Employees may view the complete policy at
policies.depaul.edu
Overview
Why restrict the use of the name?
Use of DePaul’s name
Use of the name of a college, school or unit
Factors to consider when granting permission
Faculty and staff use of DePaul’s name
Student use of DePaul’s name
Additional provisions
Overview
This policy spells out criteria and procedures for using the DePaul name. The goal is to make sure that DePaul’s name and the names of its units are used only when that use is accurate and appropriate and where there is institutional accountability. Nothing in this policy is intended to discourage fair use of DePaul’s name or to comment on activities of the university or any of its units.
In general, the dean or vice president must grant permission before the name of a college, school, division or program may be used. When the name "DePaul" is to be used, and in some cases when the name of a college or school is to be used, the
Associate Vice President of Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications must grant permission. Faculty and staff members should assume they may use the name of the university or unit only with express permission.
The individual work of one or several faculty members should not be labeled in a way that suggests that there is institutional sponsorship or endorsement. For example, the work of individual faculty members should be titled with their names, not the name of their college or school. The name of a college or school should be used only for broad-based endeavors for which the dean's office and/or multiple departments take institutional responsibility.
While there are exemptions from the approval process for routine items such as stationery, business cards or Web pages, those exceptions are intended to ease the administrative burden of colleges, schools and units for whom the use of the name has been approved. They are not intended to allow units to print stationery or create materials on which they designate themselves a "DePaul" entity without prior approval.
If you have any questions, contact the
Associate Vice President of Public Relations.
Why restrict the use of the name?
DePaul’s growing reputation and stature makes it an attractive partner for many organizations and entities, but some uses of DePaul’s name by others may not always promote the purposes of the university. DePaul as a whole and the individual members of the DePaul community benefit when its name is well used and suffer when it is poorly used.
The university takes a legitimate interest in the use of its name and logos for at least three reasons:
- The university and its members have a responsibility to ensure that any implied association with the university is accurate.
Attaching the DePaul name to an event, project or publication implies a close connection with the university, usually sponsorship or endorsement. For example, such forms as the "DePaul Project on..." or the "DePaul University Guide to..." should be used only when they refer to activities for which the university itself or one of its delegated authorities is accountable. Involvement by individual faculty, students or staff members is not, by itself, a sufficient basis to title an activity as "DePaul" sponsored. Rather the activity must be one for which the university takes institutional responsibility.
- The university and its members have a responsibility to ensure that the activities with which it is accurately associated maintain standards consistent with its educational purposes.
In academic endeavors under the supervision and control of university departments, centers, institutes, or programs, adherence to these standards is assured through the normal processes of review. In other activities, relevant standards of quality and appropriateness should be established and maintained. Even some projects that satisfy the standards of quality may not appropriately use the university name (for example, partisan political activities or outside ventures carried on by individual faculty, students or staff members).
- The university and its members have a responsibility to protect its assets by seeking a fair share of the economic value that the use of the DePaul name produces.
"DePaul University" has become a widely known and respected trademark thanks to the contributions of many generations of faculty, students and staff. Therefore, the university as a whole should benefit from any commercial uses of its name. Any use of the DePaul name that may depreciate its long-term value should be avoided.
Use of DePaul’s name
A name that refers to the university as a whole may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of officials representing the university as a whole.
Specifically, individuals, colleges, schools and units may themselves use, or authorize outside individuals or entities to use, the name of the university as a whole—e.g., "DePaul," "DePaul University," the Tree of Wisdom logo, or their equivalent—only with the prior approval of the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications except as described below.
Approval is not required for the following activities:
- Stationery, business cards and other materials used by the colleges and schools or other units in the ordinary course of business;
- Official publications of the university (e.g., catalogues and related materials of the university and its various colleges, schools and units, Web sites and similar electronic publications, and DePaul alumni publications);
- Journals in printed or digital form published by the university or any of its colleges, schools or units in which the area involved retains sole editorial control (e.g., the Health Care Law Journal); and
- Materials prepared specifically for use in connection with courses conducted by the university (e.g., Kellstadt case studies).
Use of the name of a college, school or unit
A name that refers to individual colleges, schools, divisions or units may be used to identify an activity only with the approval of the responsible authority of the individual area and, in certain cases, the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications. Specifically:
A college, school, division or unit may use, and may authorize outside individuals or entities to use, its own name (e.g., "The Theatre School", "Department of Nursing") only with the approval of the responsible officer (the dean in the case of colleges or schools or the Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the Associate vice President of Marketing Communications in the case of other units), except as described below. All activities in which outside individuals and entities are authorized to use the name of a college, school, division or unit should be reported to the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications.
Prior approval by the associate vice president for Public Relations and/or the associate vice president of Marketing Communications is required for the use of the name of any college, school or unit by any outside individual or entity where the activity involves:
- The sale or distribution, for financial consideration, of a product or service;
- A financial payment to the university or to any of its colleges, schools or other units; or
- A fundraising, advertising or promotional effort for any entity other than DePaul University or one or more of its colleges, schools or other units.
A college, school or unit should take due care to ensure that its activities do not use names that adversely affect other colleges, schools or units. For example, a project conducted by one entity should not bear a name that is confusingly similar to a project carried on by another entity.
Factors to consider when granting permission
University officials should consider the general criteria of accuracy, appropriateness and fair value when authorizing the use of the DePaul name. Specifically, officials should consider the following factors:
- Whether the association between the university and the activity, product, or publication is accurately represented;
- Whether the activity, product or publication, and the manner in which it is associated with DePaul’s name, are appropriate to the university's educational mission; and
- Whether satisfactory arrangements have been made concerning the interest (if any) to be held by the university in intellectual property and income resulting from the proposed activity.
Faculty and staff use of DePaul’s name
Faculty members, staff and students may use or authorize the use of the DePaul name (alone or in conjunction with the name of a specific college, school or unit) to identify any activity, individual, entity or publication only with the approval of their dean or the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President for Marketing Communications, except as described below.
Faculty and staff may use the DePaul name to identify themselves (e.g., "Jane Doe, professor of economics, DePaul University"). In using or authorizing use of the DePaul name to identify themselves in connection with activities conducted with outside individuals and entities (e.g., authoring a book), faculty and staff members should assure that the DePaul name is used in a manner that does not imply university endorsement or responsibility for the particular activity, product or publication involved.
Titles as the "DePaul Project on..." or the "DePaul University Guide to..." should be used only when they refer to activities for which the university itself or one of its delegated authorities is accountable. Involvement by individual faculty, students or staff members is not, by itself, a sufficient basis to title an activity as "DePaul" sponsored. Faculty and staff members must have the approval of their dean, or in some cases the dean and the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications, before authorizing the use of the DePaul name for any activity that implies university endorsement or sponsorship.
Student use of DePaul’s name
Student organizations, club sports or other recognized groups may use DePaul's name or the name of a college, school or unit only with the approval of the responsible official of each entity (e.g., advisor with the consent of the dean or vice president). They may not use the university logo, signature, athletic logo, seal or coat of arms. (The Student Government Association, which is part of university governance, is allowed to use the logo.) When new uses are proposed, the responsible official should consult the associate vice president for Marketing Communications before granting approval. If the name is to be used on merchandise, the director of Marketing and Licensing, Athletic Department, must grant approval.
Student organizations, club sports and other recognized groups can create their own letterhead and business cards using the words "DePaul University" and their own logo, but cannot use DePaul’s logo, signature, athletic logo, seal, coat of arms, letterhead or business cards. As a student benefit, several templates are available through DePaul Publications Group.
Groups of students who are not recognized as official organizations by Student Life may not use DePaul’s name, logo, signature or any other university marks.
When determined necessary by a department, business cards may be produced for student-employees to identify their role as a DePaul staff member. In these cases, the head of the department must approve and pay for the cards from a university budget.
Students who wish to create their own business cards indicating their status as a student for networking or other purposes may do so at their own expense, but cannot include information regarding student employment or the university's logo or signature. However, the card can state that they are enrolled at DePaul University if they are a currently enrolled student in good standing.
Additional Provisions
Supplemental Rules: Colleges, schools and units may adopt supplemental rules, consistent with this policy, to govern their own activities. Any such rules should be reported promptly to the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations.
Blanket Permissions: In appropriate cases, permission for ongoing activities requiring approval under this policy may be given by category.
Copyright Notices: No approval is necessary to include the term "DePaul University" in a copyright notice on a work for which copyright is owned by the university. Copyright notices should not include the names of individual colleges, schools or units, because the university as a whole is the legal proprietor of copyright in university-owned works. For more information, see the policy on
Copyright Statement & Compliance and
copyright.depaul.edu.
Trademark Registration: The
Office of the General Counsel registers any trade or service mark of DePaul University in the United States or any foreign country. This requirement applies to both marks of the university as a whole (e.g., "DePaul" and the Tree of Wisdom logo) and marks of individual colleges, schools and units (e.g., "School for New Learning"), whether or not the mark includes the word "DePaul" (e.g., "Blue Demons").
Licensing for Merchandise: Any individual, college, school or unit that wishes to grant or receive a license for the DePaul name for use on merchandise (such as apparel, mugs, calendars and jewelry) must obtain the prior approval of the
Director of Marketing and Licensing, Athletic Department
Use of DePaul Name in Television and Films: Requests from anyone to include references to DePaul in films, television programs, commercials and similar programs should be referred to the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations. (See policy on Filming on Campus.) The university president will make the final decision about university participation. This does not apply to news media.
Unauthorized Use by Third Parties: The
Office of the General Counsel represents the university's interests in connection with unauthorized uses of DePaul’s name by third parties and will be guided in its actions by the standards embodied in this policy and principles of trademark law.
Questions of Interpretation: Questions concerning the interpretation of this policy should be referred to the
Associate Vice President for Public Relations and/or the
Associate Vice President of Marketing Communications.
The foregoing was adapted with permission from a policy adopted by Harvard University in 1998.
