Departmental PDF Submission Guidelines
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. Consider a Webpage Instead of a PDF
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. Confirm That Your Document Is 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
- Event flyers and announcements
- 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
- 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 or enrolled students)
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. Ensure Your PDF Meets 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. Replace Old or Outdated PDFs
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.
NOTE: Be sure to let a web team member know to remove from Google search if it is urgent. Otherwise, it can take up to two weeks after a document is removed for Google to take care of business.
5. Optimize Your 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.
If you have read all these criteria and still need to upload a PDF(s):