On this page: Why is web governance important?Guiding principlesWeb governance structure / roles and responsibilitiesRoles and responsibilitiesUnified web team: Digital Communications & Web Services GroupWeb Advisory CommitteeCampus community: Website administrators, managers and content creators at McGill
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
- Standard sur l'accessibilité des sites Web (SGQRI 008 2.0)
- Trade-marks Act
- Copyright Act
- Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation
Web governance structure / roles and responsibilities
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 External 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 Service Group
IT Services' IT Communications - Web Service Group provides and maintains McGill’s Web Management System (WMS).
Web Advisory Committee
A standing committee of stakeholders from across the McGill community who meet six times yearly 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 concerns
Web Advisory Committee membership
- 2 members Communications and External Relations
- 2 members IT Services
- 1 student representative
- 1 faculty representative - faculty member
- 1 faculty representative - staff member
- 1 research representative
- 1 central services/Human Resources representative
- 1 Student Services representative
- 1 accessibility representative
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 maintain McGill websites, campus community members must also complete the McGill Web Services: User access guidelines 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