CSUN Web Environment Improvement Project
The CSUN Web environment is one of the primary ways users both on and off campus gather information about California State University, Northridge. With the increasingly sophisticated expectations and needs of our audience, the importance of maintaining a campus Web environment that is current, accurate, graphically appealing, easy to navigate, and accessible to all users is heightened.
The purposes of this communication are to introduce a set of guidelines for improving and managing www.csun.edu, and to request your assistance with this important project by passing the information on to Web administrators, Web content managers, and Web page owners in your area who can make necessary modifications to their Web pages.
Key Objectives
Work has been underway during the past several months to develop an approach to Web site reform, with the objectives of:
- identifying page owners
- establishing site taxonomy
- developing a Web Template System
- clarifying graphic and branding standards
- identifying outdated content, broken links, orphaned pages, title tags and meta descriptions
Guidelines for Improvement
The Web Communications Committee, with the oversight of the Executive Technology Steering Committee comprising the vice presidents of the university, has developed an approach to reforming and maintaining the CSUN Web environment in a manner that will ensure consistency, clarity, and a good user experience for all. In order to be successful, it is essential for all Web site owners to follow a common set of standards for content and practice. Procedural guidance to accomplish these goals are provided here.
Action
College, Department, program, and faculty Web page owners are requested to review their Web pages for accessibility and content compliance, making appropriate modifications after addressing the items listed above.
Assistance
Kimon Rethis, of the Office of University Web Communications (kimon.rethis@csun.edu and x3989) will help site administrators and content managers implement a process that identifies broken links, orphaned pages, outdated content, duplicate or missing meta descriptions and duplicate or non-informative page titles.
College ATI Coordinators and the ATI Online Support Coordinator will schedule accessibility training.