Creating a Web site using the KU Web Template

KU offices and departments are invited and encouraged to utilize the KU Web Template for your Web sites. Adapting to the KU Web Template focuses your efforts on your important content while the look and accessibility are handled by the template. The templates are compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines for the State of Kansas and follow the HTML 4.01 Strict, XHTML 1.0, and Cascading Style Sheets, Level 2 standards. It is strongly recommended that you familiarize yourself with these sites/guidelines to follow it as you utilize the template.

Visual Identity

The new KU Web Template is designed to operate within the guidelines set out in KU's visual identity standards. Anyone working with official web sites for the University of Kansas or its schools, departments, and units should read through the KU Visual Identity Web Standards. The easiest way to build a web site that conforms to the new standards is to stick with the KU Web Template, which configures many of the settings automatically.

Three methods of implementing the KU Web Template are available for KU offices and departments:

1. Web sites hosted on an Information Services-managed web server (for example: www.ku.edu, raven.cc.ku.edu, www2.ku.edu) should utilize the server side include (SSI) version of the KU Web Template. This preferred method allows users to tap into the look and feel of the KU Web site without copying any files to their local account and gives users access to all the dynamic features of the KU Web Template. Depending on your level of Web experience, the initial implementation of this method may take a couple of hours to completely read and understand the documentation. This method will work for all pages except CGI generated pages (Perl/PHP scripts). Continue to the KU Web Template instructions for sites on Information Services web servers. >
   
2. Using the KU Web Template with CGI Scripts written in PHP or Perl on the new departmental web server, www2.ku.edu, is easier now than ever before. Some familiarity with creating web scripts is helpful, but not required. Continue to the instructions for CGI scripts using the KU Web Template on Information Services web servers.
3. Web sites hosted on other servers may also utilize the KU Web Template by making a local copy of the template and the dependent files. Continue to the KU Web Template instructions for sites on other servers >

Support is available as you adapt your site to the KU Web Template. If you have questions about this doc or experience technical difficulties, please contact webservices@ku.edu.