What you need to know to use CampusPress for official Penn State websites
What is an official Penn State website?
An official Penn State website includes “all public webpages presenting official University information and are directly related to University business or academic activities.”
It does not include:
- personal websites or blogs of students, faculty, and staff; Canvas pages, intranets, or websites of student organizations; or
- websites that are not an official Penn State organization but instead communicate the work of a consortium or other multi-party organization of which Penn State is a part.
Accessibility
Penn State is committed to ensuring equal access to information, programs, and activities through its websites, online instructional content, and other resources for all its audiences. (See Policy AD69)
Anyone creating and publishing content on a websitemust consider accessibilityat all times. A recommended first step is to choose an “Accessibility Ready” theme.
The IT Accessibility Group provides guidelines and best practices to ensure websites and online documents are usable for those with various disabilities. Before you hit Publish, ask yourself: Is your content accessible? Do your images have ALT tags? Are your tables properly coded? Are your headings in sequential order? Is the content you embed or link to accessible? Are your PDFs accessible? Do your videos have adequate captioning?
Penn State Branding
Visual identity is the most essential element of the Penn State brand. All official Penn State websites require diligent use of the standards and requirements for Penn State’s identity.(See Policy AD54)
Additional brand compliance resources, including guidance for writing/editorial style, university statements, graphic design, social media, photography, and video, are provided on the University Brand Review website.
IMPORTANT
As of 2024, all marketing materials, including all websites representing official Penn State units, are required to be reviewed and assigned a UBR number to certify they are in compliance with Penn State’s policies, most notably accessibility and brand guidelines. Websites do not need to display the UBR number.
Design
Visit the Penn State Brand Book for design essentials, including visual identity, colors, fonts, and photography. Penn State marks, color palettes, photography guidelines, font guidelines, graphic patterns, PowerPoint and video templates, zoom backgrounds, and wallpaper are also available as downloadable resources.
Photography
You may use Penn State’s official photo repository, Canto (registration required) for the latest collection of brand photography, approved for all marketing communications. Strategic Communications’ downloadable photography resources include additional photography guidelines, tips, and tutorials. (See also the photo, video, audio consent form.)
Writing for the Web
One should follow certain conventions when writing for the web. Making your content easy to understand and user-friendly can also help you rank higher on search engines. Here are some tips to help you create effective web content:
- Refer to Penn State’s Brand Book for Voice and Tone and Expression and follow The Chicago Manual of Style.
- Use plain language and avoid using an overly formal tone, technical terms, or jargon.
- Make sure your writing is clear and human.
- Use headings and subheadings to organize your content.
- Use shorter sentences and bullet points, and avoid long paragraphs.
- Use relevant keywords to help your content appear in search engine results.
- Repeat your keywords sparingly, as this can hurt your search rankings. You don’t need to repeat “Penn State” multiple times on a single page.
- Make sure your page title and URL contain your keywords. Use lowercase and dashes between words in the URL.
There’s a great talk about copy from the HighEdWeb conference. To access it, simply create an account and confirm that you are part of Penn State’s institutional membership.
Content Quality
When creating content for a website:
- Determine if the content idea directly supports a user need or business goal.
- Ensure the user needs are evidence-based, not assumptions.
- Consider if the content is evergreen and not duplicative or redundant. Will it go out of date quickly? Will it be difficult to maintain?
- Evaluate if the content owner has the necessary skills, especially regarding accessibility and inclusivity.
- Determine who is responsible for the content beyond launch and who has overall responsibility for the website.
- Ask yourself if the content idea introduces unnecessary risks. Are there issues with using images legally? Have you included attribution?
Another great resource from the HighEdWeb award-winning presentation, What’s standing between you and a more usable website? Five minutes.is a 5-Minute Page Check rubric.
Available Penn State Themes
You may have noticed that the Divi for PSU theme features Penn State branding elements. While this theme is functional, it does not adhere to the latest Penn State branding guidelines. Therefore, it is recommended that you shift to the original parent theme, Divi,and add the proper Penn State branding according to the Brand Guide. By doing so, your website will align with the latest branding guidelines and ensure a consistent and professional appearance. The Genesis for PSU and Twenty Twelve for PSU have already been deprecated and are no longer available.
Web Design Services
Sites at Penn State does not provide custom web design services. The service is self-serve and offers several customizable themes that you can use to create a correctly Penn State-branded website. For-fee web design services may be available through other departments, such as Multimedia and Print Center and WPSU Creative Services. Contact these services directly from their website(s).
Domain Request
Domain names ending in psu.edu are limited to official Penn State websites. Please get in touch with the Penn State IT Service Desk for a domain request.
Support
CampusPress provides 24/7 technical support for WordPress, including technical issues and themes/plugins. Use the Support Form on CampusPress’s website or email contact@campuspress.com. This will start a support ticket with CampusPress.
