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  1. Marketing & Communications
Authority Source: Chief Operating Officer
Approval Date: 04/12/2023
Publication Date: 20/12/2023
Review Date: 19/12/2026
Effective Date: 20/12/2023
Custodian: Associate Director, Web & Digital
Contact: marketing@canberra.edu.au
Accessibility: Public
Status: Published
In developing this policy the University had regard to the provisions of section 40B(1)(b) of the Human Rights Act 2004 (ACT).
Corporate Web Policy
1. Purpose:
  1. The official website for the University of Canberra (University), www.canberra.edu.au, will be referred to as the corporate website. All information relating to the University, its staff, students, events, programs and activities will be available on the corporate website. No other website(s) may represent official University information.
  2. The purpose of the University’s corporate website is to:
    1. market the University to potential students and staff, researchers, granting bodies, alumni, partner institutions, business and the community;
    2. establish a corporate identity and create visibility for the University;
    3. publish information about the University to support its strategic goals and meet legislative requirements; and
    4. support the interchange of information between the University and partners in business, the higher education sector, academia and the professions, students and staff and the community both in Australia and internationally.
  3. The purpose of this Policy is to document the principles, responsibilities and management of the corporate website in order to ensure accuracy, consistency, integrity and protection of the identity and image of the University.
  4. This Policy aims to support the cost efficiency of website operations and ensure the consistency, accessibility and currency of information on the corporate website.
  5. The University recognises the importance of, and is committed to, providing an efficient method of delivering current, factual and official information to its audiences.
2. Scope:
  1. This Policy applies to all University staff and students. It does not apply to the MyUC Staff Portal or MyUC Student Portal as these sites communicate with internal audiences.
3. Principles:
  1. The University's corporate website and web assets provide support for its research, teaching, learningand community links. It is therefore paramount that the website and web assets are managed in a proficient manner.
  2. Website content is owned by relevant faculties, departments, centres and business units of the University using a Web Content Management System (WCMS) distributed content ownership model via Squiz Matrix. Adobe Experience Manager is owned by the Web Team using a WCSM centralised content ownership model.
  3. The University reserves the right to remove material from the website and take appropriate action for breaches of University statutes, policies and rules. Breaches of Commonwealth and/or Territory laws may be reported to the appropriate authorities and material removed from the corporate website.
  4. The University is committed to reducing its carbon footprint by delivering information online wherever possible and appropriate.
  5. The University corporate website must comply with the Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000 and the National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas
  6. Students 2018 (National Code).

    URL and Domain
  7. The University’s URL www.canberra.edu.au and domain name canberra.edu.au are managed by the Digital Information and Technology Management (DITM) Unit.
  8. The University’s URL is used on all web pages and is the only authorised URL unless approval has been granted by DITM to use a different URL.
  9. Shortened URLs (“vanity URLs”) may be allocated to a defined number of pages on a case by case basis. Vanity URLs are to be requested and approved by the Associate Director, Web & Digital before being implemented online by the Web Team.

    Format
  10. The approved branding, visual design, navigation, architectural structure and style conventions must be consistent across the corporate website. Changes, enhancements, and optimisations may be requested through the Web Team and will be reviewed before implementation. Changes or work that does not fit with approved formatting may not be implemented and each request will be assessed for alignment with the website and overarching University strategic goals.

    Platforms
  11. The University website is managed via two Content Management System (CMS) platforms:
    1. Adobe Experience Manager (AEM); and
    2. Squiz Matrix (Squiz).
  12. Author access to each CMS platform is managed by the Web Team.

    Content
  13. The University website is the face of the University, and therefore it is important that content is current, professional, cohesive, credible, consistent and useful to users. Web content should:
    1. persuade
    2. inform
    3. educate
    4. entertain
    5. encourage action
    6. change behaviour, and
    7. support compliance.
  14. The University website is governed through a mix of centralised (AEM) and decentralised (Squiz) web publishing models. Custodianship and ownership of web content in Squiz is distributed across the University, with author privileges allocated where appropriate and available. Custodianship and ownership of web content in AEM is not distributed across the University, with author privileges assigned only to Web Team members.
  15. Web content and publishing has the same legal requirements as print publishing. The same standards of authorship, design, editing and approval are required.
  16. It is the responsibility of the site co-ordinators and content authors to develop content, fact-check, publish and maintain content from their respective areas in Squiz, with assistance from Web Team staff as required. In addition, the following standards are to be maintained in relation to content and language:
    1. Current and accurate information – information must be timely and accurate; if it becomes out of date or misleading, it may be removed from the corporate website.
    2. Language – corporate web pages must use language that is inclusive and easily understood by the general public and "lay” users of the corporate website.
    3. Appearance – corporate web pages must be constructed in accordance with University of Canberra Brand Guidelines published by the University.
  17. Requests to update content in AEM sites and/or pages should be made via the Web Team ticketing system or by emailing webteam@canberra.edu.au.
  18. The appropriate Senior Manager is ultimately responsible for the accuracy of content pertaining to their areas.
  19. To ensure relevance and guide content management, all content should:
    1. meet an existing business goal; and
    2. meet an existing user need.
  20. New content should not be developed in isolation, but rather as an extension of existing communication strategies and collateral. The Web Team Project Brief outlines the target users, goals and purpose of University webpages.
  21. As a rule, all content on University websites must:
    1. be relevant to teaching, learning, research or administrative functions of the University;
    2. comply with University policy and relevant legislation;
    3. be primarily intended for an external target audience; and
    4. not include illegal, offensive material and/or unauthorised data.
                CMS Author Training
  1. CMS training to intermediate level is mandatory for all content authors. CMS training to beginner level is mandatory for all content co-ordinators. Access to Squiz will not be granted until CMS training has been completed.
  2. CMS training for AEM is not currently available for content authors.

    Social Media
  3. The use of associated social media channels is covered in the University’s Social Media Guidelines (currently under development). These channels are maintained by the Social Media Team (Marketing).

    Branding, External Logos and Co-Branding
  4. The full-colour University logo will appear on all corporate website pages as part of the fixed top header and global navigation bar.
  5. Any subsequent University logos (from the list of endorsed University sub-brands) may be placed on an internal page of the corporate website but may not appear larger or more prominent than the University logo.
  6. Logos of companies external to the University may be placed on internal pages of the corporate website where the partnership agreement exists e.g. a joint research project, joint conference or joint event, but may not appear larger or more prominent than the University logo.

    Copyright
  7. Unless otherwise indicated, information contained on the corporate website is Copyright © University of Canberra.
  8. Content and material for which the University does not own the copyright must only be made available in accordance with relevant Commonwealth legislation and the University’s copyright policy. Prior to publication, Legal should be consulted for all content which may infringe copyright and for content where it is unclear that it is approved for publication on the University website. Infringing materials will be removed from the website.

    Records Management
  9. The content and electronic transactions on the corporate website are public records that must be retained and managed in accordance with the University’s DITM and Records Management Policy Manual.

    Accessibility
  10. The University is committed to improving the accessibility of information on the corporate website. The primary language of the corporate website is English.
  11. Accessibility requirements for websites are mandated under government policy, legislation, and through whole-of-government commitments.
  12. Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 agencies must ensure that people with disabilities have the same fundamental rights to access information and services as others in the community.
  13. Furthermore, in 2008, the Australian Government ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which specifically recognises (under Articles 9 and 21) that access to information, communications and services, including the internet, is a human right.
  14. To support this, the University has implemented an accessibility toolbar to provide additional accessibility support to users who require it. Accessibility tools can be accessed from any page on the corporate website by clicking the link at the top right of the header, or via the Accessibility link in the footer.

    Support
  15. All enquiries and requests for support in relation to the University corporate website must be lodged with the Web Team in the first instance (webteam@canberra.edu.au) or via the web ticketing or project request form), or through the DITM Servicedesk. The Servicedesk can be contacted by phone on extension 5500 or by email at servicedesk@canberra.edu.au.

    Audit and Evaluation
  16. Compliance with the processes outlined in this Policy will be reviewed and assessed on an ongoing basis by the Web Team.
4. Responsibilities:
Who Responsibilities
Web Team (Marketing)
  • Responsible for information architecture, integrity and compliance of the website.
  • Provide relevant data and professional advice to business units seeking to develop new websites and redevelop existing websites. This advice may include web traffic analytics and other data, best practice advice and user experience insights.
Design Studio Responsible along with the Web Team (Marketing) for the design of the website to ensure it aligns with University branding guidelines.
Director, Marketing
  • Responsible for approving any advertising or sponsorships which may appear on the website.
  • Where content is reported as inappropriate, the Director will be the final arbiter on the suitability of such content.
Site Coordinators Responsible for developing, fact-checking, publishing and maintaining content from their respective areas.
Content Authors Responsible for developing, fact-checking, publishing and maintaining content from their respective areas.
Senior Manager Responsible for the accuracy of content pertaining to their areas.
Associate Director, Vendor Operations Responsible for managing corporate websites, WCMS servers and other corporate web servers including hosting and DITM infrastructure support.
Staff and Students Report suspected breaches of this Policy to Director, Marketing.
Web Team
  • Responsible for the governance and strategic direction of the corporate website and may make relevant recommendations to the Vice-Chancellor.
  • Hear and make determinations on any requests for exemption from this Policy and any strategic change requests eg: changes to global navigation in consultation with other business units across the University where appropriate.
Marketing Responsible for the content which appears on the Home Page and initial landing pages for each channel.
5. Legislation:
This Policy is governed by the following legislation:
  1. University of Canberra University Facilities Statute 1992.
  2. University of Canberra Facilities (Information and Communication Technology Network) Rules 2006.
  3. Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000
  4. National Code of Practice for Providers of Education and Training to Overseas Students 2018
  5. Disability Discrimination Act 1992
6. Supporting Information:
This Policy should be read in conjunction with the following policies, procedures and guidelines. 
  1. Web Style Guide
  2. Web Ticketing Request
  3. Web Project Request
  4. Brand and Marketing Policy
  5. Brand and Marketing Procedure
  6. DITM and Records Management Policy Manual
  7. Privacy Policy
  8. IT Change Management Policy
  9. Social Media Policy
  10. Charter of Conduct and Values
  11. Web Governance Committee Terms of Reference (under development)
  12. University of Canberra Social Media Marketing Tone of Voice
  13. UC Records Management Program
  14. Requirements for Australian Government Websites
  15. University of Canberra Brand Guidelines
  16. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
7. Definitions:
Terms Definitions
Content Author A University staff member who has attended formal WCMS content author training and has access to edit their relative business area web pages, for the approval of the business area site co-ordinator/s.
Compliance Compliance means conforming to a rule, such as a specification, policy, standard or law. As part of any web delivery framework, compliance is a principle that involves: meeting mandatory requirements from governing agencies (e.g. WCAG 2.0); applying best practice recommendations derived from authoritative sources for accessibility; and adhering to internal policies and procedures.
Home page The home page is the first page of the corporate website, located at
www.canberra.edu.au
Landing Page A landing page is the top-level page for a major sub-site eg the Future Students landing page at https://www.canberra.edu.au/future-students/
Integrity Integrity is a concept of consistency of actions, values, methods, measures, principles, expectations, and outcomes. As part of any web delivery framework, integrity is a principle that encompasses:
  • currency of display and content;
  • accurate representation of the business and branding;
  • appropriate use of language and communication for the intended audience; and
  • commitment to the application of best practice recommendations for usability of the interface and findability of the information.
Site Coordinator A site co-ordinator is a University staff member who has attended formal WCMS site co-ordinator training and is responsible for the content of a sub-site and its public release.
Sub-Site A sub-site is a component website of the corporate website whose information and content is derived from a specific business area.
Unauthorised data Unauthorised data is structured and unstructured information produced by the University that has not been authorised by the owner for public release.
URL The URL, or Uniform Resource Locator, is the unique address given to every web page, eg http://www.canberra.edu.au/currentstudents/international-students.
WCMS
  • A Web Content Management System (CMS) is a bundled or stand-alone application used to create, manage, store and deploy content on Web pages.
  • Web content types can include text, graphics and photos, video or audio, and application code that renders other content or interacts with the visitor.
  • CMS may also catalogue or index content, select or assemble content at runtime, or deliver content to specific visitors in a personalised way or in different languages.
Website A website is a unified collection of web pages or files linked together and available on the World Wide Web.
Web Page A web page may incorporate any combination of text, graphics and other media as appropriate, and may use hypertext links to move between its different parts and other web pages.
Web Server A web server is a computer connected to the internet. The web server stores web pages and makes those pages available when requested by the user seeking information.