The web presence of a university is often a loosely coupled network of websites that act as subsidiaries under an umbrella organization. This presents unique challenges because there are so many stakeholders involved, and the varying needs can conflict.

To make matters worse, the umbrella organization might have responsibility for the overall web presence but have no real authority. They can entice, persuade, and cajole. They cannot enforce any mandates.

In the words of one member of an umbrella organization: “All we have is carrots. We don’t have any sticks.”

Decentralization becomes a challenge when you need to ensure that:

• Consistent branding is applied at every level of the organization
• Content quality remains high across a variety of independent teams
• Accessibility requirements are met across every property

We call these decentralized organizations “archipelagos,” borrowing the word used for a collection of islands or sometimes the sea containing a small number of scattered islands.

Of course, universities are not the only ones to suffer from this problem. It can also be seen in state government, large media organizations, and sports leagues. But they show up reliably in higher education due to the different ways that stakeholders, intended audiences, institutional conservatism, and department politics can mix.