While nearly 800 people feasted on the spread provided by the President’s Office in the field house on the Gorham campus, Department of Facilities Management (DFM) was busy around campus replacing the old signs and banners. The first all-staff opening breakfast functioned as the official unveiling of the new logo that Media and Community Relations had been working on for almost two years.
Almost 40 signs and banners were replaced on all three campuses with the bulk of them on the Gorham campus. Eleven DFM staff skipped the first all staff opening breakfast and instead spent much of the morning roaming the campuses replacing the new signs before the breakfast let out. “We wanted the people to say wow! that looks really nice,” said Dave Early, executive director of facilities management who admitted he spent his morning trying to stay out of his crew’s way.
While Early and his crew did their part to begin the physical changeover, President Richard Pattenaude and his staff began their mission to relay the new messages associated with the new look. Provost Joe Wood addressed the crowd of both professional (salaried) and classified (hourly) staff and said, “we must undertake the challenge in front of us so that we thrive and not just survive.”
These words ushered in the beginning of what the administration hopes will be a cycle of prosperity and growth for the University. With the implementation of the new logo the administration plans to increase visibility and awareness of the University and what it has to offer to its students and the community. “We are a good University on our way to becoming a great one” said Pattenaude.
The replacement of the 30 banners and six signs was the first step in a multi-faceted makeover. Plans are in the works at DFM to create signs for the department houses lined around the perimeter of the Portland campus and also for a few of the Gorham campus buildings. These signs will include the new logo, as well as the street address and department name. This will ensure that in an emergency the buildings will be easily identified and located, said Early. Early hopes to have these completed in the spring but said he has to do it as the money becomes available. While the cost for the initial signs adds up to $30,000, Early estimates the entire project costing approximately $50,000. The project is funded by the leasing of University land in Gorham to wireless companies like Tmobile and AT&T.
The logo replaced a hodgepodge of more than 50 images previously representing the University’s various organizations “We have been Maine’s best-kept University for too long,” said President Pattenaude explaining the need to create and implement a new image. However not everybody is pleased with the new image.
“Does this reflect diversity?” said Natalya Kulsha administrative assistant in the Office of Finance and Administration. Kulsha agreed that though it was time for a change she said, “it’s really dull… I think that many people don’t like it but won’t just come out and say it.”
Her friend Jae Rodriguez, custom publishing coordinator at Printing Services, echoed those sentiments. He said “they could’ve chosen something a little more indicative of Maine without being hokey” though he did like the new colors, which replace the former school colors of maroon and gold.
The logo’s three pillars represent a myriad of things, including the three campuses, three mission statements and three promises of research teaching and service, according to Pattenaude. Julie Cameron, senior executive director of Publications and Marketing, said the logo process was “creating an experience for the consumer…when I say Harvard you know what that means.” This creation of a consistent image should ultimately translate into increased revenue for the university, said Bob Caswell, executive director of Media Relations.
Christy McKinnon can be contacted at [email protected]