The application publishing guidelines provide foundational expectations for building mobile applications that align with the University of Washington’s standards. These guidelines are intended to support sponsors and developers in creating applications that are secure, accessible, well-branded, and compliant with institutional policies.
The topics below cover key areas such as security, accessibility, branding, data privacy, and app store requirements. It is the responsibility of both the sponsor and the developer to ensure that all applications meet the University’s technical, legal, and design standards. The University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team is available to assist with app store publishing logistics but does not provide development services, code reviews, or technical consultation.
Use the table of contents below to navigate directly to the topics most relevant to your project.
Roles and responsibilities
Teams that publish an application (app) through the UW Mobile Developer Programs, consist of the following roles:
- Application Sponsor
- The Sponsor is a director or above (or equivalent) at the unit level within the University of Washington.
- Primary Developer
- The Developer will be responsible for code maintenance and app distribution.
- University Marketing and Communications
- University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) will be responsible for granting access to the various application developer programs.
In publishing an app, each role fulfills particular responsibilities that are detailed below.
Application Sponsor responsibilities
- UW terms and conditions
- The Sponsor will be responsible for adhering to the specifications set out in the UW Terms and Conditions.
- Apple and/or Google Play terms and conditions
- The Sponsor will be responsible for adhering to the specifications set out in the Apple and/or Google Play terms and conditions.
- Accessibility
- The Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the App is accessible, in alignment with the UW policy that all software is accessible. For assistance, UW-IT’s Accessible Technology Services (ATS) team offers accessiblity consultations/reviews.
- Usability (user experience)
- The Sponsor is responsible for ensuring that the App provides a good user experience for our audiences. For assistance, free UX consultations are available with UW-IT’s AXDD design team.
- UW branding
- If applicable, the Sponsor will ensure that the App adheres to the use of UW logo and brand guidelines.
- Information security
- The Sponsor will be responsible for adhering to/and implementing information security policies and complying with relevant laws and regulations.
- Privacy practices
- The Sponsor will be responsible for adhering to the UW Online Privacy Statement.
- External vendors and developers
- If the Sponsor is working with an External Vendor or Developer, the Sponsor will be responsible for ensuring the vendor/developer is in compliance with UW policies regarding data security and privacy as well as any necessary agreements to that regard are in place. Procurement Services may be able to provide guidance.
- Due diligence
- The Sponsor agrees to undertake the due diligence to adhere to the UW values and demonstrate compliance with all UW policies mentioned and/or may otherwise be relevant.
Primary Developer responsibilities
- Developer account invitations
- The Developer is responsible for inviting users to their specific application team as well as maintaining their team in good standing (including removing members who are no longer part of their team). UMAC reserves the right to remove or update membership for members not added to a specific application team or that are no longer actively participating in development.
- Publishing application
- The Developer is responsible for overall publishing of the app.
UMAC responsibilities
- Maintainence of app stores and vendor relationships
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The University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team manages the University of Washington’s presence in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. As part of this responsibility, UMAC:
- Maintains the official UW app store accounts and vendor relationships.
- Pays any fees required to keep the app stores active and available.
- Reviews and approves any changes to vendor terms and conditions.
- Communicates with application sponsors about updates or changes that may require action.
- Surfaces concerns raised by the UW community to the appropriate vendors for resolution.
While UMAC facilitates the publishing process and ensures institutional alignment, it does not provide application development services, code reviews, or technical consultation.
- Creation of Application ID and assignment of App Development Manager
- UMAC shall create a single application ID and assign a person to fill the role of Primary Developer (specified above).
- Audit
- UMAC may perform audits to ensure that accounts are up to date and applications are in good standing. We are also responsible to audit any apps if we have received any formal complaints and/or requests from Apple/Google.
- App suspension and/or removal
- UMAC reserves the right to suspend or remove apps in the store that violate any of the terms and conditions described above.
- Support
- UMAC provides minimal technical support in the form of technical advice/guidance and knowledge expertise. No support is provided for application development or for the app’s users.
Requirements for publishing and maintaining applications
Mobile application accessibility compliance
It is the shared responsibility of both the application sponsor and the developer to ensure that all mobile applications associated with the University of Washington meet current accessibility standards. These standards are defined by the University’s ADA Coordinator’s Office and UW-IT’s Accessible Technology Services (ATS), and are grounded in federal and state accessibility laws and institutional policy.
To support compliance, sponsors must proactively engage UW-IT’s Accessible Technology Services to request an accessibility review of their application. This review will identify any barriers to access and provide consultation on how to remediate issues to ensure the application is usable by all members of the UW community, including individuals with disabilities.
Following the completion of the accessibility review, the sponsor will have six (6) months to address any identified concerns. If no remediation activity is initiated within this timeframe, the University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team will follow up with the sponsor to determine the appropriate course of action.
If the sponsor does not respond to this follow-up within fifteen (15) calendar days, UMAC will issue a final notice. The sponsor will then have thirty (30) additional days to either confirm their intent to remediate the application or to back up and remove the application from the app store.
Failure to respond within this final thirty (30) day period will result in the removal of the application from the app store by the UMAC Web Strategy team.
Mobile application security and privacy compliance
It is the joint responsibility of both the application sponsor and the developer to ensure that all mobile applications associated with the University of Washington are developed and maintained in a secure manner. This includes implementing secure coding practices, safeguarding user data, and ensuring compliance with all applicable University of Washington policies, including terms of use and privacy standards.
Before an application is submitted to the app store, the sponsor must contact the UW Information Technology (UW-IT) Chief Information Security Officer’s (CISO) office to request a security review and consultation. This review is intended to identify potential vulnerabilities and ensure the application meets the University’s security expectations.
Following the completion of the security review, the sponsor will have a period of six (6) months to address any identified concerns. If no remediation activity is initiated within this timeframe, the University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team will follow up with the sponsor to determine the appropriate course of action.
If the sponsor does not respond to this follow-up within fifteen (15) calendar days, UMAC will issue a final notice. The sponsor will then have thirty (30) additional days to either confirm their intent to remediate the application or to back up and remove the application from the app store.
Failure to respond within this final thirty (30) day period will result in the removal of the application from the app store by the UMAC Web Strategy team.
Mobile application monetization compliance
The University of Washington’s designation as a non-profit educational institution governs its participation in both the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. Under the terms of our agreements with these platforms, applications published through the University’s accounts must be distributed free of charge and may not include monetization features.
It is the responsibility of both the application sponsor and the developer to ensure that their applications:
- Are distributed at no cost,
- Do not include in-app purchases or optional paid features,
- Do not incur usage fees or ongoing costs for users.
While app store frameworks may include fields for pricing or monetization, these must not be used. Any attempt to monetize an application violates our agreements with Apple and Google and may result in removal from the app stores.
If the University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team identifies an application that is being sold, requires payment, or includes optional purchases, the team will contact the sponsor to explain the University’s position and request that the monetization features be removed or the application be withdrawn.
The sponsor will have thirty (30) days to address these concerns. If no action is taken within that timeframe, UMAC will follow up to determine the appropriate course of action.
If the sponsor does not respond to this follow-up within fifteen (15) calendar days, UMAC will issue a final notice. The sponsor will then have thirty (30) additional days to either confirm their intent to remediate the application or to back up and remove it from the app store.
Failure to respond within this final thirty (30) day period will result in the removal of the application from the app store by the UMAC Web Strategy team.
Unmaintained applications
It is the responsibility of both the application sponsor and the developer to ensure that mobile applications associated with the University of Washington are actively maintained and supported. Applications that are no longer updated, monitored, or supported pose potential risks to users and the University’s digital ecosystem.
If an application is determined to be unmaintained—due to lack of updates, unresolved issues, or unresponsiveness from the sponsor or developer—the University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) Web Strategy team will initiate a review to determine the appropriate course of action.
UMAC will first contact the application sponsor to confirm the application’s status. If the sponsor does not respond within fifteen (15) calendar days, UMAC will issue a final notice. The sponsor will then have thirty (30) additional days to either:
- Confirm their intent to resume maintenance and support of the application, or
- Back up and remove the application from the app store.
If no response is received within this final thirty (30) day period, the UMAC Web Strategy team will proceed with removing the application from the app store.