February 19, 2004 (most recent revisions are currently in Red: March 30, 2007)
NOTICE: This policy is the official version. Should it need to be updated a new version with a date specifying its effectiveness will be produced and posted with links back to this prior version. Although other printed or electronic copies of this document may exist, the user is advised to refer to and rely upon this official version of this material when making significant decisions or judgments.
For the convenience of the user, versions of this policy are now available for downloading in MS-Word and PDF formats. Please note that these are for convenience only, and this copy remains the official version.
Creation and maintenance of Web pages and other Web materials at the University of Kentucky is governed by this policy, the Policy Governing Access to and use of University of Kentucky Computing Resources, the Graphic Standards Manual and the UK Hospital Policy on Management of Hospital Personal Computer Resources (PDF) as well as relevant laws and regulations. Adoption of and authority for this policy is through the University's Web Advisory Committee (WAC).
People maintaining Web pages at UK should also be familiar with the Web Standards and Guidelines and the University of Kentucky Style Guide.
The University of Kentucky has the greatest respect for academic freedom and intellectual creativity. This policy statement is intended to support the academic freedom of the members of the University community, while protecting the interests of the University and all of its students, faculty and staff. It is designed to provide guidance to those who use University resources to publish materials electronically via the Internet and the World Wide Web. Individual units of the University that wish to create more detailed guidelines for Web materials may do so, as long as they do not conflict with this university-wide policy.
This policy is a revision to the previous Web Policy issued in January 1999. This new policy incorporates a number of policy changes issued through other means since that time as well as long-standing practices. This policy also replaces the 1998 UKCMC Web policy. UKCMC units are still required to use white backgrounds, no frames, the Master Navigation Bar on all pages, and the UKCMC footer on all pages as part of the design formats referenced in this policy. The WAC reserves the right to revise this policy in the future.
This policy governs any electronic documents made available via standard Web protocols which represent an official unit or activity of the University, are hosted on University resources, or bear marks, logos, or symbols that might imply endorsement by the University regardless of where they are hosted.
Definitions
The following terms are defined with specific meanings for the purposes of this policy.
The ease of presentation and utility to all users particularly understood to include those with disabilities. With regard to the University Web site, disabilities of note include blindness or limited vision, colorblindness, a wide range of disabilities which limit the use of a mouse or keyboard, hearing impairment, and others.
A name, symbol or trademark officially registered or adopted for identifying an organization and/or its products.
A unit which reports to the President, the Provost, a vice president, a dean or a director.
A specific series of evaluations conducted by University Public Relations to check that a Web site conforms to University policy and standards, does not violate copyright or other legal proscriptions, presents a professional and consistent appearance, functions properly, and is properly supported.
Electronic documents created for the purpose of displaying either on the World Wide Web or in a Web browser. These documents may be static or dynamically assembled at the time of request.
The University, through its various sectors, colleges, departments, and other units and programs, creates and maintains official Web materials for the purposes of teaching, research, service to the community, and administrative operations. Official Web materials must be broadcast on servers belonging to the University of Kentucky unless specific exception is granted by University Public Relations in consultation with University Counsel. The following requirements apply to such official materials:
A primary unit may require the use of a common format across all of its units. Alternatively, a primary unit may permit the development by subordinate units of distinct formats which conform with University standards and any additional standards set forward by that primary unit. Such permissions may cascade down for several levels. Units that do not establish a format must use the format of the nearest organizationally superior unit that does have a format. University Public Relations will maintain a universal design format which must be used when no other format applies.
When the version on the Web is the official version of a document the following statement must be used:
NOTICE: This material [specific reference may be made to the items intended, such as "this list of graduation requirements"] is the official version. Should it need to be updated a new version with a date specifying its effectiveness will be produced and posted with links back to this prior version. Although other printed or electronic copies of this document may exist, the user is advised to refer to and rely upon this official version of this material when making significant decisions or judgments.
When documents repeat in whole or in part information whose official version is maintained elsewhere, such as advising materials that incorporate a list of requirements for graduation, a notice must be included on the Web page reminding the user that the official version of the requirements is maintained elsewhere, and the user should refer to that other version as the ultimate authority. When a document spans multiple Web pages, the statement must be included on the initial page or an introductory page, and each subsequent page of the document must contain the words "Not Official" hyperlinked back to the notice. The required notice is as follows:NOTICE: Although every effort is made to ensure that this material [specific reference may be made to the items intended, such as "this list of graduation requirements"] is accurate and up to date, it is provided for the convenience of the user and should not be considered the official version. The official version of this material is available at/in [insert the appropriate site or publication, such as "in the University of Kentucky Bulletin"]. The user is advised to refer to and rely upon the official version of this material when making significant decisions or judgments.
NOTE: Use of the University of Kentucky institutional signature is not required on Web pages except as part of the University's universal navigation bar, although use of University Public Relations developed and approved unit signatures is encouraged.
Internal Web materials are official Web materials that are developed to target an internal audience and which are restricted by password or network/server security from being accessed by anyone outside of the campus community. Internal Web materials are exempted from University Public Relations review, from use of a design format, from use of standard elements other than the equal opportunity statement, and, when the target audience is known and fully accommodated, from requirements and guidelines related to accessibility that do not apply to that internal audience. Units are still free to abide by or to require their sites to abide by any of these items as they deem appropriate.
Web materials of the University of Kentucky which for technical or professional reasons are not hosted by the University of Kentucky must still comply fully with the specifications of this policy, including the proper use of domain names.
Web sites which are not official Web materials or not under the authority of the University of Kentucky may under no circumstances use any logos that would identify them directly with the University of Kentucky, unless specific permission is granted by University Public Relations or the Athletics Department.
The University of Kentucky benefits from and is proud to support the broader professional and academic efforts of its faculty and staff, which more than offsets the marginal costs of providing Web site support for the programs and organizations of those activities.
The University of Kentucky will provide Web site hosting for any professionally or institutionally relevant site for faculty, staff or students, resources permitting. In cases where resources are an issue, the WAC may be consulted to determine if the situation is of a nature that resources should be identified for the service.
All hosted Web materials must comply with relevant laws, regulations, and University policies and procedures at all times.
If the WAC determines a site does not conform to any of these requirements, it reserves the right to require the site owner to make corrections or adjustments.
All Web Materials
"This site is programmed to collect information about individuals who visit it which may be collected and stored for future use. By proceeding further in this site, you are granting permission for the collection of this information."
The data to be collected and the purpose of the data collection may be included in the warning, such as "Names and IP addresses will be used for a research project regarding patterns of Web browsing."
All Web sites which collect information entered by a user must conform to all governing privacy laws. In cases where no specific law applies, if personal identity information such as social security number is collected, the site must either encrypt the transmission or provide a notice that the information is being transmitted unencrypted.
All Web sites displaying information that identifies or can be used to identify an individual must conform to all governing privacy laws. In cases where no specific law applies but personal identity information such as a social security number is displayed, the site must either encrypt the transmission or provide a notice in advance that the information will be transmitted unencrypted. Images or information for which the university does not own the copyright or has not obtained permission from the copyright holder, or images or information which cannot be shown with certainty to be in the public domain are prohibited on UK Web sites. In addition to any copyright considerations, written permission also must be obtained before displaying any personal information including photographs. When using photographs of any individual, including faculty, staff, students or visitors, or photographs of specific groups, written permission must be obtained by using the University's most recently approved photo release form (PDF). In addition, a signed HIPAA release form (PDF) must be obtained before taking photographs of patients. Each department or unit is responsible for keeping their signed forms on file for so long as they may use the image.
All Web sites which collect and/or display credit card numbers must encrypt all transmissions.
In the interest of security, all Web sites of the University of Kentucky must be broadcast on Web servers which have been approved by UK Information Technology.
All departments and other units of the University must use the University's domain, uky.edu, for their Web sites.
Programs which are formally joint activities with an outside entity (e.g., another university, state agency, local government) may be permitted to use a .org or .info address, subject to approval by the UK Manager of Web Services. Any affiliated corporation or other activity determined by the UK Manager of Web Services to be sufficiently independent of the University by the nature of its mission, such as WUKY, may also be permitted to obtain a .org or .info address. If a situation should arise where a site must be hosted by an outside entity, the UK Manager of Web Services may approve the acquisition of a .org or .info address which includes "UK" in its name. In any cases of disagreement with the UK Manager of Web Services's decision, the WAC may review and resolve the disagreement.
Only activities of a commercial nature and approved in advance by the President's Cabinet or its designee after recommendation of the WAC may obtain a .com address.
Personal Web sites for students, faculty, staff, and alumni, or organizations thereof, that are not actually part of the University are not restricted by this policy. However, any such site maintained by a member of the University community must not state or imply that it is an official site of the University of Kentucky and must include a disclaimer to that effect.
No Web site may include advertising of any kind including corporate logos.
Requests for use of corporate logos to be used in a non-advertising circumstance may be submitted to the WAC to approve on a case by case basis.
NOTE: The WAC reserves the right to review and request changes to any use of outside logos even in cases otherwise permitted by this policy.
University Web sites may be used to sell products or services which directly support the educational, clinical, research or outreach mission of that department. (Examples would be conference registration, continuing education credits, or maps sold by the Kentucky Geological Survey.) Commercial activities which indirectly support these efforts such as promotional items must follow the existing purchasing rules and are limited to off-campus sites with a proper disclaimer.
This policy is generally applied to all web sites hosted by, funded by, or directly associated with the University of Kentucky.
If an individual or group feels that they are unable to meet the requirements of this policy for any reason, be it technical, legal, logistical or other, they may choose to request either an exemption to the policy or a change in the policy. Such requests should be sent to the Chair of the Web Advisory Committee and the Executive Director for Public Relations for review.