ISU Web Style Guide

Content Guidelines

To ensure that ISU websites provide a unified appearance and consistency in information, the following content guidelines should be followed.

• General guidelines for all ISU webpages
  1. Do not duplicate information on another website, but rather link to the official webpage of the responsible (authoritative) office, program or department. Only authoritative websites designated by the responsible agent are to post information regarding the programs, services, or other information within its care.
  2. Do not include messages that promote a specific product or service unless required to do so per a contract. This includes information about what development tools were used in the production of the site. Example: Do not include the platform the website was created on (Macintosh or PC).
  3. Do not include messages about which browser the site is best viewed with. All ISU webpages should be developed to render correctly on:
     • Microsoft Internet Explorer (version 5.5 or later)
     • Netscape 7.1
     • Opera version 7
     • Safari Web browser
  4. Sites should be developed to meet Web Accessibility Guidelines 1.0.  For more detailed information on these guidlines, see:http://www.w3.org/WAI/
  5. Do not use ISU websites to solicit monetary support for organizations other than ISU. Exceptions include ISU officially supported fund-raising campaigns, such as United Way.
  6. Written permission is needed to use another organization's logo.
  7. ISU administrative and academic department websites are to include the global navigation.
     
     1. ISU A-Z
     2. MyIsu
     3. Giving to ISU
     4. Search

  8. Undergraduate Catalog Updates, September 2006

     To minimize confusion and to maintain consistency between the print, CD, and online versions of the Undergraduate Catalog, all versions are edited once annually. The new edition of the Undergraduate Catalog, in print, online, and CD versions, is available in the summer of each year.

     Changes that are approved after the deadline for catalog changes may be posted at a department or college Web site, following the requirements below:

     The section is clearly labeled as follows:

     Undergraduate Catalog Update. This information was approved after the deadline for inclusion in the 20xx-20xx Undergraduate Catalog.

     The information is taken directly from Academic Notes. The date of publication as approved in Academic Notes is included.

     The effective date is clear. Program changes go into effect the first day of fall semester of the year that they are included in the catalog, unless there are unusual circumstances such as accreditation changes that would require a different timeline.

     This information must be removed as soon as the new catalog is available so as not to be in conflict with the general guidelines