University website policies

Our strategy

Focus on user needs

Our website exists to help people get information and accomplish tasks. Our content and design are based on what real people want to do on our website and informed by data about those desires.

Follow universal design principles

Our website should be useful and usable to any visitor, regardless of abilities, technical skills, experience or device. We will follow accessibility best practices, responsive design techniques and tailor content to the web.

Focus on quality over quantity

Quality content takes time to develop and effort to maintain. Focusing our attention on high-quality, high-impact content will enable us to deliver the best possible user experience. This necessarily means being selective about the content we publish on our public-facing website. Our goal is to be strategic, not exhaustive, in what we publish online.

Develop within the unr.edu ecosystem

Users treat the pages on unr.edu as one large website, not hundreds of smaller ones. We leverage the power of the unr domain through thoughtful and strategic linking, and we avoid duplicating content whenever possible. We also design in such a way that we create a cohesive experience for users as they travel across our site.

Webpages in the CMS

Types of webpages

The content management system houses webpages for official departments, units and divisions at the University of Nevada, Reno.

The CMS also houses webpages that help users accomplish key tasks such as:

  • Applying to the University
  • Viewing University news and events
  • Conducting University business

The CMS does not generally house dedicated websites for:

  • Research projects
  • Events/conferences 
  • Committees and committee activities
  • Students clubs and organizations
  • Individual faculty or staff

Content. Content in the above areas may be created as part of an existing website. Exceptions may be grated for special circumstances, with approval of the Senior Web Strategist.

URLs. Marketing & Communications reserves the right to make final decisions about URLs for web sections in page.

Outside sites. Sites not hosted in the CMS may be hosted in PackPages, the University’s web server for faculty- and student-created sites. Content creators are responsible for building and maintaining their own PackPages sites.  

Third-party sites. The Office of Marketing & Communications does not provide any support for third-party websites such as Wordpress, Weeby, Wix, Squarespace or others.  

Page standards

Web pages shall

  • Follow the visual standards in the University’s Brand Style Guide
  • Follow the standards in the University’s Web Style Guide
  • Use AP Style
  • Be reasonably attractive and quick to load
  • Be accurate and timely in content
  • Be reviewed once prior to each semester and once at the beginning of summer session to ensure it is accurate and timely
  • Be optimized for both search engines and human users
  • Be compliant with all University policies and laws, including those governing copyright and accessibility

Web pages shall not

  • Be published as “under construction” or “coming soon”
  • Duplicate information that is officially housed elsewhere, such as in the course catalog, or on another website
  • Be used to archive old documents, content or events
  • Include advertisements for commercial products or enterprises
  • Violate any University policies and laws

Submit a website request

Requesting updates to an existing web section

Most requests for updates will be completed within a day. Please allow up to two weeks for minor development projects (e.g., adding a new section, extensive revisions, etc.)

All new page requests must be approved by the Office of Marketing & Communications or your division’s Marketing & Communications Specialist. 

Request updates to an existing web section
 

Requesting a new web section

Our team evaluates requests for new web content weekly. Please allow a minimum of 30 days when requesting a new web section. 

Requests for new web sections must be approved by the Senior Web Strategist (Office of Marketing & Communications) and the VP or dean of the requesting unit.

Request a new web section