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1.24 Web Communications Policy
College Hall 106
(202) 250-2284
(202) 651-5352
Email Us
Last Revised:April 10, 2013
Refer Questions to: Executive Director, Gallaudet Technology Services (for technical questions) and Executive Director, Communications and Public Relations (for content and branding questions)
This policy applies to all faculty, teachers, staff, and students regarding procedures and standards for online communications including the university website, blogs, apps, and social media for Gallaudet University.
Web Oversight
Gallaudet’s official website, www.gallaudet.edu, is managed by the Office of Communications and Public Relations and maintained by Gallaudet Technology Services (GTS). Communications and Public Relations is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the university on information architecture, usability, design, structure, and strategy for the official university website. Decisions are based on current best practices in web management and the university’s strategic plan, in consultation with GTS and other campus constituents.
GTS is responsible for web server maintenance, monitoring and updating the content management system (CMS), troubleshooting hardware and systems issues, assigning user access to the CMS, and providing user CMS training and assistance. Communications and Public Relations works closely with GTS to coordinate the technical and functional aspects of the web with the user experience and content perspective.
Web Audience
The primary audience of the Gallaudet website is prospective undergraduate and graduate students. Other target audiences include current students, faculty, staff, alumni, news media, and the general public. The primary audiences of the Clerc Center pages of the Gallaudet website are professionals working with deaf and hard of hearing students, and families of deaf and hard of hearing children, as well as the current and prospective families of the demonstration schools.
University Homepage
Content on the Gallaudet home page is created and managed by the Office of Communications and Public Relations.
Content Management Systems
The majority of the Gallaudet web presence is maintained by web authors from various departments and programs using a content management system (CMS). The majority of the Clerc Center’s websites are authored by Public Relations and Communications, in conjunction with the Kendall Demonstration Elementary School (KDES) Leadership Team for the KDES website; with the Model Secondary School for the Deaf (MSSD) Leadership Team for the MSSD website; and with planning, development, and dissemination for the pages that relate to research, priority setting, and products and services offered by the Clerc Center.
The CMS allows the university to maintain a consistent design for web pages (headers, footers, colors, fonts, etc.) and also allow department web authors to update and create their own content. The CMS also allows the Office of Communications and Public Relations and Gallaudet Technology Services easier access to web content in order to assist departments and to ensure that sites are in compliance with Gallaudet web standards.
All official university web pages should be managed from within the CMS with few exceptions. Departments must have approval from the Office of Communications and Public Relations for any exceptions to this requirement. Academic departments and programs must have approval from their dean before requesting an exception.
Office, College, Department, Organization, and Program Sites
Websites representing official entities within the university are maintained by identified web authors within those areas. All websites must adhere to web content and editorial guidelines (found at www.gallaudet.edu/Communications_and_Public_Relations/Guidelines.html) as well as any related University Administration & Operations policies. The Office of Communications and Public Relations will work with departments to update and correct content that does not meet university guidelines and policies. The Office of Communications and Public Relations has the authority to review, edit, or remove any content on any official Gallaudet website that is not in compliance with university policy. To request a new site, please contact the Helpdesk.
Gallaudet Technology Services offers training for web authors using the university’s CMS. GTS provides technical support for website creation and maintenance. Questions about content, including text, links, graphics, images, headlines, video, and information architecture, should be referred to the Office of Communications and Public Relations. Decisions about content are based on overall usability, information architecture standards, analytics data, and Gallaudet’s mission, vision, and strategic plan. The Clerc Center Office of Public Relations and Communications will approve all content for the Clerc Center webpages using similar criteria and the Clerc Center Strategic Plan and priorities.
Human Resources
(202) 651-5344