New cultural logos celebrate diversity
The Hispanic heritage logo is the first of four cultural logos that will be released.
Thomas Harris, assistant athletics director for diversity, inclusion and employee engagement
This logo was created for National Hispanic Heritage Month. In addition to digital materials, it will appear on apparel and other items for purchase at the BookStores.
The University has created a logo to mark National Hispanic Heritage Month and will be releasing additional branded cultural logos throughout the year to celebrate the diversity of students, staff and employees.
The University will release a total of four cultural logos, which will be released during specific heritage months over the course of the academic year. These cultural logos – an extension of the University's commitment to diversity – were driven by the vision of students, reflecting their connection to their heritage and celebrating vibrant traditions of character, family and community.
Honoring the rich and meaningful cultures of the campus community through these emblems represents the institution's larger pursuit of being an inclusive campus and positive place for all students. The cultural logos will be displayed on digital materials and will be used on apparel and other items for purchase at the University of Arizona BookStores. A portion of the proceeds on all cultural logo items for the entire year will be given to cultural student centers on campus to support emergency needs of students, such as food insecurity. The Adalberto and Ana Guerrero Student Center is the beneficiary of Hispanic heritage sales.
The development of the cultural logos began in 2019 as focus groups convened to brainstorm ways to celebrate and honor the rich diversity of the University community. The focus groups – which began meeting in February 2019 and continued through the end of that summer – were composed of students, staff and faculty, along with representatives from student cultural centers and alumni associations.
All four logos include distinct icons embedded within the Wildcat brand mark and a title that represents the expression or celebration of each culture. The icons are a unifying element that were carefully designed and curated by the volunteering groups to represent the rich history, traditions and culture of each community.
Thomas Harris, assistant athletics director for diversity, inclusion and employee engagement, began the initiative in 2019 with a focus on student-athletes before expanding it campuswide. "The icons within each logo tell the history and story of these different groups. Not only will it be a source of pride for students, faculty and staff, but it will build connections with the broader community as people learn the story behind each symbol," Harris said.
The University will release cultural logos for Native American History Month on Nov. 1, Black History Month on Feb. 1 and Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on May 1.