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Site-wide Standards

Media and Upload Policies

Photos

Authorized users may upload images in WebP format. JPEG and PNG formats are not allowed due to their size. Cropping tools and size limits are available within the web guide. Selections made by contributors and editors require publisher approval before going live.

Video

Authorized users may embed YouTube videos. Native video files are not hosted within the CMS.

Audio

Authorized users may embed audio content from approved platforms. Native audio files are not hosted within the CMS.

PDFs

PDF use is discouraged due to accessibility concerns. Acceptable uses include legally restricted formats, documents over 20 pages, and specific cases approved by IMC. If a PDF is required, the PDF should be checked using the Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Checker.

Third-Party Tools and iFrames

Use of third-party tools is limited and must be approved by both IT and IMC. Unapproved scripts and iFrames will be removed from the website.

Course Listings

SHSU promotes its academic offerings through web content to support student recruitment.

To ensure accuracy:

  • The official source for all course listing content is the university catalog.
  • Departments are not permitted to create separate course listings on their websites.
  • Departments may highlight selected courses as "sample course offerings," but these must be clearly labeled and approved by the Department of Academic Planning and Program Development.

Character & Word Limits

Certain fields in Cascade CMS include designated character or word limits. These limits fall into two categories: hard limits and soft limits.

Hard limits are enforced by the CMS and prevent text from being entered beyond a set threshold. Most hard limits allow for a small number of additional characters when necessary, but editors should treat the documented limit as the target.

Soft limits are indicated in the field help text, web guide, or template but are not enforced by the CMS. Adherence to soft limits is the responsibility of the content editor. Text entered in a soft-limit field must not exceed the documented limit by more than 15%.

Both limit types are intentional design constraints and must be observed. Staying as close as possible to the designated limit ensures content displays correctly, meets accessibility standards, and maintains consistent usability across the site and on different devices.

Bill (SB) 17 Compliance

The SHSU website is bound by Bill (SB) 17 and TEC 51.3525.

Per guidelines, DEI-related content is prohibited from university websites. There are currently ten words that require additional compliance review when included on university websites. If the context of the word is found to be out of compliance, the content owner will be notified of the compliance issue for it to be corrected or removed.

  • Restricted keywords as of May 2026: DEI, diverse, diversity, equity, inclusion, inclusive, inclusivity, minority, marginalized and underrepresented

For questions about compliance, please contact Haley Carter at hcarter@shsu.edu.

Report compliance issues via the website request form.

Additional Standards

The SHSU web guide provides information on SHSU web governance, cascade tutorials, and guidelines for creating engaging, accessible content.

The usage and writing guidelines provided in the web guide should be considered part of the SHSU content standards.

Keeping Content Unique

Keeping content fresh and accurate is a core part of SHSU's web strategy. One of the easiest ways to do that is to ensure all content stays within its proper scope and is not repeated across multiple pages.

To support this, each department, college, and division should only publish content unique to their area. Content that belongs to another area of the website should be linked to, not recreated.

The primary audience for the SHSU website is prospective students. The website also serves the broader SHSU community: alumni, supporters, and the general public. Content intended for current students, faculty, and staff should be moved to the SHSU intranet unless required to be public.

Key Takeaways

  • Media and file types are restricted. Images must be in WebP format, video and audio must be embedded from approved platforms, and PDFs should be avoided unless absolutely necessary.
  • Course listings have one official source. All course content must come from the university catalog. Departments may feature sample course offerings, but only with proper labeling and approval.
  • Follow Cascade character and word limits. The website design relies on these limits for accessibility and usability across devices.
  • The web guide documents the standards. Guidelines in the SHSU web guide should be considered part of the university's web standards.

Updated 6/17/26