The current standards were approved by the Web Steering Committee on Sept. 16, 2024.
The standards will be reviewed and updated annually by the committee. Please check back for announcements and updates that are released between the annual reviews of this document.
Notable changes since last revision
The standards were edited for clarity and simplicity and divided into the current four sections. Sections 1, 2 and 3 of the former standards were reorganized and moved to the Introduction and Purpose. Sections 4, 5 and 6 were reorganized and moved to the protocol pages.
New and revised sections of note include:
NIU’s web presence is managed by the NIU web team, guided by the university’s Web Communications Policy and Web Communications Policy for Faculty and governed by the Web Steering Committee. These standards, based on industry best practices for usability and accessibility compliance, provide the foundation for our web strategy and ensure a consistent user experience. They are reviewed annually by the web team in the Division of Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications (EMMC) and approved by the Web Steering Committee.
Web governance of the niu.edu domain is based on the following principles:
Web governance is defined as a system for managing an online presence in an orderly way.
At NIU, web governance is facilitated through the Web Steering Committee. The committee’s objective is to provide collaborative, centralized governance for the ongoing development, deployment, delivery and maintenance of the niu.edu domain and to consistently represent the Northern Illinois University brand online through standard processes, roles, responsibilities and practices.
As a state institution, NIU is committed to ensuring that our digital content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. Our website complies with the Illinois Information Technology Accessibility Act (IITAA) and follows Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards.
NIU’s web templates are coded and designed for accessibility. For more information, read WCAG’s resource on understanding accessibility guidelines.
Content should be posted directly on a webpage (as HTML) whenever possible. In general, flyers, brochures and posters are not hosted on the NIU website. If a file must be uploaded, consult with the web team on the appropriate accessible format.
To present a consistent, unified image and support NIU’s recruitment and retention initiatives, all division, college, school, department and special information web properties must clearly identify their relationship with the university.
Site templates will be created using either the official NIU logo or a department’s official sub-branded logo as provided by University Marketing. The NIU shield and department name that appear at the top of a webpage do not constitute a departmental logo and should not be used elsewhere. Consult with University Marketing at marketing@niu.edu about logo questions.
Decorative elements designed by NIU Creative Services are permitted on departmental/unit websites. These elements should be used judiciously and in accordance with NIU's brand guidelines.
Use of the Huskie Athletics logo on sites other than niuhuskies.com is prohibited without written consent from Intercollegiate Athletics, or its designee.
No university trademarks may be altered or manipulated in any way or merged with or placed directly against any other logo.
As an .edu domain, third-party advertising is generally prohibited on NIU's website. However, exceptions may be granted in the following cases:
For any questions or special requests regarding the use of third-party logos or advertising, please contact the web team for guidance.
NIU respects the rights of copyright owners. Copyrighted content may not be included on an NIU website unless written permission has been received from the copyright owner. Any content, photo, image, logo or media that doesn’t meet copyright laws will be removed from the NIU website. There are some exceptions for use of copyrighted materials in certain educational settings. For specific guidance, contact the Division of Research and Innovation Partnerships or the Office of General Counsel.
The NIU Foundation is responsible for all gifts and donations to NIU. Webpages on the NIU domain cannot solicit donations without the prior consent of the NIU Foundation.
All subdomains and subsites within the niu.edu domain belong to, and are representative of, Northern Illinois University.
To provide a consistent, effective user experience across the university’s communications channels, NIU websites (except for faculty sites) must comply with the university’s Communication Standards for Institutional Brand Identity and Editorial Style Guide.
The web team in EMMC is a team of strategists with extensive knowledge and training on website usability, accessibility, content and design. The team oversees the niu.edu website and provides guidance to departments on best practices and standards. The team also facilitates support and content updates for departmental sites at the request of the department’s website liaison.
Each department's leadership designates a full-time employee to serve as their website liaison. Liaisons must complete initial training and annual refresher training to maintain their status.
| Role | Responsibilities | CMS Access Level | Training |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coordinator |
|
Limited |
|
| Manager |
|
Moderate |
|
| Administrator |
|
Extensive |
|
Departments can change their designated website liaison by contacting the web team at webcommunications@niu.edu. New liaisons must complete training before assuming their role.
For specific guidance on each role, refer to our web content management protocol for:
NIU Mobile is the university's official mobile app, strategically managed by EMMC and developed by the Division of Information Technology (DoIT). To request new module development for NIU Mobile, submit proposals to the web team for consideration.
Any app using the NIU or Northern Illinois University name or branding must be approved by University Marketing prior to development and submission to mobile app stores.
Officially recognized NIU apps are listed on the NIU Mobile website.
Repurposing of data or content from any NIU website or NIU-owned source through a mobile application requires prior written consent from the authorized university department or official that owns or controls the original data or content.
Written consent should address:
Unauthorized use of NIU data or content in mobile applications should be reported to University Marketing at marketing@niu.edu.
Apps found in violation of this policy will be reported to the appropriate app store(s) for removal. The university reserves the right to take additional actions to protect its data, content, intellectual property and other interests.
For questions or to initiate the app approval process, contact the web team at webcommunications@niu.edu.
NIU is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of our community. All NIU websites must comply with the following regulations and policies:
For specific questions about privacy compliance, contact the Office of General Counsel.
All web properties should be hosted in the university’s content management system using templates supplied and supported by the web team.
Departments must seek permission from the web team before developing a website that will be hosted outside of the university’s content management system, and the site must be reviewed by the web team prior to publishing.
NIU web pages are designed to be compatible with the current version and previous major release versions of Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Edge. NIU’s websites are created in templates that utilize responsive web design (RWD). This is done so that content is always optimized for whichever device and screen-size it is being viewed on.
While older browser versions may work, full functionality cannot be guaranteed. Users are strongly encouraged to keep their browsers updated to the latest stable version for the best experience and security.
WordPress-based news sites sponsored and maintained by the EMMC are available to colleges and divisions upon request. Individual departments or offices should utilize their college or division’s news blog. Requests for new college or division news blogs will be reviewed by the Assistant Vice President for University Marketing. Establishing free WordPress.com blogs (containing ads) is not permitted.
NIU uses Google Analytics to track its web data. Department web liaisons may request analytics reports by submitting a web update request form.
If a college, division or department has a unique Google Analytics account ID, they must grant administrative access to Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications.
Before a web property with a unique account ID is converted to the newest NIU templates, Enrollment Management, Marketing and Communications and/or the Division of Information Technology must be alerted to ensure implementation of the correct tracking code.
For more information about web support and development, contact:
Rachel Xidis
Director of Digital Strategy
Web and Internal Communications
rachelx@niu.edu