1. General Information   |   2. Page Requirements   |   3. Privacy Information   |   4. Style Guide   |   5. Recommendations

MCC Web Publishing Requirements, Guidelines and Standards:

1 - General Information:

• 1.1 Web Publishing

  The college website is MCC's broadest reaching publication. It plays a vital role in promoting and maintaining the image and reputation of the college. The MCC Web Publishing Guidelines are intended to promote accuracy, consistency and professionalism on the college website and ensure that information published online adheres to the same high standards as other official college publications.

• 1.2 Who May Contribute

  Administrative departments, academic departments, individual faculty and staff, and student and college organizations may publish information on the college website. As a prerequisite to publishing, all contributors are expected to agree to the terms outlined in this policy.

• 1.3 Contacting the MCC Website Oversight Committee

  The Campus Vice President for Academic Affairs has tasked the Web Oversight Committee with enforcing the MCC Web Publishing Guidelines. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the application of these guidelines, contact the Web Oversight Committee by email: webcommittee@mcmail.maricopa.edu To request help designing a new web page or edits for an existing page for your department, please Submit a Request.

• 1.4 Definitions of Official and Unofficial Pages

  Web pages published by MCC's administrative departments, academic departments, and related college organizations are considered "official" college pages. These contain information pertaining to college programs, services, and core institutional functions

  Pages published by individual faculty or staff members or student organizations are not considered official college pages. These may be linked from the official college site, but they are understood to represent the perspective of an individual or group rather than the college as a whole. The college is not responsible for developing or maintaining pages published by individual faculty or staff members.

back to top

2 Requirements for MCC Web Pages - Official and Unofficial:

• 2.1 Domain Names

  A host name coupled with a domain name provides a recognizable word or phrase instead of a numeric IP address as the URL for a webpage. An example is www.mc.maricopa.edu instead of 192.168.1.1 - you may read more about IP addresses and domains at Wikipedia.

  • 2.1.1 Internal Sub-domains and Host Names   example: www.mc.maricopa.edu

    Requests for new sub-domains and host names shall be presented to the Web Oversight Committee for approval prior to use. If approved, the request will be forwarded to the appropriate MCC DNS administrator for implementation. The Web Oversight Committee will maintain a listing of internal sub-domains and host names and their respective reuqeestor contact information and will resolve any name disputes that may arise. These are sub-domains and/or host names that reside on MCC servers and use MCC or District resources.

  • 2.1.2 External Domain Names example:www.ilovehistory.net or www.mathonline.com

    MCC departments that wish to register alternate domain names for access to their site may do so. These are domains that are not housed on MCC servers and do not use MCC or District resources. However, if college funds are used for the registration fee(s), then the Web Oversight Committee must approve the domain name.

• 2.2 Basic Requirements for All Pages

  All pages published on the college website, whether official or unofficial, must comply with existing ADA policies, MCC policies, and any applicable local, state or federal laws including, but not limited to, libel, obscenity, copyright and accessibility. The Web Oversight Committee reserves the right to block any pages that are out-of-date, inaccurate, or otherwise in violation of the Web Publishing Policy.

• 2.3 Requirements for Unofficial Sites and Pages

  The college is not responsible for developing or maintaining pages published by individual faculty or staff members or student organizations.

  Unofficial sites or pages are required to provide a link to the college's standard disclaimer, or else to provide a disclaimer statement of their own. Custom disclaimers should include the following three types of statements:

  • The page is not an official page or publication of Mesa Community College;
  • The college does not maintain the information contained on the site and is not responsible for its content; and
  • The views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent official positions or policies of Mesa Community College.

• 2.4 Requirements for Official Pages
  • 2.4.1 General Standards Information

    Information concerning Nomenclature, District Logo Guidelines, Copyrighted Materials, EEO Clause/EEO Policy Statement and other related guidelines may be found in the college Graphic Standards Manual. A PDF file of this document may be downloaded from the following website: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/about/ia/graphic/standards.html

  • 2.4.2 Use and Placement of the MCC logo

    An MCC logo must be included at the top of all institutional web pages and must link to MCC's homepage http://www.mc.maricopa.edu.

    The appropriate MCC logo must be presented in a visible, undistorted manner whenever it appears on the web. The MCC logo must be used in one of the approved colors and should have the appropriate area of isolation. Secondary logos are not permitted unless they have been approved. Please see the MCC Graphics Standards Manual for detailed information.

  • 2.4.3 References to Mesa Community College

    The institution's official name is Mesa Community College. The full name should always be used when only one reference to the college is made within a webpage. If more than one reference to the college is made, Mesa Community College should be used on first reference and the acronym MCC used on subsequent references. Mesa College or MC are not acceptable references. When referencing other MCC sites, the accurate nomenclature is MCC at Red Mountain.

    When a project, event, or conference is co-sponsored by additional entities, additional sponsor logos can be included. The district logo, district statement and EEO clause are optional unless MCC is the primary sponsor. If MCC is the primary sponsor, these statements must appear.

  • 2.4.4 ADA Compliance

    Web pages must be accessible to all users, including users with disabilities, compliant with MCC's policies, and the Federal Law Section 508. These pages must be compatible with screen readers as well as other assistive technologies. This continues to be an ongoing process and it is possible that some users may encounter problems accessing some pages. Offer an alternative method for visitors to contact the department should they encounter difficulties accessing web content. Accessible webpages should be checked using Wildfire or a similar service. We strive to have all webpages achieve LEVEL III compliance of the Section 508 Americans with Disabilities Act. All disability edits and revisions should be tested using WebExact/Wildfire before being posted. Optional: MCC web sites may provide a link to MCC's Disability Resources Department, http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/students/disability/ .

  • 2.4.5 MCCCD Disclaimer and Copyright Information

    All pages of a web site must display, or link to, the MCCCD Disclaimer and Copyright Information (www.maricopa.edu/disclaimer.html) in a conspicuous manner (scrolling is acceptable). All MCC web publications created by or for the Maricopa Community College District are Copyright © Maricopa County Community College District. All rights reserved.

  • 2.4.6 EEO Clause

    MCC's home page must include the EEO clause ("The Maricopa County Community College District is an EEO/AA institution") in a conspicuous manner (scrolling is acceptable) which links to the EEO Policy Statement. Federal regulations require that the EEO clause appear in all major publications distributed throughout our system to employees, students, and applicants.

  • 2.4.7 District Affiliation Statement

    All pages of a MCC's web site must include a District Affiliation Statement ("A Maricopa Community College"), or the Maricopa Community College District logo which links to www.maricopa.edu.

  • 2.4.8 Department Website Creation, Revisions and Editing
    • 2.4.8.1 Designation of a Department Website Contact

      The Web Oversight Committee requires that all college entities publishing official pages designate an "information provider" or contact who is responsible for monitoring and maintaining the content of those pages in order to ensure that it remains accurate, up-to-date, and consistent with the college's mission and goals.

      Some college entities may wish to develop and maintain their own web pages; others may request to have their sites created for them. In either case, the information provider retains responsibility for providing the content of the site. This contact must be able to respond to inquiries about the page/site in a timely manner, i.e., 2 business days or less. This contact information may link to a web form instead of an individual email address.

    • 2.4.8.2 Department Website Contact Information

      The top-level page of official site must include the information provider's email address (see above) or department email address on the bottom of the page, along with the date that the site was last updated. All institutional web pages must also include a mailing address, physical location, and phone number.

    • 2.4.8.3 The Use of Standard Templates

      As of May 15, 2006, all official pages are required to use standard templates provided by or approved by the Web Oversight Committee. The templates are designed to promote consistency, facilitate navigation, clarify the organizational structure, and present a collegiate and professional image on the World Wide Web. Information on how to acquire and edit these templates is located at the Enterprise Web Services website: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/employees/websupport/contribute.html

      • 2.4.8.3.1 The Header Navigation Bar/Masthead

        An MCC navigation bar based on the Web Oversight Committee approved templates must be placed at the top of all official web pages.

      • 2.4.8.3.2 The Footer

        An MCC footer based on the Web Oversight Committee approved templates must be placed at the bottom of all official web pages. This footer contains the MCCCD disclaimer and other legal requirements for official MCC webpages.

      • 2.4.8.3.3 Photography and Artwork

        Photography in the masthead should focus on buildings, structures, and the grounds of MCC sites, not on close-ups of individuals. The usage of clip art, blinking text and animation is not to be used on official web pages.

back to top

3 Privacy Information:

• 3.1 Collection of Sensitive Information

  The development of pages that will collect sensitive information (social security numbers, credit card information, etc.) requires consultation with the Software Engineering division of Information Technology Services - http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/its/admin_prog.html for approval and implementation. These pages must include a link to the MCC privacy statement. Sites must have the appropriate level of security for the information collected.

• 3.2 Photo Releases

  Pursuant to privacy law, signed photo releases must be obtained for individuals whose photos are posted on MCC web sites. All pictures of children require a signed release from a parent or legal guardian. This release form can be found on the Institutional Advancement website: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/about/ia/forms.html.

• 3.3 Talent Release Forms

  Release forms must be obtained from individuals whose photograph, written and/or electronic work will appear on the college official web pages. The designated Information Provider for each site is required to keep a current file with all such permission letters in it and be willing to produce such a file on request of the Web Oversight Committee or the college administration/ Forms for photography adult/minor, video, quote, and written material may be downloaded from the following website: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/about/ia/forms.html.

back to top

4 MCC Web Development Style Guide:

To retain a consistent and clear presentation of information throughout the official pages of the Mesa Community College web site, please refer to this style guide before publishing your online content. http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/employees/websupport/styleguide.html

back to top

5 General Recommendations:

1. Use web safe colors in all tables, borders, and backgrounds. Use a web safe color palette such as this one by Visibone.
2. Validate all code using a validator such as W3C HTML validator, http://validator.w3.org.
3. Test web pages in different web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari, etc.) and in different operating systems (MAC and WIN)
4. Test web pages using assistive technology such as a screen reader (JAWS, etc.)
5. Do not use MS Word to generate web pages. Word adds unnecessary code to HTML pages, increasing file size and increasing difficulty in accessibility.
6. Do not use Frontpage bots, extensions and themes. These are not supported by the web server.
7. Label your default page in the directory as index.html – all lowercase letter with the full .html file extension.
8. All filenames must match exactly ie: NameOFpage.htm is not the same as nameofpage.html.
9. Filenames should contain no spaces, special characters or dashes. Connect filenames with an underscore when absolutely necessary.

Your web support staff includes:

• Jon Baney, Web Manager 480-461-7283
• Trisha Brazda, Web Technician 480-461-7491
• Peter Kalapuziak, Web Programmer 480-461-7056
• Bonny Smith, Web Technician, [1/2 time]