UAlbany Unveils New Downtown Sign as Signage Initiative Gets Underway

Email Page Link

Printer Friendly

Release

Video Clip (.wmv file, requires Windows Media Player)

Contact: Catherine Herman (518) 437-4980

President Hall unveils new sign for the downtown campus.

ALBANY, N.Y. (March 29, 2006) -- University at Albany President Kermit L. Hall unveiled today the new campus identifier for the University's downtown campus, symbolizing the first step of a $2.4 million initiative that will make the University's three campuses welcoming, and easy to find and navigate. The University has set a goal of completing the project in time for students' arrival for the fall semester. The downtown campus identifier is situated on the lawn in front of Draper Hall, replacing a smaller wood sign. Hall kicked off the signage initiative on February 3, 2006, by taking a chainsaw to the old wood sign.

"A lot of people in this country didn't know who we were at UAlbany until our men's basketball team faced the UConn Huskies in the NCAA tournament and took the No. 1 seed to the brink of an upset," said Hall. "With this initiative, I expect everyone in this community will know where we are and more easily find their way around campus. This initiative addresses a major concern of those who visit our University by creating a more welcoming, user-friendly environment. If you can't find us physically, you'll never find us intellectually."

The new University signage system was designed by Corbin Design of Traverse City, Michigan, a national leader in wayfinding and environmental graphic design. Marshall Sign Corp. of East Greenbush constructed the downtown campus identifier and will oversee implementation of the rest of the signs throughout the three campuses. UAlbany's signage program will be the one of the largest sign packages ever implemented in the Capital Region for any business or government entity.

The aim of UAlbany's signage initiative is to install exterior signs on its three campuses with new, easy-to-read signs and identifiers. In the coming months new LED signs will be installed on the University's main campus that both complement the University's architecture and alert visitors of campus news and events. The project includes an array of signs, from campus identifiers to buildings signs, with the goal of having all exterior signs installed before students return for the fall 2006 semester.