Web Policy

Background
Consistency of appearance is important for the various printed materials prepared for Averett's departments and programs. Similarly, it is paramount that Averett communicate its identity and presence on the World Wide Web by adhering to the visual identity of the institution and ensuring that the collection of documents known as our web site is easy to navigate, easy to understand, and professional in appearance.

The Averett Website Purpose
The Averett Web Site provides an electronic resource that is both useful and useable by all the university’s constituencies. Averett's web site presents general information about the university, public relations information, financial and admissions and schedules, information about students, faculty, staff and alumni. The site also serves as a vital teaching resource, hosting an extensive on-line library collection, class sites, course projects and discussions, student work, and research projects. The Web site provides a means for users to create and obtain useful information.

General Policies
All http documents originating from any server connected to the Averett network are covered by the policies contained within this document. Other http documents representing any aspect of the university also are covered by this policy, even when such documents are published to the Internet from servers located on another network.

Averett recognizes the value of disseminating electronic resources on the Internet. All members of the Averett community are encouraged to publish useful resources consistent with Averett's mission and policies. Individual pages appearing in a meaningful and consistent context play an important role in projecting a strong reputation and image of the institution. Creative, diverse content is encouraged and expected to be in good taste. Because Averett's web site is a public document available worldwide, content providers must be mindful of the responsibilities implied by this type of publication.

All published information must comply with local, state and federal laws including, but not limited to, copyright, libel and indecency statutes.

Commercial activity, including advertisements for commercial entities, is not permitted on the Averett web site.

All web-site content must be consistent with the mission, interest, standards and policies of Averett University.

Commercial activity, including advertisements for commercial entities, is not permitted on the Averett web site.

Our WebMaster, in consultation with the Web Design Team, may grant exceptions to the policies contained herein.

Averett reserves the right to remove any page from any of its http servers without prior notification to the creator of the page. The author of the page will be notified of this action, and will make any appeal to the Web Design Team. Every effort will be made, however, to work cooperatively with the web page author.

All university disciplinary policies and penalties apply to violations of Web site policies. In addition, a violator may lose web page publishing privileges.

Responsibilities of The Computer Center

• The Computer Center will be responsible for technical maintenance of the Averett http computer servers and operating systems.
• The Computer Center will set policies for the Averett Web Site in consultation with the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Web Design Team.
• The Computer Center will work in consultation with the Web Design Team to maintain a high standard of quality for the pages on the site.
• The Computer Center will enforce all web polices in cooperation with the Web Design Team and the Student Development office. In consultation with the Web Design Team, The Computer Center will approve any exceptions to policies contained herein.
• The Computer Center will create and maintain the software, files and core content of the Averett Web site.
• The Director of The Computer Center will administer all server accounts.
• The Computer Center will maintain a developmental web server that provides space for content providers to upload and test web pages under development. Although authors may be granted the privilege, a collection of pages should never be published on our public servers without first being tested for errors on a developmental web server.
• The Director of The Computer Center will publish web pages located on the developmental server to Averett's web site as appropriate.
• The Computer Center will provide templates and consulting services to anyone who wishes to become a content provider for the Averett web site and does not have the resources to create their own content.

Content Providers
Who May Provide Content:
Academic programs are encouraged to produce their own Web content to supplement the top-level departmental pages created and maintained by The Computer Center and the Design Team. Supplemental departmental pages should contain a link to the official departmental page.

University-sanctioned student organizations may produce their own Web sites for the Averett Web servers. All Averett pages should appear on the servers maintained by The Computer Center unless special permission is granted. Such permission shall be based on educational or administrative necessity.

Averett University encourages all faculty, staff and students to create personal web sites as a professional development and growth opportunity. The Computer Center provides a server configured for this purpose.

Responsibilities of Content Providers
Departments, organizations and individuals that wish to place information on the Averett Web site should contact the Director of The Computer Center to obtain an account and password along with technical information.

All account holders must read and agree to follow the Averett Web policy.

Academic programs and university-sanctioned student organizations will appoint an individual who will work with the Director of The Computer Center and the Web Design Team. University-sanctioned student organizations should also report their Web-site manager to the Student Development office. Organizations that do not maintain an active site manager will lose the right to hold a web page.

A content provider will have his or her name and e-mail address placed on every page produced by the department, organization or individual.

Content providers are responsible to remove outdated materials and delete files that are no longer in use from their folders on the developmental server. They should notify the WebMaster at webmaster@averett.edu when their materials on the Averett web site should be updated.

If supplemental content pages are linked to the official Averett site, the visual identity of the university and the official site-wide navigation bar for the Averett web site shall appear at the top of each page. When appropriate and feasible the official utility banner should appear at the bottom of each page. The graphic identity and other official site-wide graphics must be incorporated into these pages by linking to the central location of the visual element. Though not required of supplemental content providers, consistency of basic style with the balance of the site is recommended, as it will enhance the user's overall experience of both the individual sites and Averett University. The Director of The Computer Center will provide templates and consulting services to anyone authoring such sites.