Frequently asked questions
- How do I know if my site is in compliance?
Marketing and Communications staff can review your site and let you know what needs to be done to bring sites into compliance with the guidelines. To request a review, send an e-mail request with the URL of your site to fyweb@uaf.edu.
- If the site doesn’t reside on the UAF server, do we still need to comply with the guidelines?
Yes.
- What is the goal in having the same banner on every site?
UAF embarked on a branding campaign in 2005. The first step was to bring uniformity of message, style, logo use and branding of the university to all print media. The second phase of the campaign is to apply the same criteria to the web. By using consistent branding, UAF presents a much stronger and more positive image. See these memos to the UAF community for more details:
- UAF website standards and requirements - Memo from Associate Vice Chancellor Ann Ringstad - 9/29/2005
- Institutional Identity and Brand Recognition - Memo from Chancellor Steve Jones - 02/07/2007
- Graphic Identity in Business Communications - Memo from Vice Chancellor Jake Poole - 06/27/2005
- Doesn't this uniform design come at the expense of site diversity?
Diversity of sites is encouraged. What you put on your site and how you present that information is entirely up to you as long as legal and ethical guidelines are met. The UAF web requirements are minimal. You only need a banner at the top of your pages and certain bits of information that should be there anyway.
- Where are some examples of department banners?
Look around www.uaf.edu. You'll find lots of examples but here a just a few:
Summer Sessions, College of Natural Science & Mathematics, Graduate School, Journalism Department, Office of Sponsored Programs, International Polar Year, Student Notebook Project, Advancement & Community Engagement
- Can department web developers create the department banner themselves and submit for Marketing and Communications approval to save time?
No. Marketing and Communications creates the official department banners to maintain consistency, and they are usually created within a day of receiving a request. We ask for a longer amount of time in case there is some problem or the request comes close to a holiday. If you plan ahead, there will be no lost time.
- Is there another way to co-brand without using the same banner? It conflicts with the design of my site.
The UAF Web Guidelines have been in effect for a number of years. It is only now that it has become mandatory and site owners were given a year to make the necessary changes.
A department seeking exclusion from using either version of the official banners must submit a written justification and provide a proof page to illustrate how the department intends to meet the branding and exclusion requirements. Please read the exclusion requirements and complete the online form to request banner exclusion.
- My custom/department banner isn't XHTML valid. Can I send it back or try to fix it myself?
The first alternate banners were not XHTML compliant. The new ones are. If you are able to fix the code to make it XHTML compliant, you may do so. If you do not know how to do this, please request a replacement banner.
- What if a department has a really long name that doesn't fit the alternate banner?
This has only been an issue once, and Marketing and Communications worked with the department to resolve it.
- What's going to happen to departments that don't have funding or don't have people to bring their sites into compliance? Are sites going to be pulled?
The deadline for bringing UAF sites into compliance was Sept. 1, 2006. Sites not complying with the guidelines after this date will not be featured from the UAF home page. (Featured sites occupy the lower left portion of the UAF home page for periods up to two weeks.) Until necessary, additional consequences for non-compliance will not be put into place.
The expectation is that units will recognize the value of embracing the guidelines and will continue to work toward compliance. In most cases, it won't take very much to bring sites into compliance and Marketing and Communications web developers will consult with you as to what needs to be done. UAF classes are offered every semester, some for credit and some as free workshops. There is a network of web developers at UAF that you can call on for assistance. For details on these and more resources, please visit the guidelines help page.