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Website Publishing Policy

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Section 1 - Purpose

(1) This Policy outlines the principles and practices required for the effective creation and maintenance of University websites and associated content. The ACU websites are the online representation of the University, ACU Mission, Identity and Values, offering and community. As such ACU’s websites are a vital component of establishing brand reputation, recruiting students and communicating effectively with our constituents.

(2) The purpose of this Policy in regard to the effective maintenance of the website is to:

  1. enhance the brand reputation of the University;
  2. communicate concisely and accurately to improve the experience of students, staff and other constituents;
  3. comply with relevant Federal and State legislation;
  4. ensure best practise is followed; and
  5. ensure website accessibility.
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Section 2 - Scope/Application

(3) This Policy applies to all ACU staff, contractors, third parties and consultants who have a responsibility for the creation or maintenance of ACU websites or content.

(4) This Policy applies to all components of the University’s digital and web landscape including websites, mobile applications, social media whether these are internally hosted, externally hosted or provided by other parties.

(5) This Policy applies to all entities of the University that are owned or managed by the University.

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Section 3 - Policy Statement and Principles

(6) The effective creation and maintenance of the University’s websites relies on the collaboration of staff and the adherence to the following principles:

  1. the needs of the website user are the primary consideration in the way websites are created and maintained;
  2. ACU’s websites and digital landscape must be consistent with the ACU brand;
  3. ACU’s websites must align with the strategic priorities and plan of the University;
  4. ACU’s websites must comply with TEQSA HESF Domain 7: Representation, information and information Management. As such ACU is committed to web resources that are engaging, useful and current; and
  5. standalone websites are to be avoided unless there is strong strategic and user need justification; ordinarily content should be added to the website most closely aligned with the audience the content is intended for.

(7) ACU has three primary websites to which this Policy applies. Each website has been created for a specific purpose and for specific audiences. It is essential that when planning and creating content that it is developed for the website that is most appropriate for the intended primary audience;

Public website: https://acu.edu.au/
Purpose Audience/s
The public website is primarily a student recruitment tool. It showcases ACU’s courses, research and other offerings. It contains general information about the University designed to provide clear and accurate information to all users. It is designed to enhance the brand representation of the University.

Access to pages does not require any authentication and any content on the public website is accessible to all web users. All information and documents must be considered;

- Public access data – data that is openly available to all staff, students, and the general public.
(refer to the Information Security Policy and Information Security Procedure);

- Personal information can only be published with the consent of the relevant individual and in line with ACU Policy and regulatory requirements; significant consideration should be given to the need to publish any personal information.
  • Prospective students
  • Prospective staff
  • Alumni
  • Government and government agencies
  • Industry
  • Prospective employers and partners
  • General public and community
  • Other University stakeholders
Public website: library.acu.edu.au
Purpose Audience/s
The Library website provides information about library services and resources. It provides access to search tools, library guides, and also houses a chat widget. It is designed to provide current information about the services, events, and resources provided by the Library. Access to the pages and chat widget does not require authentication, although it is required to access the Library's digital resources, such as ebooks and ejournals.
  • Prospective students
  • Prospective staff
  • Current students
  • Current staff
  • Honorary staff
  • Alumni
  • General public and community
  • Other University stakeholders
Student Portal: https://studentportal.acu.edu.au/
Purpose Audience/s
The Student Portal is intended as a launch pad into all of the other ACU web-based applications that students commonly use as part of their studies. It also houses content relevant for current students. It is designed to provide a clear and accurate overview of all the services, opportunities and obligations that apply to students.

Access to pages requires authentication using Student ID however the student portal is not a suitable location for storing personal or sensitive documents. All information and documents must be considered:
  • Public access data – data that is openly available to all staff, students, and the general public.
  • Internal general data – data used for University administration activities and not for external distribution unless otherwise authorised.(refer to the Information Security Policy and Information Security Procedure).
  • Personal information can only be published with the consent of the relevant individual and in line with ACU Policy and regulatory requirements; significant consideration should be given to the need to publish any personal information.
 Current students
Staff Portal: https://staff.acu.edu.au/
Purpose Audience/s
The Staff Portal is intended as a launch pad into all of the other ACU web-based applications that staff commonly use as part of their work. It also houses content relevant for current staff. It is designed to provide a clear and accurate overview of all the services, opportunities, policies and obligations that apply to staff.

Access to pages can be set to require authentication using Staff ID however the staff portal is not a suitable location for storing personal information or sensitive documents.

All information and documents must be considered:
  • Public access data – data that is openly available to all staff, students, and the general public.
  • Internal general data – data used for University administration activities and not for external distribution unless otherwise authorised.
    (refer to the Information Security Policy and Information Security Procedure).
  • Personal information can only be published with the consent of the relevant individual and in line with ACU Policy and regulatory requirements; significant consideration should be given to the need to publish any personal information.
 Current staff

Audiences

(8) ACU’s primary websites listed above are targeted towards a primary audience - when planning, creating or updating content, content should be added to the website most closely aligned with the intended audience.

(9) If an area has content for each of these audiences, consideration should be given to locating the information relevant to the particular audience on the relevant site. Eg. Work Integrated Learning features content for each audience, adapted and located on each of the 3 websites so as to be most relevant and discoverable to the relevant audience.

Microsites

(10) ACU avoids the creation of microsites unless there is a compelling strategic reason to house content outside the primary ACU websites.

(11) Microsites may only be created with the direct approval of the Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing and External Relations.

(12) Microsites will be reviewed annually. If they are not kept current or still required, they will be decommissioned.

Content Owners

(13) Content owners are nominated individuals within a Faculty, Directorate, Institute or organisation that have ownership and responsibility for the content for that area on ACU websites. It is the content owner’s responsibility to ensure that content is compliant with TEQSA HESF Domain 7: Representation, information and information Management (HESF 7)and is accurate, up-to-date and of suitably high quality. Content must be reviewed at least every six months. If a content owner leaves a role or ACU, the area responsible for the content is to nominate a new content owner.

Content Publishers

(14) All content on the ACU websites is centrally published via a workflow that ensures pages are directed for a publishing check by the Digital Operations team before being published live. Content and pages must be review by Digital Operations before being published.

Digital Operations Team

(15) The Digital Operations team is part of the Digital Experience team that is located within Marketing and External Relations. They are responsible for the design, maintenance, upkeep and new section builds of the ACU website. The Digital Operations team provide training, advice and guidance to content owners and other stakeholders. The Digital Operations team is also resourced to make changes and updates to the ACU websites as requested via Service Central.

Content

(16) Content for ACU websites is to be concise, accurate and audience specific.

(17) All ACU public communications and content are subject to compliance with HESF 7.

(18) Content is to be written following the Web Content Guide.

(19) Content must be checked and updated at least every six months to ensure accuracy and relevance. Out-of-date or inaccurate content is damaging to the Brand and reputation of the University. It is the responsibility of the content owner to ensure that content is accurate, up-to-date and of a suitably high quality.

(20) Please note for course and unit course and unit offerings, information should always be up to date. The HESF 7.2.1 requires that: Accurate, relevant and timely information for students is publicly available and accessible, including access for students with special needs, to enable informed decision making about educational offerings and experiences.

(21) It is the responsibility of the content owner to ensure that they have appropriate rights and permissions and have considered the security and privacy implications associated with making their content available via the ACU websites. This includes in relation to personal information, where consent of the data subject is required.

(22) University websites must display the TEQSA Provider Identification and CRICOS number.

(23) Content should avoid duplication by, where possible, linking to source pages/documents.

Accessibility

(24) ACU has a legal requirement to adopt accessibility principles across our websites to ensure sites are accessible and usable by all people, including those with disabilities.

(25) ACU endeavours to meet level AA requirements of World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.

Branding and Design

(26) All websites must adhere to Brand Identity Guidelines.

(27) The application of the brand and identity guidelines to digital environments is set out in the ACU Digital Standards.

Quality

(28) Content including images, video, text and audio must be of a high-quality standard and adhere to ACU’s brand and identity guidelines. Poor quality content damages ACU’s brand and reputation.

Copyright

(29) Content owners must ensure that they have permission to use material and all content they are publishing complies with copyright laws and ACU copyright procedures.

Security

(30) All ACU websites must follow Information Security best practises and adhere to the Information Security Policy.

Privacy

(31) All ACU websites must follow privacy best practises and adhere to the Privacy Policy and relevant privacy legislation. It is the responsibility of the content owner to confirm obligations prior to publishing. In general, personal information should not be published, or published with the express consent of individuals.

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Section 4 - Roles and Responsibilities

Approval Authority

(32) Vice-Chancellor and President

Governing Authority

(33) Chief Operating Officer

Responsible Officer

(34) Chief Marketing Officer, Marketing and External Relations

Other Relevant Stakeholders

(35) Please refer to the associated Internal Student Communications Procedure.

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Section 5 - Review

(36) In line with the Policy Development and Review Policy, this Policy is scheduled for review every five years or more frequently if appropriate.

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Section 6 - Revisions made to this Policy

(37) Unless otherwise indicated, this Policy will still apply beyond the review date.

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Section 7 - Further Assistance

(38) For further assistance or specific enquiries please contact the Digital Operations team within Marketing and External Relations.

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Section 8 - Associated Information

(39) For related legislation, policies, procedures and guidelines and any supporting resources please refer to the Associated Information tab.