The purpose of this report was to identify best practices in the design and content of college and university academic department Web sites that have been shown to enhance the recruitment of prospective students. The Admissions Advisory Committee at the University of Rhode Island conducted a literature review on the importance of college, university, and academic department Web sites to student recruitment and on the types and formats of information provided on these sites that are most likely to interest prospective students in an institution. The committee examined Web sites at the University of Rhode Island and other colleges and universities to identify academic department sites that exemplified best practices in this area. As a result of the study, the committee listed twelve characteristics of academic department Web sites that, if implemented, would be likely to increase the recruitment of prospective students. The committee provided examples of academic department sites at the University of Rhode Island that best illustrated each characteristic. The conclusion of the committee was that the Web site of the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Rhode Island best exemplified, overall, the best practices identified by the study. The report was endorsed by the Faculty Senate of the University of Rhode Island on April 29, 2010. (Contains 10 images and a bibliography.)