As you may have noticed recently on ualberta.ca, the University of Alberta brand is changing. Over the past two years, hundreds of people were consulted in the process of developing a new brand for the U of A, one that honours our hundred-plus-year history and recognizes the forward-thinking spirit of innovation embodied by our students, faculty, alumni and staff. In addition to our internal community, the new brand has been tested with prospective students and their parents from across Canada, and the response was conclusively positive in positioning the U of A as a Top 5 Canadian university. The hard work of our staff, and important feedback from our community, have culminated in a brand that I am really proud of and excited to share with you soon.
Led by my team in External Relations, the U of A is adopting a "One University" master brand and strategy, with "Leading with Purpose'' as the university's new brand promise. When I joined the External Relations team in January, we worked together to determine that our team's purpose is to unite the U of A community in message and in story. The new brand we have developed captures the long history of the university — including iconic green and gold — while offering a refreshed, contemporary visual aesthetic. The new brand will feel familiar yet future-focused to our faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members who have a deep connection to the U of A.
It has been a challenging year for our community. I think this new brand will reignite our collective pride in the U of A and unite us as champions of this remarkable institution. For more than a year, we have been building a University for Tomorrow through academic and administrative restructuring; now this brand will inspire us to tell the remarkable and compelling stories that make us a university of tomorrow. The new brand will be a welcome tool in our institutional strategy as we work to improve our national and international rankings.
On October 5, the new brand will be soft-launched to internal audiences through the U of A's digital channels and on our campuses. Our strategy to launch internally first is to ensure all staff, faculty and students come to understand and embrace the brand before we embark on a more public rollout in early January.
When you see the brand, I hope you feel inspired. I hope you see yourself in it. And I hope you will be an ambassador for it within your classrooms, workspaces and communities as you continue to support the U of A community by leading with purpose.
Elan MacDonald
Vice President, External Relations