Social Media & Website Content

Before using any form of "Harvard" in a domain name or email address, student organizations should contact both the Student Engagement Team and the Harvard Trademark Program.

The organization's domain name and email address should mirror one of the three acceptable forms of the organization name (Official Organization Name, Abbreviated Organization Name, or Official Acronym). Any significant departure from these acceptable forms, including omissions or abbreviations, needs approval from the Student Engagement Team, the Office of the Dean of Harvard College, and in some cases, the provost.

Additionally, any domain name that includes the word Harvard must be owned by the University and registered to "The President and Fellows of Harvard College." External domain names which do not include the word "Harvard" should belong to the student organization and not an individual.

In all electronic contexts, including social media and organization websites, student organizations may only use the acceptable forms of their organization name, and the appropriate Harvard shield or organization logo. They must also have the Article of Affiliation, such as "a student-run organization at Harvard College," clearly and prominently displayed.

Student organization websites must include the following on the main page of their websites:

• The Official Organization Name in a prominent location, typically in the header of the website. Subsequent references may use the Abbreviated Organization Name or the Official Acronym.

• The articulation of affiliation ("a student-run organization at Harvard College") in a prominent location and in a font size and color comparable to other fonts being used on the website, typically directly under the name in the header or in descriptive text in the body.

• This statement on use of name and Trademark, typically in the footer of the website: "The Harvard College name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University."

Student organizations should accurately represent themselves on social media platforms so that anyone publicly viewing a profile can easily determine their relationship to Harvard. To the best of their abilities, the organization must:

• Choose an account name that is an accurate representation of their Official Organization Name, Abbreviated Organization Name, or Official Acronym.

• Include the Official Organization Name and an Articulation of Affiliation in the About section

• Include a link to the organizational website in the appropriate field

• Create events through an account linked to the organization, such an organization's Facebook

• Group or Page, so that the event connects back to the hosting organization

Student publications must contain the Official Organization Name, without omissions or abbreviations, in the name of the publication. If a student organization wants to use a publication title which does not include their full Official Organization Name, they will need approval from the Student Engagement Team and the Harvard Trademark Program.

Student publications must visibly display affiliation on the front page of any publication by stating that it is "a student-run publication at Harvard College." On the copyright page (or relevant section), state: "The Harvard College name and/or shield are trademarks of the President and Fellows of Harvard College and are used by permission of Harvard University."

The use of the name "Harvard" in the name of an event without additional context can create the inaccurate impression that an event is an activity of or is sponsored by the College or the University as a whole. Therefore, special care must be taken to create accurate event names.

Since student organizations are recognized through the College, "Harvard" in an event title must always be coupled with (a) "Undergraduate" or (b) "College" and "Student(s)."

Furthermore, the Official Organization Name of the sponsoring student organization must be featured prominently in all publicity.

Although student organizations can partner with offices, departments, or centers on broader initiatives, use of "Harvard" alone in an event title is only permitted when ALL the following are true:

• The program or activity is university-wide, meaning its structure and governance has substantial faculty involvement from at least three separate schools.

• It has institutional accountability in that it reports formally to university-wide officers, such as the President or Provost or a group of Deans from several Faculties.

• There are not significant issues of confusion with activities elsewhere in the University (for example "the Harvard Project on Government" or "the Harvard Health Project" would raise concerns of this nature).

• The phrases "held at Harvard University," "at Harvard University," and "at Harvard" may be used as a general geographic designation for activities held on campus, as long as it is accompanied by language that makes it clear that the activity is being run by a student organization and not the University or any other Harvard school or unit.