At the University of South Dakota, we strengthen our brand when we communicate responsibly. Part of that responsibility is ensuring USD websites contain accurate, accessible information that follows set standards while reflecting the USD brand.
Management
Marketing Communications & University Relations and the Information Technology Services team manage the usd.edu website. All administrative units, schools, colleges, departments, programs, services, centers and institutes must be housed on the official usd.edu site.
Purpose
This guide outlines how the USD website team manages and displays content, documents and forms. Our primary goal is to build an accessible, user-centered website experience that serves all audiences effectively.
Scope & Compliance
Anyone who creates, manages, edits or develops content for USD websites must follow these policies. Websites are subject to:
- Campus guidelines and South Dakota Board of Regents policy and procedures.
- State and federal laws regarding privacy and intellectual property.
- Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA): All websites are required to comply with ADA guidelines.
Website Strategy
Our priority is to present content directly on webpages (web-native) rather than as downloadable files.
Why Web Native Content is Better
- Searchability: Webpages are indexed by Google and internal site search.
- Mobile Responsiveness: Webpages automatically adjust to screen sizes.
- Ease of Maintenance: Web content can be update instantly, where as PDFs lead to version control and accessibility issues.
- User Experience: Webpages allow for better navigation and digestible sections.
Document Strategy by Type
Documents may be uploaded to the USD website if necessary (e.g., for accreditation), but alternatives like SharePoint should be considered first.
| Document Type | Policy |
| Brochures & Flyers | Convert to direct webpage content or news articles. |
| Handbooks | Must be accessible; hosted via SharePoint |
| Policies & Accreditation | Upload to USD.edu only if required and 100% digitally accessible. |
| Schedules & Maps | Convert to direct webpage content, link to official USD Public Calendar or Campus Map. |
| Instructions | Convert into a Coyote One Stop article. |
Important: Any documents shared digitally—whether on the USD website or elsewhere—must adhere to digital accessibility guidelines. If a PDF contains a synopsis of content already housed on the site, the request to host it will be denied.
Professional Imagery
All photos requested to be on the website must be approved by the Marketing Communications & University Relations office. For consistency across the site, faculty and staff directory headshots must be professional studio portraits with a white background. Marketing Communications & University Relations offers free headshot sessions throughout the year to facilitate this. To maintain authenticity and consistency across USD's digital presence, AI-generated headshots are prohibited from the website.
URL & Domain Governance
- Aliases: May be approved and implemented for marketing purposes (e.g., usd.edu/apply)
- Vanity URLs: Subdomains (e.g., link.usd.edu/example) are subject to approval by Marketing Communications & University Relations and are only granted if:
- It is not already taken
- Represents a campus-wide enrollment or strategic marketing campaign
- The site is university-wide application on a seperate server, or the content cannot be supported by the official CMS
- The site is a collaboration between USD and other universities
Content Governance & Information Gaps
To keep information accurate, certain details are only kept in one official location.
- Academic Catalog: The official source for curriculum and graduation requirements. Avoid redundant program details on the main website that may conflict with the Catalog.
- Coyote One Stop: The destination for "How-To" and internal process content for students, faculty and staff.
- Student Success Stories: departments should refer to the USD News section of the website for feature-style stories rather than static brochures or page content. This allows for searchable storytelling and department tagging.
Rationale & Approval Process
Rationale
- Accessible by Design: Reducing documents, including PDFs, limits accessibility risks.
- Shared Responsibility: Content owners are responsible for accessibility in collaboration with Marketing Communications & University Relations office and the Center for Digital Accessibility.
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Engagement: University of South Dakota native content improves visibility.
Mission Statements
All mission statements must be approved by the Executive Committee before being published. These will be routed through Alissa Matt, who will coordinate with the necessary parties.
Homepage Updates
The homepage is updated seasonally. Any proposed changes must be reviewed by the Marketing Communications & University Relations department.
Exceptions & Approvals
All exceptions to these policies, including domain requests and document hosting, must be approved by:
- Marketing Communications & University Relations Office
- AVP for Marketing and Enrollment
