Departmental PDF Submission Guidelines help ensure that documents are consistent, accessible, and easy for users to find, read, and download. UTC offers this service through our TeamDynamix ticketing website, where departments can submit PDFs for review and publishing support. These guidelines outline how PDFs should be prepared before they are submitted, including proper file naming, formatting, accessibility checks, and content review. Following the same process across departments helps reduce errors, improves the user experience, and keeps online documents organized and up to date.
PDFs that do not meet the requirements below may not be uploaded to the website.
Note: The UTC website only allows PDF files, not Word, PowerPoint or other document types.
Creating and sharing accessible, up-to-date PDFs helps ensure that everyone can access your information easily while keeping our website fast, organized, and compliant with federal standards. Please review the following questions before submitting your documents for upload.
1. Can your PDF(s) be a webpage instead?
In many cases, turning your document into a webpage is a better choice. Webpages are easier to update, automatically meet most accessibility standards, and don’t take up as much storage space as PDFs. They also work better on phones and tablets.
If your content could be displayed as a webpage rather than a downloadable file, submit a webpage request here and our team will be happy to help you make the conversion.
2. Is your document meant for public use?
Before uploading, make sure your PDF is meant to be shared publicly. Only materials that inform or serve the general public should be published on departmental websites.
Examples of documents appropriate for public upload:
- Public reports, policies, or official statements
- Public-facing forms, guides, or instructions
- Research summaries or outreach materials
- Student and community resources
Documents that should not be uploaded to the public site:
- Course syllabi or classroom materials
- Event flyers and announcements (Please use the UTC events calendar service, which will ensure that past events are not displayed on the website.)
- Faculty or staff CVs/resumes (Digital Measures is the best solution for faculty biographies and can be displayed on the website by request.)
- Internal memos, drafts, or meeting notes
- Documents intended for limited audiences (e.g., committees, student organizations, classroom documents, departmental documents, etc.)
If a document serves an internal purpose, please share it through internal systems such as SharePoint, Canvas, or email instead of a public webpage.
3. Does your PDF(s) meet accessibility standards?
All PDFs published on the UTC website must meet federal accessibility requirements. Under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and ADA Title II, electronic documents—such as PDFs—must comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards.
Accessibility ensures everyone—including people using assistive technology—can read and interact with your content. Documents that do not meet these standards may be delayed or returned for revision.
4. Does this new PDF(s) replace old or outdated PDF(s)?
To keep content relevant and avoid confusion, please include links to any older PDFs that your new document replaces. Google indexes and displays PDFs in search results, which means outdated versions may still appear even after you’ve uploaded an update. Removing old files helps users find the most accurate, up-to-date information and keeps our storage costs low.
5. Is your PDF(s) optimized to reduce the file size?
Optimized PDFs load faster, save storage space, and are easier for everyone to access—especially on mobile devices. Large, uncompressed files can slow down your page, frustrate users, and hurt search rankings. By compressing images, removing hidden data, and tagging text for screen readers, you make your PDF faster, lighter, and more inclusive.