my site?

The university's web standards are drawn from research-based, widely accepted best practices. However, there may be times a particular audience, content type or purpose requires something outside the standards. Personal preference or taste is not grounds for an exception. The site steward must provide justification for any exception.

If an exception is granted, ITS will work with the site steward or their designee to develop a viable alternative on a case-by-case basis, within the scope of the university's financial, technical, and personnel resources.