Fort Lewis College Web Governance Policy 

November 2024 

1. Introduction 

The website is the College’s primary marketing and communication tool, requiring a large investment in time and resources. To reach our goals, the website must be managed through web governance.  

What is web governance? 

Web governance defines how the website and other digital assets are managed and who manages them. It creates an insurance policy for the significant investment we’ve made in our digital platforms. It provides structure and accountability toward achieving the college’s strategic goals.  

Why is web governance required? 

Managing a website or digital asset requires knowledge of digital accessibility, marketing, UX (user experience) design and testing, content strategy, analytics and reporting, and more. Managing a higher ed website requires even more consideration of systems and audiences, especially for an institution as diverse and unique as FLC. 

Comprehensive Web Governance will ensure that the website is a single source of truth for our users. That includes up to date content, on-brand information and images, legal compliance, and clear navigation structures. 

Our user-centered approach reduces confusion and frustration for end users who come to our site to learn about FLC, apply, and complete required tasks.  

Purpose 

This document defines the scope of web governance to help ensure consistency, compliance, and alignment with the college’s strategic goals. To do that, it will establish roles, responsibilities, and guidelines for website administration, content creation, maintenance, security, and user experience. 

Strategic goals 

Fort Lewis College’s strategic goals 

  • Academics: Equitable and exceptional education 
  • Basic needs: Thriving & belonging  
  • Community Connections: Engagement & workforce 
  • Student-ready: Student success and graduation outcomes 
  • Reconciliation: Healing and action  

View the complete Strategic Plan 

Marketing & Communication Department (MarComm) goals 

MarComm owns the FLC website, the college’s primary digital marketing asset. MarComm is tasked by the administration with the following goals: 

Primary  

  • Recruit new students at the rate set by the college administration.  
  • Retain existing students at the rate set by the college administration. 
  • Fundraising based on goals set by the Office of Advancement.  

Secondary 

  • Serve as a resource for current and future employees. Resources include benefits, services, training, events, and more.   
  • Provide a resource to the community and media. This includes events, services, partnerships, initiatives, access to faculty expertise, and more.   

To reach these goals, the Web Governance Committee will set objectives on a biannual basis. These objectives may include improving the speed and performance of webpages, ensuring the site is up and running 24/7, making webpages and digital assets accessible for users with disabilities, providing quality search results, and improving the user experience (UX). 

2. Scope 
3. Roles and responsibilities 
4. Content management 
5. Quality assurance 
6. Technical Standards 
7. Accessibility 
9. Analytics and reporting 
10. Policy enforcement 
11. Policy updates