New logo topic of meeting

With a new library and a new president, Marshall is now seeking a new logo.

The Faculty Senate's Executive Committee will discuss the logo at Monday's meeting.

Dr. Keith Spears, vice president for communications, said, "We have had people from inside and outside the university who said it is time we should upgrade the look of Marshall's logo."

The committee was formed through the Marshall University Foundation Inc. because it is the holder of the license, Spears said. Marshall receives royalties for the use of its logo on T-shirts and other items.

"The university has changed dramatically since the last logo was established in the mid-1980s," Spears said.

Sherry H. Asbury, executive director of the Marshall University Foundation Inc., said, "We would like to have four different marks. We would have an athletic mark and an institution mark, word marks ... finally the child's marks."

Spears said the foundation will use focus groups to discuss and give any ideas to the artists.

Asbury said, "We are interviewing some companies who are working with universities to develop their marks."

Asbury said they are looking to find funding from the Collegiate Licensing Company.

"That would be very beneficial to us because we are trusting that this is going to generate a lot more royalties for the university," she said.

"They will front the money and they will take it back from us over a three- or five-year period of time. So, I am hoping we are really going to notice the cost because at the same time they are taking the payment out, but our royalty should be going up.

"Also, we got someone who has Marshall Alumni associated with them. They have offered to maybe provide the services to us at no cost if we use some of their firms. We are still in the beginning stages."

The process of changing the logo will take 18 to 24 months.

"We hope to speed that up," Spears said.

"It would be wonderful if we have a new logo set by this coming summer."