3.3 Web Governance Policy

Print | PDF

This online version is for convenience; the official version of this policy is housed in the University Secretariat. In case of discrepancy between the online version and the official version held by the Secretariat, the official version shall prevail.

Approving Authority: President

Original Approval Date: February 26, 1997

Date of Most Recent Review/Revision: June 24, 2024

Office of Accountability: Vice President: Finance and Administration and Vice President: Advancement and External Relations

Administrative Responsibility: Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and External Relations

1.00 Purpose

1.01 This document contains the structure and rules that guide Wilfrid Laurier University’s (“Laurier”) web presence, including all web properties conducting university business.

2.00 Definitions

The definitions below are provided in logical order, rather than alphabetical order.

2.01 Web property: Websites, microsites, and web- or mobile-based applications (“apps”).

2.02 Web manager: An individual who oversees and holds accountability for web properties that conduct university business. Web managers must be employed at Laurier as staff or faculty, inclusive of contract teaching faculty and librarians. Student employees or temporary/casual employees cannot serve as web managers.

2.03 Enterprise-level standards: The high-level standards to which all web properties conducting university business must adhere. The enterprise-level standards are:

The web property has a defined web manager.
Content is factually accurate, does not duplicate existing content or functionality and strives to meet Laurier Style Guide and Brand Guidelines, as applicable.
The web property and all related technology comply with Laurier policies and a Privacy and Security Impact Assessment (PSIA) has been completed and approved as applicable.
The web property does not violate any local, provincial or federal laws, including legislation pertaining to intellectual property rights and to the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA).
The web property complies with Laurier policies, including 5.11 Procurement and Tendering Policy and 5.7 Signing Authority Policy, as well as consideration of university obligations under existing contracts.

2.04 Core web properties: wlu.ca, students.wlu.ca, and connect.wlu.ca.

2.05 Executive Sponsors: The Assistant Vice President, External Relations and Chief Information Officer of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) serve as the Executive Sponsors of Laurier’s web presence, with shared authority and oversight for related institutional directions and decisions.

3.00 Jurisdiction/Scope

3.01 The rules contained in this policy apply to all web properties that conduct university business.

4.00 Policy

4.01 The core web properties and all content contained therein are owned by Wilfrid Laurier University, with the clear exception of faculty-owned outputs as defined in the WLUFA collective agreements, student-owned outputs as defined by policy 11.3 Ownership of Student-Created Intellectual Property, content owned by Martin Luther University College, and content owned by the Balsillie School of International Affairs. Authority for the core web properties is overseen and managed by the Assistant Vice President, External Relations and the Chief Information Officer of ICT.

4.02 The core web properties provide a platform to showcase Laurier’s best qualities and allow for the fulfilment of key services central to our mandate. The core web properties are strategic assets that carry enormous influence and provide access to many aspects of university business. With hundreds of web editors managing portions of the core web properties, user adherence to all related policies, procedures and guidelines encourages the clarity, accuracy, security and consistency essential to effective service delivery.

4.03 All web properties conducting university business must meet enterprise-level standards. Fulfilment of these standards can be achieved by planned integration into the core web properties, integration into the enterprise content management system or approved apps, or through ongoing demonstration of compliance as outlined in the procedure for fulfilling enterprise-level standards for web properties.

4.03.01 Affiliated Student Organizations (Students’ Union, Graduate Students’ Association, Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications) are exempt from meeting enterprise-level standards for web properties; however, these organizations are required to clearly identify themselves as representatives from their affiliated student organization as distinct from Wilfrid Laurier University, and comply with other university policies, where appropriate.

4.03.02 Personal websites of faculty and staff that are not used to conduct university business are
exempt from meeting enterprise-level standards.

4.03.03 Social media properties must strive to meet enterprise-level standards. Use of social media,
apart from teaching and research, is governed through the social media guidelines.

5.00 Authority and Responsibilities

5.01 Executive Sponsors

5.01.01 With delegated authority from the President, the Assistant Vice President, External Relations and Chief Information Officer of ICT serve as the Executive Sponsors of Laurier’s web presence, with shared authority and oversight for related institutional directions and decisions.

5.01.02 The leadership and vision of External Relations and ICT set the high-level underpinnings of a premier web communications infrastructure at Laurier.

5.01.03 The Executive Sponsors, with operational fulfilment from Digital Experience and Enterprise Solutions, have authority and responsibility to:

a. Approve and deny requests related to the core web properties;

b. Enforce enterprise-level standards as they apply to all web properties conducting university business;

c. Review and approve appropriate policies and procedures to govern web standards;

d. Facilitate and resolve non-compliance issues;

e. Call on the Office of the Vice President: Finance and Administration and Office of the Vice President, Advancement and External Relations for recommendations and support as necessary; and

f. Immediately suspend or terminate services when web properties are non-compliant with ICT security requirements.

5.02 Digital Experience (External Relations) and Enterprise Solutions (ICT)

5.02.01 Digital Experience (External Relations) and Enterprise Solutions (ICT), in cooperation with their departments, are responsible for a wide range of services and supports related to the administration and ongoing stewardship of the core web properties. Together, these teams will support web properties outside of the core as defined through service level agreements.

5.02.02 Digital Experience and Enterprise Solutions will provide ongoing reporting and recommendations to the Executive Sponsors in relation to the continuous improvement of Laurier’s web presence.

5.02.03 Digital Experience will provide regular communication, training and support to web editors and the Laurier community in relation to the core web properties.

5.02.04 Enterprise Solutions will provide and support the infrastructure, technology and user administration related to the core web properties.

5.03 Web Editors

5.03.01 All sections within Laurier’s core web properties must have an identified web editor to maintain day-to-day content.

a. In the case where there are multiple editors (recommended), a content lead should be identified.

b. When a section of the website has no designated editor, departmental units are expected to identify a new web editor who will undertake web editor training.

5.03.02 Web Editors will, to the best of their abilities, follow web guidelines, uphold the Terms of Use, and undertake the following key responsibilities:

a. Ensure all content within their area on the core web properties is: up-to-date, accurate, and in compliance with Laurier’s enterprise-level standards;

b. Undertake training and ongoing professional development related to the web as applicable; and

c. Participate in the continuous improvement of Laurier’s web presence through responsiveness to auditing and issue management, participation in feedback opportunities and sharing of best practices.

5.03.03 Faculty, including contract teaching faculty and librarians, employed by Laurier will maintain an accurate and up-to-date faculty profile page using the template and guidelines established on the core web properties. Profile pages will not be maintained for individuals not employed by Laurier.

5.04 Web Managers of Web Properties Outside of the Core

5.04.01 Individual service-level agreements may be in place with some web properties outlining the specific breakdown of responsibilities among Digital Experience (External Relations), Enterprise Solutions (ICT) and the property web manager.

5.04.02 Outside of individual service-level agreements, web managers of web properties that conduct university business will have responsibility to:

a. Demonstrate ongoing compliance with enterprise-level standards;

b. Resource, administer and maintain content;

c. Resource, administer and maintain related technologies; and

d. Participate in the continuous improvement of Laurier’s web presence through responsiveness to auditing and issue management, participation in feedback opportunities and sharing of best practices.

5.04.03 The Executive Sponsors have authority to enforce enterprise-level standards as they relate to any web property conducting university business following the compliance process outlined below.

6.00 Quality Assurance and Compliance

6.01 Quality Assurance

6.01.01 Digital Experience and Enterprise Solutions will actively monitor Laurier’s web presence to support the clarity, accuracy, security and consistency essential to effective service delivery.

6.01.02 All users play a role in the ongoing quality assurance of Laurier’s web presence and are encouraged to notify web managers or web editors if issues are identified.

6.02 Notification

6.02.01 In the case of minor content issues within the core web properties, Digital Experience may, where appropriate, resolve issues directly without web editor contact. Repeated content issues will be flagged for web editor awareness.

6.02.02 For all other content issues, Digital Experience will notify web managers or web editors of the identified issue, rationale for changes, and request that issues be addressed within ten (10) business days.

6.02.03 In the case of critical security issues, Enterprise Solutions may take immediate action to resolve issues directly without advance notification to web managers or web editors.

6.02.04 For all other technical issues, Enterprise Solutions will notify web managers or web editors of the issue, rationale for changes, and request that issues be addressed within ten (10) business days.

6.03 Compliance

6.03.01 Web editors are responsible for meeting deadlines related to the quality assurance of their content within the core web properties. In the event that web editors do not address issues within ten (10) business days following initial notification, Digital Experience will notify the appropriate manager to request that issues be addressed within five (5) business days. If no attempt is made to address issues within this timeframe, Digital Experience will notify the appropriate next level manager of the department or faculty and will resolve issues directly.

6.03.02 Continued non-compliance with this policy may result in removal of authorized access and/or the removal of content from the core web properties.

6.03.03 Web managers of web properties outside of the core found to be in non-compliance with this policy will be notified by email and asked to address non-compliance. If no attempt is made to address issues within sixty (60) days, either through corrective action or the development of a correction action plan, the Executive Sponsors may pursue escalation measures or the suspension of Laurier’s affiliation with the property.

6.03.04 Web managers of all web properties conducting university business shall comply with all security requirements identified by ICT. Non-compliance may result in immediate suspension or termination of services.