Content Requirements

Ensure all content complies with the following policies:

• General Copyright Policy
• Administrative Copyright Policy
• Copyright-Protected Works
• Web-Publishing Policy

By embedding or linking to forms on www.kent.edu, users agree to comply with the Web Form Operating Procedure outlined in Policy 9-01.3. This ensures all forms meet accessibility and functionality requirements.

• Web Form Policies

To effectively engage prospective and current students, all academic unit websites must include:

• Primary Navigation: Best practices suggest having 5 to 8 primary navigation sections, depending on label length, with 5 to 7 items in each dropdown.
• Program Pages: Use the Catalog API for transitioning academic program pages.

Additionally, "Calls to Action" are required on homepages.

Department website home pages have been designed to include calls to action to provide quick access to actionable and/or frequently used resources, such as forms, applications and FAQs.

It is worth noting that these calls to action should not mirror the exact same labels as those that appear in your website's primary navigation. Also, our standard website templates best display three to six action items. 

Required Homepage Calls to Action

Requirements vary between administrative and academic units.

Administrative Units

Administrative units have the option to exclude, if not applicable.

Colleges and Academic Departments

To support recruitment and retention, it is required that Kent State University’s academic units include standard call-to-action items on their websites in this order:

1. Find Majors & Degrees
2. Schedule Visit (only if department-specific visits are offered and information is captured in the CRM)
3. Apply Now
4. Schedule Advising Appointment
5. Study Abroad, if offered

Reminders:

1. Academic departments are NOT permitted to include admissions requirements, roadmaps or other information included in the catalog. Rather, an academic program page must be used. Contact Web Team for details by submitting a support ticket.
2. Do not use the term roadmap.
3. Do not used student names in photos, unless permission is granted. 

Create content that is engaging and easy to read by following these principles:

• Brevity: Use no more than half the text required for print materials.
• Scannability: Break text into short paragraphs with headings and subheadings.
• Clarity: Use meaningful headings, avoid jargon, and link to additional resources for detailed information.

Consistent and accurate grammar is essential for credibility. Use the following resources:

• Associated Press (AP) Stylebook for grammar and style.
• Webster’s New World College Dictionary for definitions and usage.

If you need help, contact University Communications and Marketing at 330-672-2727 or email info@kent.edu.

• Web Editor Reference Guide

Conduct an annual review of your website to ensure:

• Information is up-to-date.
• No spelling or grammar errors are present.
• Broken links are repaired using Siteimprove.

Contact the Web Team for assistance with Siteimprove.

Every homepage must feature either a hero image or a video below the Kent State banner.

For guidelines, see Images, Graphics and Video

To ensure a polished and professional appearance, utilize the pre-designed elements available in Kent State’s Elements Library. These elements are optimized for both functionality and visual appeal.

• Elements Library

Optimize your website for search visibility by following these steps:

• Use clear and descriptive page titles.
• Incorporate keywords naturally within headings and body text.
• Use Kent State’s SEO Guide for detailed instructions.

At Kent State, our goal is to ensure the content on our websites is accessible, user-friendly and easily discoverable.

Posting PDFs online can create barriers for users, limit search engine visibility, and make content harder to maintain. As a result, we encourage content owners to convert PDFs into web pages whenever possible. This approach supports better accessibility and enhances the user experience. However, we recognize that some situations may require the use of PDFs. 

Why We Encourage Web Pages Over PDFs

• Accessibility: Web pages are easier to navigate for users with disabilities, ensuring compliance with accessibility standards.
• Mobile Friendliness: PDFs can be difficult to view and interact with on mobile devices.
• SEO: Web pages are more likely to be indexed and ranked by search engines, improving visibility.
• Maintenance: Web content is easier to update and ensures users always have access to the most current information.

Below, you’ll find the guidelines for when PDFs are appropriate and how to ensure PDFs meet accessibility standards.

Learn more about web accessibility and our requirements here.

While web pages are preferred, PDFs may be posted if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

• Compliance with Federal or State Requirements: Mandated by law or regulation (e.g., IRS forms, federal reports).
• Official Legal Documents: Such as contracts, policies or forms requiring signatures.
• Archival Documents: Historical or reference documents where the original format needs to be preserved.
• User-Facing Documents That Must Be Printed: Forms or materials designed specifically for download and printing.

1. Run the Accessibility Checker:
   1. Open your PDF in Adobe Acrobat.
   2. Go to Tools > Accessibility > Full Check.
   3. Review the report for errors and follow recommended fixes.
2. Add Tags to the PDF:
   1. Open the Tags Panel by clicking View > Show/Hide > Navigation Panels > Tags.
   2. If your PDF is untagged, click Options (three-line menu in the Tags panel) > Add Tags to Document.
3. Ensure Proper Reading Order:
   1. Go to Tools > Order.
   2. Make sure the content follows a logical reading sequence. You can drag and reorder elements as needed.
4. Provide Alt Text for Images:
   1. Right-click on any image or non-text element and select Properties.
   2. In the Tags tab, add descriptive alt text.
5. Check Color Contrast:
   1. Ensure that text and background colors meet accessibility standards.
   2. Use Adobe’s accessibility tools or external contrast checkers to verify compliance.
6. Make Text Searchable (if scanned):
   1. Go to Tools > Scan & OCR.
   2. Choose Recognize Text to convert scanned images into readable text.
7. Test the PDF with a Screen Reader:
   1. Use a screen reader (e.g., NVDA or JAWS) to ensure that content is accessible and navigable.