To enhance access to on-brand design resources across campus, Ithaca College is rolling out a Canva Enterprise license. This initiative, led by the Marketing and Communications division, provides staff with better tools, improved brand consistency, and more responsive support.
What is Canva Enterprise?
Canva is a professional design platform, already used widely by our campus partners. Our enterprise-level license will allow our MarCom team to offer:
On-brand templates for print materials, digital signage, digital graphics, video titles, and more.
In-app access to relevant brand resources, such as the logo lockups for their division or school, photography assets, brand colors, fonts, etc.
Easy in-app collaboration with the MarCom team for design review and proofreading for high-impact materials.
Why this matters
At Ithaca College, communication responsibilities are distributed across many departments, with staff playing a key role in representing our brand. This structure allows for localized expertise and audience-specific messaging, but it also creates a need for shared resources and consistent branding. The Canva Enterprise license helps bridge that gap by providing a unified space for design, making it easier for all communicators to maintain visual and messaging consistency.
Our brand is more than a logo or a color palette—it’s the sum of every interaction people have with Ithaca College. Every member of our campus community plays a role in shaping how our institution is perceived. Consistency is key to building trust and recognition with our audiences, and a unified brand experience strengthens our impact. This tool ensures that everyone has the resources needed to tell that story effectively, confidently, and with consistency.
Current project phase: License allocation
Due to limited availability, we are allocating a set number of licenses to each division/unit. Deans, VPs, and department leaders have been provided with the number of licenses assigned to their areas and are responsible for recommending recipients. Ideal candidates for these licenses are those who regularly create marketing and communications materials on behalf of their area and would benefit from enhanced design resources and support.
If you have been selected to receive a license, you will be contacted with further instructions on how to access Canva Enterprise and take advantage of its features.
Project Timeline
April: Initial setup and onboarding for Beta users.
April/May: Training sessions and resource development, including template migration from Marq.
May 5: MarCom launches semi-monthly Brand Office Hours (see FAQs)
May 31: Marq access ends.
June 2: All designated users will receive full access to Canva Enterprise as the primary design tool.
Ongoing: Additional support, new templates added based on campus needs, and continued updates to FAQs and resources.
Canva Enterprise License FAQs
This page will be updated regularly as new questions arise. If you have additional questions, please reach out to your contact in MarCom or our general mailbox at marcom@ithaca.edu.
Access is currently limited to designated staff members identified by division, department, and school leadership.
Once you’ve been granted access, you will receive an email invitation to join the Ithaca College Canva Enterprise account. Follow the instructions in the email to set up your account. All logins are via SSO.
Your existing Canva account will not be impacted. The Canva Enterprise license will be accessible as a second 'workspace' within the Canva app. This means you can easily switch between your personal, free, or team-level account and the Ithaca College Enterprise workspace as needed. Your personal designs and content will remain separate unless you choose to transfer them.
If your department requires additional Canva Enterprise seats beyond the allocation provided by MarCom, you can request an account by submitting a ticket through an IT form (link coming soon). Accounts in excess of the MarCom allocation will be funded by the department, division, or school through a chargeback via IT.
All current Ithaca College students will receive a free Canva Pro account as part of our relationship with Canva. However, student Pro accounts will not have access to the brand resources available through the Enterprise licenses. Students can still collaborate with staff who have Enterprise access to ensure brand consistency in official college materials.
As part of this transition, Ithaca College will be phasing out Marq (formerly Lucidpress), with access ending on May 31 . We are actively working to recreate most of the Marq templates in Canva to ensure a smooth transition. Additionally, we will offer extra support for users who have been active in Marq to help them migrate their projects and become comfortable using Canva Enterprise. If you need assistance, please reach out to MarCom for support.
Canva Enterprise at Ithaca College includes a variety of pre-designed, on-brand templates for commonly used materials, such as social media graphics, flyers, event promotions, presentations, Optisigns slides, pop-up banners, signage, and more. We plan to add new templates based on campus needs on a continuous basis.
We will be launching a request form soon for on-brand template requests. In the meantime, if you need a specific template, please reach out to the Marketing and Communications team for assistance.
Yes, templates are designed to be customizable while maintaining brand consistency. However, some elements may be locked to preserve brand integrity.
What file formats can I export? Users can export designs in various formats, including:
PNG & JPG – Ideal for web and social media use
PDF – Best for print and document sharing
MP4 & GIF – For animations and motion graphics
Print-ready files – Pre-configured export presets are set up in Canva for optimal printing at the Ithaca College print shop
Some materials, especially those intended for external audiences like prospective students or alumni, may require review by MarCom to ensure brand alignment. If approval is needed for a specific template, you will be notified during the design process.
Canva Enterprise allows for seamless collaboration. You can share designs directly within Canva, assign permissions, and work together in real time.
Canva offers a variety of in-app tutorials, guides, and help articles to assist users in navigating the platform and utilizing its features effectively. We encourage users to explore Canva’s Help Center for step-by-step guidance on design tools, template customization, and collaboration features.
MarCom will also be offering training sessions to help users get comfortable with Canva Enterprise and make the most of its features. These sessions will cover template usage, brand resources, collaboration tools, and best practices for on-brand design. We have not yet scheduled the training sessions, but will announce them to our user base when we do.
To provide additional support for brand consistency and best practices, MarCom will be hosting brand office hours twice a month , starting May 5:
First Monday of the month from 2:30–4:00 PM
Third Wednesday of the month from 9:00–10:30 AM During these sessions, staff can drop in to ask questions, get feedback on designs, and receive guidance on using Canva Enterprise effectively. Office hours take place in the collaborative space in the MarCom suite outside office 232.
For more in-depth assistance, you can reach out to the MarCom team to discuss specific needs related to template usage, brand consistency, and design best practices, but we recommend coming to the office hours first. Virtual support is available upon request.
Questions?
For additional support, please contact marcom@ithaca.edu. We’re here to help you create effective, on-brand materials!
