Policies
The Franklin & Marshall College brand is a valuable institutional asset. Managing our brand identity ensures that the College is represented with integrity, legality, and consistency across all local, national, and global platforms.
The policies detailed below govern the use of F&M’s name, logos, and trademarks by all internal and external entities.
- Common Hour Policy
- Media Relations Policy
- Photography/Publishing Rights and Permissions Policy
- Policy for Filming and Photography
- Policy and Guidelines for Promotional Requests
- Publicizing Grants Policy
Brand Ownership and Authority
The Office of Communications and Marketing holds the exclusive authority to establish, maintain, revise, and enforce the visual and editorial identity standards of Franklin & Marshall College.
- Scope of Policy: These regulations apply to all faculty, staff, students, academic departments, administrative
offices, athletic programs, alumni, and recognized student organizations.
- External Use: Any external entity – including corporate partners, contractors, vendors, non-profit organizations, and media outlets – must secure written authorization from the Office of Communications and Marketing prior to utilizing any College wordmarks, logos, or campus imagery.
Media Relations
The Office of Communications and Marketing manages the College’s external news outreach, develops strategies around media relations, and produces marketing content for media coverage of the College. The Strategic Communications Director oversees College interaction with print, online, and broadcast media, and works with the Communications and Marketing team to tell stories through a variety of platforms.
For News Media
The Office of Communications and Marketing is the point of contact for all media inquiries.
The media is welcome to shoot photos or videos on campus, but they must first contact the Office of Communications and Marketing to assist with photography needs and connect with the appropriate students, faculty, and/or administrators for interviews.
Permission for filming and photography by professional photographers is also required from the Office of Communications and Marketing. Please contact Sally Badoud, Vice President of Communications and Marketing, at sbadoud@fandm.edu for approvals.
Trademark Licensing
Franklin & Marshall College protects its names, abbreviations, and logos under federal trademark laws.
- Commercial Merchandise: Any product featuring an F&M trademark intended for sale or promotional distribution
must be manufactured by an officially licensed vendor.
- The "No Endorsement" Rule: The names or logos of Franklin & Marshall College may not be used in any manner that implies institutional endorsement, sponsorship, or backing of a third-party commercial product, political campaign, or private enterprise without explicit, written approval from the Vice President for Communications and Marketing.
Co-Branding and Sub-Branding Restrictions
To maintain a cohesive and clear identity, individual departments, labs, and programs are not permitted to independently brand themselves.
- No Custom Logos: Academic and administrative departments may not create unique logos, marks, or icons
outside of the official brand system. Custom graphics dilute the collective impact
of the F&M identity.
- Approved Lockups: The Office of Communications and Marketing will provide approved "departmental lockups"
that combine the primary F&M wordmark with your specific department or office name
in our official font system.
- Exceptions: Unique visual identities are reserved strictly for major, independently funded institutional centers or museums (such as the Phillips Museum of Art) and must be designed in collaboration with the Office of Communications and Marketing.
Digital Accessibility and Legal Compliance
As an institution of higher education, Franklin & Marshall is committed to ensuring all digital communications are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities.
- WCAG 2.1 Standards: All public-facing digital communications – including departmental websites, official
social media graphics, electronic newsletters, and public PDF downloads – must comply
with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA standards.
- Color and Font Enforcement: Designers must maintain legal contrast ratios when layering text over our brand colors (e.g., ensuring text over True Blue or Heritage Navy meets the minimum contrast requirement). Body text on digital screens should always utilize our highly legible open-source font stack (Inter, Inter Tight, and Source Serif 4).
Photo and Video Recording Opt-Out
Franklin & Marshall College uses photographs, names, likenesses, and audio and video recordings of students, faculty, and professional staff for use in print and digital marketing campaigns, public relations, promotions, publicity, and advertising. Any student who does not wish to be photographed, named, or recorded is asked to email the Office of Communications and Marketing (ocm@fandm.edu) and submit a request to opt-out. Please include your name and class year. You may include this text in your message:
Please exclude FIRST_NAME LAST_NAME from any photographs and video or audio recordings used to publicize F&M.
Unless a written request to opt-out has been made to the Office of Communications and Marketing, a student’s image or likeness may at any time be captured by a photographer or videographer. F&M reserves the right to use any such image, photograph, or video or audio recording for any College-related purpose, including (but not limited to) promoting, publicizing, and advertising on behalf of F&M in print and online, including official F&M social media channels (Facebook, Instagram, X, Tik-Tok, LinkedIn and others). Individuals who have opted out or wish to opt-out are asked to remove themselves from areas where photography and/or recording is taking place and/or notifying the camera or video operator of their opt-out status. If a student fails to do so, they may be included in a photograph or video or audio recording that will be published in print or digital media in the future.
Images and videos taken in public spaces and/or at public events do not require authorization for publication. A student’s presence in or around F&M facilities and/or properties – as well as at off-campus, College-sponsored events – constitutes the student’s consent to the capture and/or use of their image and/or voice by F&M.
General Consent Release Form
Download General Consent Release Form