Policies & Procedures
Web Space User Agreement
- Information on all websites within the RWU web space or any other associated domains or any website considered within the Roger Williams University Information System must be related to the core values, goals, or functions of Roger Williams University.
- All materials and information included in a website in the RWU web space must comply with established policies, rules, and regulations of Roger Williams University, including but not limited to the University Style Guide Requirements, the Speech and Expression Policy, Student Handbooks, The Faculty Handbook, and The Human Resources manual or any other University Administrative Policy.
- The Web Advisory Committee (WAC) under the IT Governance Structure governs RWU Web and Electronic Communications development, placement of materials within the RWU web space, and any applicable policies and guidelines.
The policies and guidelines are meant to encourage and facilitate collaboration among web content providers and service providers by offering detailed recommendations for the development, documentation, coordination, and organization of web and electronic communications materials.
The WAC confers with web content providers concerning items of individual impact such as links to specific materials from the RWU web structure, while reserving the right to make final decisions concerning the structure of the RWU web space or any form of existence of web sites within the space.
Appeals to and policy, guideline, recommendation, or action provided or taken made to the WAC via email inquiry to webmaster@rwu.edu.
These appeals will be presented at an WAC meeting for review and vote.
- Any website within the RWU web space should include both the University Copyright notice, any applicable disclaimers, and a link to the university Copyright, Legal, and Privacy Statement.
- Web materials should be produced and maintained by the parties responsible for the information (e.g., the Registrar is responsible for the Academic Calendar), and other web content providers must refer to these authoritative sources of information rather than creating their own duplicative materials.
- All Web content providers are responsible for ensuring that the information in their Web files, including links to outside resources, are valid, current, and appropriate to the goals and purposes of Roger Williams University.
In order to facilitate this, web content providers or designated staff are required to maintain files and update, remove, or correct materials as necessary. In some cases this may be the done by the Office of Web and Electronic Communications, however in that condition, it is still the web content providers responsibility to provide the necessary materials to the Office of Web and Electronic Communications for posting.
If you are unsure as to whom is responsible for maintenance or to request help contact webmaster@rwu.edu for inquiry. Files that are not properly maintained will be removed from the RWU web structure.
- Every textual web file must include information clearly identifying the person who is responsible for the file, contact information, and the date the file was last revised. This principle should be applied to image, sound, video, and other file types as the technology to include relevant information in other file types becomes available at RWU.
If the person who is responsible for the content of a Web file is not the same as the person who is responsible for publishing the file on the Web server, contact information for both the "creator" and the "publisher" should be included. See the Style Guide Recommendations on Documentation for more information.
- In the event personnel changes are made to a university unit’s web content provider, you are required to contact the Office of Web and Electronic Communications for any required inquiries or to update the web content provider system.
- All subdirectories on RWU.edu web servers should have a logical organization that reflects the structure of the information and/or the structure of the units providing the information. See the Style Guide Recommendations on Organization for more information.
- All Web content providers should make efficient use of space and avoid unnecessary duplication, unused "orphan" files, and excessively large files. Service providers reserve the right to limit space on their servers if necessary. See Style Guide Recommendations on Organization for more information.
- Materials in the RWU Web structure are at all times open to review, and violations of these principles will be referred to the appropriate University authorities.
Web content providers and developers will be held accountable for all materials within their directories and failure to abide by these principles could result in removal of the files or directories in question from the RWU Web structure and other appropriate disciplinary action.
Where warranted, suspected violations of University policies or federal, state, or local laws or regulations will be referred to appropriate authorities.