Campus Signage

This policy provides general guidelines for signage on the Converse University campus. The purpose is to:

1. provide clear, concise information for all users;
2. improve way-finding and promote public health, safety, and welfare;
3. create a unified and attractive sign appearance across all facilities;
4. minimize maintenance and repairs of the buildings;
5. eliminate inconsistent, ineffective, and unnecessary signs.

This policy supersedes all other sign policies. All signage issues not specifically addressed by this or other University policies are to be referred to the Facility Planner.

Definitions

ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act (ADAAG). Unless otherwise stated, all public signage at Converse must comply with the federal regulations of ADA.

Accessible Path of Travel - That portion of the building circulation allows access to building areas by all persons, regardless of disability, including wheelchair users.

Building Circulation - Spaces designated for people to travel within a building; lobbies, corridors, exit doors, stairs, and elevators.

Life Safety - Any device or building element specifically designed to warn or protect the occupants of a building, or to allow the occupants to safely exit the building.

Mechanical - Any part of the heating and cooling, plumbing, and electrical systems that are part of the building.

Public Area - Any part of the building generally accessible to all occupants of the building.

Policies & Procedures

Proposed campus signage must conform to the signage standards in this document and be presented to the Facility Planner for approval prior to ordering and installation. If policies and procedures are not properly followed, the responsible department will be required to make (and fund) any needed corrections to bring signage in line with campus policy.

1.1 SIGN CONTENT APPROVAL Department-specific signs must be approved by the department head and then submitted to the Facility Planner for approval before production.

1.2 SIGN DESIGN APPROVAL Sign design should follow the provisions within this policy. For any design or placement issues not specifically covered by this policy, consult the Facility Planner for guidance and final approval.

1.3 SIGN INSTALLATION All permanent campus signage is to be installed and removed by the Converse Facilities Department or a designated sign contractor.

1.4 ADA SIGN MOUNTING AND LOCATION HEIGHT ADDAAG 4.30.6 states: “Where permanent identification is provided for rooms and spaces, signs shall be installed on the wall adjacent to the latch side of the door. Where there is no wall space to the latch side of the door, including at double leaf doors, signs shall be placed on the nearest adjacent wall. Mounting height shall be 60 in (1525 mm) above the finish floor to the centerline of the sign. Mounting location for such signage shall be so that a person may approach within 3 in. (76 mm) of signage without encountering protruding objects or standing within the swing of a door.”

1.5 TEMPORARY SIGNS / DISPLAYS Temporary signs shall not be used in place of standard signage. No surface damaging adhesives (e.g., duct tape) or surface-penetrating fasteners are to be used to display temporary displays of any kind. Upon the posting of temporary signs, ensure permanent signs and ventilation grills are not obstructed. Temporary signage design and content should follow the same approval process as permanent signage.

1.6 BANNERS All banner designs must be approved by the communications department before being ordered and placed on campus.

1.7 WALL GRAPHICS No graphics or lettering is to be applied to a building surface except as part of the original or remodeled building design administered by the Facility Planner. To ensure proper scale, location, and general compatibility with the building décor, any interior wall graphic must be approved prior to its application on a building surface. This will be executed by using the enhancement project request form.

1.8 BUILDING SURFACE ARTWORK IN COMMON AREAS Due to concerns regarding general building maintenance, acceptability of the artwork proposed, and the need to have some control over modifications to campus property, proposed artwork must be approved in advance using the enhancement project request form. Common areas are generally defined as, but not limited to, the following:

• Campus buildings: hallways, lobbies, balconies, porches, courtyards, and auditoriums.
• Athletic complex: Lobbies, patios, gym, and athletic fields.
• Residence halls: Lobbies, hallways, balconies, porches, and courtyards.
• All grounds and building exteriors

Exterior Signage

2.1 CONVERSE IDENTIFICATION SIGNS ALONG CAMPUS PERIMETER Converse identification signs along the campus perimeter will be a large oval made of HDU, 1 ½ thick x 48”x 72”, with flat purple background (Pantone 2627) and gloss metallic gold (Pantone 873) text, tower, and border. A sign will be painted with clearcoat. The size of the Goudy font is determined in accordance with the letter visibility chart (Appendix A) and/or the size of the sign.

2.2 EXTERIOR BUILDING IDENTIFICATION 

1. The building name is surface-mounted, metallic gold-colored, plastic free-standing letters, Goudy font, height appropriate to the letter visibility chart (Appendix A) and /or scale of the building.
2. Building street number shall face street side; it will be surface mounted 4” letters or appropriate to the letter visibility chart (Appendix A) and /or scale of building matching the characteristics of the building name sign.
3. Accessible entrance(s) to the building are indicated by a 4”x 4” blue & white accessible route sticker.
4. Building information sign directories shall be Converse purple with white vinyl lettering using “Goudy” font. The Converse University logo should be at the top, followed by the name of the building. The font size is determined in accordance with the letter visibility chart (Appendix A) and the size of the sign.
5. Other signs are permitted on the exterior of the building, only with prior approval from the Facility Planner.

2.3 TREE SIGNS Award and dedication signs for trees will be 4”x 6” aluminum or bronze plaque with a post.

Interior Signage

Signs will conform to the present design standard that exists in each building. The design standard for new construction will be determined by an Interior Design Committee for the construction project. The Facility Planner must approve any deviations from the design standard of a particular building.

3.1 STANDARD INTERIOR SIGN LOCATIONS 

1. Locate the sign on the latch side of the door – same wall as the door, 2” from the doorframe. On doors with two unequal leaves, the sign is located on the latch side of the main leaf.
2. When the sign does not fit next to the latch side of the door (located in an alcove), move the sign out to the nearest corridor wall, 2” from the corner.
3. Grip-A-Strip bars may be located beneath the room sign to be utilized for the purpose of posting notices pertaining to that room or Faculty schedule.
4. When two or more doors are located close proximately, combine signs if possible and center them between doors or locate each sign closest to the corresponding door – 2” from the frame on the latch or hinge side.
5. When new signage is installed in locations with existing non-standard or duplicate signage, removal of old signage and repair and/or refinishing building surfaces shall be included in the project.
6. When the sign does not fit near the corresponding door in the above configurations, contact the Facility Planner.

3.2 BUILDING ENTRY Building directories are used to display departments, services, and names of people located in the building. They are to be mounted within view of the building’s main entry doors. The content of the directories shall be organized in an alphabetical listing of names and corresponding room numbers. The directory cabinet should complement the building architecture.

3.3 ROOM IDENTIFICATION 

1. Office signs should follow the building standard if one is already established and otherwise contain the room number and employee title/names on an engraved plastic rectangle. It is preferable to use title vs. name wherever possible. Offices can have a “Gripa-Strip” or metal index card holder for their schedule.
2. Department directories will be mounted at the entrance to the department suite and organized in an alphabetical listing of names and corresponding room numbers. The directory style is to follow the building standard when applicable and should complement the building architecture.
3. Restroom signs consist of a pictogram, text, and Braille.
4. Enclosed stairs & elevator signs are to include a pictogram, text, and Braille. Stairs that are not designated exit/fire stairs shall only sign listing the rooms they lead to.

3.4 BULLETIN BOARDS & DISPLAY CASES Prior to ordering bulletin boards or display cases, approval of the size, type and mounting location must be obtained from the Facility Planner. Once mounted, bulletin boards or display cases are considered part of the building and may not be removed except by Facilities Maintenance and approval from the Facility Planner.

3.5 EASELS & SANDWICH BOARDS / INTERIOR & EXTERIOR Easels, sandwich boards, and other free-standing signs are not to be used as permanent signage. Guidelines for their usage are as follows:

1. They may be placed in public circulation areas and office areas with prior approval by the authorized department.
2. They may not obstruct public circulation, permanent signage, mechanical, lighting, and life-safety features.
3. Traffic-related signs shall be placed and removed by Campus Safety.
4. Signage targeted to an external public audience should have content and design approved by the Office of Communications.

3.6 DONOR RECOGNITION PLAQUES Converse University recognizes the generosity of its financial donors with donor recognition plaques. Plaque design and placement should be coordinated through the Director of Facilities ensures a unified appearance that is appropriate to the space in which it is displayed. The Facility Planner will coordinate with the Institutional Advancement Office regarding any specific requirements associated with the donation. The present standard is for plaques to be made of bronze, Corian, glass, metal, or wood. The Donor recognition signs should meet sign standards for size, type, and font.

3.7 HAZARD & WARNING SIGNS Hazard and warning sign locations are as prescribed by the government regulations from the D.O.T., E.P.A., and O.S.H.A. Consult with the Facility Planner or Facilities Department to determine requirements for these signs as they pertain to materials in your area.

Appendix A:

Letter Visibility Chart

Letter Height	Maximum Impact	Maximum Readable Distance
5/8"	The following distances will vary approximately 10% with various color combinations. Maximum distance in color would be RED or BLACK on WHITE background. 5,280' equals 1 mile	15'
3/4"		18'
7/8"		21'
1"		24'
1 1/4"		30'
1 1/2"		36'
1 3/4"		42'
2"		48'
2 1/2"		60'
3"	30'	100'
4"	40'	150'
6"	60'	200'
8"	80'	350'
9"	90'	400'
10"	100'	450'
12"	120'	525'
15"	150'	630'
18"	180'	750'
24"	240'	1000'
30"	300'	1250'
36"	360'	1500'
42"	420'	1750'
48"	480'	2000'
54"	540'	2250'
60"	600'	2500'