This document overviews the approved file types and their usage for our campus web. Utilizing consistent file types keeps our university safe for ADA compliance and also provides an accessible and user-friendly experience to our Chico State community.
Please remember, all documents must be accessible before publishing to the web. Submit a Web Support ticket so Web Services can remediate and add your document to the Cascade system.
Forms
Approved form types: Google Forms, Microsoft Forms, Qualtrics, Soft Docs and PDF Fillable Forms
When are forms acceptable?
Forms are best used for data and survey collection, intake forms, and application submissions
When should PDF fillable forms be used over other accepted form types?
- When a signature is required for completion
- User needs to download the form
Box Links
Box links should be only be used for the approved circumstances below. Using a Box link that is outside of Cascade does not exempt any file from ADA compliance. Please submit a Web Support ticket to make it accessible before adding it to a page.
When is a Box link appropriate?
When the document is not heavily used by current or prospective students.
Box links do not have the capability to appear in Google search findings. If it's important to your team that a user be able to locate the document with a Google search, do not use a Box link. Instead, store the PDF in Cascade.
PDFs Stored in Cascade
For the best user-experience, PDFs are most appropriately used for applications with a required signature, handbooks and guides.
When should PDFs be used?
- The document needs to be downloaded
- Official documentation that should be available to campus
- Content is highly used by current and prospective students
If a webpage exists with similar information, do not create a PDF for the content. Doing so creates duplicated information and is against our web governance policy.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets are foundationally very accessible and require little to no remediation work. When creating a Google Sheet, please make sure the title is descriptive.
When should Google Sheets be used?
- Content that is frequently updated throughout the semester (lab sessions, SI tutoring schedules)
- Collaboration is needed with neighboring offices or outside organizations