NC State Web Style Guide
Last Revised: October 16, 2008

I. Procedures for Establishing a Web Page or Site

A. Faculty/Staff Web Pages:

The NC State web master will make all best efforts to establish at least a minimal web page for every full-time faculty and staff member under the “webpub” directory on the NC State web server.

Some of the format of the top level page (that is the ‘default.htm’ or ‘index.htm’ file) of these webpub directories has been standardized. In addition to the preceding guidelines, faculty & staff web pages have a left-aligned table that is 360 pixels wide and contains basic contact information including: e-mail, FAX, voice & office location. The NC State web master will also make an effort to get a faculty or staff member’s picture that will be put on this default.htm page, left aligned with a border.

Outside of this information, the faculty or staff member can add on to this top level page any relevant course-or work-related information they see fit. However, any faculty or staff members who wish to edit/expand their web page or create a personal home page under their “Webpub” directory, must first go through an initial orientation session before access to your directory on the NC State web server will be granted. The orientation will cover how to go about modifying, creating and saving web pages onto the NC State server. Contact the Instructional Technologist for current orientation times and locations.

If a faculty or staff member wishes to create a personal, non-course or work-related web page or site, this must be done on page(s) separate from the default.htm file. In turn, this personal home page can be linked from the ‘default.htm’ file, as long as part of the link’s syntax denotes that this is a link to a “personal” home page (e.g. “Click here to go to my personal home page!”).

B. Office/Division Pages

Any office or division of NC State that currently does not have a web presence can establish a web page or sub-site on the NC State web server. The only requirements are that any such office or division follows the other guidelines laid out in this document and that the office or division designates a person to serve as a “page master” contact for your area’s web pages.

A page master does not have to have any web design or HTML experience initially (obviously, it would be a plus). However, six months from the initial establishment of an area’s web presence, the responsibility for updating/revising and maintaining an area’s web pages will be transferred from the web master to the area’s pagemaster. In those six months, it is the responsibility of the web master to provide sufficient training for the page master.

  A pagemaster must go through an initial orientation session before access to an area’s directory on the NC state web server will be granted. Contact the web master to start this process for your area.

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II. Page Guidelines

A. Duplication of Content

Content on the NC state web server will not be duplicated such that multiple pagemasters are maintaining duplicate sets of the same information independently on their separate pages. Material that currently exists on the NC State website takes precedence over new material in this regard.

If a pagemaster develops content that duplicates pre-existing information, the Webmaster will contact the pagemaster informing them of the conflict and providing the address of the pre-existing information. The pagemaster with redundant information will then update their site's links to point to the pre-existing information within five business days of the receipt of the webmaster's notice, no exceptions.

In the event of a conflict about where a single set of information should reside on the web server and who will maintain the information, the webmaster will make the final decision. If you have any question at all, please check with the webmaster to determine if you will be duplicating any existing information.

B. NC State Navigation Bar

There is a standard navigation bar that goes on every web page on the top five levels of the NC State website in combination with navigation "breadcrumbs" that link to the main pages in each level above a given page.

 The navigation bar has been created so that no matter where someone comes into our website, they can easily get to certain top level areas quickly. Contact the Webmaster for help in how to add the navigation bar to new pages.  

 C. Logo Usage

All uses of the NC State logo on the NC State website should only reference the optimized image located at: www.ncstatecollege.edu/images/ncstate.jpg  Any specialized needs to use another version of the NC State logo on the NC State website should comply with the NC State Graphic Standards & Usage Manual. In addition, alternate use of the NC State logo on the website must be approved by  the Institutional Advancement Office and the Webmaster.

 D. FOOTER INFO

At the bottom of each web page on the NC State website, there needs to be four items separated from the rest of the page content with a Horizontal Rule:

a)     A link to the NC State web disclaimer entitled “Disclaimer” located at: http://www.ncstatecollege.edu/disclaimer.htm

b)     A link to the NC State Computer & Network Use Policy entitled “Computer & Network Use Policy” which is located at:  http://www.ncstatecollege.edu/usepolicy.htm

c)      a date stamp denoting when the page was last updated {ie “Last Updated: 8/25/2002”} NOTE: FrontPage has an automated component that does this.

d)     The e-mail address of the individual responsible for maintaining the page (ie “This page maintained by adude@ncstatecollege.edu“ )

 E. Background Color, Default Font & Style Sheet:

Every web page on the top five levels of the NC State website will be linked to the standard NC State Website Cascading Style Sheet (CSS). This governs the background color, default font and some other style conventions to ensure the consistency of the look of the college website. If you need assistance incorporating this into your pages, or have questions about this, please contact the web master.

F. Office/Department Faculty/Staff Pages

Any Office/Division Staff Listings must link to the individual’s existing page under the Webpub directory only (e.g. no links to an Individual’s “home pages” on a different web server or a redundant departmental homepage). If any of your area’s staff does not have an existing webpage under the “Webpub” directory, please contact the Webmaster to set this up.

G. Link & Visited Link Text Color

All text hyperlinks on the NC State website must have the default web color of blue for unvisited links and purple for visited links.   

H. Use of "Home"

All links on the NC State website that use the term "Home" will only link to the NC State homepage (www.ncstatecollege.edu) only. Office, Departmental, Faculty & Staff pages may refer to their "Main pages" only. This is to create a cohesive sense of the web site.

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III. Recommendations

A. Color Scheme

A recommendation for a color scheme is variations on the college colors of green and gold. Exact RGB & CMYK values can be obtained from the NC State Graphics Standards & Usage Manual or from Keith Stoner in the Institutional Advancement Office.

B. “Designed For” Resolution Statement

All pages on the NC state web server designed by the Web master are to be viewed optimally at 800 x 600 resolution. However, it is highly recommended that you view your pages at 640x480 and 1024x768 resolution as well as a variety of web browsers as well as with different browser versions to ensure your pages are presentable across a wide variety of situations.

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IV. Penalties for Style Guide Non-Compliance

Penalties for Non-Compliance

 Any pages located on the NC State web server that fail to meet any of the guidelines laid out in Section II of this document may be removed from the NC State web server. The NC State Webmaster will first attempt to contact the pagemaster or individual responsible for the relevant page(s) and alert them to the particular issue that has their page(s) in non-compliance. Once the individual has been notified, if the issue is not corrected to comply with these guidelines within three business days,  the relevant page or particular area’s pages, at the Webmaster’s discretion, can be removed from the "live" NC State web server until such time as the page or page(s) are brought into compliance with these Guidelines.

Additionally, if any content on the NC State web server is found to violate the NC State Computer & Network Use Policy, the area or individual’s entire site will be immediately removed from the "live" NC State web server. The pagemaster responsible for the page(s), the Director of the I.T. Department and the pagemaster's/staff member's supervisor or faculty member's dean will be notified of the violation. The "Penalties for Violation" section of the Use Policy delineates what actions will be taken at that point.

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