SHSU Web Guide

About This Guide

The SHSU Web Guide is the official reference for creating, managing, and maintaining content on shsu.edu and its associated subdomains. It provides standards, procedures, and practical guidance for all authorized content contributors operating within the university's web ecosystem.

The SHSU Web Guide documents the governance policies, content standards, and procedures that apply to all content published on shsu.edu and its public-facing subdomains. This guide does not apply to the SHSU intranet.

This guide is also a hands-on resource for editors and publishers, providing step-by-step tutorials, writing guidance, and component references to support day-to-day web work. Whether onboarding for the first time or looking up a specific task, authorized content contributors should treat this guide as a constant reference point.

IMC Digital serves as the governing authority for all content standards described here.

Who This Guide Is For

This guide is intended for all individuals with an authorized role in the university's content management system, including content contributors, editors, publishers, and division-level administrators. It is also a resource for department heads and college-level stakeholders responsible for overseeing their area's web presence.

How this guide is organized

The guide is organized into six sections:

1. Website Governance covers governance roles, content strategy, and information architecture standards that apply across all content.
2. Content Standards defines the required and permitted content for academic colleges, academic departments, administrative and service departments, and program pages.
3. Writing for the Web provides guidance on user-centered writing, accessibility, links and calls to action, and search optimization.
4. Component Guide describes the available page components and how each is used.
5. Cascade Tutorials documents step-by-step procedures for common tasks in the university's content management system.
6. Web Tools & Resources introduces supplementary tools available to web editors, including Siteimprove, a terminology glossary, and external resources.

A Living Document

This guide reflects current web governance policy and practice at Sam Houston State University. As the university's web presence evolves, standards and procedures documented here will be updated to reflect changes in policy, tooling, accessibility requirements, and institutional priorities.

IMC Digital maintains this guide and is responsible for keeping its content current. Authorized content contributors are expected to consult this guide as the authoritative reference for web standards and to check back periodically for updates.

Updated 6/17/26