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Policy 905: Appropriate Use of the College Brand

Operational Policy
Policy Number: 905
Adopted: July 2025

Purpose (The Value of Brand Consistency)

Maintaining Grays Harbor College’s brand reinforces the College identity in a manner that is instantly recognizable and strengthens the College’s community presence. Consistently following the College brand guidelines supports the mission of the College and projects the professionalism and quality of our education and services.

Definitions

A brand is all components related to the institutional image or visual identity, such as:

  • Name
  • Logos (including College and GHC athletics)
  • Colors
  • Mascot Images
  • Taglines
  • Seal

This policy and its related procedure(s) outline the basic requirements for appropriate usage of brand components in any print publications, web content, and promotional merchandise. This policy applies to faculty, staff, students, academic departments, administrative divisions/departments, alumni, informal groups, student organizations, and suppliers or manufacturers of commercial and non-commercial products.

Policy

The use of the Grays Harbor College brand is restricted to official business of the College or as approved. Any person requesting to utilize any brand components for anything other than official College business must direct their request in writing to the president or designee.

All marketing and outreach materials, regardless of their department of origin, must go through the External Media Approval process to ensure compliance with brand guidelines, as outlined on the Brand Guidelines and Design Resources page on the intranet. Vendors, suppliers, and partners of the College using the Grays Harbor College brand/visual identity must get prior approval, in writing, from the president or designee and follow the Grays Harbor College Brand Guidelines on the college’s external website under Grays Harbor College Brand.

Policy Review History

Reviewed: N/A
Revised: N/A

Review and Revision refers to the College’s cyclical process for evaluating and updating all institutional policies and procedures. At minimum, each policy or procedure will undergo review once every five years to ensure accuracy, relevance, and alignment with current practices and regulatory requirements. If the scheduled review results in no changes, the date of that review will be recorded in the Reviewed field. If updates or edits are made, the date will be recorded in the Revised field. This process maintains transparency regarding the history of each policy or procedure and ensures the College remains responsive to evolving needs and standards.