General Policies
BYU-Hawaii wants to project a positive image to the world, emphasizing the mission of educating students and preparing them for leadership and service throughout the world. To this end, any public materials, including the Web site need to support that mission, rather than detract from it. There are four levels of Web pages for the university, with varying degrees of expected adherence to university standards:
Official University Web Pages
These pages contain the "official" information of the university, and also use design elements consistent with the overall image of the university. These pages include the www.byuh.edu home page and all top-level pages, such as the main student, future student, and faculty/staff pages.
Department Web Pages
These pages include all recognized non-academic departments of the university. Those who maintain these pages are expected to adhere to university policy, and the pages will be periodically reviewed by University Advancement . Department pages that are found to be in violation of law or university policy could be removed from the server without prior notice, and those who maintain the pages subject to discipline.
Academic Web Pages
These pages are under the control of individual instructors or divisions, who work with the Academic Center for Excellence for training, access to the server, and technical needs.
Unofficial Web Pages
These pages include all student, faculty, staff, club, organization, and other Web pages that are not part of a recognized department. Unofficial pages that are found to be in violation of law or university policy could be removed from the server without prior notice, and those who maintain the pages subject to discipline.
Administration Policies
2.1. Security
Web sites within the byuh.edu domain shall be hosted on servers that are protected against intrusion by hackers, viruses and worms.
2.2. Review and Approval
Web content on official departmental, college, school, and service unit sites shall be reviewed before posting on the public Web site.
2.3. Site Documentation
Web Official departmental, college, school, and service unit sites shall include a feedback function, and respond within two school days.
2.4. Other Technologies
Sites in the byuh.edu domain shall generally not require the downloading of plug-ins in order to make the user experience complete.
2.5. Compliance Issues
Web sites in the byuh.edu domain will comply with applicable laws, including disability accessibility, and copyright laws. [See Accessibilty Law, Copyright Policy]
2.6. Enforcement
Deliberate, continued violation of this policy will be governed by the Acceptable Use Policy. [See Acceptable Use Policy]
2.7. Administrative Review
In general, University Communications and the Chief Information Officer have responsibility for implementation of these policies. [Chart]
Administration Procedures
2.8. Certification
To become BYU-Hawaii certified webmasters, candidates must attend a seminar conducted by the university, successfully pass a test following the seminar, and sign the following agreement:
"I,_____________, agree to abide by the principles outlined at http://www.byuh.edu/webmasters and to uphold the standards specified at the same URL. I also agree to serve as a gatekeeper in my area and to exert my best efforts to see that those webmasters within my stewardship also abide by these principles and uphold these standards. I understand that the standards may evolve as the industry and technologies change, and I commit to participate in the continuing community effort to stay in compliance with appropriate standards at Brigham Young University Hawaii."
2.9. How to publish to byuh.edu
Colleges, departments, and service units wishing to publish to the university's official domain may publish using their own resources under the direction of a BYU-Hawaii certified webmaster.
Functionality Policies
2.11. Browser Version Support
This policy supports the browser versions detailed in the document, "Browser Support" at http://www.byuh.edu/webmasters .
2.12. Usability
BYU-Hawaii is committed to developing a Web site that focuses on the users needs, expectations, and patterns. Webmasters should conduct basic usability testing while developing their sites.
2.13. Accessibility
BYU-Hawaii is committed to providing equal access to Web-based information to users with disabilities pursuant to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. The university also will attempt, in good faith, to provide accessibility consistent with the Americans with Disabilities Act and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. [See Accessibility Law]
Functionality Procedures
2.14. Browser Version Support
Web sites hosted on byuh.edu domain will be compatible with the following browsers:
- Internet Explorer 5.5 and later (Windows)
- Mozilla 1.3 and later (Linux)
- Netscape 6.0 and later (Windows / Macintosh)
- Safari 1.0 and later (Macintosh)
2.15. Usability
The following usability rules will help make your Web page more functional.
- Make it obvious.
- Make it accurate.
- Make it fast. (Your page should load very quickly in all browsers.)
- Make it valuable.
- Make it searchable.
- Design it professionally.
- Keep it up to date.
- Keep your promises. (Respond to emails, comments, keep links updated.)
- Make yourself (or someone else) accessible by E-mail and/or phone.
2.16. Accessibility
There are rules to make your Web site accessible and compliant with BYU-Hawaii web standards. Click on each link for required and recommended accesibility rules.
- Create Web pages that are clear and simple.
- Logically organize your page and use HTML to encode meaning rather than appearance.
- Provide equivalent alternatives to auditory and visual content, and to any other non-text elements.
- Provide clear and consistent navigation and links.
- Use color and background images judiciously.
- Create tables that work properly.
- Do not use moving, blinking, scrolling, or ensure that these objects or pages may be paused or stopped.
- Ensure that forms provide device-independent access.
- Avoid using frames.
- Additional considerations, including using "text-only" pages and PDF files.
