Web Policy

Alvernia College's World Wide Web presence provides current comprehensive information about the college's educational opportunities, curricula, services, and activities. This policy is to ensure the consistency and integrity of Alvernia's public image on the World Wide Web and to provides general guidelines for developing, updating, and maintaining the college's websites at different levels.

General Guidelines

Content

Material published on the Alvernia College web site shall not violate any explicit or implied policy and confidentiality, right to privacy, or personal safety. All published material is subject to existing laws relating to copyright, intellectual property rights, and trademarks.

While publishing on the web is often decentralized in academic institutions, Alvernia College retains a direct interest in both the content and presentation of material on its web site. As with print publications, the reputation and image of the college are manifested in the quality of information published on the web and the same high standards as for print publications must be observed.

Levels of Websites

Alvernia College website is comprised of three major levels: college gateway level, audience type level, and information content level. The college homepage is the entrance to the college website. As such, its design and content must be approved by the college President. The design and content of audience type level pages must be approved by the Dean of Library and Technology Services. The design of the template for information content level pages must be approved by the Dean of Library and Technology Services, whereas the content of information content level pages is the responsibility of the associated divisions, departments, organizations, or faculty members.

Updates

The timely update of websites at all levels is crucial in maintaining the accuracy and currency of college information and online interactions and communication. The web administrator is responsible for the update of the college homepage and pages at audience type level. The update of pages at information content level relies on the associated divisions, departments, organizations, or faculty members.

If a page has not been updated for over a year, the department should be notified so proper action can be taken.

To maintain the college website efficiency, out-dated sites or pages should be either updated or removed from the college website.

Procedures

1. Web Content Creation or Update Request

All major divisions, departments and organizations at Alvernia College have a website dedicated to their academic, administrative, and/or organizational information and activities. The Department of Educational Technology under the Division of Library and Information Technology currently maintains and updates most of those sites.

To create or update web content or interfaces:

• Contact the web administrator at 610-796-8398 to schedule an appointment;
• Discuss a development plan;
• Provide content in digital format (e.g. in Word or in a text file) with detailed instructions.

How much in advance to contact the web administrator depends on the complexity of a project. In general, the following timelines apply:

• Two months for online surveys or other complicated forms or a complex new website;
• One month for a new website without forms;
• Two weeks for extensive website or webpage revising and editing;
• One week for non-urgent editing and updates.

Urgent updates or editing will be handled immediately.

Some departments have an individual in their division or department take the full or partial responsibility of the editing of their websites or webpages. As the functionality and complexity of the college website expands, the number of such web editors has been increasing. When a division, a department or an organization is interested in getting involved with website editing, the following steps are to be taken:

• Contact the web administrator at 610-796-8328 to schedule an appointment;
• Discuss the details with the web administrator;
• The web administrator provides web editing training and other technical support.

2. Faculty and Staff Personal Web Pages Request

Any full-time faculty or staff member may request a personal webpage. However, if the personal webpage is a complex one such as an online survey for a doctoral dissertation, the request may or may not be granted depending on the workload of the web administrator and the availability of other resources. The Educational Technology Department will do its best to support faculty in their research efforts, but such personal webpages are of lower priority.

Design Standards

With few exceptions, all web pages on Alvernia College website are to be produced within the template system and in accordance with the graphic standards developed by the college. These standards establish and maintain a consistent Alvernia College's World Wide Web appearance.

Alvernia College Homepage
This page, as the entrance to the college website, must maintain a high standard of professional appearance. The color scheme must be based on the college colors.

It must reflect the college mission at a quick glance and provide easy channels to locate information. Technically, this page must be error-free and fast loading. A new design must be created at least every two years to demonstrate the college's progressiveness. The central background image behind the college logo may change more often.

Audience Type Level Pages
These pagesmust adopt an identical layout and graphical design. All these pages must have the Alvernia College logo. The color scheme must be based on the college colors.

Information Content Level Pages
These pages must use a template (see web Template below) provided by the Department of Educational Technology. All the pages must provide an "Alvernia Home" link for visitors to return to the Alvernia homepage. Furthermore, all the pages must reflect the update date and provide an email link to the web administrator for visitors to give comments.

Styles and Formats
Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) are employed to change properties like font face, size, font in tables, scrollbar color, link color and hover color, and other style attributes on the web pages to avoid using long HTML codes in each page repeatedly. The same style sheets are used to achieve format consistency and easiness in maintaining the college website. web editors can create their own customized style sheets as long as they adhere to the dominant styles of the college website.

In addition, ALT tags are used to provide explanations of graphical expressions.

Web Template

With a few exceptions, this template provides a standard for all web pages at information content level on the Alvernia College website. It starts with a white-texted and maroon-based header indicating the college name and the department name if any. Sometimes the heading also indicates the content area of the page. A navigation menu spreads out on its left side with a light yellow background. An update date and email link for comments are displayed at the bottom of the main content body.

The following is an illustration of the template:

Accessibility

Efforts are made to facilitate an inclusive environment and culture, and enhance learning, teaching, research, public service and outreach. The layout of web pages is kept simple and easy. Graphics are supplied with meaningful ALT tags.

Personal Pages

This policy does not apply to personal web pages such as those developed by student clubs and organizations, or personal web pages created by or for individual students, faculty, or staff. For details, see Independent Web Pages. Alvernia College is not responsible for any type of personal pages. The college reserves the right, however, to remove from its website any page or link in violation of the law or college policies.

Advertising

Alvernia College web pages may not contain advertising for, or links to, commercial sites without the approval by the Dean of the Division of Library and Technology Services. Approval will be considered only if 1) the purpose of the advertising or link is consistent with the college mission, 2) the advertising or link is essential or beneficial to the purpose of the related page, and 3) the advertising or link does not imply college endorsement of the product or service.