USF Website Support Service Level Agreement

1. Overview

The purpose of this document is to establish a two-way understanding between university schools/college and the Office of Marketing Communications Web & Digital Communications (OMC WDC) team related to web support services. The document lays out the practices regarding web support which OMC and partners agree to follow. These practices are intended to yield a high quality, reliable web experience for all university stakeholders and audiences.

2. Service Description

This Service Level Agreement applies to support of the university marketing website (usfca.edu) and myUSF website. The OMC WDC team provides web content management system support (Drupal), maintains webpage content, creates web graphics, creates new web templates, builds web forms, develops new web functionality, maintains the website styles and standards, provides web analytics support, oversees website accessibility standards, and manages university website redesigns.

2.1. OMC WDC Supported Websites

           2.1.1.  https://usfca.edu

           2.1.2.  https://myusf.usfca.edu

           2.1.3.  https://usfblogs.usfca.edu
           (ITS supports accounts/infrastructure, OMC support supports templates/styles)

2.2. Other OMC Supported Systems

           2.2.1. Emma, university email system          

           2.2.2. Cvent, event registration system

           2.2.3. Widen, digital asset management system

           2.2.4. Hootsuite, social media content management

2.3. Non-OMC Supported Systems

           2.3.1. Slate, prospective student CRM system
(WDC does work with the schools to embed the Slate Request Information forms into various usfca.edu web pages)

           2.3.2. Online Catalog, maintained by Registrar for general content and Provost for curriculum

           2.3.3. University single sign-on (IAM) and various other ITS applications and services

           2.3.4. External/third-party websites

3. Roles and Responsibilities

3.1. OMC WDC Support Responsibilities

OMC WDC responsibilities in support of this SLA include:

  • Respond to all requests submitted to webservices@usfca.edu in a timely manner
  • Monitor webservices@usfca.edu email daily during business hours and assign projects to appropriate members of the WDC team
  • Meet the individual service request response time depending on the category and content priority
  • Partner on larger-scale web projects with agreed upon responsibilities and due dates, using information provided by the project content sponsor
  • Provide copywriting services for web projects without a charge to ensure copy maintains a consistent voice and tone and adheres to university editorial style guide
  • Establish and agree on general website update calendar timelines with each school/college to ensure web content is refreshed on an annual basis
  • Periodically review content and reach out to partners if outdated/erroneous information is noticed on their webpage. If no response is received from the partner, we will use our best judgment to make temporary adjustments, notify the partner of the changes that were made, and revise the content when we hear back from the partner.

3.2. Partner Responsibilities

Partner responsibilities in support of this SLA include:

  • Request web support services via webservices@usfca.edu as the standard contact process and ensure all future communications regarding services are directed to webservices@usfca.edu
  • Identify and clearly communicate the web content requests with a shared understanding of standard response times depending on the category and content priority
    • If more services/support is needed after the initial request is submitted, the additional work will need to be evaluated and the timeline re-established for the additional work
  •  Requests must fall within compliance of website standards, styles, and guidelines 
  • Content posted will be collaboratively discussed and agreed upon in advance with the partner. For all admission/recruitment web requests, the school/college marketing communications point person will be copied in all requests.
  • Provide advance notice of date-sensitive website content updates
  • Provide advance notice when larger-scale content changes are coming/expected
  • Establish and agree on general website update calendar timelines for annual web content refreshes. This will help WDC establish resources and identify the appropriate contacts and times of year to contact the school/college.
  • Review content, web pages, design concepts, and email communications in a timely manner. If extended delays occur or no responses are provided within two weeks, WDC reserves the right to put a project/request on hold to allow the team to move on to other projects. The project/request will be re-visited and new deadlines established when partner is ready.
  • Periodically review web content and notify WDC when changes are needed

4. Service Charges

All web page content updates, new pages added to university websites, and services related to standard web requests will be conducted free of charge

4.1. Website Support Services Requiring a Charge Back

  • Charges will be incurred for custom css styling/design assistance/troubleshooting for any third-party websites or systems where the USF-branded standard HTML template cannot be applied
  • Any custom web development work that requires a new component build and/or first-time Drupal module integration
  • Creating any new photography or videography for the website
  • View full list of OMC rates >>

5. Hours of Coverage, Response Times, and Complaint Resolution

5.1. Hours of Coverage

Website support services are provided Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, during USF business operating days.*

*Any emergency/urgent requests should be routed through Public Safety, x4201, who can reach a manager on the OMC WDC team

5.2. Response Times

Category Description Response Time
Initial request All requests to webservices@usfca.edu All requests will receive an acknowledgement and information on next steps within 1-2 business days
Simple content update (no copyediting required) General straight-forward web content updates (Ex. changing copy in webpage from fall to spring) Completed within 1 business day of original request date
Date specific content update Removing dates/time sensitive content with 48 hours notice (Ex. application deadline date change) Within 1-2 business days
Faculty profile page simple content updates (no copyediting required)

General straight-forward content updates (Ex. change to the photo, office location, email)

 Completed in aggregate once a week
New faculty profile pages and major content updates (copyediting required) Call for submission twice a year Completed in aggregated processing two times a year; one-off requests will have a timeline provided upon receipt of all content
Content updates that require consultation for layout, writing, imagery and may affect multiple places on the website Upon receipt of all content and instructions (Ex. program name change affecting multiple pages) Timeline TBD after consultation. Consultation meeting will be scheduled within 5 business days.
Standard web analytics reports Reports that can be auto-generated via google analytics Within 2 business days
Custom web analytics Tailored reports that cannot be auto-generated via google analytics Within a week
Web forms Upon receipt of all form requirements Within a week
Projects needing to be scheduled/planned New program website; new functionality required; complicated web forms; research new tools Meeting to determine scope and project needs will be scheduled within 5 business days

Content priorities

When assigning projects and establishing timelines, the WDC team is guided by the following priorities for web content, which are aligned with the university's strategic institutional goals:

  1. Web content updates related to recruitment and admission of new students (e.g. marketing website program page changes, application deadlines)
  2. Web content updates related to fundraising and the comprehensive campaign
  3. Non-recruitment related web content updates
  4. Events
  5. News

Urgent requests

  • Refrain from titling requests as ‘urgent’ or using similar wording (e.g. "emergency"). Send in a request and let us know if a shorter turn-around time than the standard response time is needed. WDC will evaluate based on projects in the queue and reply with what can be reasonably achieved.
  • Urgent requests should be reserved for situations where the university is at legal risk or could be reputationally damaged, and the copy in question needs to be updated/removed immediately. This does not include poorly planned requests, or requests communicated at the last minute.

5.3. Complaint Resolution

Any partner not satisfied with the level of service related to a web support request should:

5.3.1. Contact the person designated by college/school to handle web support matters

  • College of Arts & Sciences: Amy Fogliani
  • School of Education: Nicole Cuadro
  • School of Law: Shelli Fyfe
  • School of Management: Hannah Artis
  • School of Nursing and Health Professions: Patrik Donahue/Carolina Echeverria

5.3.2. Contact their assigned marketing partner in OMC and Marlene Tom, who will review your complaint and respond to you with the action taken

5.3.3. If further action needs to be taken, please contact Ellen Ryder, VP of OMC

6. Reviewing and Reporting

Twice a year, meetings will be scheduled with the school/college OMC marketing partner, AVP of Web & Digital Communications Strategy, and the marketing/recruitment partner in each of the schools/college to discuss website support performance and service levels.

Regular reviews of this SLA agreement will be conducted once a year and may be amended as required, provided mutual agreement is obtained from the primary stakeholders and communicated to all affected parties.

7. Approvals

The school/college dean, OMC VP, and OMC AVP of Web & Digital Communications Strategy will approve this document. The approved document is published on the myUSF Marketing Communications website, along with website standards and guidelines.