To students, Yale freely lends its potent name

Yale. The name is an attention-grabber, vigorously protected outside but—ironically—liberally dispensed within this ivory tower. For example, the Yale Architectural Journal is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary. But the impressively-named publication is just the casual work of graduate students and has little to do with the University as an institution. The same is true for many other publications of various ages, all of which reflect on Yale and draw on its reputation.

COURTESY YALE ANGLERS' JOURNAL The 'Yale Anglers' Journal' enjoys nationwide piscatorial fame.

Considering Yale's history of name protection, which includes a recent lawsuit against a small Welsh institution called Yale College, one would expect that the University would be very sensitive to student organizations using the precious Yale name. Almost two-thirds of student organizations, totaling more than 100 overall, use "Yale" in their title. Perhaps the only thing more amazing than the breadth of interest these organizations cater to is the fact that the Administration doesn't hassle them, monitor them, or ever attempt to censor them. With such a rigid external policy and what appears to be a more relaxed internal policy, one is led to wonder: does Yale guard its name from itself?

The answer is no, for the most part. Only limited regulations are in place, and when it comes to publications—perhaps the most legally challenging form of student organization—Yale is decidedly hands-off.

Content is never an issue, according to University Secretary Linda Lorimer, LAW '77, who said that organizations are only monitored to ensure that they are what they purport to be. Yale's main concern "is to ensure that groups claiming to be `undergraduate organizations' are truly run by undergraduates," Lorimer said. She explained, "Free speech is one of the most important aspects of the University. All we require is an honest portrayal of the group."

Undergraduate organizations wishing to use the Yale name submit an online request to Assistant Dean Edgar Letriz-Nuñez, who reviews the group's mission statement and financial structures—the University's tax-exempt status does not extend to student organizations—and for-profit groups must fill out official tax returns. Letriz-Nuñez also ensures that the group is not exclusive, as even ethnically-based organizations cannot discriminate on the basis of ethnicity.

The organization's title must also reflect its nature and purpose and clearly avoid implying that the University endorses the group. Publications must run a disclaimer in each issue stating that they are "published by Yale College students and Yale University is not responsible for its contents." A 1987 court decision involving The Yale Literary Magazine required all new publications to include "undergraduate" or "college" in their title, though existing publications were allowed to keep their original names.

The application then moves on to Dean of Student Affairs Betty Trachtenberg, whose approval letter is the final step. Student organizations are required to repeat this procedure each year.

These publications may be distributed as their management sees fit, provided that one copy is sent to the Office of Student Affairs. These issues are not sent for "approval" from the Administration; rather than going to a team of sleep-deprived students in a closet reading every article of every publication, they are simply deposited in a collection library. Yale neither censors nor cares whether the material inside reflects well on the University, whose name decorates the cover.

Even some of the stricter regulations may be flexible. Undergraduate organizations don't even have to be comprised exclusively of undergraduates. Students must constitute a majority of membership, but the rest can be made up of Yale faculty, staff, and even outside individuals.

Along with the privilege of using the Yale name, registration allows student groups to use University facilities, request funding and office space, purchase goods from the University, participate in Freshman Orientation, and—perhaps most important of all—accept contributions from alumni.

Josh Chafetz, BK '01, editor-in-chief of the Yale Political Quarterly, explained that although copies of the journal are not distributed outside of campus, the name has recently helped get attention in a different way. "I think one of the main things the name does for us actually is it pulls an awful lot of traffic from around the world to our website," he said. He added that, as a result, the magazine has received submissions from students and professors around the world.

Although Chafetz was not around 21 years ago for the Quarterly's inception, he assumes that the decision to use the Yale name was simply to reflect the fact that it was the work of Yale students. However, he added, "We would be doing the best writing that we could regardless of the name."

Back to News...