Web Services

CSU, Chico Web Guidelines and Review Process

CSU, Chico welcomes your interest in helping us make CSU, Chico's Web a valuable and respected link in the World Wide Web. The information and the links that you provide on your pages reflect not only on you but also on CSU, Chico. With that in mind, we ask that you observe the following guidelines when creating your own home page.

University Web Page Guidelines

  • Set up a new web area or apply to make changes to an existing area through the How to be a Web Contributor page.
  • Observe all university policies.
  • To ensure a consistent look and feel for Chico's Web, official university units are asked to use CSU, Chico's Web standard template pages as guidelines for page construction. The template pages can be obtained from University Web Templates.
  • Include the Chico Web's personal disclaimer statement or a link to the disclaimer on all personal home pages.
  • Use The University Writing Style Guide as a writer's guideline for text material.
  • Use of the university logo must be approved by the President's Office or Publications Office and conform to guidelines set forth in The Writing Style Guide, the University Publications Guide and Web Logo Guidelines governing its use. You do not need to obtain permission for logos contained in standard CSU, Chico Web page templates.
  • All college, department, course, faculty, or other Web pages that provide specific university academic program information (requirements for majors, options, patterns, minors, or certificates) are required to use the official text of their academic program, as described in the current University Catalog. This will prevent the confusion that results from various published versions of academic information. Linking directly to the specific program as presented in the current catalog on the Web is recommended. Any format variations or descriptions of new academic programs that have been approved but not yet printed in the catalog require review from the vice provost before being published on the Web--or in any publication.
  • In the construction of your pages, avoid
    • sexist and/or racist material
    • offensive language
    • defamatory, abusive, or harassing material
    • pornographic material
    • advertising
      It is acceptable to name a corporate partner or event sponsor, or to include a small logo for partners and sponsors, but it is not acceptable to include a direct ad for off-campus businesses. Partner and sponsor logos must be displayed smaller than the university logo on the site.
  • The Academic Senate at CSU, Chico supports the following proposals on academic fair use developed by the Conference on Fair Use in May 1997. Fourteen scholarly and educational groups, including the American Library Association and the National Humanities Alliance, oppose the proposals.
  • Ensure that your pages meet Americans with Disabilities Act requirements as described in State Senate bill SB-105.
    Tools and resources to assist you in accomplishing this include
  • Use caution in making links to other sites. It should not be assumed that all material on the Internet is acceptable to the Chico Web's audience. If you have any doubts about the suitability of a link, you can e-mail irwebmaster@csuchico.edu.
  • Do nothing that might lead users of the Chico's Web into making improper use of our facilities, for example, providing links to
    • archives that may contain pornographic material
    • sites that distribute illegal software
    • bulletin boards that contain dubious material
  • Do not use the Chico Web to reproduce or distribute copyrighted material without the author's permission.
  • Do not put in another person's personal data unless you have the consent of the person concerned.
  • Always provide the name and contact details for the person or office responsible for a page.

University Web Page Review Process

University administration has given the Web Guidelines Committee the charge of reviewing all official university Web pages (not those of individual faculty and students). The purpose of this review is to assist departments in developing effective Web sites for browsers of the CSU, Chico Web. One of the most complex issues for the Web Guidelines Committee is the competing demands of (1) each department's desire for a Web page design that stands out from others and (2) the administration's desire to create an integrated university Web site consistent in form and structure. The review process involves a check for compliance with the guidelines and simple copyediting for typos and consistency with the University Writing Style Guide. Failure to comply with the Web Guidelines may result in your department Web site being removed from the Chico Web.

When developing new sites or additional pages for your existing site, please submit your page address (URL) to the Web review editor via e-mail to webreview@csuchico.edu.

Include the Web manager's name and zip. Review usually takes only a few days, at which point you will be notified of any corrections that should be made before your pages can be linked. Once you have made the necessary revisions, the Web review editor will notify the CSU, Chico webmaster of your link request. 

Requested Changes in Web Area Structure

Requested changes to the structure of existing Web areas such as moving existing areas to new locations, removing existing areas, or redirecting areas will need to approved by the head of the department for which the changes are requested, and by any other department heads whose departments may be affected by the requested changes.

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