Guidelines For SAI Chapter Web Sites
Complete Guidelines and Suggestions for SAI chapter web sites (will require Acrobat Reader, available for download free) - a checklist for SAI chapter web sites. For further explanations of some of those guidelines, please consult the information below.
This information is concerned with the content and presentation of SAI chapter sites. For help in finding a host or with HTML, check our Resources for Chapter Webmasters.
Name
The front page of each chapter web site must contain the name and location of the chapter, including the college or university of college chapters, and the province. "Sigma Alpha Iota" should also appear on the front page.
All chapter web sites should list their chapter name on each page. Each site should be clearly distinguishable from other chapters and from the National SAI site. This can be accomplished in the content of the site, as well as in the Title line of the HTML file.
Contact Information
NEVER post a member's address or phone number without specific written permission. It is safest to use e-mail or school/business addresses on the internet. If you are using a chapter e-mail address, please include a reference to your chapter in the address so that it is clearly your chapter's address and not a national Sigma Alpha Iota contact (i.e. AlphaSAI, SAIUofM, instead of just SAI).
Content
All chapter web sites should include the following:
- A link to the National SAI Web Site - http://www.sai-national.org/
- A link to the Chapter sites via the Province Pages.
- A link to the appropriate Province page of the National site - http://www.sai-national.org/chapters/yourprovince.html. (ex: betab.html or alphaa.html)
- Name and E-mail address of a contact person or "webmaster" on the front page of the site.
- Date of chapter's installation
- Number of active chapter members
When developing site content, concentrate on chapter information. Consider including the following:
NEVER include ritual information on the internet.
Presentation
Aim for a PROFESSIONAL appearance.
- Each chapter site is representing Sigma Alpha Iota to people around the world.
- Try to portray our character as a music fraternity for professional women in your site's presentation.
- Make sure your site appears correctly using both Netscape and Internet Explorer.
- Check your spelling!
Be careful with graphics.
- Graphics should compliment the content of the site - not distract from it.
- Make sure text is legible with the background chosen.
- Too many graphics will slow down your site and may lose customers.
Link Up Your Site
Send your site address to the following organizations to make your chapter easy to find:
- National SAI Web Site - contact webmaster@sai-national.org
- Your School of Music and/or University site
- Major Internet Search Engines and Greek Pages. Look first for Sigma Alpha Iota and then add your chapter. If SAI doesn't have a national listing there, please contact webmaster@sai- national.org.
- The local Phi Mu Alpha chapter site.
Keep it Updated
It's helpful to put a date somewhere on your home page so users can tell how current the information is.
Webmaster Resources
Starting a Chapter Website
A synopsis of the workshop, "How to Make Your Chapter Website Effective - and Keep it That Way", presented by Betsy Thal Gephart, former Online Services Director, Jennifer Dunham Luby and Martha Gasque at the 2000 National Convention is now available for download in PDF Format. The synopsis was compiled by Jennifer Dunham Luby, and covers the creation and management of effective chapter websites. Topics include advice on page design, finding web space, site maintenance, along with suggestions for use of SAI's online resources.
The following is taken from the Summer 1997 issue of Pan Pipes, p.14.
Is There a Web Site in Your Future?
by Betsy Thal Gephart, former National Online Services Director
Creating an Internet Home Page for your SAI chapter is a wonderful way to connect with SAI members around the world, and it's not that difficult to do! All it takes is a bit of organization, someone who knows how to create the page, and a server to host your website.
The first step in creating a page is deciding what you'd like to put on it. Since there are already more than 160 chapter pages on the Web, I have put together some guidelines that will help get you started. They include some ideas for a basic chapter website. When deciding on page content, remember that all materials should be approved for public consumption. With that restriction, the possibilities are still enormous! Browse through the other chapter pages to get ideas. Consider what you would like to find on the Internet. Could your chapter put it there? A unique music resource might even be considered for a chapter project.
Once you have some content decisions made, you're ready to put the site together. For this you'll need a member who knows at least a bit about HTML, the language used to write web pages. There are guides available on the Internet, and there is endless software available to write pages for various user-levels and price ranges. With enough patience and a little experience, any chapter's computer expert ought to be able to create a website.
When writing the chapter page, keep the image of SAI - a fraternity for professional women - in mind. That doesn't mean you can't have fun! You need only look through our current chapter websites to see a multitude of classy but exciting graphics.
With your page ready-to-go, the last step is to find a server to host your site. For college chapters, the first place to check is your college or university. Many will provide space to campus organizations. Some chapters use the accounts of individual members, both at universities and on commercial servers. One drawback of this approach is the prospect of losing the space if that member leaves town. Other places to look for hosts are local Internet access providers, non-profit organizations and other educational institutions. Some city information networks will provide space to local non-profits. If your content is of interest to a local server, they may consider helping you out. Perhaps a collective arts or educational group has some space available. In addition, there are several servers around the country who will provide free space to non-profit organizations. In the end, the cost of putting your page on the Internet should be negligible.
When choosing a server, make sure your updating process is convenient. Your webmaster should be able to post the pages from her home computer. And when considering available space, remember that HTML files are very small. Graphics files take up the most space.
Once your site is up and running, don't forget to send your address to the National Home Page.
Useful Links
Below is a short list of Internet links to get you started. If you have further questions or suggestions for this list, please contact Nicole Gallagher, Chapter Website Monitor.