The Kansas Board of Regents’ logo, created in 2009, is the visual embodiment of the Kansas public higher education system. The logo includes the following symbolism -
- The prominent nine-pointed star represents the nine Regents who are appointed by the Governor to oversee the state’s public higher education system, which is comprised of thirty-two educational institutions (six state universities, one municipal university, nineteen community colleges, and six technical colleges).
- 1925 is the date of the Board’s founding as the single entity charged to oversee the state’s public higher education system.
- The two stars represent the two types of educational institutions that constitute the Kansas public higher education system: four-year universities and two-year colleges. The presence of stars is significant because they draw upon the state’s motto Ad Astra per Aspera, “To the stars through difficulties.”
John J. Ingalls, an early Kansas statesman, wrote that “the aspiration of Kansas is to reach the unattainable; its dream is the realization of the impossible.” In a broader sense, the nine-pointed star embodies Kansans’ dreams and the hope for a prosperous future. Higher education is the tool through which these aspirations can be realized.