Web Governance
9 out of 10 college applicants use university websites as a primary source of information.
Boise State’s website is a core component of our identity, a global strategic asset, and our most comprehensive, visible public document.
Maintaining www.boisestate.edu as a high-quality website is vitally important for every campus department, area, and program. It is our collective responsibility to create and sustain articulate, engaging, accessible, accurate, and usable web content.
A university WordPress account empowers each of our roles in creating engaging, articulate, accessible, and accurate content through our most prominent public document.
Roles and Expectations
The Web Strategy team consists of the Office of Communications and Marketing and Office of Information Technology working closely to provide direction, resources, tools, governance, and ensure compliance with brand standards, policies, and laws. The WordPress Support Team provides responsive and experienced service and support for our web community. Primary site administrators determine their site architecture according to mission and need. Web content authors create and maintain accurate, engaging information that is accessible to people of all abilities.
To make this work effectively and efficiently requires all of us to understand our roles and expectations.
Departments and Programs
University departments, programs, and areas are responsible for allocating resources to manage and maintain their public websites in accordance with Policy 8040: University Web Policy.
The University reserves the right to edit, hide, archive, or temporarily or permanently delete a University web page or website, or any content on a University web page or website for noncompliance with this policy or any other applicable University policy or violation of federal, state, or local law.
Primary Site Administrators
Every university website has at least one (and often two) primary site administrators.
Primary site administrators are responsible for their department or area’s digital content and presence, including:
- Understanding university brand standards, including proper use of, and best practices for, the university’s web theme
- Understanding accessibility requirements per university policies and federal law
- Maintaining accuracy and completeness of web content
- Serving as the primary contact between the site’s department or area and the WordPress Support Team
Primary site administrators are also responsible for content produced by all other individuals who are granted access to WordPress websites under their control.
Primary site administrators must be active faculty or staff members; students are not primary site administrators.
Content Authors
Content authors follow the guidance of primary site administrators, and are responsible for creating and maintaining accurate, articulate, and usable content on university websites.
Content authors must:
- Understand university brand standards, including proper use of, and best practices for, the university’s web theme
- Understand accessibility requirements and apply accessibility best practices per university policies and federal law
WordPress Access
Requests for university WordPress accounts must receive permission from a primary site administrator, or from the Director of University Web Strategy.
Student Access
WordPress accounts may be requested for university students hired as student employees or as affiliate employees; students must have an @boisestate.edu email address for WordPress access.
Web Accessibility Requirements and Learning Opportunities
Boise State Policy 8140 requires all individuals with active WordPress accounts to understand and apply best practices for digital accessibility to ensure everyone has the right to public website content regardless of ability.
Individuals who request new WordPress accounts are required to complete a self-paced Canvas course on web accessibility. This course takes approximately 60-90 minutes and may be paused and resumed at your convenience.
In addition, individuals are strongly encouraged to review best practices content on Webguide, watch recorded presentations, engage in self-paced courses, or attend live learning opportunities to learn and understand best practices and accessibility compliance.
Options for both self-paced and live training opportunities are available:
WordPress Training and Professional Development
Monitoring and Compliance
The WordPress Support Team monitors university web content daily for quality assurance, compliance with university brand standards, and compliance with university policies and federal law concerning digital accessibility.
The Executive Director of University Web Strategy, in consultation with the Chief Communications and Marketing Officer, reserves the right to:
- Modify web content at any time for quality assurance or compliance purposes, or at the direction of university authorities
- Downgrade or revoke WordPress account access due to repeated or uncorrected university policy violations
- Escalate university policy violations to the Office of Institutional Compliance and Ethics
Please contact OITCommunications@boisestate.edu for questions or additional information.