AI Guidelines for Marketing and Communications

Using AI at Cal Lutheran

AI tools are transforming how we create content, and Cal Lutheran is committed to using them honestly and responsibly. These guidelines will help you make sound decisions whenever AI tools are used to create content on behalf of the university, and avoid contributing to negative brand perceptions and creating inconsistent visual and editorial expressions of the Cal Lutheran brand.

They apply to anyone creating content for Cal Lutheran — including faculty, staff, student workers, community partners and vendors — and to all colleges, departments, programs and affiliated entities.

Content created with AI must meet the same brand, accuracy and style standards as any other Cal Lutheran content.

Brand Identity

Cal Lutheran's official logos and brand marks represent who we are as a university. These marks are carefully protected and cannot be recreated or modified using AI tools.

Do not use AI to:

• Recreate or alter the master brand logo, Athletic spirit mark or any official university logo
• Generate new or stylized versions of Cal Lutheran's logos or brand marks
• Change the colors of official logos outside the approved brand colors
• Suggest Cal Lutheran endorsement using AI-generated images with Cal Lutheran logos

AI-generated or AI-assisted content must follow the same review and approval process as all Cal Lutheran materials. If AI is used in significant ways, it should be noted when submitting the work for brand or compliance review.

For more information about university logos, refer to the Logo Guidelines. All Cal Lutheran and specialized unit logos are available for download. For questions, email branding@callutheran.edu.

Colors, Typography and Visual Style

Cal Lutheran's brand includes a color palette composed of our primary colors (heritage purples and golds), and secondary colors. Please refer to Cal Lutheran’s official brand color guidelines for the complete color palette and corresponding color specifications. AI-generated visuals should follow these colors and match Cal Lutheran’s overall look and feel.

Do not use AI tools to create text styles that copy or compete with Cal Lutheran’s official fonts. Raleway is our primary typeface, and is a free, open-source font that AI tools may easily use.

If Raleway is unavailable in your software, environment, or system, you must use one of the following web-safe, cross-platform fallbacks. These ensure a consistent visual hierarchy across both Mac and PC platforms: Arial: Use as the primary universal substitute for body copy and digital applications. It is pre-installed on virtually all Windows and macOS devices. Helvetica: Use as the preferred substitute on macOS systems if Arial is not desired for design-heavy layouts. Calibri: Use as an acceptable secondary alternative for internal documents, spreadsheets, and presentations (e.g., Microsoft PowerPoint or Word).

Graphics and Media

At Cal Lutheran, our visual storytelling reflects the real students, faculty, staff and surrounding community we serve. AI-generated visuals require careful human oversight to ensure they meet our standards for accuracy and respect.

Standards for AI-created visuals:

• Do not present AI-generated images as real photos of Cal Lutheran students, faculty, staff, campus landmarks, or events
• Do not unnecessarily “over brand” the visual; for example, do use not use variations of the university name repetitively in generated visuals (CLU, Cal Lu, Cal Lutheran)
• Do not alter attendance, participation or endorsement of specific university events or activities
• Do not use AI tools to alter or replace the identity or appearance of people or campus buildings and locations in photographs. This includes replacing, removing, adding, or significantly changing people, faces, architecture, or other recognizable features.
• Basic edits such as cropping, color correction, exposure, and minor cleanup are permitted.
• Carefully inspect any AI-generated content for inaccuracies before posting to internal and external channels
• Use photos found in our photo library available to all campus communicators: www.callutheran.edu/photos

When AI tools assist with photo editing, such as touch-ups, background removal or enhancement, the final image must still reflect Cal Lutheran’s standards for accurate and respectful representation. AI can be used to adjust lighting, color, and other similar photo adjustments. It can also be used to subtly extend parts of the background to better fit a particular layout. But the content or subject of the photo should not be significantly altered.

Campus photography is available via the Cal Lutheran Photo Gallery on Photoshelter (requires logging in with Cal Lutheran credentials).

Accessibility

AI can help generate alt-text, captions and transcriptions, but human review is always required. All AI-assisted accessibility content must be reviewed for accuracy, tone and contextual appropriateness before publication.

Accessibility review checklist:

• Review all AI-generated alt-text for accuracy and appropriate context
• Manually verify AI-generated video captions before publishing
• Ensure AI-assisted transcriptions reflect spoken content accurately, including speaker identification where relevant

Editorial Standards

AI-generated written content must be reviewed and edited to align with Cal Lutheran's established voice, tone and editorial style before publication.

AI tools can help with drafting, summarizing, proofreading and brainstorming. However, they do not replace human judgment or responsibility. The department or individual who creates the content is responsible for what is published.

Editorial standards for AI-assisted content:

• Review content for accuracy, including statistics, rankings, program details and names
• Make sure the writing matches Cal Lutheran’s voice and style guidelines
• Check all program details and official statements against trusted sources
• Do not publish AI-generated quotes from Cal Lutheran leaders, faculty, students or other real people
• Do not use AI to create misleading, biased or harmful content

Full writing guidelines are available in the Cal Lutheran Editorial Stylebook.

Ethics & Integrity

As a liberal arts university, the content we produce must be authentic and truthful. AI tools can be helpful, but they must always be used responsibly and ethically.

Cal Lutheran communicators must never use AI to:

• Create misleading, biased, harmful or discriminatory content of any kind
• Generate content that misrepresents Cal Lutheran's rankings, research, academic programs or institutional claims
• Fabricate quotes, testimonials or endorsements from real individuals
• Produce “deepfake” imagery, video or any content designed to deceive audiences about its origin
• Impersonate Cal Lutheran officials, faculty or public figures in AI-generated content
• Generate content that would violate Cal Lutheran's Non-Discrimination Policy or Title IX obligations
• Violate copyrights or trademarks owned by other brands by including 3rd party logos without permission

Brand Review Process

All branded content produced for external audiences, whether created with AI tools or through traditional workflows, is subject to brand review and approval. Marketing and Communications is responsible for stewarding Cal Lutheran's brand across all platforms and channels.

Submit work for review when AI tools are used to:

• Generate primary visual assets like illustrations, composites, hero images or video intended for external publication
• Produce content for high-profile campaigns, institutional advertising or materials representing Cal Lutheran to external audiences, regardless of the channel or platform
• Create content featuring or referencing Cal Lutheran logos and brand marks
• Develop materials for external media placement, sponsorship activations or partner-facing communications

To request a review, email your materials to branding@callutheran.edu along with details about how the materials will be distributed and to which audiences.

Evolving Standards for AI

AI capabilities and best practices are changing rapidly. These guidelines represent Cal Lutheran's current standards and will be updated as the landscape changes. Communicators are encouraged to stay current with developments in AI tools and to bring questions to the Office of Marketing and Communications.