Principles for the FIT Web

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FIT views the World Wide Web as an important medium for internal and external communication. The FIT web serves the educational, cultural, and social programs of the college and is another means for presenting the college to the world. The purpose of these principles is to provide context and structure to support web development. 

1.   Official pages on the FIT web must be related to the mission, goals, and functions of FIT.

2.   FIT encourages college departments, college-sponsored organizations, and members of the college community to use the FIT web site to further teaching, learning, and all other functions consistent with the mission and goals of the college. 

3.   All materials on the FIT web must follow established rules and regulations of FIT and SUNY, including Principles for the FIT Web, FIT’s Computer and Network Use Policy, Internet Privacy Policy, FIT Web Content Policy, FIT Web Design Guidelines for Official Pages, and New York State Technology Policy 99-3, Universal Accessibility for NYS Web Sites. Failure to abide by the established rules and regulations could result in removal of the files or directories from the FIT web and other appropriate disciplinary action.

4.   Materials on the FIT web must comply with applicable city, state, and federal laws and must not violate copyright, trademark, or the terms of any licensing agreement. Suspected violations of local, state, or federal laws or regulations will be referred to the appropriate authorities. Confidential information concerning students, employees, college business, and other matters is to be safeguarded. Any unauthorized disclosure of confidential information is prohibited by FIT and by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 and may result in disciplinary action and legal sanctions.

5.   The Office of Communications and External Relations coordinates FIT web development and determines placement of official pages in the FIT web structure. The Office of Office of Communications and External Relations periodically reviews official pages for compliance to FIT established rules and regulations. The authority of the Office of Office of Communications and External Relations over content and design in the FIT web structure parallels its authority over printed publications of the college. 

6.   Working in coordination with the Office of Office of Communications and External Relations and within college policies for the web, each Vice President determines how the units of his or her division are to use the FIT web structure to carry out its official responsibilities.

7.   Departments and college-sponsored organizations are encouraged to assign the function of web contact or content management within their unit.  The person to whom the task is given is responsible for ensuring that the information on the unit’s web pages and the links to outside resources are valid, current, and appropriate to the goals and purposes of FIT. 

8.   FIT web materials include specific requirements that may be binding on members of the FIT community. When using information that is already made available on the FIT web by the authoritative source, pages must link to the official version of the information rather than duplicating it. 

9.   FIT web pages must display information on the ownership of the site, including a contact name with email address.

The FIT web may not be used for commercial “for-profit” purposes.  The use of the FIT web to promote the not-for-profit activities of the college, i.e., the sale of books and exhibition catalogs by the Museum, will be determined by the college on a case-by-case basis.