Web Guide - Introduction

We all use our organization’s name and logo each day, so the detailed information that follows is critical to your work at The University of Oklahoma. However, if you read no further than this, please remember these key points:

First and foremost, a brand is strong when those representing the brand (that’s us) deliver on what it has promised. As we use the OU brand, we must constantly realize that with every encounter, we’re building that brand. If our interactions are positive, honest and helpful, the OU brand is enhanced. If not, the brand can be tarnished.

Secondly, the brand gains its power from appropriate and consistent use. Something that is seemingly harmless - such as a morphed logo image on t-shirts or a logo on a Website in a creative, but not approved color – contributes to fragmenting and diminishing the strong intended brand. And that’s why the Web guidelines contained herein are critical. With every use of the OU name, we must apply it to meet the expectations of The University of Oklahoma. While none of us wants to be “logo police,” the reason for the guidelines and insistence upon following them is simple: to repeatedly and consistently build the power of the OU brand and to protect the integrity of the brand.

As this is accomplished, we all benefit. The OU brand is even more widely recognized as implying excellence and subsequently, our reputation - through association withit as OU faculty, staff and students - is also enhanced.

All academic; research; outreach; student services; registered student groups and organizations as well as administrative units of The University of Oklahoma Norman Campus funded through or by the Norman Campus that are not legally autonomous must follow these Web guidelines. Outside agencies or publishers that create Web or electronic publications for any University unit are also required to abide by these guidelines.

The University of Oklahoma Web site contains several million pages and the OU home page hosts around 10,000 unique visitors per day from all over the world. The Web is essential to our mission of teaching,research, creative work, and public service. Many visitors are external audiences, such as prospective students, parents, or researchers. They may not always enter our sites through the OU home page. Our Web content will be, for many, their first and only view of the University of Oklahoma community.

Our Web pages need to reflect ourvalues including respect for intellectual property, respect for individual’s privacy, accessible information for those with disabilities, the need to support open public dialogue, and respect for the law. Thus, the University’s Web policy seeks to establish standards and guidelines that will:

• Support the vision, mission, goals, and academic values of the University of Oklahoma;

• Assist Web publishers in developing sites that comply with University policies, rules, and regulations and local, state, and federal laws;

• Facilitate the official business of the University;

• And enable appropriate online transactions.

Furthermore, the purpose of this guide is to maintain a consistent OU identity and help streamline all University pages so that users can efficiently find what they are looking for on any OU Web page.

• Web pages located on servers within the ou.edu domain or using OU internet protocol ranges affiliated with the Norman Campus.

• University sites outside ou.edu affiliated with the Norman Campus using OU trademarks in their domain names;

• Webpages prepared for any organization or activity receiving Norman Campus funds, or with funds maintained in the University of Oklahoma Norman Campus financial system, excluding agency affiliates; and

• Faculty, staff, and student pages on servers connected to the Norman Campus network.

Materials placed on a Web site, including graphics and photos, are subject to the same copyright laws and standards of academic honesty as any print-based publication.

To ensure that all Web sites representing the University of Oklahoma convey a consistent and accurate message and image, all sites involved in a redesign, must be reviewed by the Office of Web Communications.

The Office of Web Communications will review sites based upon the guidelines and checklist contained in this policy. The Office of Web Communications will perform audits to check for compliance, consistency and accurate messages.