Official CSUMB webpages (i.e. those belonging to departments, programs, and services as opposed to students and employees) are expected to meet the following minimum standards. Though compliance is voluntary, WebPAT may not provide links from centrally managed CSUMB.EDU pages to pages that do not comply with these minimum standards.

Content Standards
  1. All content should be accurate.
  2. All content should be well written, meeting accepted general standards for grammar, usage, punctuation, and spelling.
  3. All content should be consistent in editorial style throughout the particular subsite.
  4. All content should comply with all CSUMB name guidelines set forth in the CSUMB Brand Identity Guide, and use only official CSUMB names as listed in the A-Z Directory of Departments, Programs, and Services.
  5. Each page should indicate who maintains the content and provide complete contact information (i.e. address, phone number, and email) or a clear link to a feedback or contact page that provides that information.
  6. Each subsite homepage should include an official CSUMB logo that meets minimum standards set forth in the CSUMB Brand Identity Guide.
  7. All graphics should appear properly, e.g. proportionality, color, visible size.
  8. All pages should share a common look and feel. That look and feel need not match the look and feel of the CSUMB.EDU homepages (i.e. the wave template), but must fit within broad parameters of acceptability to the university as determined by WebPAT.
Functionality Standards
  1. The graphics on the webpages should function efficiently, e.g. no unnecessary delays due to graphic downloads, minimized file size.
  2. Time needed to load pages via 56K modem should be under two minutes, with one minute preferred.
  3. Pages should be ADA/508 compliant, e.g. alt-tags provided for all graphics.
  4. Pages should be easily viewable at 800x600 screen resolution and higher.
  5. Navigation within the site should be logical and highly usable.
  6. Pages should be free of script errors and other bugs when accessed both on Mac and PC workstations using Internet Explorer and Safari at minimum, and preferably Mozilla,Opera, and other browsers.
  7. An email link, or a link to a feedback or contact page that provides an email link, should appear on every page, preferably in the footer, and the site publisher must regularly respond to emails sent via that link.
  8. Every page within a subsite should include a link to the CSUMB.EDU homepage, preferably in the footer using the CSUMB.EDU graphic mark as a linked graphic or in the masthead using the CSUMB logo as a linked graphic or Home as a text link.
Third Party Links
  1. Pages should not link to third party websites for commercial purposes. Third party websites cannot advertise on our site for a fee, or exchange something of value in order to have a link.
  2. Pages advertising campus events with corporate sponsors may include event sponsor logos. Links to the webpages of corporate sponsors should not convey any actual or perceived endorsement of the sponsoring company or product.
  3. Pages thanking event sponsors may include corporate logos and links to third party sites as long as there is no actual or perceived endorsement of the company or product.
  4. Links to affinity partner websites may appear on the alumni association website, but not on the university website.
  5. The corporate logo of auxiliary operations, such as the bookstore or food providers, may appear on pages presenting factual information about the products and services available on campus. Pages should not contain links to the corporate websites of auxiliary operations.
  6. Questions or special circumstances involving third party links should be addressed to CSUMB's campus legal counsel.
Publishing Standards
  1. Each publisher should commit to updating webpages on a regular basis removing outdated information from pages and archiving outdated pages or removing them from the server.
  2. Each page should indicate when the publisher last updated the content, preferably in the footer.
  3. Each publisher should immediately make changes requested by WebPAT, Marketing & Publications, or IT@CSUMB.EDU for justifiable reasons, including changes to the wording of the copy and navigation within the site.
  4. Each publisher should notify WebPAT immediately whenever major changes are made to the content or design of a subsite so that WebPAT may review those changes to ensure continued compliance with these standards.
Posted by Kevin Garcia on Mar 30, 2012 -