The Web Design Studio provides a full range of Web site development and hosting services to the Columbia University Medical Center community and beyond.

Vanity URL/Domain Name Registration Policy and Guide

	Overview
	The Process
	Domain Name Options at Columbia University Medical Center
	Choosing Your Web Site Address
	Other Considerations

The Columbia University Medical Center community has a large and growing Web presence. These sites are used for a variety of purposes, not least of which is marketing. In support of this, the WDS provides clients with the ability to choose their own Web site address (also known as domain name, URL, or vanity URL), and has created this guide to help our clients follow best practices for domain name creation and registration at Columbia University Medical Center.

Once you decide on your Web site address, getting it set up is very easy.

1. Fill out an online form located at http://asp.cumc.columbia.edu/mc/hosting.asp. Be prepared to submit a line describing the purpose of your site, and the location at which it is currently hosted (URL) if it already exists. We will make sure that your choice(s) is available.

2. We will send you an e-mail that summarizes your request and outlines our approval requirements.

3. To make the approval process easy for your department head, we recommend that you simply forward our e-mail to them for review. If they simply type "I approve" in the body of the e-mail and send it back to the WDS, we consider the request approved.

4. Once we receive approval, we log and forward your request to ITS to be registered and set up. We will notify you when it is ready. Please allow about two weeks.

Related Fees

• Vanity URLs cost $250 per URL, per year for set-up and administration of vanity URLs.
• Costs associated with sub domain names, (www.alumniclub.columbia.edu), are covered by your hosting fee, as these URLs do not require licensing.

All Web sites that are online have a Web site address. At CUMC, the default address is www.cumc.columbia.edu/your_group_name/index.html. However, clients do have a number of different options. These include:

1. Requesting a "sub domain name" e.g. www.alumniclub.columbia.edu, www.surgery.hs.columbia.edu. These types of Web addresses are useful because your group name or site name appears early in the address, and is more likely to be remembered by your site visitors. Additionally, because they are a part of the Columbia University domain, they do not require registration with one of the national registrars and are provided free of charge.

2. Requesting a "vanity domain name/URL" e.g., www.goodbusinessny.com, www.marketingassoc.org, www.license.net. These types of URLs allow the client a lot of creativity when choosing a site address and can be a very effective marketing tool. However, one must always keep in mind that in creating a Web site address, you are acting as an official representative of your group and CUMC. Vanity URLs must be registered with an official domain name registrar and require a licensing and set-up fee.

As mentioned above, the right Web address can be a very effective marketing tool. However, a poorly chosen URL can do more harm than good. There are potential legal and "image" issues for Columbia University Medical Center units representing themselves on the web under other than the official University web pages found at: www.cumc.columbia.edu.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when deciding on the URL that is right for you and Columbia University Medical Center.

1. Keep it short, but not cryptic. You want people to remember your address, and more importantly, associate it with your organization.

2. Make it unique. Choosing a memorable and relevant Web address will increase the odds of people finding your Web site. For example, a generic name, such as www.researchlabs.com, does not give any clue about your identity, and will easily get lost among the legions of Web sites online. A better choice would be: www.taubinst.org. The Taub Institute is a recognized leader in Alzheimer’s research, and its name is likely to be searched for by users interested in Alzheimer’s disease.

3. Choose the appropriate extension(s). Vanity URLs can have different endings (extensions)--.com, .net, org, and .edu.

• .Com and .Net are most commonly associated with business and entertainment oriented sites.
• .Org extensions are routinely used by associations, nonprofits, or other public service oriented organizations.
• Edu extensions can only be used by an accredited learning institution, such as a university, and their use is regulated by Educause. (See http://www.educause.edu/ for more information).
• It is a good idea to purchase .com, .net, .org when you create your address. This prevents another business or organization from licensing your basic address with a different extension and undermining your marketing effort. For example: You purchase www.columbiadoctor.org and www.columbiadoctor.com. Another company that is not at all affiliated with your organization purchases www.columbiadoctors.com.



4. It's got to be lowercase. Don't create a name that makes sense only when using a combination of upper and lower case letters, such as www.columbiaPhD.org. Domain names are always lower case.

5. Get it approved – first. Have your department head review your request before you submit it to the Web Design Studio. They should be informed of the issues involved in name selection that might require review by University Counsel or other advisors, as well as the costs and risks associated with licensing a vanity URL.

   You may discover that your choice is not in line with the strategic objectives of your organization. Someone in your group already has an address that is too similar to the one you want Your department chair has plans for the address you would like.

6. Leverage the brand. Columbia University Medical Center (CUMC) is a world class institution with world wide recognition. Your group can benefit by referencing the organization in your address.

7. Take two. Always have a first and second choice in mind. The WDS may find that your first choice has already been taken by another organization.

8. Work through the CUMC Web Design Studio. WDS requires that all clients in need of a vanity URL work through us to register the domain. Clients that use third-party domain name registrars will be required to transfer the registration to our official registrar and name the WDS as administrator. We register and set up hundreds of domain names for sites on campus. The WDS team has staff dedicated to making sure that all domain names are carefully logged and monitored, and that licenses are always renewed promptly. With the Web Design Studio, you never have to worry that the individual who registered your URL will quit, taking the rights to your URL with them.

For details about transferring an URL license, see "5) Migration of existing domain names" below.

1. The WDS reserves the right to refuse a domain name request or to ask for a revision for any reason.

2. Account numbers (for charging purposes) must be submitted at the time of the request. However charges are not processed until the close of our fiscal year—June 30^th.

3. Charges are processed automatically—you will not receive a notice that the charge has been submitted.

4. WDS provides initial site file migration and set-up only for our hosting accounts. Ongoing site maintenance/updating are the responsibility of the site owner unless agreed under a separate WDS contract.

5. Migration of existing domain names: The WDS requires that existing domain names that have been licensed via an external registrar be transferred to our registrar, Dotster.com. This facilitates domain name management. The transfer process differs with each registrar; you should contact the Webmasters at (212) 305-1668 for guidance. Transfers can take some time, so please plan in advance. Please note: Transferring your license does not mean that you lose ownership of the site address, merely that the WDS has the right to administer it.