Official Rutgers University Seal
This university seal is the official imprimatur of Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. As such, it appears on official documents, such as contracts and deeds, and, most notably, on the diplomas issued to graduates of the university. The outer ring contains the name of the university. The inner ring includes the date of Rutgers’ founding, 1766, as Queen’s College, the eighth institution of higher learning established in the American colonies. The university’s motto, “Sun of righteousness, shine upon the West also,” appears in Latin in the inner ring, surrounding a stylized sunburst. The motto is an adaptation of the motto of the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, connoting the original college’s early affiliation with the Dutch Reformed Church. It is today interpreted as a request for the enlightenment of learning to shine equally upon the New World.
As mentioned above, the official seal has very limited use, primarily on official university documents. It may be used by university offices, with authorization, as a design element on important ceremonial communications, such as formal invitations. All such uses require the prior approval of the Office of the Vice President for University Relations.
