*July 2021 — this policy is currently being reviewed.
1 — PREAMBLE
ÂÌñÉçÇø has a homepage on the World Wide Web from which visitors to the homepage can access other pages concerning the University and its faculty, students and staff.
The totality of all of these pages located on the University’s servers is the University’s website.
This website is governed by the following policy.
2 — DEFINITIONS
Active Web pages are pages which are currently accessible on a website.
A domain is a group of computers and devices on a network that are administered as a unit with common rules and procedures. A domain used by ÂÌñÉçÇø is ‘mta.ca’.
The homepage is the main page of a website. The homepage serves as an index or table of contents to the other pages of the site, and usually is the first page that a visitor to the site sees.
A host name identifies a computer that can deliver web pages or provide applications to a user working at another computer.
Pages are documents on a website.
Personal pages are pages maintained by individuals concerning their personal interests or activities.
Professional pages are pages maintained by individuals concerning their professional interests or activities.
Second level pages are pages immediately below the homepage and usually are an index to a department’s or organization’s pages.
Splash pages are pages of a web site that the user sees first before being given the option to continue to the main content of the site or of a portion of the site.
The web is the World Wide Web.
The Web Committee is a committee made of the Director of Computing Services, the Webmaster, certain other employees in the Department of Computing Services, a representative from each of the University’s faculties, a student representative, a staff representative, and representatives of certain administrative departments.
The Web Content Organization Sub-Committee is a subcommittee of the Web Committee.
The Webmaster is the individual who manages the University’s website.
A Web server is a computer that delivers web pages to a user working at another computer.
The World Wide Web, is a system of Internet servers that supports documents called pages.
3 — PURPOSE
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that ÂÌñÉçÇø’s website conveys an appropriate image of the University, serves the needs of the University and its faculty, students and staff, and contains information that is appropriate, complete and current.
4 — RESPONSIBILITIES
The Webmaster is responsible for the development and organization of the website, and for the content of its homepage and second level pages. The Webmaster chairs all subcommittees of the Web Committee, and is responsible for recommending polices concerning the website; for training faculty, staff and students who are responsible for web pages on the site; and for making decisions about the design of all sub pages.
The Web Committee is responsible for advising the Webmaster on all matters concerning the Webmaster’s responsibilities.
The Web Content Organization Sub-Committee is responsible for advising the Web Committee on the website’s organization.
The departments, organizations or individuals who create pages on the website are responsible for the content of those pages, for creating and maintaining them in accordance with this policy, and for keeping the content current.
5 — POLICIES CONCERNING CONTENT
Each page must display at its bottom the name of the individual, department or organization responsible for its content; the date the page was last updated; and an e-mail address where that individual, department or organization can be contacted concerning the content of the page.
Pages, other than professional pages and pages created by organizations that do not represent the University, must adhere to the standards established for University web pages, including but not restricted to visual and audio standards.
Splash pages must display a department’s physical location, phone and fax numbers, and head’s name and e-mail address and, in the case of academic departments must link to the Academic Calendar.
Pages created by departments and organizations representing the University must display the University's full name, must be linked to the ÂÌñÉçÇø’s homepage, and must avoid storing data redundantly by linking to pages where desired content is already stored and maintained.
Pages must be created with licensed software and must not consume an inappropriate share of system resources.
Except as specifically provided in this policy, pages must not be used for personal purposes.
Pages must not offend University policies or the law, or link to sites that do so. Examples of pages that would violate this policy would be pages that contain hate speech that violates the Criminal Code, speech that violates the Human Rights Code, defamatory speech, and content that violates computer network usage policies.
Professional pages, personal pages that are linked from professional pages, or pages created by organizations not representing the University must not display ÂÌñÉçÇø logos or symbols and must display the following disclaimer: “This page was not created by or on behalf of ÂÌñÉçÇø. The responsibility for its content rests solely with the page’s creator.â€
6 — POLICIES CONCERNING WEB PAGES
6.1 Personal Pages
No personal pages will be permitted on the University’s website or on University servers. However, personal pages residing on non MTA servers can be linked from professional pages on the University’s website or on University servers.
6.2 Professional Pages
6.2.1 Student Professional Pages
Students can create professional pages on the University’s website. These pages will be removed by Computing Services six months following the student’s graduation or withdrawal from the University.
The following information is permitted on student professional pages: picture; name; degree and program information; contact information; resume; publications; memberships and affiliations; work experiences; volunteer activities; descriptions of extra-curricular interests and activities; reading lists; samples of academic and creative work; plans and goals; links to other material of interest whether part of the University’s website or not; and links to personal pages.
6.2.2 Other Professional Pages
Faculty and staff members may create professional pages which will be hosted by the University on a separate virtual server.
Professional pages will be linked from departmental web pages and, unless the creator objects, from a central directory of professional pages.
The following types of information are permitted on professional pages: picture; name; title(s); department and office location; contact information; curriculum vitae; publications; professional affiliations; career summary; courses taught; plans and goals; teaching and research information; reading lists; samples of student work; professional associations; other related professional and academic information; links to other material of professional interest; links to online courses which must be hosted as course pages (see below); and links to personal pages.
6.3 Organization Pages
Organizations that are not part of the University community cannot have web pages hosted on University servers.
Student organizations require permission from the Director of Student Life and from Computing Services in order to have web pages hosted on University servers.
Other organizations require permission from a Vice-President in order to have web pages hosted on University servers.
6.4 Course Pages
Web pages for academic courses will be hosted on a University server determined by the Department of Computing Services in a section of the web site which will contain an index of all online course information. This information is currently on WEBCT.
Such pages may contain basic course information such as the syllabus, a description of course content, related materials and a link to the instructor’s professional page.
6.5 Links
External links must open a new browser window, will be not be permitted if they introduce into the website materials that violate this policy, and must open a new browser window.
6.6 Disclaimer
The University’s Web site contains materials that cannot be guaranteed to be error-free. These materials are provided for convenience only. The only documents on the site that are official versions are those that expressly so declare.
7 — INDIVIDUAL FACULTY AND DEPARTMENTAL WEB SERVERS
7.1 Web Servers Operated by Departments, Organizations or Individuals
Web servers may be maintained by departments, faculty members or organizations as part of the ÂÌñÉçÇø network and domains.
In the case of departments and faculty members, such servers must only be used for academic activities not supported on the central ÂÌñÉçÇø servers and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, may not be used to provide individuals or organizations with general web space.
These servers must be approved by Computing Services on the recommendation of the Web Committee, will be governed by this policy, will not be backed up or otherwise supported by Computing Services and will not be centrally indexed and searchable as part of the ÂÌñÉçÇø web site.
7.2 Host Names
Host names in the mta.ca domain will only be permitted for University departments, if the request conforms to University computing policies and if the name will not cause confusion.
Host names in domains other than ‘mta.ca’ can only be used with the permission of Computing Services on the recommendation of the Web Committee. These domains must be managed and run by Computing Services.
Frivolous or vanity names will not be approved.
8 — ADVERTISING
No advertising will be permitted on University Web pages. However, faculty members can use their professional pages to advertise scholarly work by referring potential purchasers to their personal pages for information on pricing and availability.
9 — MISCELLANEA
Content providers may hire, through Computing Services but at the content provider’s expense, trained students who can provide assistance with the development and maintenance of web pages under the supervision of the Webmaster.
If the content of a page is not kept up-to-date the content provider will be so notified and if the page is not up-dated the links to the page may be removed.
Violations of this policy may result in a page being removed from the University’s server.
Pages dependent upon Microsoft applications will not function properly on the University’s website.