Messaging Guidelines

Narrative

At Saint Mary’s College of California, we inspire minds, engage with the world, and create opportunities for students to find their lives transformed.

With small class sizes and professors who know you by name, the Saint Mary’s experience empowers students to thrive—whether you’re an undergraduate or a professional looking for the next step in your career.

The sense of community is a defining quality of Saint Mary’s: inclusive and diverse, vibrant and welcoming. The college was founded in 1863, and our Lasallian heritage fuels the energy of the campus in important ways—including a love of teaching, learning, and innovating. Our faculty meet students where they are, and through work inside and outside the classroom, in the lab and through hands-on experiences out in the world, create boundless opportunities for SMC students. With knowledge and skills, confidence and support from the Gael community, you’ll imagine, discover, and make a lasting impact…Wherever you’re at…Whatever you set your heart to become.

Our Bay Area campus is nestled in the rolling hills of Moraga, just 23 miles east of San Francisco. It’s a place of natural beauty, with trails through the redwoods minutes away—and the cultural dynamism of a world-class city right nearby. US News and World Report puts SMC among the top five regional universities in the West. You’ll also find Saint Mary’s highlighted in the guide Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change The Way You Think About Colleges—the only Catholic college and the only university in California to make the list.

Those are a few of the things we mean when we say we inspire, we engage, and we transform. We are Gaels.

How to Use the Narrative: The role of a narrative is to lay the foundation for writing in a distinct voice, as well as to inspire the messages we communicate. The narrative is not necessarily external marketing language—rather, it should be used to inspire and guide the spirit of our brand messaging. No matter who or what we’re writing about, our voice should stay true to the big idea encapsulated here.

Boilerplate

Inspire. Engage. Transform. We Are Gaels.

At Saint Mary’s College of California, we inspire minds, engage with the world, and create opportunities for students to find their lives transformed. With small class sizes and professors who know you by name, the Saint Mary’s experience empowers students to thrive—whether you’re an undergraduate or a professional looking for the next step in your career. Founded in 1863, the University is proud of our Lasallian heritage and how it fuels teaching and learning in an inclusive and wonderfully diverse community. More than 3,600 Gaels study on our Bay Area campus nestled in the rolling hills of Moraga, just 23 miles east of San Francisco. US News and World Report puts SMC among the top five regional universities in the West. You’ll also find Saint Mary’s highlighted in the guide Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change The Way You Think About Colleges—the only Catholic college and the only university in California to make the list.

How to Use the Boilerplate: A boilerplate is a description of Saint Mary’s that should stay relatively stable over time. A boilerplate is most commonly used in an “About Us” segment, such as on the SMC website, in press releases, and externally (for example, in a US News description).

Elevator Pitch

Saint Mary’s College of California is more than a place to get a stellar education in a stunning location (although that part goes without saying).

Our beautiful Bay Area campus is nestled in the rolling hills of Moraga, just 23 miles east of San Francisco. We’re a diverse, inclusive, and wonderfully supportive community where faculty guide Gaels to learn and explore—with small class sizes and professors know students by name. The learning experience empowers students to thrive, whether they’re undergraduates or professionals taking the next step in their career. Saint Mary’s offers experiences and boundless opportunities around the globe—from internships and careers in Silicon Valley to one-of-a-kind study programs in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and more. Those are a few of the reasons why we say we inspire, we engage, we transform lives. And that’s what we mean when we say, “We Are Gaels.”

How to Use the Elevator Pitch: The following elevator pitch is presented in a somewhat casual tone, designed for impromptu conversations with someone who is unfamiliar with Saint Mary’s. This is the language to internalize and keep handy for conversations where you’re asked, “Tell me about Saint Mary’s.”