Website Standards

I. Policy

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte recognizes the value and potential of its website as a tool to support and communicate the University’s mission as North Carolina’s urban research institution. Therefore, faculty, staff, students, and academic and administrative units are encouraged to take full advantage of the technology available to sustain that mission.

The UNC Charlotte website is intended to welcome visitors and serve as an institutional access point for prospective and current students, employees, alumni, and interested members of the public. It is intended to provide information that addresses University constituents and their needs and interests and to serve as a communication vehicle for introducing and leveraging the UNC Charlotte brand

This Policy sets standards for the administration and use of University websites, including standards for responsible use, web page format, accessibility, links to non-University websites, use of the University's name and trademarks, hosting websites for external entities, and managing University data.

II. Website Standards

A. Definition of University Website

A “University website” is a website created or maintained by or on behalf of the University or an office, unit, college, department, or division of the University. It can also be any website linked to the University domain, charlotte.edu, or a website that directly serves University audiences and is managed by faculty, staff, or contractors hired on behalf of the University. 

Websites that appear to be University-affiliated but do not meet the definition of a “University website” should not misrepresent their relationship with the University and should include a disclaimer that they are not affiliated with or endorsed by the University; such sites are not permitted to use the University name, logos, or marks without express authorization by the University’s Licensing Program Manager. (See University Policy 601.17, Policy on Licensing of University-Owned Trademarks.) 

University websites are made up of web pages. For the purposes of this Policy, references to websites include the web pages on those sites.

B. Responsible Use

All University websites must comply with the Office of OneIT Standard for Responsible Use and other related UNC Charlotte and UNC System policies and standards. Additionally, University websites must be reviewed and updated at least once per year by the assigned site manager for accuracy and to ensure appropriate updates and corrections. Timely information will need to be updated frequently.

C. Website Format

All University website managers:

1. Must construct websites using the University's standard content management system (CMS). Websites constructed in an alternate CMS due to technical requirements not supported by the University standard content management system or for other reasons must be approved by University Communications and OneIT and must adhere to University branding guidelines.
2. Must use website templates provided, created and approved through University Communications and OneIT.
3. Must ensure that websites that are hosted outside the University’s CMS use the University logo in accordance with University branding guidelines, match the visual theme in the Central Web Service, adhere to the University’s web standards outlined in this document, and must allow administrator access to OneIT.
4. Must coordinate the development of new University websites through University Communications, Web Services, and OneIT, whether the sites are created in-house or through using an approved vendor. Request a new website.
5. Must adhere to the current version of the University’s Brand Standards Guide.

Failure to adhere to these requirements will result in removal of the website from University servers and revocation of the subdomain.

D. Accessibility

UNC Charlotte is required to provide reasonable access to its educational services, programs, and activities in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, and North Carolina state law (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 168A-7). Accordingly, University websites should be accessible to and functional for individuals with disabilities on desktops, laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. Details regarding the Department of Justice's final rule can be found at Fact Sheet: New Rule on the Accessibility of Web Content and Mobile Apps Provided by State and Local Governments. 

Accessible means that a person will not be prevented from interacting with, accessing, or utilizing the technology because of a disability. Accessibility shall be measured by whether the product or service is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, as those terms are further defined in Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1. Guidance in designing accessible websites is available from Disability Services and OneIT. 

Site managers are responsible for rectifying accessibility issues flagged within the system or notifying Web Services so web administrators can make the appropriate changes.

E. Domain and Subdomain Guidance

1. Subdomains

A subdomain is an internet domain that is part of a primary domain. For example: admissions.charlotte.edu is a subdomain of charlotte.edu, the primary domain. 

UNC Charlotte asserts ownership of all subdomains associated with its primary domain (charlotte.edu), as crucial elements of its institutional identity and digital presence. This ownership and central management ensures protection of intellectual property, consistency in branding, enhances digital security, user experience and reinforces the University's commitment to transparent and responsible online communication.

• All employees, contractors, and third-party entities involved in requesting or managing subdomains on behalf of UNC Charlotte must adhere to the Guidelines for University Subdomains.
• All requests for subdomains will be subject to review, approval, or denial by the Web Governance Committee.

2. Non-Charlotte.edu Domains

Registering domains that do not end with "charlotte.edu," such as those ending in .org, .net, .com, or any other suffix are prohibited without permission from University Communications. Websites within the charlotte.edu domain adhere to a recognized naming convention that is easily understood and remembered by visitors. This practice ensures clarity and confirms that links lead to official UNC Charlotte websites without ambiguity. Furthermore, obtaining a .edu domain name is restricted to degree-granting institutions, minimizing legal risks and the potential for confusion or imitation.

In exceptional cases, technical or business considerations may require non-charlotte.edu domain names. However, whenever feasible, these sites should include charlotte.edu redirects for promotional purposes.

All requests for new domain names, including those under the charlotte.edu domain, must be submitted for review.

F. Links to Non-University Websites

Links from a University web page to non-University websites should be related to the subject matter of the referring page. Any University web page linking to a non-University website must include the following disclaimer: 

“UNC Charlotte does not endorse, control, or take responsibility for the content of any external website.” 

Links to external non-profit entities, governmental entities, or other educational or informational resources are permitted so long as they are for reference or informational purposes only and do not imply endorsement or control by the University. 

Advertising by external entities on University websites is generally prohibited. However, the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Communications or their designee has the authority to approve advertising or links to commercial websites if:

1. A commercial link is used in an Internet bibliography;
2. A commercial link constitutes an acknowledgement of funding sources or proprietary technologies, but only if used in a manner that does not detract from the educational or administrative purpose of the University website; such acknowledgements must not constitute and should not imply an endorsement by the University;
3. A commercial link is deemed appropriate as part of a contractual obligation in consultation with the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Communications or their designee and the Office of Legal Affairs.

Links to non-University websites should open a new tab or browser window whenever possible.

G. Use of University Name and Registered Marks

The University logo, or approved logo sub-brands, on University websites is appropriate for the use by any University academic or administrative unit. These logos may not be modified in any way. The logos may not be used on an individual’s personal (non-University) website or web pages. University athletic logos may be used only by the Department of Athletics or with the express written permission of that department.

All use of the University’s trademarks and logos must be in compliance with University Policy 601.17, Policy on Licensing of University-Owned Trademarks. Questions about the use of the University’s trademarks or logos on external websites should be directed to the Licensing Program Manager or University Communications.

H. Hosting Websites for External Entities

Websites for entities such as professional associations, consortiums, or journals that are not University units, University affiliates, or registered student organizations may be hosted on University servers only when the entity has a relationship with the University that supports the University's mission and only upon approval of both University Communications and Web Services. Such a relationship may be demonstrated by one or more of the following circumstances:

1. The entity is an organization of which the University itself is a member.
2. The entity is an organization of which a faculty or staff member is a member, and the appropriate department chair, director, dean or vice chancellor approves the hosting as being in support of the University’s mission.
3. The University has, or enters into, a contractual relationship with the entity for hosting its website.

I. Managing University Data

1. Units with University web pages that refer to data maintained by another unit should coordinate access and use with the department or unit that is the custodian of such data in compliance with University Policy 311, Information Security and the Information Security Standards and Guidelines.
2. Dynamic information (course enrollment, tuition, directory information, etc.)  that is published on a University website should be retrieved from the appropriate University operational database to ensure that it is current and consistent.
3. When time-sensitive data is published on a University website, the effective term or expiration date of such data should be clearly indicated.
4. Under the Guideline for Data Handling:
   1. “Level 0 - Public” data may be published on or accessible through the University’s public-facing websites.
   2. “Level 1 - Internal” data may be published on or accessible through only University websites that are accessed via NinerNet authentication by the designated workgroup, department, or group of individuals within the University. 
   3. “Level 2 - Confidential/Sensitive” or “Level 3 - Highly Restricted” data may not be published on any University website.

J. Programmatic Information

Programmatic information is any content related to for-credit programs including: an overview of the program, admissions requirements, degree requirements, grade requirements, credit hour information, marketing content and more. 

Any information outside of program names and degree types will be hosted on academics.charlotte.edu exclusively, after being routed from the official catalog website. Not-for-credit programmatic information can be hosted outside of academics.charlotte.edu under the review of the Web Governance Committee. 

Outside of the University’s official catalog website, programmatic information will be populated exclusively on academics.charlotte.edu. Programmatic information listed on University websites outside of academics.charlotte.edu or the official catalog website and without approval from the Web Governance Committee will be removed.

III. Third-Party Vendor Contracts

A third-party vendor is any entity that conducts business with an organization, but it is outside that organization’s direct control. 

The University may contract with approved vendors for website content creation, strategy, or editing. Contracts for website development work must be approved by University Communications and OneIT Web Services and administered through University Purchasing.

All work contracted through a third-party vendor must meet the standards in this Policy, including accessibility standards, as well as other applicable University policies, standards, and guidelines. Any contracted work that violates University policies, standards, or guidelines will not be allowed on University websites and may be removed.

A. Third-Party Software Implementation

Third-party extensions enhance the functionality of the core CMS (content management system); however, their quality and compatibility with other add-ons are not assured. When poorly managed, these extensions can cause reliability issues, regression errors during updates, discrepancies between sites using them and those that do not, and challenges in testing and ensuring consistent user experience.

To safeguard the technical integrity of the official University websites, all plugins and third-party applications must undergo vetting and approval by OneIT, Legal, Purchasing, and the Web Governance Committee before any purchases can be made. Requests may be denied if necessary to uphold and protect the website’s technical standards.

IV. Policy Management

The Chancellor has appointed the Associate Vice Chancellor for University Communications to administer, interpret, and enforce the standards for the University’s websites established in this Policy.