Web
UConn's website is one of the primary ways that we communicate our message to the University community and external audiences. It is vital that all UConn websites and pages are consistent in appearance and functionality.
These standards apply to all University of Connecticut websites, unless otherwise noted.
Domains
- All UConn entities (e.g. schools, departments, programs, labs, etc.) must use a uconn.edu domain and University hosting. UConn Health uses the health.uconn.edu domain, which is exempt from this uconn.edu domain structure. Please contact srosen@uchc.edu for information about health.uconn.edu domains. Exceptions for special cases may be submitted to University Communications via alexa.biron@uconn.edu for consideration.
- Domain names must be directly tied to the name of the UConn entity they are created for and will utilize keywords from the unit's name. For instance, University Communications' domain is https://universitycommunications.uconn.edu/.
- To improve search engine optimization (SEO), avoid acronyms and abbreviations in domain names. A longer domain name that is descriptive is preferred over a short domain with an acronym or abbreviation. s.uconn.edu can be used to shorten long URLs for marketing materials, signage, etc.
- Top-level domains (e.g. xxx.uconn.edu) are now reserved for schools/colleges, regional campuses, and top-level offices like the Office of the Provost and Undergraduate Admissions. Academic departments may also have top-level domains at the discretion of their dean and school/college communicator(s).
- Departments, programs, labs, initiatives, etc. should be affiliated with their parent unit's domain. For example:
- Approved centers and institutes will utilize the following domain structure:
- Interdisciplinary – xxx.center.uconn.edu and xxx.institute.uconn.edu
- Within a school/college – May follow the interdisciplinary domain structure or be affiliated with the parent unit's domain, at the discretion of the dean and school/college communicator(s).
- Within other units – May follow the interdisciplinary domain structure or be affiliated with the parent unit's domain.
- For departments and programs that don’t fall squarely under a single school/college and are not eligible for a top-level domain, a number of third-level domains are available:
- xxx.academy.uconn.edu
- xxx.collaboration.uconn.edu
- xxx.collaboratory.uconn.edu
- xxx.engagement.uconn.edu
- xxx.initiative.uconn.edu
- xxx.lab.uconn.edu
- xxx.office.uconn.edu
- xxx.program.uconn.edu
- xxx.programs.uconn.edu
- xxx.research.uconn.edu
- Faculty, graduate students, and researchers who request a website will be assigned a domain under scholar.uconn.edu. ITS uses the official UConn email address as the basis for these domains. If your email is firstname.lastname@uconn.edu, the website address will be firstname-lastname.scholar.uconn.edu.
- Registered student organizations and student activities can request websites through the Department of Student Activities.
- Please email brand@uconn.edu for questions regarding domains.
Web Hosting
- UConn entities (e.g. schools, departments, programs, labs, etc.) must utilize UConn's hosting services, paired with a uconn.edu domain. Exceptions for special cases can be submitted to University Communications via brand@uconn.edu for consideration.
- Aurora, ITS' WordPress service, is required by University Communications for all public-facing websites. It includes mobile-friendly themes that meet UConn’s web standards and an array of tools/plugins.
- Alternative hosting may be considered for research applications that are not intended for external audiences. Please contact the ITS Web Development Team for more information.
- If you need help building a new site, please contact the ITS Web Development Team.
Site & Content Management
- With the exception of scholar.uconn.edu websites created for our faculty and researchers, all University websites should be managed by at least two full-time faculty and/or staff members.
- Websites must be regularly checked for accurate information, broken links, etc.
- Ownership/affiliation with the appropriate University schools/colleges/units must be clearly reflected on the website. See Site Identity within the Appearance section. For example, the Gladstein Family Human Rights Institute is part of Global Affairs. This is reflected in the Level Two Title of the website.
- Contact information must be clearly presented on the website via a contact page in the main menu. Preference is for the page to be located in the top-level navigation, but one-level down (e.g. under an About menu) is acceptable. Contact information displayed in just the footer or homepage is not sufficient. The following details should be included:
- Email address and/or phone number, as applicable.
- For offices that expect visitors, a room number and building should be specified.
- Mailing address when available.
Appearance
Technical Requirements
Privacy/Cookie Notice
In order to comply with the new General Data Protection Regulation, we require a privacy/cookie notification be added to all websites under the uconn.edu domain.
Immediately after the opening tag, the following code should be placed:
<script type='text/javascript' src='https://scripts-universityofconn.netdna-ssl.com/cookie-notification.js'></script> <noscript> <p>Our websites may use cookies to personalize and enhance your experience. By continuing without changing your cookie settings, you agree to this collection. For more information, please see our <a href="https://privacy.uconn.edu/uconn-websites/" target="_blank">University Websites Privacy Notice</a>.</p> </noscript>
After a user has clicked OK, they will not see the notice on their session for another year.
Accessibility
Web accessibility is the practice of making websites usable by people of all abilities. As an increasingly important resource, the web provides people with information and access to education, government, recreation, employment, commerce, etc. For UConn, it is critical that users have equal access to all official information and services that are provided via the University's websites. There are millions of digital touch points with the University, which means that no one person or department can make them all accessible. As a community, we have the privilege of collaborating to create an environment in which we can find the spirit, not just the law, of accessibility.
As the state's flagship public university, UConn must adhere to the State of Connecticut's Universal Website Accessibility Policy which was established in 1994. The state policy adheres to the minimum levels of accessibility as defined by the World Wide Web Consortium, the international standards organization for the web. A checklist of design requirements is provided on the state's policy website.
It is the responsibility of all webmasters to familiarize themselves with accessibility guidelines and ensure that their websites are in compliance with University and State guidelines. For information about Accessibility at UConn, and how to ensure that your website meets the University's accessibility standards, visit https://accessibility.its.uconn.edu/.
Alert Banner
As part of the University Alert Notification System, when an emergency arises, an alert banner is activated on uconn.edu as well as the websites for the regional campuses and School of Law. In the event of an emergency, the banner will be activated by authorized University officials, directing the community to the alert.uconn.edu site for more specific emergency instructions and information. When the emergency is clear, the banner will be removed.
The banner is no longer available or required on sites other than uconn.edu, regional campus websites, and the School of Law website.