Information Technology Team Specialization Web Page Guidelines

The Information Technology (IT) Team wishes to encourage the inclusion of specialization developed web pages on the Extension Service Web site to provide additional information to our clientele concerning Extension services and programs.  The second-level topic pages will link to third-level pages of the following two types.

Specialization generated Web pages

The IT Team makes space available for all specializations to place the materials listed below.  Not all of these materials need be provided.
• Other related Web sites (for external and internal audiences)
• News and programs (multiple pages for external and internal audiences)
• Specialization calendar (internal only)
• Specialization Web site list - can be more inclusive than other related Web sites (internal only)
• Specialization bulletin board - to communicate, post drafts, etc. (internal only)


Communication and Educational Technology Services generated Web pages

In addition to the specialization generated Web pages, the following materials are put up under the specialization areas by teams within Communications:
• Official Extension publications and INFO-U scripts (external and internal)
• What's New - automatically generated (external and internal)
• Related Extension Web sites - maintained by the IT Team in cooperation with specialization (external and internal)
• Staff listing (directly off of Extension Administration database) unless the specialization would like to maintain their own listings (internal only)
• List of materials this specialization maintains (directly off of OASYS database) (internal only)

The following guidelines are provided to give some basic information on the Web services offered through Communications and the expectations of the specialization responsibilities.

Specialization Web Maintainer

Each Extension specialization needs to designate a Web content maintainer to secure content for the specialization maintained pages and post it to the Web.  The IT Team will provide an initial orientation and continue to work closely with this individual.

Preparing Materials for Posting

• For numbered Extension publications, the Print & Electronic Publishing Team places materials on the Extension Web directly.



• Specialization generated calendars, reports, newsletters, etc. should be prepared by a member of the specialization.  For basic formatting, a series of templates are being developed that can be easily modified to post specialization information.  The IT Team can instruct you on how to upload the information.



• For more comprehensive specialization projects that would require a large amount of Web design, specializations can either:  a) do it themselves (using software such as Allaire HomeSite, Netscape Page Composer, or Hot Dog Professional);  b) work through their Communication & Marketing Specialist and the Print & Electronic Publishing Team; or  c) contract an external freelancer.  For the last two options, special funding would be required (due to the large number of requests and the amount of time required for completion)

Editorial Decisions for What Get Puts Online

• For official Extension Distribution Center publications, Communications is trying to place as many as possible on the Web.  To assure that the Web is up-to-date, we may request that some older publications be reviewed and revised.



• For the non-DC publications generated by specializations, it is up to the electronic/educational materials coordinators from each specializations to decide what type of materials they want to make available to external and internal audiences.

How Do Staff Learn How to Create Web Pages?

For basic Web pages, specializations can use templates which do not require a great deal of expertise.  To learn how to do more advanced Web page creation, professional development opportunities are available through the Extension IT Team at annual conference and some specialization trainings.  The IT Team produced materials are also available for self-study by Extension employees throughout the year.  At the U of M - Twin Cities several low-cost mini-seminars are offered by the Academic and Distributed Computing Systems unit each quarter to teach the use of Web page creation tools.  Finally, other educational institutions are also offering seminars in designing Web pages.

Submitting Materials for the Extension Web

Materials are uploaded by a designated member of the specialization through the File Transfer Protocol to the appropriate specialization Web account.  The IT Team will provide specific information on uploading materials and account information to the specialization contact.

Who to Contact for Extension Web Services

• To place specialization material on the Extension Web or request a revision to the second-level topic page: John Schafer or Bob Rubinyi



• For Web page creation services: Check with your Communication & Marketing Specialist who will set up an appointment with an Print & Electronic Publishing Team representative.

Information Technology Page

University of Minnesota Extension Home Page

URL: http:// www3.extension.umn.edu/units/cets/it/spec_web_guide.html  This page was updated Feb. 20, 2001 .
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