UNC system unveils 'mighty and important' logo change

CHAPEL HILL, NC (WTVD) -- Under the umbrella of the University of North Carolina school system, there are 17 public institutions. On Wednesday, the system unveiled new branding it said will better represent and promote those member universities.

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The former welcoming sign has changed to a new logo with colors that are familiar to the North Carolina flag. The shape? Not that of the NC flag, but that of 17 sides and represent the 17 schools functioning within the system.

"This new logo, this new brand really, harkens to our past, to the stories, (and) history of the university," said Margaret Spellings, President of the University of North Carolina school system.

Spellings has been overseeing the 17-campus system since March 1, 2016.

The system was established in 1931 with three institutions: UNCG (former women's college), UNC-Chapel Hill, and NC State. Since expanding in the early 1970s, enrollment has tripled.

The mission of this new logo and the UNC school system? Education on an affordable level, meeting needs of the job field, and closing the rural and urban divide.

"We are mighty and important," Spellings said.

You won't see the logo everywhere right away. The first unveiling in Chapel Hill is the start of the journey to expand the new sign.