University & Presidental Seal
The university seal is reserved for the highest official communication of the university. The seal is a mark of guarantee; it is reserved for the most solemn and serious purposes of the institution. The university seal may only be used for official university business, and by individuals authorized in this university policy.
The university seal is distinct from the university logo. The university seal is not a communications mark for routinely identifying the university. The university seal is a registered trademark and a symbol of the identity of the university that is reserved for use on documents or forms of the highest official rank.
It is important to the integrity of the university, and as a fiduciary matter, that the university seal only be used for permissible purposes by authorized university officials.
The university seal is reserved for the following items:
- University transcripts
- Undergraduate, Graduate and Earned Doctoral Degree parchments providing evidence of a Degree conferred by the University
- Certificates providing evidence of an honorary or posthumous degree conferred
- Diplomas and certificates approved by the university
- Certification of Degree, Diploma, or Certificate
- Blank certificates containing the seal may be created but will be produced in limited quantity and only for a specific purpose.
- Offices using such certificates are responsible for maintaining the integrity of the seal and must exercise appropriate care in ensuring that the certificates are used only for their intended purpose. Permission from the Division of Marketing and Communication is required.
- Certifications that lead to licensure and/or pre-examinations that assist with future licensure may be eligible for the seal as long as the certification form has clear information as to what entity is asking for the informaiton and contact information is avialble on the form for questions.
- Ceremonial documents such as awards and proclamations from the Office of the President. The Office of the President also may use the seal as part of its official stationary and letterhead materials.
- Commemorative objects created for limited distribution, made out of durable material of high quality. Examples include plaques, medallions and commemorative crystal paperweights. The only exempt items not made of durable material are graduation announcements.
- Permanent signage in extremely limited usage, such as at the main entryway to the institution, but not including building signs. Use in the Office of the President is appropriate, but not in less formal settings.
- Financial documents such as the official university or system budgets, checks, university- or system-issued securities and other financial papers where it is essentially a mark of guarantee. (It may not be used in ordinary internal communication documents regarding financial matters.)
- Contracts and documents that require the president’s signature.
- United States or United Nations governmental forms that specifically state the requirements of the seal.
What the Seal Is Not:
- A way to authenticate or certify degree or enrollment verifications that are otherwise certified by the signature of the University Registrar or Desginee.
- A way to authenticate a signature or validity of the information being provided {typically verifiation/certification of a signature is handled via an authorized and valid notarization process}.
