• Section 1 - Background and Purpose
• Section 2 - Scope
• Section 3 - Policy Statement
• Section 4 - Procedures
• Part A - Microsite Owner/Content Publisher Responsibilities
• Part B - Content
• Part C - Escalation
• Eascalation – Stage 1
• Escalation – Stage 2
• Escalation – Stage 3
• Escalation – Stage 4
• Escalation – Stage 5
• Timeframe
• Part D - Look and Feel
• Part E - Authorisation
• Part F - Legislative and Policy Compliance
• Section 5 - Definitions
• Section 6 - Resources

Section 1 - Background and Purpose

(1) The purpose of the University’s web and intranet channels are to:

1. promote the University as a leading Australian university, locally, nationally and internationally, to further the strategic objectives of the University as outlined in the University’s strategic plan, and to articulate its purpose and institutional values;
2. provide high quality, current and accurate, audience specific information about the University to external and internal audiences;
3. improve business efficiencies through provision of access to user-focused and user-friendly information and applications.

(2) The objectives of this Policy are to:

1. define the intention and operational framework of the corporate/public-facing website (www.latrobe.edu.au) and staff intranet (intranet.latrobe.edu.au) and for digital channels including blogs (blogs.latrobe.edu.au ) and social media channels that officially represent the University;
2. enable sound decision-making and planning processes for website/intranet redevelopment;
3. set quality standards for publication on the University’s owned channels;
4. provide clear lines of responsibility for ownership and maintenance of content and digital channels; i.e. limit the legal liability of the University.

Section 2 - Scope

(3) Applies to:

1. All schools, departments, La Trobe based research centres and institutes, divisional units and external partners e.g. Navitas/Chisholm Institute.
2. All campuses.
3. All materials published on any public-facing University web server that uses the domain name ‘latrobe.edu.au’ or ‘.latrobe’ and sub-domains (e.g. blogs.latrobe.edu.au) and on La Trobe University staff intranet ‘intranet.latrobe.edu.au’ and other domains owned by the University. This includes any third party materials that may be hosted on any University web server.
4. All materials hosted on third party sites that officially represent La Trobe University (e.g. social media accounts, MS Teams, Yammer, Cisco Jabber, WebEx). NB: For the purpose of this Policy, documents stored in Unite (MS SharePoint) are considered working documents that do not officially represent the University, so are exempt from this Policy.
5. All microsite authorisers, business owners, Intranet section managers, CMS editors and content owners must comply with this Policy. This includes all staff and students, and contractors who are authorised to publish to the University website and digital channels.

Section 3 - Policy Statement

(4) La Trobe University’s website and digital channels provide quality, accurate and engaging information to key external and internal audiences including prospective and current students, researchers/collaborators and staff and the community, about all aspects of the University. The University’s reputation is influenced by the information published on its website and digital channels. Consequently, online content requires clear ownership, astute crafting and strategic management. All content across web and intranet channels must be presented in an appropriate format for online delivery, be authorised and be regularly reviewed to ensure accuracy and currency. In all cases, content should be relevant to the intended audience and presented in a user-friendly manner.

1. La Trobe University’s website (www.latrobe.edu.au) and its public-facing digital channels provide high quality, accurate and engaging information to prospective and current students, staff, alumni, the community and our key external audiences about all aspects of the University.
2. The La Trobe University staff intranet (intranet.latrobe.edu.au) is intended to support internal communications and provide La Trobe staff with all the necessary information required to perform their jobs in a highly efficient and effective manner. Unlike the external corporate website, which is intended to house the University’s public content, the staff intranet is restricted to a staff-only audience.

(5) Microsite/Section Business Owners (usually the Provost, Dean, Head of Department or functional head) and Editors are accountable for the content and quality of sites and channels for which they are responsible. This involves:

1. delegating web content tasks to an appropriately trained representative (e.g. CMS editor) within their school/department/research centre/business division.
2. organising and endorsing staff (with the appropriate skills and time allocation) to become Editors or arranging for appropriately skilled staff to routinely review content and provide details of updates where necessary to be implemented via central support services.
3. ensuring Editors or trained representatives undertake timely reviews aligned with lifecycle stages and manage ongoing maintenance of the content and assets for which they are responsible. This role will follow guides and standards, design for the intended users of a microsite and routinely question and check quality.

(6) All digital assets must comply with all relevant La Trobe University policy, relevant State and Commonwealth legislation; and should, as far as practicable, comply with international web publishing standards, including accessibility requirements; and the University’s design system.

Section 4 - Procedures

Part A - Microsite Owner/Content Publisher Responsibilities

(7) Microsite Business Owners and Editors (content publishers) are responsible for the content and quality of the microsite and for ensuring:

1. that sites are used only for University-related content and activities and are aligned with the University’s strategic priorities;
2. that sites are structured in a way that provides users with clear pathways and easy access to core information, and where success measures are clearly articulated and can be reported on;
3. any significant changes to a microsite are planned with/reviewed by:
   1. Public facing website: Web Operations team
   2. Staff intranet: Internal Communications team

Part B - Content

(8) All content must:

1. be presented in a format suitable for online delivery and use existing functionality (where it exists) to avoid duplication and ensure currency and consistency of information and management processes. Content must be drawn from officially recognised sources of truth systems wherever possible:
   1. With the exception of external academic staff and group academic publications, academic biographical information (including staff images), must be stored on the La Trobe University Scholars site
   2. Staff listings published on the public-facing website must be set up using the automated listing functionality
   3. Online forms must be housed in the CMS and display a privacy statement (collection notice)
   4. News announcements must be published using the automated announcements function
   5. Events must be published using automated event templates
   6. Policies must be published within La Trobe’s Policy Library
   7. On the La Trobe domain, course content must not be published anywhere other than https://www.latrobe.edu.au/courses and associated courses child pages
   8. If a primary microsite exists (where the majority of content is stored) it should be linked to rather than duplicated on either the Staff Intranet or the public facing website
2. be created based on customer-centric principles, be directly relevant to the intended audience, be structured in a way that optimises the audience journey and supports achievement of business goals
3. align with the University’s strategy and associated business goals
4. be presented in a user-friendly manner
5. receive an appropriate level of authorisation prior to publication (this extends to text, imagery and video)
6. be reviewed and maintained in line with business lifecycles, and when no longer required, removed to ensure accuracy, relevance and currency
7. meet the University’s high standards of quality assurance
8. align with relevant La Trobe’s guidelines e.g. Writing for the web, Brand guidelines, Tone of Voice guidelines, Editorial Style Guide (English language usage), Search Engine Optimisation guidelines, Accessibility guidelines, Outbound communications guidelines et al available via Marketing, events and communications - Website User Guides and Resources
9. comply with relevant state and federal legislation (including Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Copyright Act 1968 and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014) and should, as far as practicable, comply with international web publishing standards, including accessibility requirements as defined by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0)

(9) Websites and digital channels must not publish the personal information of staff, students or others without their prior written consent.

(10) Failure to comply with established policy and procedures will be treated seriously and immediate action taken to rectify the situation. Web pages that are found to be in breach of this Policy will be brought to the attention of the Microsite Business Owner and Content Publisher and the following escalation framework will apply.

Part C - Escalation

(11) Where issues are identified with a published digital asset, the relevant Microsite/Section business owners will be contacted. The problem will be identified, and a solution and timeframe agreed.

Eascalation – Stage 1

(12) The problem will be identified and a solution/timeframe recommended.

1. For webpages on the La Trobe University’s corporate website, the Manager Web Operations will contact the Site Business Owner and/or CMS editor in the first instance.
2. For intranet pages, the Manager, Internal Communications will contact the Site Owner and/or Site Editors.
3. For externally hosted digital channels, the Manager Web Operations or Director, Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement will contact the Site Owner and/or CMS editor.

Escalation – Stage 2

(13) If the requested action is not taken within an agreed upon time-frame, the Director, Media and Communications or Director, Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement will contact the relevant line manager.

Escalation – Stage 3

Web pages

(14) If the requested action is still not taken for webpages on La Trobe University’s corporate website, the Manager, Web Operations will inform the Director, Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement (and/or the Chief Marketing Officer, and/or the Chief Information Officer), who will approach the Provost, Dean or Head of Unit/Campus to escalate resolution of the issue.

Intranet

(15) If the requested action is still not taken for webpages on the staff intranet, the Director, Media and Communications will inform the Chief Marketing Officer, and/or the Chief Information Officer, who will approach the Provost, Dean or Head of Unit/Campus to escalate resolution of the issue.

Externally hosted sites

(16) If the requested action is still not taken for externally hosted digital channels officially representing La Trobe University, the Manager Web Operations will inform the Director, Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement (and/or the Chief Marketing Officer), who will approach the Provost, Dean or Head of Unit/Campus to escalate resolution of the issue.

Escalation – Stage 4

(17) If the suggested action is still not taken, the page or microsite in question will be removed from the University web server.

(18) If the suggested action is still not implemented on the externally hosted digital channel, contact will be made with the hosting company, and steps initiated to have the site decommissioned.

Escalation – Stage 5

(19) If deemed appropriate by the Chief Marketing Officer this action will be brought to the attention of the Chief Information Officer to action will be taken under the Use of Computer Facilities Statute 2009.

Timeframe

(20) Depending on the severity of the breach, Site Owners will be required to comply with the requested action within a proportional and reasonable agreed timeframe, after which time the page may be removed from the web server.

(21) If it is not clear who the Site Owner is, the microsite will be removed from the web server (and effectively, the website) until an appropriate owner is identified.

(22) The University reserves the right where deemed necessary to immediately decommission any microsites or pages and/or to immediately edit or remove any pages where information is not current and accurate .

(23) Where deemed necessary, the University also reserves the right to have content removed from any externally hosted digital channels that officially represent La Trobe University or the site removed, and to remove any redundant information.

(24) In the event of a serious breach of University Statutes, Regulations, policy or relevant legislation, web pages may be removed without notice by authority of the Chief Information Officer.

(25) All of the provisions of this Policy also apply to websites in languages other than English. An employee of the University knowledgeable in the specific language must regularly review content on these sites to ensure accuracy and relevance.

Part D - Look and Feel

(26) All page elements (e.g. text, images, videos) must align and be visually consistent with La Trobe University’s branding guidelines.

(27) Externally hosted sites containing content that officially represents La Trobe University (e.g. partner sites, Facebook, Twitter et al) will use styling complementary to the Brand and Design guidelines. Content owners will proactively manage content, ensuring that it is accurate, relevant, current and compliant with state and federal legislation.

(28) Before using the La Trobe brand mark (logo) or other brand collateral on externally hosted sites or in nonstandard contexts, authorisation requests must be submitted to the University’s Creative and Brand Manager.

Part E - Authorisation

(29) Before commencing related activity, staff members must submit requests for permission to:

1. create or host a site or blog that officially represents the University on internal and external domain or web server
2. create a social media site/account, channel, presence or campaign that officially represents the University (Refer to the Media Engagement and Public Utterances Policy)
3. register, purchase or delegate domain names on behalf of the University
4. engage an external consultant to design or build a website or blog that will officially represent the University
5. use the La Trobe brand mark (logo) or other brand collateral on externally hosted sites
6. create mobile or other applications that officially represent La Trobe University

(30) Requests for permission, supported by a business case, must initially be submitted via the ASK Marketing channels or other appropriate authority to the Digital Marketing and Customer Engagement team; depending on the nature of the request applications will be considered by:

1. Chief Marketing Officer; or
2. Chief Information Officer

Part F - Legislative and Policy Compliance

(31) Both public-facing microsites plus Intranet sections and their content must be managed in line with this policy and established guidelines, including Accessibility, Brand (including ‘Tone of Voice’, Photography and SEO guidelines). Staff managing public-facing microsites/Intranet sections are strongly encouraged to:

1. utilise the Web user guide and resources/Content maintenance guide
2. become an active member of the Community of Practice group
3. complete Australian Consumer Law training annually

(32) Sites and their content must comply with:

1. relevant La Trobe University Statutes, Regulations and policies
2. relevant State and Commonwealth legislation (including Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Copyright Act 1968 and the Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014) and should, as far as practicable, comply with:
3. international web publishing standards, including accessibility requirements as defined by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0)
4. the guidelines and advice provided in the University Accessibility Statement.

(33) Any material made available on public-facing La Trobe University websites should ideally be created as HTML. It is recommended if downloadable documents are provided without an HTML equivalent, for example in .PDF format, that they be accompanied by an email address through which people can request an alternative version of downloadable content in formats accessible to them.

(34) Where web forms will collect any personally identifying information or health information, a privacy statement (collection notice) must be included advising users about how their information will be used, stored and disposed of.

1. In instances where health information is collected, contact the University Privacy Officer (privacy@latrobe.edu.au /03 9479 1839) for assistance with creation of an appropriate collection notice.
2. In instances where other personal information is being collected refer to the La Trobe University Guide to compiling privacy statements (collection notices).

Section 5 - Definitions

(35) For the purpose of this Policy:

1. CMS editor / Section editor / Editors: The person who updates and maintains content on webpages or digital channels. (Intranet editor names are specified in the footer of each page.)
2. Corporate website: The website and all pages contained on the domain ‘latrobe.edu.au’ (or ‘.’latrobe’) are considered to be part of La Trobe University’s corporate website.
3. Content: In the context of this policy, content may comprise, text, images, videos, graphs, documents, online forms.
4. Digital channels: Online communication points through which the creation, sharing, and/or exchange of information and ideas occurs via virtual communities / networks (e.g. MS Teams, Unite, Facebook, YouTube, blogs et al).
5. Domain name: Domain names are hostnames that identify web sites (e.g. www.latrobe.edu.au)
6. Editor: See CMS editor
7. External web server: A web server that is not located on the La Trobe University network / virtual network.
8. Homepage: The homepage is the official front page of a site: the University website and is located at www.latrobe.edu.au/the Staff Intranet is located at intranet.latrobe.edu.au .
9. Intranet: Any webpage that resides on the domain intranet.latrobe.edu.au is considered to be part of the La Trobe University staff intranet. The intranet homepage is found at intranet.latrobe.edu.au.
10. Microsite: A microsite is a collection of webpages that make up a subsidiary site of the La Trobe University website (e.g. the ‘Study with Us’,School,campus or business unit).
11. Microsite Business Owner: The person responsible for the overall content and quality of the microsite. The site business owner (usually the Provost, Dean or Head of Department or functional head) may delegate web content and development tasks to a nominated representative (the site/CMS editor).
12. Mobile applications: A mobile application (app) is a piece of software developed for use on a mobile device such as smart phone, tablet or wearable (watch/glasses).
13. Public-facing: Webpages and content intended for consumption by external, non-La Trobe audiences.
14. Social media: The term 'social media' broadly describes platforms that support the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Typified by sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn et al. Social media enables people to share (produce and consume) information and resources.

Section 6 - Resources