Portales, NM – Jan. 23, 2024 – Eastern New Mexico University unveiled its new academic and spirit marks at today’s unveiling event in the Campus Union Ballroom.
“I am extremely pleased with the results of this effort and appreciate everyone’s work,” said James Johnston, ENMU Chancellor. “These marks strike a perfect balance of honoring our past and looking to our future. I am confident they will become synonymous with ENMU and all the great things ahead.”
The year-and-a-half-long process started in the spring of 2023 when ENMU contracted with Rickabaugh Graphics. Rickabaugh Graphics is the premier branding expert in the colligate market, having completed branding projects for schools such as The Ohio State University, the University of Texas, Baylor University, and smaller schools in our region, including the University of Texas Permian Basin and Abilene Christian University.
Rickabaugh Graphics helped guide ENMU through this process, which included founding a branding committee that featured members of ENMU faculty, staff, students, and alumni to give feedback through the process. Once preliminary designs were done, the branding committee opened focus groups to ENMU’s major constituent groups so they could give feedback. The feedback from these groups led to new academic and spirit marks.
The new academic mark was chosen particularly due to the symbolism in its design. The design of the M symbolizes the state flower of New Mexico, the Yucca flower. Other symbolisms that made this design stand out include the tradition of the ENMU mark and a united and strong/enduring concept.
The new spirit mark refreshes the greyhound dog head, which many constituent groups have an affinity for. The redesign features increasing our school colors, refining the lines and small details, improving the neck, and making it look more like a Greyhound. There was also an affinity for bringing back the full-body Greyhound, an Eastern New Mexico University staple for over 80 years.
The new ENMU marks are available today on merchandise at the ENMU bookstore online at www.enmu.edu/bookstore or at the bookstore location on campus.
For more information on the ENMU new University branding, visit https://www.enmu.edu/Branding.