Drake changes admissions website, removes 'D+' logo
Updated 11:51 am
BY SHEENA DOOLEY
September 9, 2010
Drake University has pulled the D+ logo that is part of its new recruitment campaign from the school’s Web site and replaced it with “Drake” followed by a plus sign.
The school’s new campaign “The Drake Advantage” has drawn a lot of attention in the past week, as many students, staff and alumni have criticized it, saying it hurts the school’s image. Drake officials say the campaign was meant to grab people’s attention, specifically that of college bound high school students, and set the school apart from others.
Previously, the admissions page of Drake’s Web site featured the large D+ logo and the following statement: “When we talk about D+, that’s what we mean. Every moment at Drake is one that has the power to educate, to transform, to open minds and to unleash potential – to introduce who you are, to who you hope to become.”
Both have been replaced. It now has a slideshow that pairs phrases such as “Your pride + the Bulldog spirit” and “Your potential + academic rigor” followed by “Drake” and the plus sign, which appears in a separate slide.
However, the D+ logo hasn’t completely disappeared. The Web site provides a link to a brochure that is sent to prospective students. A big D+ covers most of the front.
Tom Delahunt, Drake’s vice president for admissions and student financial planning, said last week the school typically uses its recruitment campaigns for two to three years. Drake officials will have to monitor the response to the new campaign, but the school had planned that it would be no different in terms of its lifespan, he said.