Web Communication Strategy
Strengthen the UC Davis Web presence in terms of image, key messages, and the ability to maintain content Description:
The campus Web pages (administration, colleges, departments, sports, and others) provide our constituents with a view into the UC Davis academic and research contributions, faculty and student life, academic departments and colleges, health system research and services, etc. The campus has a long history of using printed publications as a way of promoting itself. The print publication process is generally highly structured with significant review process.
The Web home page and many other top-level pages comply with campus standards for design and messages, optimal download speed and browser compatibility. Those pages also comply with most of the relevant provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act and section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998. It has been some years since the last redesign; revisions now being planned should also improve the information architecture and communications effectiveness of the home pages.
Unfortunately, Web site development is a highly decentralized publication process with minimal controls and accountability, and compliance with campus graphic, editorial and technical Web standards is spotty at best. Viewing the UC Davis Web presence one is struck by its unevenness in quality and timeliness, and the lack of clarity in the messages we are sending to our constituents. One key factor limiting quality and compliance with standards for many campus units is the technical difficulty of Web site development and maintenance. Technical resources are limited and many units have to use inadequately trained students and staff to develop and maintain their sites.
The campus needs to develop a Web communications strategy that provides guidelines regarding how we want to portray UC Davis over the Web. This is especially important as we get into the Capital Campaign. Also, because Web site management is viewed as technical management, the content is often considered constrained by the availability of technical support. This issue can be addressed by providing easy-to-use tools that enable non-technical staff to have direct control over style and content.
Information and Educational Technology (IET) and University Communications propose a Web communication strategy with two main components: (1) a cooperative effort to redesign the campus's top-level Web pages; (2) a cooperative effort to develop content-management procedures with standardized Web-page templates that would allow staff and faculty with little technical training to develop and manage effective Web sites that comply with university, campus and federal standards for access, design and content. These processes would allow future campus Web development and maintenance to be done more easily by non-technical staff; for these sites to be much more consistent in design, content and effectiveness, which will be of ever-greater importance for the comprehensive campaign and other high-priority campus communications goals; and for the sites to conform fully with accessibility guidelines.
Notes/Status: A proposal and funding request are being developed. They will be submitted by University Communications and IET. IT Strategies:I.3 [see the IT Strategic Plan (PDF) for categories] Sponsor:
University Communications, Information and Educational Technology