University of Cincinnati Web Policy

All/any Web sites housed on UC Web servers must comply with all local, state and federal laws as well as with UC’s General Policy on the Use of Information Technology.

All university Web sites, including personal Web pages/sites, must comply with Section 8 (Advertising) of this policy.

All official Web pages must comply with this Web Policy and the UC Branding Standards (PDF). Official Web pages provide official information about the University of Cincinnati to the public, regardless of the server on which they are located. The dean, department or organization head is ultimately responsible for the content of his/her area’s official UC site.

1. Branding Standards. 
   1. Design of Web sites must comply with UC’s Branding Standards, including, but not limited to the following:
      1. every page of the site must contain the UC logo in a prominent location and viewable without scrolling on a monitor set at 800x600 resolution;
      2. the UC logo must be a link to UC’s home page (www.uc.edu);
      3. the primary colors of the site must be red (#E00122), black (#000000) and white (#ffffff);
      4. the pages must contain branding “architecture” in addition to the UC logo.
   2. Consult the UC Branding Standards (PDF) for additional details.
   3. Any UC Web site designed by any person or vendor other than the university’s University Relations division or the UC Academic Health Center Public Relations department, must be submitted to the Brand Review Committee for review and approval.
2. Accessibility.
   1. At minimum, seek to make essential information and functions available to all users.
   2. Follow current Web accessibility guidelines explained at http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/guide/1194.22.htm for all official university Web pages. Additional accessibility information, provided by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), is available at http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT/.
3. Links.
   1. Link to your own home page on all secondary and tertiary pages of the site.
   2. Unit names within top graphic banners should also be linked to your home page.
4. Functionality.
   1. Pages must function and display properly in Internet Explorer 6.x and Firefox 1.x and above.
   2. Pages must function in Internet Explorer 5.x and Netscape 7. 
   3. Pages must function in both Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
   4. Pages should function satisfactorily if accessed with a 56.6k dial-up modem.
5. PDF files, media, and plug-ins.
   1. Provide a link for user to download any required plug-ins.
   2. PDF files: "To view these files, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download."
   3. Streaming media: To view streaming video, you need Windows Media Player a free download. (Link points to http://get.adobe.com/reader/.)
      (Link points to to: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp)
   4. Audio files: To listen to these files, you need one of the following free players: Windows Media Player, Real Audio.
      (Links point to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/en/download/default.asp and http://www.real.com/freeplayer/
6. Contact Information.
   1. Identify the unit and department in the top banner area of every page.
   2. On the main page of your site provide building location, zip code, phone number, e-mail address/link and office hours, if applicable.
   3. On second-level pages, provide at least an e-mail link and phone number. Preferably, repeat all contact information from main page.
7. Copyright. Many publications, photos, and art work are protected by copyright law.
   1. Federal copyright and trademark rules and regulations (http://www.copyright.gov/title17/) must be observed.
   2. Adhere to university policy regarding copyright: http://www.uc.edu/Trustees/Rules/RuleDetail.asp?ID=84.
   3. Include this copyright designation on your pages:
      Copyright Information © University of Cincinnati, Year [For the year, list both the year of first publication and the year of the latest revision.]
      Link the words "Copyright Information" to this Web address, which provides information about filing copyright complaints:
      http://www.ipo.uc.edu/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.infringement.
      Link the words "University of Cincinnati" to UC's home page: http://www.uc.edu.
      Note that the University of Cincinnati is the copyright holder and not the individual department, college, etc.
8. Advertising and Responsible Use.
   1. Without specific authorization from the Electronic Communications Planning Committee or its designated agent, UC Web servers and/or Web sites may not be used for advertising.
      1. As used in this policy, an advertisement is anything placed on a Web site, including links, logos or other identifiers, that promotes, induces or encourages, directly or indirectly, commercial activity of any sort with or for the benefit of any person or entity other than the university, or that endorses or recommends directly or indirectly the products, facilities or services of any person or entity.
      2. This definition does not include an endorsement or recommendation placed on a personal Web page, provided there is no suggestion whatsoever that such endorsement or recommendation is that of the university and that the person making the endorsement or recommendation receives no payment, goods, services, discounts or anything else of value in exchange.
   2. Members of the faculty, administration, student body, volunteer workers, and staff are responsible for the appropriate use of university resources. Refer to University Rule 10-17-04, Conduct and Ethics: Use of University Resources (http://www.uc.edu/trustees/rules/RuleDetail.asp?ID=90) for specific information.
   3. University Web pages or server space may not be used to request contributions to and/or advertisements for political campaigns. Refer to University Rule 10-17-01, Conduct and Ethics: Statement on Political Policy (http://www.uc.edu/Trustees/Rules/RuleDetail.asp?ID=80) for specific information.
9. Links to Commercial Web Sites.
   1. UC official Web pages may provide a text link to a commercial site if the university has a contractual relationship with the business (e.g. Dell).
   2. UC official Web pages can provide a text link to a commercial site if the site provides a service to the university's primary community (existing or prospective faculty, staff, students) that is consistent with the university’s mission (e.g., links to http://www.act.org/ or http://www.fastweb.com/ from the Admissions site; links to lending institutions from the Student Financial Aid Office Web site).

Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the E-Communications Planning Committee.

Rev. 03/02/07. Approved by the E-Communications Planning Committee and the Executive Technology Strategy Committee. Originally approved May 2002. Updated January 2004.