By Rachel David
Published: August 24, 2009
Categorized in | Campus News
By Rachel David
Daily Titan Copy Editor
The days of the iconic Cal State Fullerton stomping elephant image are over, and in its place now resides the new orange tree graphic on the logo, seal and emblem.
“California State University, Fullerton’s position as a major regional institution of higher education in the state and as an institution of increasing national and international visibility must be reflected in a strong and consistent identity that our various constituencies will clearly recognize,” President Milton Gordon stated in a letter posted on the Strategic Communications’ Web site.
Strategic Communications, a department within the division of University Advancement and the official designers of the new visual identity, insist that no major expenses occurred as a result of designing and producing the new image.
“We developed the new visual identity without incurring external consulting or design costs. Operational funds spent by Strategic Communications have been negligible,” Strategic Communications stated in a frequently asked questions sheet issued in May regarding the new campus identity.
Due to the campus’ new 657 area code change, Gordon elected to make the visual identity shift at a time that coincided with the ordering of updated letterheads, envelopes and business cards.
Further taking the current unstable economic times into consideration, the transition to the new identity will be gradual in order to minimize costs, Gordon stated in a letter addressed to faculty.
Though the elephant is no longer the official school icon, the “Tuffy the Titan” image will “remain as the university mascot and visual representations will continue primarily in the athletics program. Strategic Communications and Athletics will soon develop a refreshed elephant icon for this purpose, which will join other athletics-related images such as the Fullerton ‘F’ and ‘Titans’ word mark,” Gordon wrote in a letter to faculty and staff.
“Early September is the goal (for the new Athletics’ logo). There are some final design refinements going on right now, and then there are some reviews/approvals that need to occur,” Jeffrey Cook, the associate vice president of University Advancement for Strategic Communications, said.
Across the campus, both staff and students can be found who are for or against the visual identity shift. Some are confused by the new image.
“I like the tree much better. It looks more into the future, more insightful, much better, more contemporary, not so silly,” sociology major Roberta Lee, 53, said. “We are all grown-ups here.”
Eric Dumas, 28, a coordinator for the Child and Adolescent Studies Dept., agrees with the implementation of the university’s colors in the new design, but feels the new image “represents the city that the college is in and not the college itself. It doesn’t necessarily show the history of the college like Tuffy does.”
Several individuals on campus do not even realize the new icon as an orange tree until it is pointed out to them.
“Is it supposed to be an orange tree?” visual communications major Crisjan Amisola, 22, asked. “I didn’t know that Cal Sate Fullerton was in Orange County until five years ago. It’s a sad day.”
Amisola has grown attached to the elephant logo. “In graphic design terms, it is well done,” he added.
“The elephant is kind of distinct. I didn’t recognize that it was an orange tree. (The new logo) seems kind of bland; I’d keep the elephant,” 58-year-old Brian Woods, an extended education student pursuing a teaching credential, said.
Business administration major Anaid Gonzalez, 22, said the new design is “kind of interesting, but they could have incorporated Tuffy in some way and it would have looked just as nice.”
In a letter sent out to faculty and staff, Gordon described the university’s new identity change as “an effort to develop an understanding of the university’s current and aspirational position in the higher education marketplace.”
CSUF’s new visual identity consists of an orange tree icon with mountains and sun rays in the background. According to President Gordon, the orange tree not only “recalls our past, our presence in Orange County and the campus orange grove origins,” but it also stands “as a symbol of academic and personal growth, knowledge and transformation.”
The mountain range defines the university’s “geographical location in the world,” as well as strength and permanence, Gordon wrote, while the sun rays “convey vision, optimism and confidence in the future.”
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Isn’t this year the anniversary of Tuffy or of Titan? So I heard.
That’s a fancy new logo, and a new tuffy too? The headline should read “CSUF Changes Logos, Identities, While Cutting Classes and Raising Tuition”
I would like to know what the university thinks is “negligible” operational expenses, especially in this budget crisis.
Bob said it all.
The symbolic tree of budget cuts, canceled classes, furloughs, and tuition hikes fertilized with a dash of penny pinching and administrative waste. A bright future is ahead for us all.
The logo stinks. And yeah, it looks like they didn’t incur “external consulting or design costs.”
Interesting….
add me on facebook….
http://www.facebook.com/TuffyTitan
Well being that my favorite animal is the elephant, I am upset that it was changed. I am a bit puzzled that during these economic crisis, administration still finds time to worry about the icon.
So this makes more sense than an elephant which stands for strength and wisdom? The tree icon is boring and belongs on a carton of orange juice. It did motivate me to chop down a few trees in the backyard…
It’s very nice & professional-looking, but was it really necessary? How much money did it cost to create the image and then reprint items with the new logo? This could belong to any group to identify themselves. It’s so bland. Tuffy is unique. He is our mascot after all-it’s history! Now their going to take that away from us too..? Inconceivable!
It appears that there is a crusade against the Cal State Fullerton’s Tuffy the Titan and his resting place is set to be beneath a generic blast from the past Orange Tree. It isn’t just the identity of the school that we are loosing; we are also losing hopes of having a cohesive student body.
First step no football team, second step refuse to adopt the color orange as an official color, and now finally the mascot who tried so hard to revitalize our athletics and breathe life into our shafted color, is now being set aside as an unprofessional joke.
Orange trees may have once surrounded our school as they did every other school in Orange County but Tuffy was our own identity. Sad thing is the spirit has been wrung from the student body so many times yet that I fear there to be no one left to save Tuffy, let alone speak at his Burial.
So, will the DailyTitan be changing its name to the DailyOrangeTree?
We’re dropping Tuffy for a lowsy orange tree? That doesn’t even look like an orange tree. This is terrible!
Wow, yet another worthwhile expense in the midst of furloughs/teacher firings/cut sections of courses/the denial of transfer students/the denial of seniors access to CSUF who are just trying to finally finish their education and acquire their degree.
Nice new logo CSU administrators! You really did a service to the students and educators of CSUF with this one.