Roles and Responsibilities

For future Web development activity, the University has assigned roles and responsibilities among three distinct campus groups: Marketing Communications, Web Services and the campus units themselves. Additionally, the weight of the responsibilities shifts among the three groups based on the page level of the specific Web site. The goal is to align overall Web strategies throughout the University’s site, while at the same time allowing campus units to focus on how to keep their content relevant to their primary audiences.

Levels of Responsibility and Support for Web Development

Level One Pages

These pages include the www.richmond.edu, oncampus.richmond.edu, Admissions, Alumni and Advancement Web pages (including online initiatives such as e-newsletters and mini-sites.)

Marketing Communications is responsible for developing all Web brand strategy, design (including templates), content and architecture, as well as managing updates. Marketing Communications is responsible for project management and coordination of resources for these level one sites.
Web Services is responsible for the maintenance and support of the systems and software infrastructure necessary to support the level one sites. Web Services will provide backup support for Marketing Communications Web support staff when there is an urgent need for resources to complete a high priority project.

(Note: After the new content management system is implemented, Marketing Communications and Admissions will handle most of the ongoing updates/maintenance tasks.)

Level Two Pages

These pages include homepages for schools, divisions, departments, organizations and centers (including online initiatives such as e-newsletters and mini-sites.)

Marketing Communications is responsible for collaborating with the schools, divisions, administrative departments and centers on their Web brand strategy and content development for their respective homepages. Marketing Communications will design and create templates for use on level two pages by the campus units, unless they are granted permission to contract with outside developers by mutual agreement and with Web Steering Committee approval. Information architecture is coupled closely with branding, design and planning for content development. Marketing Communications will work with Web Services and the “clients” to develop the information architecture for these sites. In addition, Marketing Communications will ensure these pages meet University brand guidelines and adhere to Web policies before providing final approval on these pages.
Web Services provides project management, technical architecture, information architecture assistance (in collaboration with Marketing Communications), Web site application development and ongoing support of the production Web environments.
Campus units will collaborate with, and receive approval from, Marketing Communications on overall marketing and content strategies (including general information architecture) for their respective homepages. The campus units will adhere to an agreed-upon project plan (timeline, content development, information architecture and training).

Level Three Pages

These pages include secondary pages for schools, divisions, departments, organizations and centers.

Marketing Communications is responsible for spot-checking these pages to check strategy, design, content and architecture. Recommended changes to campus unit's Web pages will be documented. Campus units will be required to implement these changes in a timely fashion. Marketing Communications will design and create templates for use on level three pages by the campus units, unless they are granted permission to contract with outside developers by mutual agreement and with Web Steering Committee approval. Marketing Communications will be available for consultation.
Web Services provides project management, architecture, production, application development and ongoing maintenance throughout the site.
Campus units will assist Web Services in project management by adhering to an agreed-upon project plan (timeline, content development and training.) In addition, the client will identify internal team members who will be accountable for each page (i.e., “page managers”), and participate in a CMS and Writing for the Web training program. The client is responsible for managing all content (meeting communication objectives, timely updating, accuracy and style guidelines). Clients will collaborate with Marketing Communications on overall marketing and content strategies if needed, as requested by the client, Web Services, Marketing Communications or the Web Steering Committee.

Other Web Services and Functions

Requests for Web services, applications, features, functionality and sourcing that are not covered by the sections above and that are not available in the existing content management system must be submitted to Eric Palmer, director of web services, at epalmer@richmond.edu. These will be forwarded to the Web Steering Committee to be evaluated and prioritized on a case-by-case basis.