It’s Official – UNM Has A New Seal

UNM’s official seal for decades, which featured a sword-carrying Spanish conquistador and a rifle-toting frontiersman, has been scrapped and replaced by a simple graphic design.

The Board of Regents chose the new design on a 3-1 vote, ending a controversy that has spanned years. UNM began using an interim seal in 2017 following protests by Native American student groups over concerns that the seal, which had been used for decades, promoted racism and non-inclusion.

UNM proposed five seal options in early 2020 and gave the university community a chance to vote. The most popular design had a howling Lobo and the Sandia Mountains in the background.

Regents instead chose a more simplified design that officials said would better reflect the University on diplomas and graduation apparel. The University will begin the process within the next year of phasing out the interim seal and replacing it on transcripts, banners, commencement regalia, diplomas and diploma frames, as well as other university documents.