On June 2, the board of trustees approved the adoption of a new logo for Case Western Reserve University. The design, a modernized representation of the traditional sun that appears in the historical crests of Western Reserve University and Case Institute of Technology, was chosen through a review process that solicited opinions from thousands of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends of the university.
One impetus for the creation of the logo was a report issued in February by the Branding Task Group, appointed by interim president Gregory L. Eastwood. Noting that "the rich history and traditions of both Case Institute of Technology and Western Reserve University were equally significant in the decision 40 years ago to create Case Western Reserve University and in the development of that new institution in the succeeding decades," the report called on the university to identify itself in a fashion that acknowledged "Western Reserve University as an equal partner with Case."
Developed in-house by the marketing and communications office, the logo features the university's full name and the year (1826) in which the first of its predecessor institutions, Western Reserve College, was established. At the far left, a stylized sun, viewed as if from space, rises over the Earth. Although light is a universal emblem of knowledge, this sun has a more specific significance as well; its eight rays represent the university's eight schools and colleges. The upper right-hand corner of the boxed design has been left open, as a symbol of limitless potential.
Cyrus C. Taylor, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, welcomed the adoption of the new logo, noting that its selection involved "an unprecedented level of input from, and interaction with, the university community." He added, "My hope is that this logo captures both the history and the collective aspirations of all the university's stakeholders, and especially of the alumni."