Overview
Using clear and concise language, strong content and images, and a consistent look and feel from one site to another, our website reflects what defines and distinguishes URI.
The primary purpose of the university’s website is student recruitment, and prospective students – and their families – are the site’s primary audience. Of course, there are many other audiences for the website: current students, faculty, alumni, donors, and others. But the individual sites of the Colleges, academic departments, and student-focused administrative departments are where our primary audience looks to answer the question: Is URI right for me?
We help our primary audience answer that question by offering them an authentic and easy-to-navigate website, full of stories and engaging experiences that elevate the institution.
Roles and Responsibilities
Web Communications Role
Web Communications will partner with high-priority sites, especially those with a student recruitment or institutional focus, to make sure your sites remain up to date, support your strategic goals, and reflect the University’s priorities and brand standards. We will work with you to provide help in the following areas:
- Content Guidance – If you’re considering changes to your homepage content, site navigation, or top-level landing pages, we’ll work with you to identify problems and find and implement the best solution. We can also assist with image selection and content writing for new or updated pages.
- Editing Assistance – We can provide guidance on routine and periodic site edits, and empower you to maintain your site autonomously. If your unit’s bandwidth is impacted, let us know and we can work with you on a temporary solution.
- Training – We can help content creators become familiar with WordPress, our tools, and best practices as they embark on maintaining their site.
- Technical Support – We can provide admin-level tech support, such as adding or removing users on your site, troubleshooting technical issues, and reviewing requests for new features and functionality.
- Site Performance Monitoring – We can provide basic analytics so you can see how your site is performing and identify opportunities for improvement.
Due to the transition from Universal Analytics (UA) to Google Analytics 4 (GA4), we are not providing new Looker Studio dashboards at this time. UA and any existing dashboards stopped processing data on July 1, 2023. We are developing a strategy for how we can best serve the analytics needs of the community given the constraints of GA4. There is no action required of you at this time.
Unit Role
Your unit will designate a web content editor who will have the access necessary to make changes on the site. That person will be responsible for routine site maintenance, including:
- updating People records;
- adding news stories;
- keeping content current and factually accurate.
Some sites may require more than one editor given the scope and volume of routine edits; in those cases, it will be important to determine the specific roles each editor will play.
For any changes outside the scope of the general updates outlined above, please contact Web Communications.
If units make changes to their sites that do not follow best practices and brand standards, or adversely affect the site’s quality, integrity, or user experience, their editing access may be revoked. In addition, we may make minor stylistic and/or grammatical alterations without notice in order to realign sites with best practices, branding, and editoral style. If there are larger content concerns, we’ll reach out to partner on adjustments.
Content Guidelines
In general, URI’s web content should support the University’s Strategic Plan.
Individual colleges and departments are encouraged to demonstrate the specific ways that they promote the University’s goals and vision (e.g., diversity, equity and inclusion), but reactive statements to national and global events/issues should be left to University Leadership, to ensure that such messages are communicated with one unified voice.