-all web properties of DCC should contain the DCC logo, the red horizontal band across the top, and the sand-colored left sidebar. They should be enclosed with a faded black outline as seen at www.dawson.edu/template.html [3]
-External web properties (Facebook, EventLink, etc.) that cannot be controlled as tightly should use the base DCC logo, contain the name Dawson Community College, and the tagline, “Discover. Connect. Contribute.” Exceptions may be granted for any of these requirements that are not technically possible on a particular external service.
-photographs and other graphics can use these baseline colors as a starting point:
logo red: #9a0000
black: #000000
text: #494949
left sidebar background: #f2e6d8
links: #c61a02
-Any of the formatting options in the third row of the editor may be used in moderation when creating content. The 'Styles' drop-down should not be used when creating content. Instead, you can choose from the box next to the styles. The 'heading' styles (3-6) within this drop-down should be used to increase the size of text for titles, headings, section names, etc. Heading 1 should never be used, and Heading 2 is reserved for the title of the content (it should not be used in the content area).
-Verdana is the preferred font for all text. Other fonts may be used in images and PDFs, but Serif fonts should be avoided. Font sizes and colors should not be modified in normal text content. To avoid unwanted formatting, it is advisable to click the 'Remove Format' button when pasting text from another program, such as Microsoft Word.
-If possible, all text content should be displayed as an XHTML web page. PDF's should be used sparingly, and other file formats such as Microsoft formats (.doc, .xls, .ppt, etc.) should not be used. The preferred image format is .jpg. The preferred image width is 300 or 200 pixels. Height or width will be automatically scaled at 590 pixels to avoid visitors using scrollbars to view a single image. Additionally, ensure that all images have 'alt' text specified to comply with ADA guidelines.
-Do not use the 'target' attribute to open a link in a new window. Do not change the color of links, and do not use red or blue for normal text to avoid confusing visitors about what is a click-able link, and what is not. If you are linking to something on our website, do not use the full address, only include what is after the .edu portion. Example: /content/awesome-article-about-jack
-For all grammatical rules, please consult the AP Stylebook. Here are some common rules:
Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree but there is no possessive in bachelor of arts (note lowercase) or associate of arts.
Department names are lowercase unless they are a proper noun. Example: The English and history departments are holding a joint meeting.
And and ampersand (&)
In text, spell out the word and. Use the ampersand (&) only when space is limited.
Do not capitalize room after the name for a building. Example: The seminar will be held in the Ullman Center, room 102.
Use college catalog to refer to the document outlining the college's programs and other information.
Follow AP Stylebook. In a series of three, use only one comma. Example: There are nursing, welding and law enforcement students in the hallway.
Follow AP Stylebook. For example, always use lower case and the $ sign in all except casual references or amounts without a figure. Example: The book costs $4. For amounts more than $1 million, use the $ and numerals up to two decimal places. Example: It is worth $4.35 million.
Dr. may be used to signify a person has earned a doctoral level degree (Ph.D., Ed.D.) in the context of college information. Do not use Dr. for honorary degrees.
Always hyphenated and is a noun. To describe the action, one would say, “send an e-mail.” Never include a Dawson e-mail address in an article, instead link to /users/username/contact (replacing username with the real username excluding underscores).
An instructor is a college teacher who does not have tenure.
Always use a person's first and last name the first time they are mentioned. Use last names only on second reference. Do not use Mr., Mrs., Miss or Ms. unless they are part of a quote, or to differentiate between people with the same last name.
The numerical figures are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 0. In general, these figures are spelled out in text. Arabic numbers ten and greater are used in numerical form: 24, 69 and 2,437 except at the beginning of a sentence.
A professor is a college teacher who has tenure.
When a state stands alone, spell it out. When the name of a city and state are together, abbreviate the state (except Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah). Use these abbreviations, not the two-letter ZIP code versions: Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis. and Wyo.
Use figures, but spell out noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but do not use :00. Examples: 1 p.m., 3:30 a.m.
Abbreviated to Web (note capitalization)
All of these instructions assume you have gone to the Employees page and logged in with your standard DCC login already.
-all users wishing to create content or access restricted content on the website need to 'apply for a role'
-all employees should create an employee profile
-all faculty should create their own courses
-any employee may submit a news item. If you believe it is important enough for the front page, please submit a request to Jane Wynne (Public Relations) or Shane Bishop (Computer Services).
Choose 'Create Content' from the left-hand menu
Choose 'News' again from the left-hand menu
Create a short and concise title
If your news item belongs in one of the categories shown for 'News' and/or 'Athletics', please select those, to have it appear in the appropriate areas. You can hold down the 'ctrl' key on your keyboard to select multiple categories.
If you wish for this item to show on the front page, you must include a square image via the 'Attached images' section.
The 'Body' is where all the text of your news item needs to go. See the Guidelines to ensure compliance with approved styles and formatting.
When you are done, 'Save' it.
-all events should be submitted to Jane Wynne (Public Relations) for posting to the website, unless you already have permissions to create them directly. This is separate from EventLink/TheZoneLive, and enables events to appear in the right column of the web-site. For Athletic Games, see the next section.
Choose 'Create Content' from the left-hand menu
Choose 'Event' again from the left-hand menu
Enter the start and end dates and times of your event. If there is no specific time, leave it blank. If there is no ending date, leave it blank. Use the formatting that is displayed beneath each field.
Enter a title that is as short as you can make it under 'Opponent (Title)'
If you choose to enter a description, make sure it is also short, to ensure it displays within the constraints of the right column
For 'Sport', choose 'Other'
Enter a location, if applicable
Ignore the 'Score' and 'Webcast' options. They will not be displayed in the right column
When you are done, 'Save' it.
-all normal games should be entered as 'Events' under the appropriate sport. If it is an athletic event that is not a normal game, please use the instructions above. If there are multiple games (a double-header or tournament), you will need to create multiple events. All Athletic Games entered as events will display in the appropriate schedule, and in the event feed on the right column of the website.
Choose 'Create Content' from the left-hand menu
Choose 'Event' again from the left-hand menu
Enter the date of the game in 'From' date
Enter the time of the game if known, leave it blank otherwise, and it will be displayed as TBA
Enter the Opponent. If it is a tournament, enter the Tournament name followed by the Opponent name, and separate them with a dash (-), and no spaces
Leave the description blank
Choose the proper sport from the list
Enter the town where the game will be played. NOTE: Spelling is extra important here. CST times are adjusted automatically based on a list of towns where we commonly play. If you notice a game that is located in the Central time zone that is not displaying as such, please inform Shane Bishop (Computer Services), so that the town can be added to the list.
Scores may be updated later by going to the appropriate schedule, clicking on the game, and choosing edit (assuming you are already logged in). Please follow the guidelines listed below the Score field to ensure consistency.
The 'Webcast' fields should not be modified. If a game will be broadcast, please notify Shane Bishop (Computer Services) so that the webcast can be scheduled properly. If it is an away game that will be webcast by an opposing school, this can be entered manually by the coach, or by Computer Services.
When you are done, press 'Save'. If you are entering in multiple games, you may use the 'Save and create another' button to save time.
-the photo gallery is maintained using a separate piece of software and integrated into the main site via a plugin. All management of the gallery should now be possible within the main site.
Permissions are assigned manually by Computer Services depending on what albums you need access to. Individuals who are not employees of the college should submit their photos to the individual responsible for that album in the gallery for review.
-all athletic sub-albums should use the following hierarchy
Athletics
Sport (Volleyball)
Season/Year (2009-2010)
Roster (year optional)
Game 1
Game 2
Other Event...
Season/Year (2010-2011)
Roster
Game 1
Game 2
Game 3...
-all others should follow a similar hierarchy:
Gallery
Category/Topic (Visual Arts)
Fall 2009
Spring 2010
*sub-albums can either contain dates in the title, or a category may be broken into years, and have albums for each event within that year.
Links:
[1] http://www.dawson.edu/content/website-style-guidelines-and-instructions
[2] http://www.dawson.edu/javascript:void(0);
[3] http://www.dawson.edu/template.html