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Audit

Audit  Audit of the University of Massachusetts Amherst

Our office conducted a performance audit of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.

Organization: Office of the State Auditor
Date published: December 30, 2024

Executive Summary

In accordance with Section 12 of Chapter 11 of the Massachusetts General Laws, the Office of the State Auditor has conducted a performance audit of the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Amherst for the period July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.  

The purpose of this performance audit was to determine whether UMass Amherst’s website and its learning management system (LMS), Blackboard, adhered to the accessibility standards established by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 for user accessibility, keyboard accessibility, navigation accessibility, language, error identification, and color accessibility. WCAG ensures that all users, regardless of ability, can access the content and functions of UMass Amherst’s website and LMS. Further, it supports UMass Amherst’s commitment to equal access for students, faculty, and visitors, fulfilling legal1 and ethical standards.  

Additionally, we determined whether UMass Amherst ensured that its employees completed cybersecurity awareness training in accordance with its adopted Center for Internet Security controls. Cybersecurity awareness is important because adhering to internet security policies helps UMass Amherst demonstrate the university’s commitment to protecting sensitive information.  

Below is a summary of our findings, the effects of those findings, and our recommendations, with links to each page listed.

  
Finding 1
 		UMass Amherst’s website is not fully accessible2 for all Massachusetts residents and users.
EffectBroken or faulty hyperlinks limit users from having equitable access to critical information and key online services offered by UMass Amherst and increase the likelihood that Massachusetts residents and students will either access outdated or incorrect information or be directed to webpages that no longer exist. Videos that lack sufficient captioning prevent users from engaging with video content in a meaningful way (e.g., lack of context provided through dialog and important sounds). Additionally, hyperlinks without sufficient contrast with the surrounding text negatively impact the user experience by making it difficult to locate other relevant information.
Recommendation
 		The university should continually review its webpages to ensure that all hyperlinks lead to related information and have sufficient contrast with the surrounding text in order to provide equitable access to critical information and services offered online by UMass Amherst. The university should also adopt procedures to ensure that videos have captioning features enabled when posted to the umass.edu website.
Finding 2
 		UMass Amherst’s learning management system (LMS), Blackboard, is not fully accessible for all students.
Effect

The above instances of noncompliance have the following effects on the user:

Broken or Faulty Hyperlinks

  • This can limit Blackboard users from having equitable access to critical information and key online services offered on the LMS.
  • This can increase the likelihood that users will either access outdated or incorrect information or be directed to webpages that no longer exist.

Missing Search Bars

  • This can prevent users from navigating to other relevant information.

Hyperlinks without Identifiable Markers or Sufficient Contrast

  • This can negatively impact the user experience by making it difficult to locate other relevant information.

Zoom in to 200% and 400%

  • Users will be unable to read Blackboard content.

Bypass Blocks

  • Users will be unable to navigate to the important main content of a page quickly.

Portrait Mode

  • Users will be unable to interact with their course content on their mobile devices effectively.

Keyboard Accessibility/Navigation

  • Users who have mobility issues will be unable to access certain features and content.

Titles

  • Users with screen readers will lose comprehension of the feature.

Language Attributes

  • The lack of language attributes will prevent screen readers from reading the content to users.

Error Identification

  •  If users are not informed of errors when making inputs on data entry, it means that users will be unable to identify their errors and retrieve the content they need.
Recommendation
 		UMass Amherst should review the accessibility statements and reports of its LMS vendor to determine instances of WCAG noncompliance. UMass management should work with its LMS vendor to ensure that any potential instances of WCAG noncompliance are resolved.
Finding 3
 		UMass Amherst has not implemented workforce cybersecurity awareness training.
EffectIf UMass Amherst does not educate all employees on their responsibility to protect its information assets by requiring cybersecurity awareness training, then UMass Amherst is exposed to an elevated risk of cybersecurity attacks, which may cause financial and/or reputational losses.
Recommendation
 		UMass Amherst management should update its WISP to require all employees to complete cybersecurity training at hire and at least annually thereafter. UMass Amherst should also devise means by which it can enforce and monitor compliance with an updated training policy. UMass Amherst should enroll all of its employees, contractors, and interns in cybersecurity awareness training.

In addition to the conclusions we reached regarding our audit objectives, we also identified issues not specifically addressed by our objectives. For more information, see Other Matters.


 

1.   Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that state universities’ and colleges’ websites be accessible.

2.   Accessible is defined in our report as compliance with WCAG.

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