What Makes a University, a University?
When searching for a definitive answer on what a university actually is, there are countless simple definitions along the lines of a university is a place of higher education and research. This is not wrong, but it lacks something that truly pinpoints what makes a university a university.
What really defines a university is not just higher education, it’s school spirit. Consider this: In the professional world, there is little overlap between a mechanical engineer and someone with a master’s degree in Shakespearean sonnets. They will have completely different training, work completely different jobs and most likely have little in common. But if they both went to the same school, they suddenly share part of their identity and have something to be excited about together.
At a university, people are there to teach different things, to learn different things and to do different things. The school is formed and defined by this collection of different parts. The simple thing that creates a shared identity for all of these people is a sense of school pride.
Students, alumni, parents, faculty and staff will often show their support for a university in the things they wear and the things they carry like hats, sweaters, patches, lapel pins and even challenge coins. These types of material possessions have an alluring quality for people associated with the school because they show support and membership. None works quite so well at capturing the spirit of a university quite like challenge coins.
Using University Challenge Coins to Promote School Spirit
Imagery plays a huge role in promoting school spirit and creating meaningful challenge coins. Alabama is famous for its Crimson Tide colors, and LSU is swathed in royal purple and old gold. Mascots appear in school logos and help outline school objectives and values. For instance, the UCF Pegasus represents how the school wants to carry students onward to limitless possibilities, just as the mythological creature carried Greek heroes on limitless adventures.
University challenge coins that incorporate school colors and imagery have a wide appeal throughout a campus. But they are even more meaningful when crafted for specific groups at the school. For example, Duke University had coins made for their hospital, and the University of North Carolina designed challenge coins for their board of governors. While still possessing a strong connection to each university, these coins distinguish members of specific groups at the schools.
There is no wrong way to use challenge coins at a university. They can be made for general use or for specific groups like the Duke hospital or the board of governors at UNC. Because there are so many different groups, they come to represent school spirit and pride in very different ways.
Coins made specifically for school faculty honor published research and excellence in teaching. For professors, their school is a place that provides academic freedom and allows them to contribute to society through research. A faculty member can carry a coin as a reminder of their success or keep it displayed in their office.
Students earn university challenge coins for academic achievements. Clubs and student associations like fraternities, sororities and SGA receive coins tailored for their specific organizations as a reminder of the school they represent and the values they uphold.
The staff working throughout a university are often the unsung heroes keeping everything together, but they are just as much a part of the structure as everyone else. This includes administrative workers, maintenance staff, librarians, landscapers, counselors and even university deans and the president of a school. So many people in these positions go unrecognized, and yet what would any college campus be without food service employees working to keep the students fed and healthy? Challenge coins are the perfect way to let these employees know the campus couldn’t function without them.
Fundraising events at universities often utilize challenge coins as well. Alumni donations are often reciprocated with a gift of a university challenge coin and parents buy challenge coins to show support for their children’s school.
Bridging the Gap
School spirit means something different for people in the various roles at a university. For faculty, school spirit may be found in their gratitude for a chance to give back to the world through research and the opportunity to shape young minds. For students, it could be a sense of shared purpose in academic pursuit. For staff, school spirit could be the pride of knowing their work keeps the school running. University challenge coins mean something a little different to everyone, but they all are centered around the one thing all of the recipients have in common: the school.
University challenge coins bridge the gap between all of the divisions of a school. They are appreciated by faculty, staff, students, parents, alumni and supporters of a university because they are a physical representation of their shared identity and purpose.
