Brand Identity Standards
Stonehill College is competing with academic institutions across the nation and around the globe. Given this dynamic environment, it is increasingly important for us to express a single, compelling voice in everything we do.
The totality of the logo, visuals, and words we use to describe the College will enable us to establish and maintain a clear, unified brand identity, both within the College community and beyond.
This website provides general guidelines for the visual and verbal articulation of the Stonehill College brand, as well as specific directions for the application of our updated logo and related elements. We recommend that you refer to this guide whenever you develop marketing communications.
College Seal
The use of Stonehill's college seal is reserved for special official usages. All artwork and digital files of the college's seal are maintained and managed by the Marketing Department.
Use of the seal as a graphic treatment is generally restricted to official scholarly publications and for uses in which a formal and ceremonial image is appropriate (such as convocation programs, awards ceremonies and formal invitations). The seal is not to be used on brochures, flyers, merchandise or general information pieces.
The seal is used for the following documents:
• Stonehill's degree documents
• formal college invitations
• convocation programs
• etc.
The seal can be reproduced in full color, Stonehill purple (PMS 268C), black inks or in knockout (white on a dark colored background). It is restricted from any type of manipulation and cannot be combined with any other graphic or logo.
The Story of Stonehill's Crest
Stonehill’s official crest which is within the seal depicts the symbols that define the College’s origins and its educational mission.
Significantly, the request for an official crest came from the College’s first students who persuaded Brother Barnabas O’Toole, C.S.C., a sacristan and secretary, to design the crest around 1951.
Given that the Congregation of Holy Cross founded Stonehill in 1948, it is only natural to find elements of the Congregation’s seal represented within the Stonehill crest. For example, the cross and anchors from the seal of the Congregation of Holy Cross are also present on the College’s crest.
Similarly, the book and the star on the Stonehill crest comes from the University of Notre Dame, which is a sister institution and the first university or college founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross in America. In 1997, in anticipation of Stonehill’s 50th anniversary in 1998-99, the College redesigned its crest, adding the laurel and oak leaves which represent victory and strength.
The College’s motto is a Latin phrase Lux et Spes, which means Light and Hope. At Notre Dame, the motto is Vita, Dulcedo, Spes or Life, Sweetness, Hope and the motto of the Congregation of Holy Cross is Spes Unica, which may be translated as Only Hope or One Hope.
The star signifies the light of truth.
The star is also a symbol of Mary. The very words Notre Dame mean Our Lady and this Marian reference is significant for Stonehill as well as Notre Dame and the Congregation of Holy Cross.
The crossed anchors signify hope.
The open book symbolizes truth and wisdom.
The central cross, which is also a feature of the Notre Dame and C.S.C. seals, represents the College’s Christian roots as well as the faith, hope and love that the Congregation has invested in Stonehill.
