Concordia University

Faculty Webspace Standards & Policies
February 18, 2003

Aesthetics/Design

Presentation Standards

Web pages should be easy to read, easy to navigate, concise and content rich.

Colors should be selected to compliment each other and consistent color schemes should be used from page to page.

Easy to read fonts should be selected for use. Preferred font faces are sans-serif Verdana, Arial, and Helvetica as these fonts are easy to read on screen.

Care should be taken to avoid sizing fonts too big or too small. For example – 8 point Times may be readable on a PC but since Macs display fonts smaller, 8 point Times will not be legible. Conversely, very large fonts are distracting to the viewer.

Multiple font colors/faces should be avoided unless they serve to separate content, such as separating headers from body text. For example, it is unadvisable to use multiple colors of Times, Comic Sans and Arial all on 1 page, as it will distract from the content.  Restricting use to two font faces and colors will most often result in more visually appealing (and generally legible) content.

When linking, care should be taken to ensure that both the link and visited link colors have enough contrast from the page background to be viewed easily.

If style sheets are utlized, links should be clear and generally easy to distinguish from regular (non hyperlinked) text.  Links should not generally be the same color as the “regular” text.  Many users expect links will be underlined and have a different color than the body text.

Background images that distract from the content of the page should be avoided. If background graphics are used, they should not vary from page to page, breaking consistency.

Large sized images should be avoided on web pages unless they serve the purpose of providing more information – such as a map for example.

v Whenever possible, consider “chunking your information through the use of generous white space, bullets or short concise paragraphs.

v All ITS provided templates are designed to meet the Aesthetic and Design standards as outlined herein.

Content

Relevant Content Standards

v Web page content should be selected and formatted with the potential audience in mind.  Faculty web pages are often sought out by not only current students, but prospective students and other faculty members (both within and outside of Concordia).  As such, content should be concise, relevant to the audience, and easy to read.

Information that is available in other CU web pages should not be duplicated in any Faculty web pages.  Where needed, links to the appropriate page on the CU website should be used.

Relevant Content Requirements

  Faculty web pages are not to contain course-related content that current students will be required to access as part of completing coursework, unless special permission is granted from the Chief Information Officer.  Course-related content is best served in WebCT, Concordia University’s official course management application.  Under certain cicumstances, it may prove prudent to post course-related material on a Faculty web page that is linked to from within WebCT (i.e. students go first to WebCT and then are linked to pages on a Faculy webspace). 

All content will need to meet standards of professionalism and positively reflect upon Concordia University and its mission.  Concordia University’s Provost reserves the right to immediately take down or block access to any material that is deemed inappropriate (the person who posted the material will be notified immediately).

Navigation

Content Positioning Standards

   “Premium real estate” is understood to occupy the the upper quadrant of any given page.  Important content should put on the top of the page.  People will generally not scroll to the right.

Consistent Navigation Structure Standards

The site’s navigation position, structure, and format should be consistent from page to page, category to category.  For example, if the main page has the site’s links on the left hand side, they should not be moved somewhere else on other pages.

Cross-Directional Navigation Standards

Links should be provided on each page allowing the user to go to any other main category page within your site no matter what page they happen to be viewing. For example, someone viewing a course description page can click a link to a contact page without having to first use his or her “back” button.

External Links Standards

All links to outside web sites should have a target=”_blank” attribute of the anchor tag to spawn a new browser window. This leaves the original window intact so the user can return easily.

Use of Frames Standards

Frames are not easily accessible, and for that reason, they are not recommended unless absolutely neccessary to the structure of your website.  Consider using tables or style sheets to structure your pages.

Functionality

Cross/Browser Compatibility Standards

All pages should function correctly and look similar between operating systems and browsers. The pages should work well and look good in the Windows, Macintosh, or Linux based operating systems using major browsers(i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, etc.)   The most effective way to achieve the greatest degree of cross-platform compatibility is simple design, so keep it simple whenever possible.

All links should be tested regularly to ensure they are working and to test for moved web sites.

ALT Tags Standards

All images should have the ALT tag added to the IMG tag aid in navigation. This is very important for people using vision assistance software while viewing your page.

Title Tags Standards

Anchor <A> tags should have the option of using the attribute title=””.  This tag makes it easier for visitors to your site to decide whether or not they wish to click on a link.

Use of JavaScript Standards

Java Scripts that control things like rollover effects, pop-up windows and alerts should be used sparingly and only when they enhance the page’s presentation or functionality.

The JavaScript should work on major browsers(i.e. Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla, Opera, etc.) and operating systems (i.e. Windows, Macintosh, Linux, etc.).

Scripts that cause some browsers to crash should never be used.

Download times Standards

All pages and its linked files should be optimized to download quickly. Pages and imbedded content should not exceed 100k. Remember that most Internet users are using analog modems; they are not connected to a network.

Images should be kept as small as possible in pixel size and file size. This will help them download faster.

Graphics should be optimized as best as possible. For example, use Jpeg format for photographs and GIF format for logos and flat art. Use the greatest degree of compression as possible while maintaining image quality.

Large file sizes should be avoided when possible and labeled when linked to.  If you have a link to a page that contains a large file, you should label the link to let the user know they are going to be downloading it – listing the file size if known.

Multimedia Elements Standards

Multimedia files such as Flash or Shockwave movies, QuickTime movies, Audio files, Java applets or any other bandwidth/processor intensive files should be used sparingly.  These files should only be used when they both significantly and positively enhance the pages’ functionality and/or presentation.

When Multimedia files are used that require a special plug-in to view such as Shockwave or QuickTime, a link should be provided to the software company’s download page.

Use of HTML Editor Standards

v Training and support will be provided to those faculty members using Macromedia Contribute to maintain their faculty webspace.  Additionally, MS Office software (i.e. Word, PowerPoint, Excel) can be used to create web content to be delivered via the faculty webspace.  Direct support is limited to the time constraints of CELT staff, while indirect support, in the form of print resources that are available in the CELT classroom (manuals, tutorials, and self-help books) is available whenever the Center is open. 

v Alternative web editing software may be used to facilitate the creation and maintenance of faculty webspace.  Tools such as Macromedia Dreamweaver and Macromedia Homesite are available in the computer labs for faculty use, however the setup of these tools should only be attempted under the supervision of the Web Manager or appropriate CELT representative.  Extended support and training is not offered on these products at this time.

Use of HTML Editor Requirements

While Frontpage or Frontpage Express could be used to create files for publishing on Faculty web pages users should ensure that the resultant documents do not use Frontpage extensions as Frontpage extensions are not allowed on our web server for performance and security reasons. 

Copyright

Copyright Requirements

v All content that makes up Faculty web pages are expected to fully comply with all copyright laws.  Copyrighted materials, without the express permission of the copyright holder, should not be included in their entirety in faculty webspace, though they may be quoted in part in accordance with the fair use provision under federal copyright laws. (http://lcweb.loc.gov/copyright/)

v Upon receiving proper notification of claimed copyright infringement (as defined by federal statute).  Concordia University, through the Office of the Provost, reserves the right to immediately take down or block access to the material (the person who posted the material will be notified immediately).

v No person shall circumvent a technological measure that effectively controls access to a work protected under copyright law.