Campus News

Design UK's 2020 Appreciation T-shirt

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 17, 2020)  The deadline has been extended to Friday, Feb. 28, for employees interested in creating a T-shirt design for University of Kentucky’s Appreciation Day (UKAD). Any UK employee can submit a design for the T-shirt that will be given away at the May 21 event.

However, there are guidelines that must be honored in order for the design to be considered, said Jon Gent, chair of the UK Staff Senate.

For example, outdated versions of the logo or mascot are not allowed, and the logo itself cannot be enclosed within a circle or square. Designs must feature only one color and be suitable for a dark (UK Blue) T-shirt. If the UK logo is included in the design, it can be used in solid white only.

Finalists will be selected by the UK Appreciation Day Commission and approved by UK Marketing and Brand Strategy. Some minor modifications may be necessary. Three designs will be chosen and voted on by the university community in March.

T-shirt designs must be submitted to the Staff Senate office at UKAD@uky.edu by Friday, Feb. 28, 2020. The winner will receive a prize from the UKAD Commission.

Appreciation Day T-shirts for departments will again be distributed through an online form to be completed between April 1 and May 8. UK employee ID cards will be required to pick up an individual T-shirt or a department order the day of the event.

UK will take time out from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21, to say thank you to all those who make the university a prosperous, connected academic community. Traditional activities that employees have enjoyed over the years — food, music, exhibits and the UK T-shirt giveaway — are planned, as well as some new ways for employees to engage in the annual event. Activities will take place at Kroger Field between Gates 4 and 9. Participation in all activities is free.

UK Appreciation Day is sponsored by the Office of the President, coordinated by the Staff Senate, and brought to you by the Appreciation Day Commission.

For more information, contact Staff Senate Program Coordinator Caitlin Durbin at Caitlin.Durbin@uky.edu or UKAD Commission Chair Melissa Barger at Melissa.Barger@uky.edu.

For more information about the correct use of the UK logo in the design of the T-shirt, visit UK Graphic Standards. Nearly every year, designs are disqualified because UK Graphic Standards were not addressed.

As the state’s flagship, land-grant institution, the University of Kentucky exists to advance the Commonwealth. We do that by preparing the next generation of leaders — placing students at the heart of everything we do — and transforming the lives of Kentuckians through education, research and creative work, service and health care. We pride ourselves on being a catalyst for breakthroughs and a force for healing, a place where ingenuity unfolds. It's all made possible by our people — visionaries, disruptors and pioneers — who make up 200 academic programs, a $476.5 million research and development enterprise and a world-class medical center, all on one campus.   

In 2022, UK was ranked by Forbes as one of the “Best Employers for New Grads” and named a “Diversity Champion” by INSIGHT into Diversity, a testament to our commitment to advance Kentucky and create a community of belonging for everyone. While our mission looks different in many ways than it did in 1865, the vision of service to our Commonwealth and the world remains the same. We are the University for Kentucky.