Web Hosting for Official Departmental Websites
- Melissa Chavira
Purpose
All official New Mexico State University departments – including academic departments, colleges, schools, programs, and administrative departments – will have their websites hosted on the nmsu.edu domain.
Requirements
The university strongly encourages official departments or units to use the enterprise Content Management System (CMS) for new site development. Using the hosting services of external providers, such as WordPress.com or Squarespace.com for official university sites, is not permitted. The NMSU website will not link to any official departmental sites that are hosted off campus and no redirects will be put in place.
Hosting sites on the nmsu.edu domain signals to stakeholders visiting the pages that the site is providing official information about the institution. Further, it ensures that NMSU “owns” the content and can modify or delete the site if necessary.
Use of the university’s CMS is the most efficient way to ensure continuity should the person maintaining a website leave the university so a new individual can be trained and given access to edit the website. Finally, it ensures compliance with the New Mexico Inspection of Public Records Act should requests be made for content on official university sites.
Exceptions
Exceptions to this guideline are made on an individual basis and require a business purpose for the site to be hosted off-campus. For example, if the site has the need to collect funds or credit card information, that portion of the site may be hosted by an external vendor.
Departments or units who require such an exception should contact MARCOMM prior to site development.
Individual faculty, staff or student websites, as well as club sites such as student clubs or organizations, do not fall within these guidelines as they are not eligible to use the CMS.
Personal Websites
NMSU makes web space available to students, faculty and staff that is available behind our virtual private network. These websites should not represent an academic or administrative unit. All personal web space is provided solely for hosting web pages. It is not intended as a platform for any other kind of computing or network access.
All individual web pages must contain the name and email address of the person responsible for page content. Individuals are responsible for maintaining their own site with regard to page building, content and troubleshooting.
Information Technology is responsible for the maintenance and support of the systems and software infrastructure necessary to support personal websites.
Student Organization Sites
Student groups recognized by the Department of Student Life are permitted to use the Crimson Connection platform. If student groups required a web presence, they are permitted to purchase their own domain and web hosting. Use of the nmsu.edu is not permitted for student organization sites. Exceptions to this rule include the Associated Students of New Mexico State University (ASNMSU).
External Websites
No NMSU college or administrative office, department, unit or individual employee may purchase, register or utilize an external World Wide Web domain name (such as .com, .net, .org) for the purposes of conducting NMSU business or representing any unit or operation of the NMSU system - including but not limited to the use of the New Mexico State University name, wordmark, or other identifier - without the prior written permission of the appropriate executive vice president and MARCOMM. Permission will only be granted in cases where a reasonable and compelling rationale demonstrating the reasons for utilization of an external site are submitted and adequate protections are taken to safeguard the legal interests of the NMSU System.