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SEAS Seal

Explaination of the SEAS Seal

As with all Harvard schools, SEAS is permitted to display a seal.

SEAS announced the debut of its new seal on March 21, 2007. The design is based on the seal created for the Harvard School of Engineering in 1936 by Pierre de Chaignon la Rose (class of 1895).

The final, provost-approved design was chosen because it suitably captured the idea of "coming full circle," a phrase former dean Venkatesh "Venky" Narayanamurti has used to describe the transition of the division to a School.

The Seal Explained

The three-color seal (black, white, and crimson) is composed of three elements.

In the article "Harvard Seals and Arms," author and Harvard historian Samuel Eliot Morison suggests that the original engineering seal was likely never put into official, or at the very least, widespread use.

From 1946 to 1949, the School of Engineering was fully integrated into the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to form the Division of Engineering Sciences; the nonschool entity was no longer entitled to use a separate seal.

Using the SEAS Name & Shield

Correct Name

  • Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  • Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
  • Harvard SEAS

Correct Abbreviations

  • SEAS (public documents when context is obvious or implied)
  • SEAS (internal documents)

Use-of-Name Policies

Harvard’s “Use-of-Name” policies, which are administered by the Trademark Program, are in place to ensure that the University’s various trademarks (names and insignias) are used appropriately and accurately by the Harvard community and in accordance with the principles embodied in the policies. 

The policies are:  The Use of Harvard Names and Insignias, Electronic Contexts, Endorsement Guidelines, Harvard’s Name and Alcoholic Beverages and, as it relates to the use of the “Harvard” name, Principles Governing Commercial Activities.

In its commitment to make certain that all uses of Harvard’s trademarks by the Harvard community comply with the University’s Use-of-Name policies, the Trademark Program often works closely with representatives from Harvard’s schools, departments, and units to address issues pertaining to the policies and to process requests in a comprehensive and timely manner.

All inquiries about the Use-of-Name policies or any other “name” matters not specifically addressed in the policies themselves should be directed to the Trademark Program for review; in some cases, the review process may involve consultation with a relevant dean or administrator.

Please contact the Communications Office if you have any questions related to the use of the SEAS name, seal, or identity.

To read the various policies related to the use of Harvard's visit the Trademark Office.

Use of Name Policies for Affiliated Student Groups

As per the Trademark Office, all student organizations associated with SEAS must clearly identify their affiliations in printed and electronic publications, including websites, and do so in light of the following guidelines:

Publications

A student organization should visibly display its affiliation with a school on the front page of any publication it is producing by stating that it is “a student-run publication at [your school’s name],” (or something along these lines).  And, on its copyright page (or relevant section), the publication must also state: “The [your school’s] name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University."

Websites

As is the case with publications, a student organization should visibly display its affiliation with the school by stating that it is “a student-run organization at [your school’s name]” or “an officially recognized student-run organization of [your school’s name]” (or something similar to these). This identity tagline needs to be placed in a prominent location on the main page of the website (typically in conjunction with the student organization’s name) and in a font size comparable to other fonts being used on the website. In addition, the website’s main page should also state: “The [your school’s] name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University.”

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