Home / Policy on the Use of Tufts University Name and Insignias
The name “Tufts University” and how it is used affects both the institution as a whole and the individual members of the University community. Appropriate use of the name and insignias can benefit all, while inappropriate use may reflect negatively on both the institution and its individual members.
Because of the far-reaching implications, oversight regarding the use of the University’s name and insignias, and the names of individual schools within the University (including web domain names that incorporate “Tufts” or the name of a Tufts school) will be conducted on an institutional level according to the principles and guidelines outlined in this policy.
The Office of University Counsel will coordinate all requests for use of the Tufts name and insignias, which are trademarks of the University. The Office of University Counsel is located in Ballou Hall, Third Floor, Medford, MA 02155 and requests for approval can be emailed to nameuse@tufts.edu.
The Senior Vice President for University Relations is the individual responsible for making final decisions on use of the Tufts name and insignias, including the names of individual units of the University.
1. Schools or units may use the name of Tufts University or the name of their school or unit in the following activities:
In any such uses, the school or unit involved should take care that its use does not adversely affect other schools or the institution as a whole. Ultimately the Senior Vice President for University Relations has the right to review and determine the appropriate use of the Tufts University name.
2. Any other use of the University’s name or the name of the individual school or unit will require approval as outlined above in Item 2 of “General Guidelines and Procedures.” In particular, prior approval is required if the use of name involves the sale or distribution for financial consideration of a product or service or the granting of a license for use of the name on merchandise, including but not limited to apparel, software or electronic media.
3. Any news, marketing and/or publicity materials designated for dissemination to media channels and extended audiences of elected/appointed officials, investors, donors, and others concerning official University or School matters require up-front involvement (at the planning stages) with the University’s Public Relations Department and, as appropriate, the Community Relations and Publications departments. The Public Relations Department, working with the mandate and approvals of the University’s administrative leadership team, must review any materials and information targeted at the media. The Public Relations, Publications and/or Community Relations departments should be an integral part of any continuing external publicity or marketing outreach by other parties if it involves the use of the Tufts name, insignias, or affiliation, etc.
In general, use of the University’s name or the name of an individual school or unit requires written approval by the Office of University Counsel as outlined above. However, certain uses by third parties are generally permitted and do not require written approval:
1. A third party may use the University name when reporting a transaction internally or reporting a transaction to regulatory authorities as required by applicable law.
2. A non-profit or government entity that has funded research or programming at the University may disclose that it has provided such funding. In addition, if such funded research is published, the source of the funding should be indicated along with the University affiliation of the researcher.
3. If a third party receives a license to use or distribute material written or developed by the University, the material should include a written acknowledgment that the copyright is owned by Tufts University and that the material is being used or distributed under the terms of a license with the University (with all other rights being reserved).