The NIU Web Standards help us ensure that websites in the niu.edu domain are consistent, accessible and easy to use. Each year, the Web Steering Committee reviews and updates the standards. This spring, the committee approved many updates.
Editorial Guidance Removed
The release of the NIU Editorial Style Guide prompted several changes to the standards. This new guide provides information in many areas, including:
- Capitalization and spelling.
- Grammar and punctuation.
- Formats for numbers, times and dates.
The guide also provides university-specific information, such as degree terminology and building names.
To avoid duplication, we removed sections from the Web Standards that are now addressed in the Editorial Style Guide. Be sure to refer to the guide when writing university communications, both internal and external.
Other Changes
Other changes to the Web Standards include the addition of:
- Guidance on using unordered and ordered lists and tables (5.1.5).
- More information on using headings, including examples (5.6).
- A section on forms and fillable PDFs (5.1.12).
The standards were also revised to include explanations of how the following standards relate to accessibility:
Please take some time to review the current version of the Web Standards. Contact us at webcommunications@niu.edu if you have any questions.
