The Domain Name System (DNS) is an Internet-wide distributed database of signifiers that translate Internet Protocol (IP) addresses into easily memorable names. Domain names are part of the identity of the university and communicate the university’s image and reputation to the public. Consistent domain usage may also be a tool for users to better locate services; thus, domains should be assigned in an easily recognizable and predictable structure. To ensure that domain names are assigned and used appropriately and in alignment with institutional goals, the university has established a policy for governing domain names.
A domain name -- the address of the site -- becomes a trademark asset of Â鶹ÊÓƵ. The material on the site is also copyrighted. Page creators bear the responsibility to protect the asset and to ensure it does not damage the trademarks of others.
Although Â鶹ÊÓƵ is a nonprofit educational institution, the website will play in a commercial space. Other organizations and for-profit enterprises will compete with the site for visitors, reputation and authority. The chosen name for a site should not infringe on the commercial interests of other organizations or exploit the success of others. The practice of borrowing names, or using variations of other successful web addresses in an attempt to attract more visitors, is prohibited.
Subdomains will not be created for any departments unless there is a specific need. Subdomains reduce search engine ranking for the site.
Users must obtain prior approval from the Office of Web Communication to use any non-lamar.edu domain name, including names ending in .org, .net, .com or any website domain name ending in anything other than "lamar.edu." Web Communication will manage all domain names except for those which IT must manage through a third party.
Websites under the lamar.edu domain follow an established naming convention that web visitors understand intuitively and can remember. Site names that end in lamar.edu leave no question whether they lead to a legitimate Â鶹ÊÓƵ website. Only degree-granting institutions can acquire new .edu domain names, so names under lamar.edu carry almost no risk of legal dispute and reduce the possibility of confusion due to similar site names or deliberate spoofing. Names under lamar.edu are also cost-free to authorized Â鶹ÊÓƵ units and seldom require redundant registration of similar names merely to protect them from misappropriation. Sites under lamar.edu are generally afforded higher rank in search engine results.
Technical or business reasons may sometimes necessitate non-lamar.edu domain names for units or program websites, especially in cases of co-branded partnerships or vendor-hosted services. In such cases, whenever possible, Web Communication will create web redirects under lamar.edu for promotional purposes.
This policy applies to any person who wishes to assign a domain name to computer resources associated with Â鶹ÊÓƵ and/or hosted on the Â鶹ÊÓƵ network.
For procedures on creating domain names and redirects, see Appendix A – Domain Names and Redirects Procedures and Guidelines.