Signage Policy

USG Departmental Policy 2a (5.00) | Approved October 27, 2021 | Amended September 2025

  1. Purpose and Applicability

    This policy provides general guidelines related to interior, exterior, special, and digital signage on the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) campus. This policy also defines who is responsible for coordination, design, funding, purchasing, maintenance, and installation of signage. This policy does not apply to works of art, class gifts, or items donated in memoriam.

    The Office of Strategic Communications (OSC) collaborates closely with other USG departments and partner universities on campus signage projects to provide guidance or assistance and to ensure conformance with campus signage standards. All requests for assistance with signage or approval from the Office of Strategic Communications’ must be submitted via the Signage Request Form. The Office of Strategic Communications reserves the right to periodically audit campus signage and remove signage on USG property that does not follow the below guidelines. At their discretion, the OSC may also seek guidance from the standing USG Signage Workgroup.

  2. Definitions
    1. Digital Signage: LED garage sign, TV display screens, and LED video walls.
    2. Exterior Permanent Signage: exterior wayfinding signage including maps and directional signage, monument signs, identification signage like building numbers, informational signage, and donor recognition signage.
    3. Exterior Temporary Signage: event parking signs, sandwich boards and bulletin boards, yard signs and banners.
    4. Interior Permanent Signage: rail/photo board signs, wall-mounted and standalone interior wayfinding signage, plaques and aluminum lettering used to recognize donors, office name plates and room numbers, and hanging directional signage.
      1. Rail Signs: signage with photo boards affixed to metal rails installed on the walls throughout the campus. Also referred to as photo boards.
    5. Interior Temporary Signage: flyers and posters promoting services, window decals, banners, pop-up display banners, bulletins and kiosks, school spirit items, large dry erase wall
    6. Special Signage: May be temporary or permanent, depending on the purpose of the signage and can also be in print and digital formats.
    7. Signage Workgroup: representatives from the OSC, Finance and Operations, and Facilities who are responsible for reviewing and approving signage requests.
    8. Wayfinding: Signage that directs an individual from point to point or confirms their progress along a route.
  3. Signage Criteria
    1. All signage must adhere to the following criteria:
      1. Be in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act standards, where applicable.
      2. Comply with applicable state and federal laws regarding required notices, as it relates to all marketing, advertising, and related communications.
      3. Be in compliance with the USG Brand Guidelines and be consistent with the materials, style, font, colors, content, layout, and placement of existing signage on campus to create a cohesive appearance.
      4. Not promote an event that is unlawful or violates USG regulations.
      5. Be removed after an event has passed by the department or partner university who posted the signage originally.
      6. Provide clear, concise information for all users to promote events and services that are beneficial to the USG campus community. Advertisements for events sponsored by USG departments or partner institutions taking place at USG have posting priority. Advertisements for activities not connected with USG may be posted only as space permits and only in the public areas as defined by the Public Access Policy.
      7. When applicable, include the name of the sponsoring department or institutional partner and date of the event or meeting being announced. General, undated materials will be removed to accommodate postings for specific events. USG departments should use the specific flyer/poster template as referenced in the USG Brand Guidelines.
      8. Should adhere to proper copyright laws when applicable.
  4. Interior Signage
    1. Permanent Interior Signage
      1. Rail/photo board signage for USG departments in common areas and USG/Partner university branded signage in department suites are the responsibility of the OSC. All other rail/photo signage located inside USG department suites are the responsibility of the respective department.
        1. Purchasing for all new installations and updates to existing rail/photo board installations must be coordinated through the OSC.
      2. Rail/photo board signage installations for partner universities located outside academic offices and in administrative hallways are funded by that university, but procured by the OSC. Updates must be coordinated and approved through the OSC.
        1. All hardware used for installation of photo boards is owned by USG.
        2. Partner university rail/photo board signage design can adhere to individual brand guidelines set forth by their home institution but must adhere to the sizing guidelines outlined below:
          1. USG requests that each program have one 12x12 inch photo board (typically including the university’s logo and program name) and one bulletin board affixed with USG’s metal rail fixtures located directly outside the program office block.
      3. Partner universities may utilize wall space in their administrative hallways or office suites for professional installations, subject to review and approval by USG’s Office of Strategic Communications. Items may not be push-pinned or taped to walls.
      4. Partner universities are not permitted to have signage installed inside of classrooms or laboratories on campus, as many instructional spaces are shared by other programs.
      5. Interior wayfinding signage, including those that are wall-mounted and on standalone kiosks inside of USG buildings are the responsibility of Facilities and Planning. However, funding may be covered through other budget sources, such as those for special projects. Interior wayfinding signage should use a design and material consistent with that of the buildings they are in.
      6. Plaques and lettering used to recognize individuals or donors are the responsibility of USG’s Office of Strategic Partnerships except where the signage serves a specific purpose for a given department.
      7. Office name plates and room/office number signs are the responsibility of Facilities & Planning.
      8. All permanent interior signage must provide clear, concise information for all users to improve wayfinding, promote public health, safety and welfare, and promote a unified brand across the campus through graphics, typography, and messaging.
      9. Interior signage should contain high quality, professional images. Images used for photo boards are to be primarily photography-based. University partner photo boards can also include high quality graphics that align with their university’s branding.
      10. Permanent interior signage should require minimal maintenance and repairs to the buildings, walls, doors, etc. where affixed. Rail/photo board signage should only be installed on drywall or painted surfaces that can easily be repaired if the fixture is later removed. Fixtures should not be installed on walls with wallpaper, wood, metal and other surfaces that cannot be easily repaired.
    2. Temporary Interior Signage
      1. Several bulletin boards are available throughout campus for temporary flyers and posters. Current USG departments, registered student organizations and university partners may use all open bulletin boards to promote services and events.
        1. The creation, upkeep and removal of flyers/posters promoting services or events are the responsibility of the sponsoring entity. USG departments should use the specific flyer/poster template referenced in the USG Brand Guidelines.
      2. Wooden kiosks for flyer/poster display are placed adjacent to service centers and are managed by those USG Departments.
      3. Window decals are the responsibility of the individual departments or partner universities when applied to a dedicated suite and must be approved through the OSC. They must follow USG’s Brand Guidelines as it relates to fonts, colors and graphics and should be sent to the OSC department for review and approval prior to production. Partner university materials however, must adhere to individual brand guidelines set forth by their home institution.
      4. Banners, including pop-up displays and large hanging banners, are the responsibility of the department or university partner that sponsors the events/programs being advertised. Pop-up banners must not impede hallway access and may be adjusted by Facilities Management to ensure compliance with the fire code. Hanging banners should be pre-approved by the OSC.
      5. School spirit items, including flag pennants and mascots, are the responsibility of the university that they represent and should adhere to all guidelines as listed in Section III.B, Paragraph 8.
      6. Campus dry erase walls are subject to the Open Wall Policy. Academic programs wishing to utilize the BSE board for poster displays or other uses should submit a request through the Signage Request Form. 
      7. Temporary interior signage should include the name of the sponsoring agency or organization and date of the event or meeting being announced. General, undated materials will be removed to accommodate postings for specific events.
      8. Temporary interior signage should only be posted on generally accessible fixtures designed to hold advertisements such as bulletin boards and kiosks. Temporary signage may not be posted in classrooms, office corridors, walls, or elevators, must not block any entrance, exit or stairwell, or be posted to any exterior area. Items may not be push-pinned or taped to walls. Signs attached to buildings or other structures are not permitted and will be removed immediately.
        1. Exceptions may be made for laboratory safety and environmental health and safety signage posted in laboratories.
  5. Exterior Signage
    1. Permanent Exterior Signage
      1. Responsibility of permanent exterior signage varies according to placement and purpose:
        1. Information Signage which provides information about specific features on campus including areas for parking and bicycles is the responsibility of Facilities Planning.
        2. Exterior wayfinding and campus monument signs are coordinated and maintained by Facilities Planning. In some cases, donor recognition signage on USG building exteriors or in open spaces may be approved by the Office of Strategic Partnerships.
        3. Signage in campus parking garages and lots is the responsibility of Facilities Planning.
        4. All permanent exterior signage should be done in accordance with the guidelines identified in the Facility Master Plan.
      2. Departments with responsibility for permanent exterior signage must assess their own needs related to updates or new installations on an ongoing basis.
        1. For all updates and new signage installations, departments must consult with, and share the design of the signage with the Office of Strategic Communications for review/approval prior to production and installation.
      3. Temporary  Exterior Signage
        1. Event parking signs used to show visitors where to enter the campus for events are the responsibility of Transportation and Parking Services.
        2. Yard signs and banners used to advertise events or communicate general messages are the responsibility of the department or institutional partner who sponsors the event or purchases the signs.
          1. Installations must be coordinated with Facilities Planning and/or Safety and Security to ensure placement does not affect critical functions on campus such as irrigation or traffic safety.
  6. Special Signage
    1. Health and safety related signage (i.e. Flu, COVID-19, emergency messages) is managed by Facilities Planning, however, the design and production of such signage is to be approved by the Office of Strategic Communications.
    2. Signage in auxiliary spaces (i.e. dining, Central Services, etc.) are the responsibility of Finance and Operations, however, the design and production of such signage is to be approved by the Office of Strategic Communications.
    3. Special signage should require minimal maintenance and repairs to the walls, doors etc. where the signage is affixed and should be approved by Facilities Management prior to installation.
  7. Digital Signage
    1. The Office of Information Technology is responsible for the equipment, connectivity, and system software for all digital signage services.
    2. The LED garage screen is primarily used for brand/awareness messaging, information about academic program offerings, educational opportunities, large-scale community events, announcements and emergency notifications. The LED garage screen is the responsibility of the Office of Strategic Communications as it relates to content creation and scheduling.
    3. TV display screens are maintained by the Office of Information Technology and Office of Strategic Communications. All individuals with content publishing rights must complete training prior to posting content on the screens, and must comply with the USG Brand Guidelines.
    4. Digital wayfinding kiosks are the responsibility of the Office of Strategic Communications as it relates to content creation.
    5. LED video walls are to be used for general USG branding and “science on display” messages. Content and scheduling/placement for the video walls are the responsibility of the Office of Strategic Communications.
    6. Content must be created by authorized users who have been trained on USG’s digital signage content management platforms. Content posted on digital screens should be for USG purposes only. Personal business and outside advertising is not permitted.
      1. Static images should be close to 4:3 aspect ratio or 800 x 600 resolution for all signs both portrait and landscape
      2. Videos should be close to 16:9 aspect ratio. Videos can be rendered at 720p to 1080p (1920 x 1080) for all screens. The video walls can handle up to 4k resolution at 3840 x 2160.
    7. Digital signage must be periodically reviewed by the content creator to ensure all information is up to date and accurate. All content should have an end date when it will be removed from the display.
  8. Related Documents
    1. Brand Guidelines
    2. Signage Request Form
    3. Facilities Work Request

  9. Revision History

    DateDescriptionRevised by
    September 2021Initial policy creationK. Le
    October 2025Updated department names, clarified guidelines on posting temporary interior signage and wayfindingE. Fernandez, K. Le