NAU In-Site Network Web Standard 2026

This document is for the sole purpose of defining maintenance, configuration, and access to WordPress on the in.nau.edu network of sites (referred to as the NAU In-Site Network) and is effective from August 1, 2026 and will be reviewed annually.   

The NAU In-site Network lives on in.nau.edu and consists of proprietary software owned by Information Technology Services (ITS) and managed by the ITS WordPress team. Access is subject to user compliance with assigned roles and best practices as defined by ITS subject matter experts.  

Standard will be revisited annually by the ITS WordPress team based on evolving practices and expectations.

Scope

This standard applies to all sites that live on the in.nau.edu subdomain (In-site Network).

Roles & Responsibilities

Editors

NAU employees with access to edit content on an in.nau.edu WordPress site. Ability to edit, create, delete, and update pages, posts, categories, and tags.

• Required to complete basic WordPress training via sandbox site and supplemental theme training:
  • Enterprise theme training
  • M21 theme training
• Access reviewed annually and approved by site owner.
• Receives email notifications when pages haven’t been updated in a year. Emails will include additional documentation and a link to a “content freshness” dashboard for sites editor has access to. Pages are required to be updated yearly, and pages out of compliance will be retired and set to “draft” with specific deadlines described in notification.

Site Owners

NAU employees responsible for the content on a given site and for identifying and approving the users who have access to edit the site. Each site may have only one site owner.

All the requirements and responsibilities of an Editor plus:

• Serves as the single point of contact for a site.
• Must be defined when a new site is requested. If there is no existing site owner, one will be defined.
• Must not be a temporary employee, such as a student worker, affiliate, or contractor.
• Reviews and approves user access
  • Receives email notifications to review Editor user access periodically.
  • Users who have not been confirmed by the site owner during review will be removed.

Division Web Portfolio Manager

Large divisions will be supported in website management by the Division Web Portfolio Manager role. This role helps oversee and coordinate site content with site owners and are designated by division senior leadership (Vice President/Senior Vice President).

• May also serve as site owners and site editors.
• Ensures the division’s priorities are reflected in the work of the site owners/editors. Serves as ITS’s point of contact for the division and secures input from senior division leadership when appropriate.
• Must be familiar with WordPress publishing best practices.
• Approves and engages division site owners.
• Identifies new site owners as needed.
• May work with site owners to validate content accuracy or/and provide direction on site content to site owners.

Additional roles

Access to edit tables, forms, and the menu can be requested in addition to the editor role.

• Table Manager: Can edit and embed tables into posts and pages using TablePress.
• Forms Manager: Can add and edit forms within the site using Gravity Forms.
• Menu Manager: Can add and edit menu items within the site. Only the highest-level role for a site (either Division Web Portfolio Manager or Site Owner) may be a menu manager.

ITS WordPress team

• Manages and provides access to WordPress sites for editors, site owners, and unit web coordinators.
• Maintains Enterprise and Marketing 21 themes for use on in.nau.edu with UX, accessibility, and security in mind.
• Maintains Plugins used on in.nau.edu.
• Reports on user access and content audits based on date.
• Provides and maintains training materials on Enterprise and Marketing 21 theme components.

How-tos

For an overview of services you may request, visit the NAU WordPress Service Catalog page. Services include:

• Website access and user permissions management
• General support and inquiries
• Training sandbox site creation
• Training sandbox review and approval
• New site creation

How to request a new feature or expand functionality of existing feature

• The ITS WordPress team has developed theme components with UX, accessibility, and security in mind. If you would like to suggest a new feature or changes to an existing component, please submit a General support and inquiries form.

WordPress training and theme documentation

Reference Website Support for in-depth training resources and documentation relevant to WordPress on the In-Site network.

Recommendations

• Content must be reviewed and verified at least annually. The ITS WordPress team will automate audits and email notifications to alert all WordPress users for a site when page content is older than 1 calendar year.
• Audits will be conducted in batches, with all sites being reviewed annually (in quarterly batches).
• If the page is not updated within the deadline described via email, it will be set to “draft” and then deleted after a waiting period. Before deletion, the Site Owner and/or Division Web Portfolio Manager will receive a notification of scheduled page deletion.
  • Some sites are composed of evergreen content; Division Web Portfolio Managers may identify pages that do not require annual review, bypassing the automated review process.
• For questions regarding custom styling, custom functionality, and plugin support, please review the guidelines on the Website Support site.
• Campus partners may have a subdomain that redirects to in.nau.edu but subdomains will not be supported by the ITS WordPress Team.

Other resources

• Process documentation, theme component reference, and blog for updates: https://in.nau.edu/web
• If you have concerns about this standard, or believe that something is missing, please let us know via the Feedback for NAU In-Site Network form, which will be reviewed by the ITS WordPress team.