Setting up a website and hosting options

Find out who can have web space on the Sussex domain and how to get it.

Do you need a website?

The Digital and Creative Media (DCM) team can advise on best practices and solutions for creating an online digital presence, including hosting options.

If you need a website, blog, app or other online system to support your work at the University, email dcm@sussex.ac.uk.

University website hosting policy

All websites use the central University templates and branding. This is to ensure consistency and good web practices. The design of the University templates have been agreed with University management and are regularly tested by the DCM team for good web standards including accessibility.

All University websites should use the sussex.ac.uk domain name. This domain name is established and trusted with search engines and users, meaning you rank higher when people search for you and visitors can be confident it’s a genuine University of Sussex web presence. It also forms part of the University brand.

The only exemption to the above is when there is an affiliation with another organisation where use of the University brand could be adapted. See below for more information about affiliated websites. If you need advice, email dcm@sussex.ac.uk.

Who can ask for a website

University-hosted websites can only ever be owned by current Sussex staff or students.

Choose from this list:

Schools and departments

All core academic unit websites (including departments, schools and graduate centres) are managed using a website content management system (called the WCM).

To become an editor of a school or departmental site, you’ll need to get your departmental head or school administrator to contact us, requesting you become an editor: dcm@sussex.ac.uk.

Research centres, programs, labs and projects

All research centres, programs, labs and projects websites are managed using a website content management system (called the WCM).

To edit the content on an academic research site you’ll need the permission of your unit head.

To set up a new research centre or group website, the centre or group needs to be offically endorsed by The Research and Knowledge Exchange Committee. See the Research and Knowledge Exchange website for more information.

Affilliated research projects

These are research groups or projects requiring a web presence that are not wholly under the management of the University of Sussex, but where the University is a significant partner in the project. You may be hosted by the University at the discretion of IT Services.

To get a site set up, contact the DCM team in the first instance – dcm@sussex.ac.uk – to see if you qualify.

Once set up, if you wish to transfer an existing directory to a new owner, the head of unit should email dcm@sussex.ac.uk asking for the directory to be transferred and nominating an editor – in other words, the person who will be responsible for maintaining the web pages in that directory.

Web addresses

If a website is not using the Sussex Brand then it should ideally use a differernt domain name to sussex.ac.uk.

At the discretion of ITS, alternative domain names may be hosted here (for example http://migratingoutofpoverty.dfid.gov.uk). If you want this, you must contact ITS before you buy or attempt to transfer any domain names to University domain name servers.

Professional Services

All Progfessional Services websites are managed and built using a website content management system (called the WCM). Contact us to request a new site: dcm@sussex.ac.uk.

USSU societies

University of Sussex Student Union Societies are entitled to a sub-section of the Students’ Union web presence. Email m.j.riley@sussex.ac.uk from your Sussex email account for details.

Individual staff and graduate students

You can ask for space on the central webserver to host a personal web site. Send a request to www-request@sussex.ac.uk. Documentation on the setting up of personal web pages on the central server will be issued on completion of a successful application.

The root URL for personal web pages always takes the form: http://users.sussex.ac.uk/~username.

This space is for personal information only, such as your biography, research interests, CV and other interests. Details of your professional publications should be published via Sussex Direct. Official University information should be published through our web content system (WCM).

Course materials should be published on Canvas. Refer to the Technology Enhanced Learning website for more information regarding Canvas.

Undergraduate students

Undergraduate students are allowed a space on the central webserver to host a personal web site, with the permission of a head of school and if a course requires it. Contact your school, who will forward your details to the ITS helpdesk. Documentation on setting up personal web pages on the central server is issued on completion of a successful application.

Contact

Contact dcm@sussex.ac.uk if you have any queries about website hosting or developments (including blog use).

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