Checklist item: The communications tone and style is appropriate for the audience.
Guideline: A site should be tailored to the desired audience. The fundamental question to answer: who is the site for.
If the site is targeted to students, the language should speak in language that students can relate to. Testing, such as showing the site or text to a group of students, should be included in the process.
For a site related to the general public, care should be taken to limit the amount of university jargon or administrative structure.
A site designed for faculty, can include academic related information, although jargon should still be limited.
The bottom line is to make a site that is useful for the target audience.