Web Content Standards & Structure

Kennesaw State's website follows a unified content structure designed to ensure brand consistency, usability, and professionalism across all pages. This guide outlines the core requirements for using official KSU templates, setting up clear and accessible navigation, and following standardized naming conventions.

Adhering to these practices helps uphold the integrity and accessibility of the university’s web presence.

Template

Each official KSU Web page is designed, developed, and/or managed within a set template in Modern Campus Omni CMS. This template is necessary to maintain the uniformity, branding standards, and professionalism of KSU’s Web presence.

All editable regions within the template are in green boxes in OmniUpdate OU Campus (see examples below).

green buttons - main contnet, left column, additional content

With the exception of the program, department, or school name underneath the KSU logo, no elements of the template’s header or footer are customizable. Note: Do not use ampersand (&) to join elements in program, department, or school name; use “and” instead.

Each page is comprised of a header and footer with specific fixed elements. The elements adjust according to the platform on which the Web page is viewed (i.e. desktop, tablet, mobile device). As the screen space becomes limited, certain elements in the header and footer are condensed or eliminated altogether. The images below represent the different platform views and are followed by a description of elements:

  • The official KSU logo is on the left side of the header. Underneath this logo, the program, department, or school name is displayed; this is the only editable element in the header. A KSU search box is on the right side of the header. In between the logo and the search box are global navigational links to the following sites: Apply, Visit, Give, Calendar, About KSU, Academics, Admissions, Student Life, Research, Alumni, and Athletics.

    ksu wehpage showing header links

  • University contact information for both the Kennesaw Campus and the Marietta Campus are on the far left side of the footer. This contact information is followed from left to right by two lists of hyperlinks: Resources For and Related Links. At the bottom of the footer, again from left to right, are links to the Privacy Statement, Accreditation, Advisories, Reporting Hotline, Feedback, Open Records, Human Trafficking Notice, and Text Only; copyright information; and icons for the University’s social media applications.

    ksu webpage footer

  • The KSU logo and program, department, or school name remain, as do the global navigational links to Apply, Visit, Give, Calendar, About KSU, Academics, Admissions, Student Life, Research, Alumni, and Athletics. Underneath these elements, from left to right, are a search icon, mobile icon, and page menu icon. 

    ksu website tablet header

  • The condensed footer includes the number for KSU Info, icons for the University’s social media applications, and links to the Privacy Statement, Accreditation, Advisories, Reporting Hotline, Feedback, Open Records, and Human Trafficking Notice, and Text Only. Copyright information is also present.

    ksu website tablet footer

  • The University logo is centered at the top of the page, with the program, department, or school name immediately underneath. From left to right are the search icon, and page menu icon.

    ksu website mobile header

  • KSU Info contact information is retained. Icons for the University’s social media applications and links to the Privacy Statement, Accreditation, Advisories, Reporting Hotline, Feedback, Open Records, Human Trafficking Notice, and Text Only remain. Copyright information is also present.

    ksu website mobile footer

Navigation

Within each Web page, Web authors have the option of including custom navigational menus. All linked titles in menus should be capitalized “headline style” (i.e. all words except articles and conjunctions are typed initial caps). When naming navigations, use two words or less.

Best Practices

Within the entity’s navigation (i.e. main navigational menu), there should no more than 8 points. Exceeding 8 points is a clear indication that nesting navigation should be utilized. Within nested navigation, no more than 5 elements should be listed.

There should be no third-tier navigation*.

* NOTE: As of the website template update on August 5, 2022, all sites migrated into the new template and snippets cannot have a third-tier of navigation. The navigation file is coded to not allow for three tiers.

Naming Conventions

For file and folder names (including documents, PDFs, and PowerPoints), always use lower case letters, A-Z; do not include spaces in file names; hyphens should be utilized to separate all words.

Lengthy and unusual names should be avoided.

Version numbers should only be used in file and folder names for historical purposes (e.g. meeting minutes tied to a specific date).

All Web page URLs will be named as follows:

https://www.kennesaw.edu/[program, department, school name]