Web Publishing Policy: Personal Pages/Organization Pages

1. Publishing on Vernon College's web server is a privilege and not a right. To retain this privilege, users must follow the rules stated in this document.

2. Students who create personal web pages as a class project are allowed to place them on VC's web server at the request of the instructor. Student pages will be deleted after 6 months without modification of the student home page or when it is determined that the student is no longer enrolled at VC.

3. All faculty and staff members may create personal web pages for inclusion on VC's web server. Pages will be deleted upon termination of employment.

4. Recognized student organizations at VC may place web pages on VC's server. The advisor of the organization must approve the page and then request space on the server from Information Technology. All rules applying to personal pages also apply to pages belonging to organizations.

5. Recent graduates and students approaching graduation may create a personal home page to serve as a resume with the approval of the VC Placement Office. Unless the student requests that the page be removed, the resume will stay online for 6 months. Upon written request, the time limit can be extended for an additional 3 months.

6. Creation of personal pages is the sole responsibility of the page owner. Both credit and continuing education offer classes on HTML. There are considerable web resources available online. Personnel in the Wright Library, the Placement Office, and Information Technology will not provide assistance. In addition, instructor assistance is only available to students creating pages as class projects.

7. Always remember that VC's support comes from the public. Our community is diverse, with differing opinions on what constitutes pornography and on what is offensive. Creators of web pages at VC must avoid controversy. Those who wish to put controversial material on the web should find another source of web space.

8. Copyright laws should be strictly observed. Do not place copyrighted material, including graphics, on the VC web server. Violations of copyright law are the responsibility of the creator of the page. VC will in no way be liable. In the event that VC discovers copyrighted material on a page, the page and all copyrighted material will be removed from the server and the creator of the page will face possible disciplinary action, including termination of all telecommunications privileges.

9. The purpose of personal web pages is to introduce VC faculty/staff/students to the world. These pages should not be a forum for political or religious views or a site for the promotion of private businesses belonging to VC employees or students. If an employee or a student has a business home page on a commercial provider, a simple link to that page may be included on their VC page.

10. Suggested content includes but is not limited to the following:
    • photograph of the page owner
    • biographical information
    • statement of special interests, hobbies, activities, etc.
    • education
    • employment history
    • publication list; content of publications if not copyrighted
    • honors & awards
    • memberships; offices held
    • community service activities
    • office location and hours at VC
    • course notes/outlines/syllabi
    • assignments (note: this requires frequent updating)
    • instructor's link list for web sites mentioned in class
    • link list to personal favorite web sites
      (Avoid links to offensive or pornographic sites. Don't ask for a definition. Use common sense.)
    • e-mail address
    • original content which is not copyrighted
    • copyright statement to protect original material

11. All web pages must include the following:
    • "Vernon College" on the personal home page linked to the Vernon College home page;
    • a link to VC's standard disclaimer for personal and organization pages (http://www.vernoncollege/disc1.html)
    • a link to the individual's home page (i.e. http://www.vernoncollege.edu/~jdoe) on every page except the personal home page, if multiple pages are used
    • a "last updated" date on every page (Remember to change this line whenever the page is changed. People DO check these dates to see if the content of the page is current. This is NOT done automatically and is the responsibility of the page owner.)
    • an e-mail address to contact the creator of the page (This must be on the personal home page but does not have to be on other pages which are linked to the home page.)

12. Scripts must not be loaded on the VC web server.

13. The amount of space which will be allocated for each personal web page is limited. No audio or video files are allowed at this time. Graphics are allowed, but should be used sparingly to improve the appearance of the page or to clarify its content. A photograph of the page owner is optional. Restrictions may change in the future.

14. All personal and web pages will be reviewed by Information Technology personnel. After approval, student pages will be linked to a directory of VC student personal pages. Periodically, committee members will randomly select pages for review. Committee members may require revision to any personal page. Page owners will be notified by e-mail. If the revisions are not made within the specified time frame, the pages will be deleted from the server. Students wishing to appeal Information Technology decisions should initiate the process by contacting the Dean of Student Services.

15. Suggestions
    • Read a style guide.
    • Remember that most web users will no longer waste time on slow-loading pages. As the internet gets busier, this trend will become even more pronounced. Since text loads much faster than graphics, try to develop nice looking pages with as few graphics as possible. JPEG files load faster than GIFs.
    • As a courtesy to visitors to a page, make it easy to read. Busy backgrounds conflict with text. Some combinations of background color and text/link colors also cause problems. Animated icons annoy many people, especially if there is more than one visible at a time. If frames are used, verify that the material fits nicely in the frames without excessive scrolling. "White space" on a page is as important in web publishing as it is in print.
    • Be aware that all monitors are not created equal. Keep colors simple. At VC, blue is always appropriate. To see how a page looks on a low quality monitor, come by Information Technology for a demonstration.
    • Keep in mind that content is what brings people back to pages for return visits.
    • If possible, test pages with both Netscape and Internet Explorer.
    • Validate your HTML.
    • Periodically test all links. Visitors to a page are frustrated by out-of-date links.
    • The web is a very public place. Personal pages make a statement about their creator to web users worldwide. Try to make a good impression.
    • Keep a printed copy of all pages and a diskette backup. In the event that your files are deleted or otherwise lost from the server, it will be your responsibility to reload them.
    • Update pages regularly.

16. The Director of Information Technology may modify this policy statement at any time.

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last updated August 5, 2003