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Woodmark design revealed for Pennsylvania Western University

3 min read
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Students at California, Clarion and Edinboro have selected the woodmark design for the new integrated university, Pennsylvania Western University, its three sister campuses – PennWest California, PennWest Clarion and PennWest Edinboro – and the PennWest Global Online division.

“The students have spoken – nearly 5,000 of them – and we have a clear winner for Pennsylvania Western University,” said Dr. Dale-Elizabeth Pehrsson, president of the three campuses, in a video making the announcement.

The woodmark, which is similar to a logo, will be prominently featured in the spring, pending approval of the consolidation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

The new name was approved in October by the board of governors of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). The consolidation of the three campuses was approved this summer by that organization as a means to keep the three campuses open and fully operational while facing rising costs and declining enrollment.

With the name in place, it was time to create a design for the three schools.

“After we announced the name, students from Cal U., Clarion and Edinboro received a link to a survey that had three different options,” explained Christine Kindl, vice president for communications and marketing at Cal U. “Those options were created collaboratively by designers on all three campuses.”

Students seemed to take great interest in the topic.

“We got a lot of participation,” Kindl said, adding that 36% of the students from the three campuses took part. “That is far and above what we typically get in student participation. We’re very pleased with that amount.”

Students from all three campuses have been involved in the integration process from the start. In addition to choosing the woodmark design, students helped to select the name for the new university, which is expected to launch next summer and welcome its first students in the fall.

The three campuses will retain their athletic branding and mascots.

“This design emerged as a clear winner,” Kindl said. “We feel confident that this is the students’ choice. We wanted to give them the opportunity to choose from a group of designs for what they’re going to be wearing on their T-shirts and ball caps.”

At California University, there was a giveaway in the student center on Thursday of 700 T-shirts and 200 stickers bearing the new logo. Also, a window cling with the design will be sent to all of Cal U.’s online students.

“We want to start introducing these things to the students,” Kindl said. “We want to start building PennWest pride.”

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