Web & Digital

Site planning and hosting

Initial plans for any new site or site redesign should include the CAES Web Team.

Sites for all CAES or UGA Cooperative Extension departments, units, centers, commodity teams and official programs/initiatives must be hosted by the CAES Web Team. It is strongly encouraged that all sites for faculty, labs and their individual programs and activities be hosted with the CAES Web Team, as well. Sites that are developed in collaboration with other universities or outside agencies are considered official and must adhere to the guidelines as set forth in this document.

Site owners are subject to the rules and guidelines set forth by the site’s host. For sites hosted by the CAES Web Team, the Web Team retains control over all technical aspects of the site. This includes code, plugins and other executable aspects of a site. The Web Team is under no obligation to host systems or code written by third parties or others outside of the Web Team’s purview.

To convey plans for a website, for more information about developing sites with third parties or to request hosting services, contact the CAES Web Team.

Identity, style and branding guidelines

The CAES web presence will have a standard look and predictable navigation achieved by the use of standard college templates for all CAES sites.

Any use of University of Georgia and College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences logos or other identifying marks must meet the requirements and specifications outlined in the university’s Brand Style Guide, as well as the UGA CAES Brand Guidelines.

All websites, regardless of who created them and where they are hosted, must include UGA headers and footers according to UGA brand guidelines and in consultation with the CAES Web Team to determine correct usage. Headers and footers will include appropriate links to the UGA home page and the CAES home page. Headers and footers must include UGA logo in accordance with the university identity policy and the college identity policy, respectively. All pages must have contact information listed in the footer to assist the user in contacting the individual or group responsible for the material.

Content creation, review and approval

[The policy stated in this section is repeated verbatim from the ONLINE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICY, developed in collaboration with the UGA Office of Legal Affairs and officially adopted by CAES in December 2022.]

Pursuant to the University of Georgia Policy on Ownership, Control and Use of Institution Online Resources, the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (CAES) (the “Unit”) has adopted the following Unit-level policy regarding the creation and management of online resources under its control. This Policy provides for the method of establishing the Unit’s Institution Online Resources, the Unit’s management of existing Institution Online Resources and the deletion of Institution Online Resources no longer needed. This Policy also sets the process for review and approval of content created on or posted to the Unit’s Institution Online Resources.  

For any type of action requiring approval under this policy, including the posting or removal of content, the approving individual or office may adopt a written set of standards to govern such type of action and, provided that an action complies with the applicable written standards, the action shall be considered approved. Such standards could include, among other things, descriptions of acceptable content and processes for the creation and management of webpages or social media accounts. 

The Unit maintains an inventory of its Institution Online Resources and updates the inventory regularly. The Unit’s Institution Online Resources are managed according to type, as follows:

Internet domains and pages

• Domain Management. The purchase, acquisition or divestiture of Unit web domains must be approved in writing by the IT Web Team Manager. All Unit web domains are maintained and managed by the CAES Web Team. 
• Webpage Management. The creation, management and deletion of Unit web pages must be approved by Web Team Web Support Specialists. Approval authority may also be delegated to another designated employee in the Unit for all web pages or for specific projects. Delegation will be documented in writing, which may be through an email sent to the designee at the time that permission is granted to the web content management system(s) used to publish web content. All Unit webpages are maintained and managed by the Web Team, provided that management and maintenance may be delegated as appropriate.
• Approval of Content. Content created on or posted to the Unit’s internet domains and/or webpages shall be in furtherance of a legitimate institutional purpose and shall comply with all applicable University policies. Responsibility for content approval shall reside with the Web Team or their designee. 

[The section on Social Media Accounts contained in the ONLINE RESOURCE MANAGEMENT POLICY is omitted from this Web Publishing Policy as out of scope for this document. Please review social media guidelines from the CAES Office of Marketing and Communications.]

Removal of content/resources

• Obsolete Resources. The Unit will periodically review its inventory of Institution Online Resources and delete or take offline those that are no longer needed in accordance with any applicable records retention policies and procedures.
• Unapproved Resources and Content. Unapproved or improperly created or posted resources and/or content shall be removed by the individual and/or office with responsibility for approving such type of category of resource and/or content.

For any questions regarding the creation, review and approval of web content, including requesting a web domain or pages, required training, changing existing web pages or removal of any outdated or incorrect web content, contact the CAES Web Team.

Web accessibility and other applicable laws and policies

All content published to the web is subject to:

• Federal, state and local laws, ordinances and guidelines.
• University System of Georgia policies and procedures, including web standards and accessibility standards.
• University of Georgia computing policies.
• Intellectual property, copyright and fair-use laws and policies.

The College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences is committed to ensuring accessibility of its websites for people with disabilities. All CAES websites should conform to Section 508 and University System of Georgia accessibility standards.

Noncompliance

Site owners and maintainers are expected to self-regulate their own sites. If websites are identified as out of compliance with this policy, the CAES Web Team will contact the site owner, notify them of the issue and provide them with a timeline towards expected compliance, as well as assistance as possible. If the site continues to remain out of compliance, the site and links to it will be removed by the CAES Web Team or the individual and/or office with responsibility for approving such type of category of resource and/or content. 

Accessibility

CAES is committed to ensuring that all users, regardless of ability, can access and interact with online content produced by our college. OIT has created an in-depth digital accessibility handbook with resources to help you ensure your digital content follows accessibility best practices. This resource is housed on OIT’s website and can be accessed using the button below:

AI Guidelines for communications

While CAES operates under UGA’s policies on artificial intelligence, these expanded CAES-specific guidelines emphasize the significance of our unique role to communicate with the public and support Georgia’s No. 1 industry of agriculture through our research, instruction and Extension. When publishing information for the public, it is crucial to remember our roles in the advancement of agriculture in Georgia and beyond. The Georgia public trusts CAES and all subsidiary units to produce reliable, research-backed information. We can ensure our editorial and media content is worthy of that trust and lives up to the expectations of our audiences by always ensuring communications are thoroughly proofed and properly vetted by experts with real-world experience and expertise.

We understand that these guidelines originate during a time when AI tools are evolving rapidly. While the tools and their capabilities will change, the guidelines described in this document remain applicable and will be updated as needed.

Key takeaways to guide AI use:

• Just because AI can do something doesn’t mean it necessarily should. While AI can support a creative vision, it should not be the main content creator. Modern audiences can spot AI-generated photos and videos in a heartbeat, which can quickly detract from a brand’s authenticity and reliability. Setting ethical guardrails ensures innovation does not outpace intention. If you have specific questions, please feel free to reach out to OMC. 
• Reputation damage can be irreversible. We want our audiences to think of CAES as a trusted source of science-backed, research-driven information rooted in the expertise of our experts — not unreliable, evolving platforms. Limiting the use of AI wherever possible, especially in the marketing of our programs and research findings, helps us further that mission.
• Transparency isn’t optional. Today’s audiences are AI-literate. When enhancements are not disclosed, it sparks distrust and can cause reputational damage. If AI is a large part of the creative process, say so. Label it, contextualize it and frame it as a tool rather than a trick.

Editorial usage: the written word

No editorial text of any kind for any medium should be produced and published using only AI tools. Any use of AI tools should ALWAYS be subject to thorough review and human oversight by CAES and UGA Extension professionals. Publishing any content that is not thoroughly reviewed and verified with reputable sources — AI-generated or not  — in association with CAES or any of its subsidiary units, including UGA Extension and Georgia 4-H, is prohibited.

Examples of permissible usage of AI tools in the editorial process include:

• Assistance during the interview process (such as drafting relevant interview questions)
• Consolidating lengthy human-generated copy for clarity
• Check grammar or spelling
• Checking for compliance with required writing styles such as AP and APA

Examples of impermissible usage of AI tools in the editorial process include:

• Drafting copy for publication without human oversight or significant changes prior to publication
• “Researching” during the drafting process without verifying information with a reputable source
• For Extension agents: Using AI in award applications, impact statements, newspaper articles, scholarly work, promotion dossiers, lesson plans and recipes
• For materials affecting 4-H: Using AI for youth applications or youth portfolios such as scholarship, officership, Leadership in Action, Key Award, Dean’s Award, etc. or Project Achievement materials such as speeches, letters, portfolios, visual aids, etc.
  • Further event-specific guidance may be provided in the materials for individual contests, competitions, etc.

The publication of any AI-generated copy, regardless of length, must always be disclosed and identified. An example of such a disclosure statement can be found below:

During the preparation of this work the author(s) used [NAME TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON]. After using this tool/service, the author(s) reviewed and edited the content as needed and take(s) full responsibility for the content of the publication.

Using AI to check grammar and/or spelling does not require the inclusion of a disclosure statement.

Media usage: photo and video

The publication of AI-generated media, including both photo and video, in association with CAES or any of its subsidiary units is strongly discouraged. Instead, CAES encourages faculty and staff to use content from its existing photo and video libraries which can be found under Visual Style: Photography. The use of AI tools for photo and video editing is permitted when the tool is used to enhance the overall aesthetic appeal of photo or video and does not meaningfully alter the subject matter.

Examples of permissible usage of AI tools in regards to visual media include:

• Color correction
• General photo editing
• Removal of image elements that detract from the image’s overall quality
• Removal of image elements that distract from the primary subject within the image

Examples of impermissible usage of AI tools in regards to visual media include:

• Generating AI images for publication in external communications
• Generating AI videos for publication in external communications

In instances where an AI tool adds to or expands the media to create elements that were not organically present in the original, its use must be disclosed. An example of such a disclosure statement can be found below:

This [IMAGE or VIDEO] has been enhanced using [NAME OF TOOL / SERVICE] in order to [REASON].

Contact

If you have any questions, please contact:

• CAES: Reach out to the Office of Marketing and Communications at via this request form.
• Extension: Reach out to your PDC if you have questions about how to apply these guidelines. This refers to programmatic AI guidance, not technical AI guidance. Reach out to your DED if you have concerns about a live or urgent situation.

Email signatures

Use the email signature builder tool provided below to generate a custom signature that can be pasted into your signature settings in Outlook or another email client.