Navigation

UM Seal

The seal on any banner should always point to the UM System homepage (www.umsystem.edu). If it is not possible to link the seal back to the homepage, then some other text link should reside somewhere above the fold on the webpage.

Top Navigation

The landing page for each administrative unit of the UM System should include a set of tabs along the top of the screen, as well as a left-hand menu described later on this webpage. For purposes of these guidelines, “administrative unit” includes the curators’ office, the six offices headed by a vice president, and the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. The top navigation tabs will present one of two navigational styles:

1. Subunit style – If the administrative unit chooses this style, each tab presents the subunits that fall under the administrative unit, and lists the main functions and responsibilities of the subunits. This is the style that most administrative units choose.
2. Topic style – If the administrative unit chooses this style, each tab presents a main topic related to the unit, but not aligned with subunits’ titles.

Left-Hand Menu

The left-hand menu appears on every webpage in the UM System website, except some of the highest-level, specialty webpages such as the UM System homepage. The left-hand menu for every administrative unit is different. For the most part, the items in the menu are determined by the associated executive(s); but in a few instances, standard items appear in every menu:

• Every administrative unit has an “About the Office” menu item that appears directly below the “[Office name] Home.” For example:
  
  • #1 menu item: Finance Home
  • #2 menu item: About the Office of Finance
• The “About the Office” menu item always presents two sub-items on a flyout menu: (a) Bio, Vice President for [Office name] and (b) Staff Directory. There can be more flyout items under the “About the Office” item, but these two items are always top.

Subunits may or may not have their own, specialized left-hand menu that is different than the administrative unit of which they are a part. If they do, then the menu items in their left-hand menu should be as follows:

• #1 menu item: [Subunit name] Home
• #2 menu item: Staff directory (optional)
• Items determined by subunit’s executive(s) …
• Items …
• Items …
• Etc. …
• Final menu item: [Office name] Home

The final menu item should point back to the administrative office of which the subunit is a part. For example, Budget and Planning is a subunit of the Office of Finance, and it has its own left-hand menu. The final menu item should be “Office of Finance” and point back to www.umsystem.edu/ums/fa/.