GSE Web Procedures
Approved by Coordinating Council 5/11/2009
1. Introduction
This draft proposes a general website editorial, content, and access policy. The
ultimate goal of the policy is to provide an effective, usable, and consistent website
for the whole of the Graduate School of Education. Toward that end, the policy
attempts to define editorial control and style guidelines, site hierarchy, channels for
content publication, and roles and responsibilities for the GSE website.
2. Vision statement
Students and the public at large are increasingly turning to the web as the primary
information source about the GSE. The GSE website, blog, and Facebook account are
considered the main media for communication about the GSE. Therefore, the GSE
must place a priority on making these media effective communications platforms.
Information on print materials and the website should be parallel, ensuring a
consistent, accurate message.
3. The GSE WebTeam
The GSE has developed a WebTeam to work directly with department chairs and
program coordinators and be responsible for all content, management, and
maintenance of GSE supported websites and interactive media.
4. Website audience
The GSE websites are designed to serve a variety of audiences. These key publics
have been defined through both web analytics and GSE goals.
 Prospective students, faculty, and staff
 Current students
 Faculty/staff
 Alumni/friends
 Community members and partners
5. What belongs on the GSE website (www.pdx.edu/education)?
As the primary source of information about the GSE, the school's website should
include:

Official program, faculty, course, and degree information
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

Departmental and general school of education information (such as history,
location, facilities, etc.)
General resources and policy information of interest to prospective students,
current students, and faculty (e.g. computer resources, forms, links to outside
resources, links to other campus resources, handbooks etc.)
Each program and department should have one easily identified landing
(recruitment) page for the purpose of providing an overview to visitors, linking
from other GSE, PSU, and non-PSU sites, and a URL for publishing in print
documents.
As part of our service level agreement with OIT, it should be clear that any official
GSE site requests should be coordinated with GSE WebTeam.
Faculty webpages and profiles
All faculty members should submit information to the GSE WebTeam for a profile in
Drupal. This profile will be linked from the faculty member’s name in the
faculty/staff directory and the profile syndication throughout the GSE website.
Faculty are provided space to maintain personal websites or wikis that include basic
information about their courses, areas of interest, scholarship and research, contact
information, and office hours. Faculty pages might also include links to web
resources relevant to students, current course syllabi, etc. The link to this website
will be included as part of the contact information on the faculty profile page.
The GSE WebTeam will be responsible for making requested changes to faculty
profiles on the GSE website.
GSE interactive media sites
The GSE actively maintains and publishes content on a blog, Facebook, Flickr, and
Issuu. Refer to the GSE Interactive Media Policy for use and content guidelines.
6. GSE online components
"The GSE website" refers to the collection of all official GSE-related program,
department, or organizational websites. All official GSE sites should be under the
umbrella control of the WebTeam, and should operate under this GSE web policy.
www.pdx.edu/education (/CEED, CI, COUN, ELP, SPED, /gse-assessment)
"A GSE web component" or "a GSE website" refers to a sub-section of the GSE site.
(Blog, Facebook, Flickr, Issuu, etc).
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"An external site" is a site operated by GSE staff or students but not directly
representing a GSE program or department. An example would be a student
organization or an inter-departmental program not directly under the GSE. These
sites may have GSE-related content or links but are not under the ultimate control of
the GSE WebTeam. (course/professor wiki, blog, Facebook, etc).
7. GSE Website editorial guidelines
GSE WebTeam members will follow PSU University Communications' Editorial Style
Guide as a basic style reference unless otherwise noted. The UCOMM Editorial Style
Guide is located at: http://www.pdx.edu/university-communications/downloads
For web-specific writing issues (i.e., writing for effective website usability), the GSE
will follow industry usability and accessibility best practices as suggested by the
representative sites listed below. The GSE WebTeam will keep these references upto-date through coordination with department chairs and program leaders.
For multi-page rewrites or redesigns, authors should meet the GSE WebTeam
during the planning stages to review best practices for usability, accessibility,
navigation, and consistency with other GSE pages. All major revisions will be edited
for grammar, consistent voice, and site consistency by an editor.
Preparing content for the web:
http://www.pdx.edu/university-communications/downloads
Writing for the Web:
Jakob Nielsen's Articles on Writing for the Web:
www.useit.com/papers/webwriting
Jakob Nielsen's How Users Read on the Web:
www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
Design for Web Accessibility:
Mark Pilgrim's Dive into Accessibility: http://diveintoaccessibility.org
Oliver Reichenstein's The 100% Easy-2-Read Standard:
www.informationarchitects.jp/100e2r
8. GSE web roles and responsibilities
GSE WebTeam
 High-level editorial site control/authority (following GSE policies and
guidelines)
 Responsible for major site maintenance and IT liaison, including new URL
requests
 Responsible for major editorial control and policy development
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

Responsible for site navigation, information architecture, linking to external
sites
Works with section coordinators as necessary
Department chairs
 Serve as the content authority for the assigned section (accuracy and
appropriateness)
 Approve changes and forward changes to the GSE WebTeam
 Serve as the primary point of contact for the specific program section of the
site
 Responsible for section content - accuracy, appropriateness, consistency, etc.
 Authorizes or approves updates or new pages to the section
9. Website policy for programs and student groups
The Graduate School of Education follows Portland State University guidelines for
website design as outlined on pages 32-33 in the Identity Standards outlined by
University Communications http://www.pdx.edu/universitycommunications/downloads. All program and student group websites that are
associated with the GSE must meet the “website design minimum requirements”
that include:





PSU header
GSE site header
PSU footer
PSU colors and fonts
Copyright free or approved photography
The general identity guidelines are available through the University
Communications website: http://www.pdx.edu/university-communications/.
Website requests must be approved by the WebTeam, linked to the GSE website,
and editing access given to the GSE WebTeam to assure assistance in creating and
maintaining the site.
10. Page updating process in detail
Authority
Content changes must be authorized by department chairs. Revisions are copy
edited and formatted for the web by the GSE WebTeam.
How to submit a request (must go through chair)
1.
Online – Email minor changes or scanned page mark-ups to
GSEWebTeam@pdx.edu.
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2.
In-person – Deliver paper copies of changes to Jeremy McPherson in GSE
412 or to the box outside 408A.
Materials needed to request a change:
1.
Printed copy of original web page with marks indicating requested changes
or email describing simple change
2.
Text document for changes involving substantial amounts of text or for
new pages/sites (submit document either as email attachment or paper
copy with shared-directory file path included)
3.
New versions of any additional documents (pdf, images, etc.)
4.
Your name, phone extension, URL of page(s) to be updated, and requested
place on web (pdx.edu, blog, Facebook, etc.)
What happens after your request is submitted?
1.
Scope of change and content is reviewed for consistency and impact on
existing pages
2.
Follow-up meeting with requestor if needed
3.
Changes are internally edited for grammar, consistency, and PSU style
4.
Change is made
5.
Review/final edit
6.
Requestor is notified of completed change via email or campus box!
11. General content types:
Content
Medium
GSE news/announcement
website/facebook/blog
Website-highlights box,
calendar/blog/
facebook
facebook/program
listserv
Upcoming events
job listing/internship (applicable to
alumni and community members)
workshops/conferences
alumni accomplishment (possible
alumni of the month feature)
new faculty profile
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Possible
audience
All
All
Current
students, Alumni
Prospective
students,
community
facebook
members
alumni,
prospective
blog/Facebook/website students, faculty
prospective
students, faculty,
community
Blog/website profile
members
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save-the-date (open house events)
Facebook
registration opens (CEED catalog)
application deadlines
email/facebook
facebook/program
listserv/program
website
faculty publications/presentations
blog - via Digital
Measures (annual)
new course/program
blog/Facebook
GSE events (lecture, presentation)
blog/Facebook
faculty promotion/award
blog/Facebook
student award
internal communication
blog/Facebook
listserv (GSEfac,
GSEstaff)
Student community involvement
blog/Facebook
relevant industry news
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Facebook
prospective
students
prospective
students,
current students
prospective
students
prospective
students, faculty,
community
members
Prospective
students,
community
members
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
community
members
faculty,
community
members
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
community
members,
alumni
internal
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
community
members,
alumni
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
7
GSE news
blog/Facebook
Faculty community involvement
Exciting things happening in current
courses ("today GTEP students
did….")
blog/Facebook
community
members
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
community
members,
alumni
prospective
students,
current
students, faculty,
community
members,
alumni
facebook
prospective
students
Department announcements
facebook
current students
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Technical revisions July, 2014