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Policies and Procedures Manual

08:09:01 Web Site Policy and Guide

Revision Responsibility: Vice President for Strategic Communications & Effectiveness
Responsible Executive Officer: Vice President for Strategic Communications & Effectiveness

Purpose

The Walters State Website Policy and Guide establishes standards for the Walters State Community College website that support the college’s mission, ensure a unified web presence, contribute to the institutional brand and image, and provide guidelines for complying with state and federal law.

The Walters State website is one of the most visible representations of the college and one of its most important recruitment tools. As such, each public Walters State webpage is considered a college publication in that it contributes to the user’s perception of the college. While individual units, departments, clubs, or offices have their own specific purpose and goals, they are also part of Walters State as a whole and, therefore, need to be clearly identified with the college brand. The following policy and guidelines will help ensure that the college’s website not only supports the college’s mission but also presents an institutional image that complements the quality of our faculty, staff, students and supporters.

Policy

I. Web Site Publishing Procedures

  1. Web Changes and Updates
    The college’s Office of Communications and Marketing is responsible for the content, design, navigation, and structure of the Walters State website. Walters State webpages that are open to the general public are subject to approval by the Communications and Marketing Office. Web updates or changes should be submitted via a Creative Projects Request form. Include in the request the corresponding URL(s). Please allow a minimum two-week turnaround time for content change requests. More time may be required depending on the size and scope of the changes and the preceding job requests. The Web Specialist will monitor the web site for outdated information; however, it is the responsibility of individual departments and offices to ensure that the information on their respective pages is current.
  2. Permissions
    Full permissions to make changes and administer the site are limited and will be designated by the Communications and Marketing Office and Information Educational Technologies as necessary to maintain the site. Designated Communications and Marketing and Information Educational Technologies staff will be the only employees with full website permissions.
    Limited permissions to author on the public site will be designated by Communications and Marketing and IET, with approval from respective vice presidents, as needed to keep content current and up to date.
  3. External Servers, Third-Party Software
    Any new public pages that are hosted on external servers via third-party Internet software or providers are subject to approval by Communications and Marketing and IET. Such pages must also comply with the college’s website policy as well as represent the aesthetic elements of the main Walters State website. Information on such pages should be pertinent to the department, division, or program represented on the webpage. They should communicate information about the college and must not represent the personal views of the individual maintaining the site.
  4. Policy Oversight
    The Communications and Marketing Office reserves the right to remove or disable any content or webpage on any public institutionally related webpage that is in violation of the Walters State website policy or state or federal law. Notification will be given for violations. Appeals regarding the removal of content or a webpage should be submitted in writing within two weeks after the information is disabled to the Vice President for Strategic Communications and Effectiveness. The Walters State Website Committee will review appeals and make recommendations to the college president in accordance with the college’s Website Policy and Guide.

II. Style, Logos, Images, and Navigation

  1. Style
    To maintain consistency throughout the site, the college has established graphic standards that serve as a branding guide. The following fonts and colors should be used:
    Fonts:
    Calluna
    Myriad Pro
    Colors:
    RGB (233,21,64): dark red WS Logo Color Pantone/PMS 199 red
    RGB (0,22,65): dark blue WS Logo Color Pantone/PMS 289 dark blue
  2. Logos
    The Walters State logo and trademark are graphic elements that represent Walters State. The logo can vary in size but should always be proportional, not stretched or distorted.
  3. Images
    Images on the Walters State website must be proportional, have a high visual resolution so that they are not blurry or grainy, and be small in graphic size to reduce download time. The Walters State brand emphasizes pictures of actual Walters State students, faculty, and staff on the website and in publications. Stock photography is discouraged and only acceptable in special circumstances.
  4. Navigation
    The organization of a web site is as important as its appearance. With an institution as large as Walters State, it is important that the website have a strong hierarchical architecture. The navigation should make sense for the end user and the site’s primary audiences.

III. Accessibility

In compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and college non-discrimination policies, the college will make every effort to ensure that webpages are accessible to individuals with disabilities. Web users with visual or motor skill impairments utilize screen readers and text-only browsers. Therefore, Walters State’s webpages should be constructed to meet web content accessibility guidelines and policies.

IV. Privacy and Information Security

All webpages must comply with laws and college policies governing personal privacy and the confidentiality of users. On May 23, 2003, the Federal Trade Commission adopted the “Standards for education, to develop and draft a comprehensive, written Information Security Program that includes administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to protect the confidentiality of customers’ nonpublic Safeguarding Customer Information” Rule promulgated under the authority of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA). The GLBA safeguarding rule requires all financial institutions, including institutions of higher financial information that is held in the institution’s possession.

According to Tennessee Board of Regents guidelines, nonpublic financial information means any information regarding a student or third party obtained in connection with providing a financial service to that person. Examples of nonpublic information include, but are not limited to, mailing addresses, phone numbers, bank and credit card account numbers, income tax records, credit histories, and Social Security numbers.

V. Copyright and Fair Use

  1. Copyright
    Copyright laws that apply to print publishing also apply to electronic publishing. Publishers must have permission to publish any copyrighted information on the public institutional website. Copyright information includes not only text-based information but also graphics, sound clips, animations, and photographs. Electronic publications are subject to the same college policies and standards as print publications.

    Regarding use of copyrighted music in videos or on public institutional webpages, publishers must have permission from the copyright holder. The college has established contracts with three music-licensing organizations – SESAC, ASCAP, and BMI. These contracts allow for public performances of certain copyrighted songs and include some limited reproduction and synchronization permissions. However, faculty and staff are encouraged to avoid using copyrighted songs, or any copyrighted material, on the public institutional website.

  2. Fair Use
    Section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Act considers the use of copyrighted material for educational purposes. It lists four factors to be considered in determining fair use of copyrighted material:
    1. The purpose and character of the use, including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes.
    2. The nature of the copyrighted work.
    3. The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole.
    4. The effect of the use upon the potential market for, or value of, the copyrighted work.

      The four fair-use factors listed above are only guidelines. Section 107 states that the “distinction between fair use and infringement may be unclear and not easily defined. There is no specific number of words, lines, or notes that may safely be taken without permission. Acknowledging the source of the copyrighted material does not substitute for obtaining permission.”

      The following website provides a fair use checklist:

      http://copyright.columbia.edu/copyright/fair-use/fair-use-checklist/

      Copyright Law Section 110 (2)

      Section 110 (2) of the U.S. Copyright Law, known as the Technology, Education, and Copyright Harmonization (TEACH) Act, contains exemptions and limitations for use of copyrighted materials in distance education and other electronic uses. The following web sites provide information and checklists on section 110 (2):

      http://copyright.lib.utexas.edu/teachact.html#checklist

      http://www.provost.ncsu.edu/copyright/toolkit/

      More information on U.S. copyright laws and fair use can be found on the following websites: Campus Guide to Copyright Compliance; U.S. Copyright Office, North Carolina Public Schools Copyright in an Electronic Environment, and Stanford University Copyright and Fair Use websites.
      http://www.copyright.com/Services/copyrightoncampus/intro/index.html

      http://www.copyright.gov/

      http://www.ncpublicschools.org/copyright1.html

      http://fairuse.stanford.edu/Copyright_and_Fair_Use_Overview/index.html

      https://umdrive.memphis.edu/g-legal/www/copyrighthelp/

  3. Digital Millennium Copyright Act
    Walters State subscribes to the requirements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) of 1998. Consistent with the act, Walters State has an associated institutional DMCA Copyright Policy and a Code of Computer Practices providing notice of copyright responsibility for all users of college computers and web resources. Additionally, the college has designated an agent to receive notification of claimed infringement from copyright owners. The college is obligated to take appropriate action if it receives a complaint that copyrighted material is being published over the network without permission of the copyright holder. The college’s agent is the Vice President for Strategic Communications and Marketing.

VI. Commercial Advertising

As a tax-funded, not-for-profit state institution of higher education, Walters State does not endorse for-profit businesses or products. To protect the educational nature of the college and the integrity of the state’s purchasing and procurement policies, graphic or text links to commercial, for-profit sites are not allowed on Walters State websites. This includes promotion or advertisement of or links to book publishers and electronic and software products. Furthermore, links from a Walters State webpage to any non-college site must not imply college endorsement of the site’s products and services. Corporate sponsorships may be acknowledged through procedures established by the College Advancement Office.

VII. Social Network Sites

Walters State has developed guidelines for student organizations and programs or departments that wish to use social media tools.

This policy does not address every issue concerning this emerging new media. It applies to any social media account that is using the name, logo, or trademark, or other Walters State emblem prominently. It does not apply to private individual accounts, although Walters State reserves the right to remove its name or trademark from any account.

  1. Official Walters State Social Network Sites
    The Office of Communications and Marketing maintains the official Walters State Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube accounts. The Office of College Advancement maintains the official Facebook account for alumni. Posting information to these pages ensures the widest possible audience.
  2. Social Network Sites for College-Affiliated Groups
    Groups wishing to have their own official social media account must first seek approval from the Office of Communications and Marketing. All group Facebook pages will be listed on the official college Facebook page as a “favorite.” Twitter accounts will be followed by the Walters State Twitter account. This will enable students to be more informed and involved.
  3. Faculty and/or Staff Administrators
    All social media accounts officially recognized by Walters State must have a faculty or staff member as an administrator at all times. Should the designated advisor leave the college for any reason or no longer wishes to be an account administrator, it is that person’s responsibility in coordination with his or her supervisor to designate a replacement and inform the Office of Communications and Marketing of this change. This includes summer months.
  4. Tips for Monitoring Posts and Comments
    The following guidelines address a small number of reasons social media posts and comments may be deleted. Designated account administrators are responsible for managing content:
  • Use good judgment about content and respect privacy laws. Do not include confidential information about the college, its staff, or its students.
  • Representation of personal opinions as being endorsed by the college or any of its organizations is strictly prohibited. The Walters State name or any symbol of the college should not be used to promote any opinion, product, cause, or political candidate.
  • Refrain from using information and conducting activities that may violate copyright and local, state, or federal laws and regulations.

    01/15; 05/16; 03/23