On this page: Why is web governance important?Guiding principlesWeb governance structureRoles and responsibilitiesUnified web team: Digital Communications & Web Services GroupWeb Advisory CommitteeCampus community: Website administrators, managers and content creators at McGillPurposeMandateAuthorityCommittee meetings
Why is web governance important?
McGill's websites are the public online face of our university. For many visitors, a website visit is their first McGill experience. For this reason, it's important that our audiences have positive experiences that are welcoming, accessible, and answer their needs. In support of this goal, our web governance structure exists to provide clarity regarding roles and responsibilities related to the maintenance and development of McGill websites.
Note: This is a working document and is subject to change.
Guiding principles
McGill's digital standards
Our digital standards provide an overview of the criteria for creating and managing McGill websites and online services in areas such as accessibility, website security and protection of users' data, usability best practices, and site optimization.
Related legislation
- Accessible and Equitable Artificial Intelligence Systems, Government of Canada
- Copyright Act
- Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation
- Quebec Law 25: Bill 64 (Chapter 25)
- Standard sur l'accessibilité des sites Web (SGQRI 008 2.0)
- Trade-marks Act
Web governance structure
Our web governance structure oversees and supports public sites created using McGill's centrally supported web systems including:
Additional platforms may be added in the future.
Roles and responsibilities
Unified web team: Digital Communications & Web Services Group
Governance of McGill's websites is overseen by Communications and Institutional Relations' Digital Communications team, supported by IT Services' IT Communications - Web Services Group and McGill's Web Advisory Committee.
As a unified web team, Digital Communications and the Web Services Group design and manage the McGill homepage and top-level pages, and provide guidance and support to website managers and administrators throughout McGill.
Digital Communications
Primary strategic direction for McGill's sites and assets is led by Digital Communications working closely with the Web Services Group.
Web Services Group
IT Services' IT Communications - Web Services Group provides and maintains McGill’s Web Management System (WMS).
Web Advisory Committee
Purpose
To involve representatives from the McGill community in making decisions concerning the health and development of our web ecosystem.
Mandate
A standing committee of stakeholders from across the McGill community who meets every months to:
- Review the health and status of McGill's web ecosystem in areas such as accessibility, information security and privacy, and branding.
- Make recommendations for improving our web governance structure and framework based on their findings.
- Propose courses of action for dealing with compliance issues.
Authority
The committee has the authority to:
- Examine and inquire into all matters that relate to their mandate.
- Report to McGill's web governance stakeholders.
- Attach dissenting or supplementary opinions to reports.
Committee meetings
- The committee meets every 6 weeks.
- Ad hoc meetings may be required if reports reveal significant non-compliance during a specific period.
Web Advisory Committee membership
- 2 representatives for faculties (preferably one faculty member and one administrative staff member)
- 1 representative for research
- 1 representative for Student Life and Learning
- 2 student representatives (one undergraduate and one graduate)
- 1 representative for central services/Human Resources
- 1 representative for Macdonald Campus
- Accessibility Advisor from VP Academic
- Web Services: Communications and Institutional Relations (CIR) and IT Services
- 2 representatives from CIR
- 2 from IT Services, one from Web Services Group, Web Publishing Portfolio Manager and one IT Trainer
Length of membership term
- 2-year term with 1/2 the committee ending their term each year, term renewable
- Additional committee members can be added to the committee at anytime
Substitute members
Substitutes will only be allowed in exceptional circumstances.
A substitute member can be designated to replace a permanent member at a meeting. The only mandate of a substitute is to report back to the permanent members they are representing.
Committee chair
The chair will be selected by CIR and IT Services.
Campus community: Website administrators, managers and content creators at McGill
The roles and responsibilities of campus community members include:
- Completing the required training courses
- Following the website guidelines and best practices outlined on the Web Services website, e.g. McGill's digital standards
- Following the guidelines outlined in the Policy on the responsible Use for McGill's information technology resources
To gain access to edit or manage McGill websites, campus community members must also complete the Web publisher and developer agreement form.
Important considerations for owners and sponsors of custom or vendor-built websites
When choosing to create a custom or vendor-built website you are accepting responsibility for compliance with all legal and institutional requirements. Any site managers you nominate will be accountable to you concerning compliance with the digital standards and other requirements. McGill assumes no responsibility for the construction or maintenance of these sites.
For information about requirements, see our custom or vendor-built project toolkit