Office of Communications and Marketing (OCM): 
OCM is the strategic owner of skidmore.edu and oversees the site's content strategy, design, branding, accessibility, and overall user experience. OCM establishes and maintains web standards, manages institutional content, provides CMS training and support, and may review or edit content as needed to ensure accuracy, compliance, and alignment with College goals, messaging, and brand standards. 

Information Technology (IT): 
IT is responsible for the technical infrastructure that supports skidmore.edu, including CMS administration, authentication, backups, updates, performance, security, and system integrations. IT partners with OCM to support accessibility, compliance, and the reliable operation of the website. 

Site editors: 
Site editors work within their respective divisions and departments, in partnership with OCM, to maintain content within their assigned areas of the website. They are responsible for ensuring content is accurate, current, accessible, and aligned with College web, editorial, and brand standards. 

Editors must complete required CMS training before receiving access to Modern Campus. Each site must have at least one trained primary editor responsible for ongoing content maintenance.  

To request site ownership or editor access, submit an OCM Web Ticket. 

All content published on skidmore.edu must follow Skidmore's AP-based OCM Editorial Style Guide and reflect the College's voice, values, and brand standards. Content should be clear, accurate, inclusive, and audience-focused, using plain language, an active and welcoming tone, and a concise, scannable structure with descriptive headings and meaningful links. 

Review editorial style guide

Accessibility is a shared responsibility; all editors must verify compliance as they publish. Skidmore.edu follows current WCAG 2.0 / Section 508 accessibility standards across all pages and WCAG 2.1 / Section 508 on all newly redesigned pages.  Read the full Web Accessibility Policy for additional details.  

Page accessibility checklist: 

• Images have alt text  
• Headings follow sequential order (H2 > H3) 
• Descriptive links, not generic phrases like “click here.” 
• No text embedded in images. 
• Videos have captions.  
• PDFs (if permitted) are accessible. 

To learn more about web accessibility standards, please visit the Americans with Disabilities Act web guidance site and review the Web Contact Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).   

The following standards establish requirements for content creation, file management, digital assets, and ongoing site maintenance across skidmore.edu. 

Site structure and organization

Folder structure:

• Each department has its own root folder (e.g., /physics/). 
• Folder names must use the official department name, lowercase, with hyphens between words.
• Subfolders should follow logical categories such as /faculty/, /programs/, /research/, /resources/, and /contact/. 

Page structure:

• Organize content into focused, user-centered pages. 
• Avoid large "catch-all" pages and deeply nested navigation.
• Use clear headings, accordions, and intentional cross-linking to improve usability.
• Keep content concise and scannable, generally within 1,000-1,500 words.
• Use clear calls to action such as Apply, Visit, or Contact. 

Naming conventions:

• Page titles should follow: Topic | Department | Skidmore College. 
• Filenames must be lowercase, hyphenated, and descriptive. 

Images and media

Images:

• Use authentic, high-quality images optimized for the web (under 300 KB). 
• Upload images directly to the CMS.
• Avoid text within images whenever possible.
• Images featuring identifiable students in classroom or private settings require appropriate consent. 

Image naming and alt text:

• Follow the format: dept-topic-nn.ext. 
• Include descriptive alt text for all meaningful images. 

Video:

• Host videos on YouTube, Vimeo, or Skidmore Media Space.
• Embed videos rather than uploading .mp4 files.
• All videos must include accurate captions and meet accessibility requirements.
• Avoid autoplay and provide a brief description when appropriate. 

Documents and PDFs

General requirements:

• Webpages should be used instead of documents whenever possible. 
• Public-facing files must be uploaded to the CMS.
• Do not link directly to files stored in Box, SharePoint, Teams, Google Drive, or Dropbox. 

PDF standards:

• Use PDFs only when fixed formatting, signatures, or printing are required. 
• All PDFs must be accessible, searchable, tagged, and properly titled.
• Clearly identify PDF links and include file size. 

links and external resources

Internal links:

• Link to CMS pages using dependency tags.
• Internal links should open in the same browser window. 

External links:

• Use external links sparingly and only when they provide value to users. 
• Link only to reputable, official sources.
• External links should open in a new browser window. 

Content maintenance

Each department/program site may assign up to two trained site editors responsible for maintaining its content, accuracy, and accessibility.  

Editors are responsible for: 

• Maintaining accurate and current content. 
• Using approved templates.
• Following accessibility standards.
• Regularly reviewing links, documents, images, and videos.
• Limiting event listings and archives to timely and relevant content. 

Governance and enforcement

OCM oversees all external-facing content on skidmore.edu and holds decision-making authority over site design, presentation, accessibility, compliance, and approved third-party integrations. 

OCM may review and edit content as needed to ensure accuracy, compliance, and alignment with College standards. Whenever possible, OCM will consult with the site's editor before making changes. 

Site owners and editors may not alter approved navigation structures, site architecture, or add scripts and third-party tools without OCM approval. 

Using copyrighted or licensed material 
Any copyrighted material not owned by Skidmore College must have written permission from the copyright holder before being placed on skidmore.edu. That documentation must be kept on file, with credit lines or notices displayed as appropriate. Do not assume that images or media used in other College materials are free for web use. 

College-owned content 
All content on skidmore.edu is the property of Skidmore College. Permission to reuse images, videos, or written material from the site for other purposes (such as publications or presentations) must be granted by OCM. 

Faculty and students may occasionally create and link to content outside of skidmore.edu. For example, independent faculty websites hosting research, CVs, etc. These will be treated as non-Skidmore sites and the respective individual is responsible for those sites. Beyond faculty websites, in cases where use of a third-party hosted site is desired, individuals and/or employees should consult with department or divisional heads and/or OCM to discuss. In making all such decisions, please be mindful that OCM only supports content within the skidmore.edu framework

The following list includes approved forms to be used on skidmore.edu to help ensure appropriate data security, accessibility, sustainability, and support. 

• Modern Campus forms 
• E-Forms
• Outlook and Google Forms 

OCM provides training, documentation, and ongoing support to help site editors effectively manage content and maintain compliance with College web standards. All editors must complete OCM's CMS training before receiving publishing rights. 

All requests for web support must be submitted through the OCM ticketing system. Please allow two to five business days for review and response.

Examples of OCM web support include:

• Website management (e.g., new site setup, CMS access, training) 
• Web content support (e.g., page updates, content guidance, accessibility questions)
• Digital signage setup and training 

Please note:

• IT-related requests (e.g., hardware, printers, network access, technical support) should be directed to the IT Help Desk. 
• Course catalog updates must be submitted through the Registrar's Office.