Vote on Your Next Kean Cougar

The next Kean cougar is up for a vote.

Kean University is developing a new spirit logo for use in athletic and student promotion that will better and more cohesively promote the University.

University Relations is soliciting feedback on three proposed concepts for the next cougar via online voting now through Monday, October 29. Students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the University are all encouraged to vote.

“The logo represents the entire Kean community and we want everyone to feel part of the decision,” said Karen Smith, vice president for University Relations. “We want to create something that showcases the strength of the institution and makes everyone feel excited to be a part of it.”

The new cougar is not meant to replace the Kean seal, which represents the entire university, its history and academic programming.

The goal is to create a unifying spirit mark that instills school pride and is distinctive in the competitive athletic landscape, where many schools use a cougar or similar animal as a spirit logo.

Currently, the Kean cougar is depicted in a variety of forms on everything from athletic uniforms to apparel, signs, bumper stickers and more. This inconsistency makes it harder to build school spirit.

“Many of our competing schools have strong spirit logos that are part of their identity, said Jack McKiernan, Kean’s athletic director. “It would be a tremendous boost for Kean and our athletic teams to develop a strong visual brand.”

The final approved design may be a variation of one of the proposed concepts based on community feedback.

The University may also eventually change the mascot costume that is currently used at many public events, but this vote focuses on the spirit mark itself.

“When people think about the cougar, they may envision a person in a cougar suit, but that costume doesn’t define us,” Smith said. “The logo used on t-shirts, signs and a variety of other items around the globe stands for Kean pride. We want to redefine what that means, and what it looks like, and we’re excited to involve the community in this process.”