Dear students, faculty and staff,
Starting today, you’ll see a new look and refreshed visual identity for the university appearing in many of our physical and digital spaces. This update is part of a renewed effort to raise awareness about who we are and to show the world what we can do.
There are so many reasons to be proud of WashU. Our achievements in education, research and patient care are nothing short of world-class. As members of our community, you already know this. To know WashU is to love WashU — to appreciate the seriousness of our work, the impact we have on the world around us, and the way we collaborate to bring out the best in each other.
We’ve often heard that our community is humble in sharing the story of who we are and what we can do. Each of us has likely found ourselves explaining WashU to family, friends and acquaintances. There’s a fine line between institutional humility and the need for many different audiences to develop a greater awareness and a deeper understanding of our stories, distinction and impact. Today, we’re ready to begin taking more people on that journey.
The most visible change you’ll notice is that our formal logo and the way we refer to ourselves will lean more heavily into “WashU.” It’s a name that has been used for a long time by members of our community and those who know us best, and it’s a memorable and powerful reference, unique to us. There are many “Washingtons,” but there is only one “WashU.” It’s important to note that our official name remains, proudly, Washington University in St. Louis.
But this is about much more than a logo or a nickname; it’s about who we are and how we showcase the people and programs that drive our success. On the new washu.edu, you’ll find an initial collection of vignettes highlighting our mission, our impact and the distinctiveness of our collaborative university community, with much more vibrant storytelling to come. In addition, visual updates will be showing up all over campus, including in the campus bookstores, banners and signage. We’ll also have some special surprises for our students as they return for the new academic year.
What you’ll see starting today is just the beginning. While we’re making many exciting changes now, it will take some time to transition to a fully updated WashU look and feel. We’re working on a longer timeline to maximize resources and limit disruption to campus spaces and services. So don’t be surprised if you see a mash-up of “old” and “new” visual identities for awhile longer.
Today is an important milestone in a highly collaborative process being led by University Marketing & Communications in partnership with schools and units across the university. The effort has been informed by the voices of many internal and external constituents who’ve helped define what distinguishes WashU. More information is available in this article, which appeared in the Record this morning, and also on the University Marketing & Communications website, which includes an FAQ and contact information for any questions.
We’re proud to share today’s initial launch of our refreshed visual identity and new storytelling platform with our community, and to take this significant step toward showing the rest of the world what we already know – that there’s no place else quite like WashU.
Sincerely,
Andrew D. Martin
Chancellor
Julie Hail Flory
Vice Chancellor for Marketing and Communications