Written Style Guide

abbreviations and acronyms 
With few exceptions, abbreviations and acronyms are not acceptable in text, especially on first reference. Acronyms and abbreviations should be avoided unless they are commonly known (such as NASA, FBI, CIA and GOP). Do not place acronyms or abbreviations in parentheses immediately after an organization's full name. If the acronym or abbreviation is easily recognized, this shouldn't be necessary. If it's not easily recognized, it shouldn't be used. For example: The abbreviation for the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health is MEZCOPH. For the average reader, it's easier to read "the college" than the seven-letter abbreviation. Consult the AP Stylebook for exceptions regarding abbreviations, such as dates, addresses and titles. When the context requires flexibility for design and layout purposes (i.e., a marketing piece), you may choose to omit periods after letters for abbreviations made up of all capital letters (e.g., BC, AD, US). An exception is when initials are used for personal names (e.g., J.K. Rowling).

advisor 
Use this spelling in all uses. Note: This is a deviation from AP Style, updated as of July 2026.

alum, alumnus, alumni
Instead of using alumnus for a man and alumna for a woman, it is acceptable to use the gender-neutral terms alum and alums. Note: One can be considered an alum without completing a degree.

ampersand 
In general, avoid using ampersands in body copy (emails, articles, etc.) in reference to any formal university unit, program or name, or as a substitute for "and." Use an ampersand when it is part of a formal name or title for entities outside the university. Limited use is acceptable in a design layout with limited space, or when it is being used to create impact, as in a headline. Note: This does not apply to ampersands in logos.

Arizona Board of Regents
Capitalize regent only when it appears in a title before a name: "Regent Joe Smith proposed an increase in tuition." Board is a collective noun and takes singular verbs: "The Arizona Board of Regents is meeting in Flagstaff." When referring to two or more regents, capitalize regent if the title is used with full names. Example: Regents Tom Jones and Jane Smith.

artworks and publication titles 
Titles of paintings, installations and exhibits should be in quotes in news communications. Titles of sculptures should not. In other uses, a designed piece or space limitations may dictate otherwise. For instance, in an advertisement, infographic, etc., either italicized titles or no title treatment may be preferred.

awards 
Names of awards are capitalized, but many terms used with them are not part of the official name and should not be capitalized (Guggenheim Fellowship but Guggenheim grant, National Merit scholarships, Nobel Prize in physics, Nobel Peace Prize).

B #

Banner Health
Headquartered in Arizona, Banner Health is one of the largest nonprofit health care systems in the country. The system owns and operates 30 acute-care hospitals, Banner Health Network, Banner – University Medicine, Banner – University Medical Group, Banner MD Anderson Cancer Center, long-term care centers, outpatient surgery centers and an array of other services, including family clinics, home care and hospice services, pharmacies and a nursing registry. Banner Health is in seven states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Nebraska, Nevada and Wyoming. When referring to Banner entities, use an en dash after Banner except as noted below.

Banner Children's at Diamond Children's Medical Center 
Diamond Children's is acceptable on second reference.

Banner – University Medicine
With locations in Tucson (Main and South Campus) and Phoenix, this academic medical network was created through the partnership of Banner Health and the University of Arizona. Banner – University Medicine serves as the primary clinical partner for the University of Arizona Health Sciences.

Banner – University Medical Group 
This is the practice plan made up of College of Medicine physicians.

Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix 

Banner – UMC Phoenix on second reference.

Banner – University Medical Center South 
This name refers to the hospital and clinics at 2800 E. Ajo Way in Tucson, formerly called The University of Arizona Medical Center – South Campus. Banner – UMC South on second reference.

Banner – University Medical Center North 
This is the location at North Campbell Avenue and East Allen Road. Banner – UMC North on second reference.

Banner – University Medical Center Tucson (Banner – UMC Tucson) 
This name refers to the hospital at 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Previous names include University Medical Center and The University of Arizona Medical Center – University Campus.

buildings 
Spell out and capitalize a building's name on first reference. Do not abbreviate words like center, administration, building, university, library, college, etc. Not all buildings have the word "building" in their names. Refer to the University of Arizona building directory to check.

C #

Campus Recreation 
The name of the unit that operates the three student recreation centers on the main campus: SouthREC, NorthREC and BearDownREC.

CatCard 
The official University of Arizona identification card.

Cat Tran 
The Parking and Transportation Services campus shuttle service. Two words.

Class of
Capitalized, as in "Class of 20XX"

college, department, program, school 
Use "the College of Nursing" or "the nursing college." When several colleges are mentioned, it's "the colleges of medicine, nursing and fine arts." The same rule applies to schools.

The word department is capitalized in formations such as "Department of History." It is not capitalized when the formation is "the history department." The exception is any department with a word that is always capitalized, such as the English department.

Program names are capitalized, as are graduate programs of study, such as the Race Track Industry Program. Not all programs use the word "program" in their official names.

Majors and minors are not capitalized unless the major/minor name is a proper noun (English, Spanish, etc.).

For an official list of University of Arizona colleges, centers, departments and schools, academic and nonacademic, see the directory at arizona.edu/colleges-schools. When referring to the named colleges below, use the complete name on first reference.

• W.A. Franke Honors College
• James E. Rogers College of Law
• Eller College of Management
• James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences
• R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy
• Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health

Commencement
Capitalize when referring to the university's flagship graduation event: The University of Arizona will recognize seven graduating seniors during Commencement for their extraordinary accomplishments in and out of the classroom.

composition titles 
Capitalize the principal words of four or more letters, including prepositions and conjunctions. Capitalize an article (a, an, the) or words of fewer than four letters if they are the first or last word in a title. Use quotation marks except for the Bible, newspapers, magazines, most reference material and journals. At times, italicized titles or no title treatment may be preferred, especially when a designed piece or space limitations dictate. Translate a foreign title into English unless known to the audience by its foreign name: "Of Mice and Men," "The Old Man and the Sea," Rousseau's "War" (not "Guerre"), "Mona Lisa," "Tootsie," the "CBS Evening News," the Arizona Daily Star, U.S. News & World Report.

course titles 
When the format is the subject and course number, use Arabic numerals and capitalize the subject: History 101. If using a descriptive title, follow the style used in the course catalog: Introduction to American History.

D #

dash 
The University of Arizona uses en dashes. Avoid using em dashes. Note: This is a deviation from AP Style. (See "hyphen" entry.) 

dates 
Always spell out the days of the week. Abbreviate months only when a specific date is used, such as Nov. 28. Never abbreviate March, April, May, June or July.

When referring to a month in a specific year, but not a specific date, always spell out the month and do not separate with a comma: July 1977. Do not include the year if the reference is to the current year or if omitting it would cause confusion. When a specific date is used with a year, the year should be set off by commas: The discovery was made on June 15, 2016, and has forever changed the way we measure results.

When using specific dates, use only the numeral. It should be "June 20" – not "June 20th" – unless the month and date are not contiguous. "She will travel on the 20th of June."

degrees 
When including a person's academic degrees, it is preferred to use a phrase, such as "She has a doctorate in chemistry." If abbreviations must be used, they are: B.A., B.S., M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., J.D., M.A., M.S., MBA. If design and readability of marketing materials require flexibility, you may opt to omit periods: BA, BS, MD, MPH, PhD, JD, MA, MS. When used after a name, the abbreviation is set off by commas: Mary Smith, MBA, gave the presentation. Avoid using abbreviations for fellowships or certifications after names.

• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (no "degree")
• bachelor's degree in history
• doctoral degree
• doctorate (no "degree")
• Doctor of Medicine
• Juris Doctor
• Master of Arts, Master of Science (no "degree")
• master's degree in chemistry

Delivering on Our Promise 
When referring to the title of President Garimella's first annual message, "Delivering on Our Promise" should be written with quotes.

Used in a sentence as a phrase: Last spring, University of Arizona President Suresh Garimella highlighted how the university's impact will be enhanced through Delivering on Our Promise, strategic imperatives focused on advancing student success, research and engagement.  

Used in a sentence not directly referring to the speech itself: Now that we have articulated what drives us as one of the world's premier public universities, we are proud to report how we are delivering on our promise. 

Dr. 
Avoid using in news communications except in first references to physicians and veterinarians. When used for a person with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree, the text should clarify that the person is a veterinarian. In other uses, the title of Dr. can be used for those holding doctorates.

E #

emeritus 
This word is used with formal titles to indicate a retired professor or administrator, male or female, who served for a substantial period of time. The Arizona Board of Regents confers the title on university presidents, while university presidents confer the title on faculty members.

The word follows the title: University of Arizona President Emeritus Peter Likins will speak at the dinner. When the word appears after the name, it is lowercase: Donald W. Carson, professor emeritus of journalism, spoke at the dinner. The title of professor is capitalized when combined with emeritus before a name: She asked Professor Emeritus Tim Swindle to submit a letter on her behalf. Avoid constructions using emeriti, the plural form of the word.

endowed chairs 
A person "holds" an endowed chair. The full name of the endowed chair should be capitalized regardless of whether it appears before or after the name of the person who holds it. Example: Carol Barnes holds the Evelyn F. McKnight Endowed Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging.

F #

faculty 
Faculty is a collective noun and takes a singular verb.

• The faculty is exceptional.
• The faculty members are experts in their fields.

first-year
The gender-neutral terms "first-year" and "first-year student" are preferred when  describing an entering student or a student without enough credits to be considered a sophomore. In less formal uses, the terms "first-year" and "first-years" are acceptable. Do not capitalize "first-year" and other class designations (sophomore, junior, senior) unless they begin a sentence.

For transfer students: A transfer student without enough credits to be a sophomore should be referred to as a "first-year transfer student." Once a transfer student has completed enough credits to be a sophomore, they should be identified by their class standing (sophomore, junior, senior). There is no need to identify them as a transfer student unless that fact is relevant to the content.

G #

Suresh Garimella
The 23rd president of the University of Arizona and University Distinguished Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, positions he assumed on Oct. 1, 2024.

grade point average               
GPA is acceptable in all references. When referring to letter grades in text, quote marks are not necessary. Examples: She earned a B in the class. His report card included three A's and one B.

grant-making, grantor

H #

headlines 
Headlines are written in sentence case, not title case: A U of A food safety expert explains the cyclosporiasis outbreak. Note: "U of A" is a preferred abbreviation in headlines for "University of Arizona." See "University of Arizona" entry.

healthcare
One word, no hyphen, in all uses.

Hispanic-Serving Institution 
Use HSI on second reference.

honors
Always lowercase unless referring to the W.A. Franke Honors College.

• She is an honors student.
• She graduated with honors.

hyphen
Not needed between an adverb ending in -ly and its adjective, e.g., nationally known program. Insert a hyphen in compound modifiers beginning with "well": She is a well-informed woman. Insert a hyphen in words beginning with the prefix "self": self-assured, self-defense, etc. (See "dash" entry.)

L #

location 
The general term used to describe facilities and university property beyond the main campus. Do not use "campus." Note: Does not apply to designated microcampuses abroad; see "microcampus" entry. 

Some locations have formal names, which should be used whenever possible. Examples: 

• University of Arizona Chandler 
• University of Arizona Gilbert 
• University of Arizona Scottsdale Center (Scottsdale Center on second reference) 
• University of Arizona Sierra Vista 
• University of Arizona Yuma 

Wrong: "University of Arizona Yuma campus."

M #

main campus 
Describes the university's primary location in Tucson, including the health sciences and other facilities north of Speedway Boulevard. Always lowercase, unless it starts a sentence. Note: Locations outside of Tucson that are not designated microcampuses are formally known as locations, not campuses; see "location" entry.

microcampus 
The term for the locations worldwide where the University of Arizona offers collaborative degree programs to local students on the campuses of partner universities.

mount, mountains 
The AP Stylebook advises spelling out "mount" in all uses, including the names of mountains and communities. For official names of organizations, defer to preferred spelling. Example: The University of Arizona Mt. Lemmon SkyCenter is located atop Mount Lemmon.

Other regional mountain ranges: Mount Graham, Santa Catalina Mountains, Santa Rita Mountains, Rincon Mountains, Tucson Mountains, Tortolita Mountains.

O #

Old Main

OSIRIS-APEX
An extension of the OSIRIS-REx mission, the OSIRIS-Apophis Explorer mission will dig into the surface of the asteroid Apophis.

OSIRIS-REx 
NASA's asteroid sample return mission, led by the University of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. OSIRIS-REx is an acronym for the mission's full name, which is Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security – Regolith Explorer.

P #

Phoenix Bioscience Core
The 30-acre life sciences innovation district in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, with Arizona’s three state universities as its anchor institutions.

postdoctoral, postgraduate

Pride of Arizona, The
The name of the University of Arizona marching band.

proper names
When referring to a building or place on second reference, do not capitalize the common noun. Centennial Hall becomes "the hall," Harvill Auditorium becomes "the auditorium" and Arizona Stadium becomes "the stadium." In plural uses, lowercase the common noun: Pima and Maricopa counties.

R #

Regents Professor
Always capitalize. The discipline is not part of the title, e.g., Regents Professor of math Less S. Moore.

S #

seasons, semesters
Always lowercase: fall semester, spring break, winter closure.

Southern Arizona, Southwest

strategic imperatives 
Originally described in President Garimella's message, "Delivering on Our Promise," there are three shared strategic imperatives that guide the university.  

Used in a sentence: We are the University for Arizona, the most significant and most comprehensive research institution in the Southwest, and we are converging around three shared strategic imperatives, with student success as our North Star.

The three strategic imperatives are title case:

• Success for Every Student – Advancing a student-centered experience that supports retention, belonging, graduation and post-graduate achievement for all learners, including graduate and online students.
• Research that Shapes the Future – Building on the university's strengths across disciplines to drive discovery, innovation and solutions to global challenges.
• Engagement with Our Communities to Create Opportunity – Fulfilling the land-grant mission through partnerships, support and impact across Arizona and beyond, with special attention to place-based excellence and sustainability.

Used in a sentence: The report also highlights strong participation in several initiatives designed to strengthen the university’s strategic imperatives – Success for Every Student, Research that Shapes the Future, and Engagement with Our Communities to Create Opportunity – and the Academic Success Goals, which guide the university's academic mission. 

student-athlete
Always hyphenate.

T #

telephone numbers 
Use a hyphens and not parentheses for area codes: 602-555-1212. Extensions are separated with a comma: 602-555-1212, ext. 3. Do not include 1 before toll-free numbers within the U.S. For the emergency telephone number, use 911, not 9-1-1.

theater 
Use this spelling unless the entity's official name uses theatre, such as the School of Theatre, Film and Television, the Marroney Theatre, the Stevie Eller Dance Theatre, etc.

time of day 
Separate hours from minutes with a colon and use periods with a.m. and p.m. Do not use zeros for exact hours. "The movie is being shown at 11 a.m. and 1:30 p.m." For ranges of time, separate with a hyphen: 1-3 p.m., 5 a.m.-7 p.m.

title/titled/entitled 
A title is the name of something. Entitled means having a right to do something or have something.

• The book is titled "The Third Half."
• She is entitled to half of the royalties.

titles 
Capitalize and spell out formal titles when they precede a name; use lowercase elsewhere. Do not abbreviate vice president, professor, associate, assistant, etc.

For titles that come after a name, use lowercase and separate with a comma: Suresh Garimella, president of the University of Arizona, gave the keynote address.

In non-news communications, use courtesy titles at your discretion depending on the context. For example, you might use courtesy titles (Mr., Miss, etc.) in a marketing program that includes a list of professors where one does not have a doctoral degree.

Professor is capitalized only when it begins a sentence or when it is used in a direct quotation:

• Professor John Jones presented the award to professor Jane Valdez at the department's annual dinner.
• "I was recruited to the University of Arizona by Professor Luke Skywalker," said Han Solo, a new graduate student.

Regents Professor and University Distinguished Professor are always capitalized: Toni M. Massaro is a Regents Professor of law. Joellen Russell, Distinguished Professor of geosciences, will speak at noon.

When a person holds multiple titles, use the most relevant title on first reference and, if necessary, provide the others later in the text.

If a person holds a title on a temporary basis, only the actual title is capitalized. "The student mentioned interim Custodial Services Director Ike Lean."

Other titles:

• Gov. Katie Hobbs
• Mayor Regina Romero
• U.S. Sen. Ruben Gallego, Democrat of Arizona
• U.S. Rep. Adelita Grijalva, Democrat of Arizona

Tucson, Arizona 
It's city of Tucson and state of Arizona, not City of Tucson nor State of Arizona.

U #

UArizona
Not to be used in any case except pre-existing instances, which primarily include social media account handles. See "University of Arizona" entry for further guidance.

University of Arizona
News communications or communications intended for external audiences:

First reference, headlines and titles: 

The University of Arizona should be used on first reference. "The" should only be capitalized when beginning a sentence or headline. Lowercase "university" when standalone and on all subsequent references unless beginning a sentence.

Secondary reference, headlines and titles:

"Arizona" is the preferred second reference unless it creates confusion with the state of Arizona, as "Arizona" has multiple connotations, including state government agencies. The optional second reference, "U of A," can be used in copy and headlines. It must be written as "U of A" with spaces, and not "UofA" or any other deviation. When "U of A" is used as a noun, it must be referenced as "the U of A" and when it is used as an adjective, it stands alone as "U of A (noun)."

Use best judgment for usage beyond second references.

News and external communications examples:

• The University of Arizona was established in 1885.
• Arizona students come from all 50 states.
• Headline: 13 unique clubs at Arizona
• Alumni from around the world descend on the U of A for Homecoming Weekend.
• U of A researchers lead NASA-funded mission.

Marketing and internal communications:

First reference, headlines, or stand alone in text:

Use "The University of Arizona" on first reference, headlines, and when the name stands alone in text such as titles or website footers. "The" should only be capitalized when beginning a sentence or headline.

It is never written as possessive, e.g., "the University of Arizona's College of Science." Instead, it is "the University of Arizona College of Science" on first reference and "College of Science" on second reference.

Secondary reference:

"Arizona" is the preferred second reference for all internal and external audiences and occasions.

Optional secondary reference:

If your unit is unable to use "Arizona" as its second reference (especially to avoid duplication with organizations outside the university) you may use "U of A" as the second reference. It must be written as "U of A" with spaces, and not "UofA" or any other deviation. When "U of A" is used as a noun, it must be referenced as "the U of A" and when it is used as an adjective, it stands alone as "U of A (noun)."

Example:

First reference: University of Arizona College of Nursing
Second reference: U of A College of Nursing
Subsequent references: College of Nursing

Use best judgment for usage beyond secondary references.

Marketing and internal communications examples:

• The University of Arizona is home to 23 colleges and 150+ majors and degrees.
• At the University of Arizona, students can choose from more than 400 clubs
• Here's how six incredible women in science, technology, engineering and math at Arizona are making the world better.
• Discover life at U of A – the clubs, classes and activities that will help you be your best self.

Social media handles:

A unit's profile name should be search-friendly and follow the naming convention of "uofa" or "arizona" combined with the unit name. Please reach out to brand@arizona.edu for approval on all new social media handles.

References no longer used:

"UA" and "UAZ" must not be used in any communications or social media handles. "UAZ" is only allowed in social media handles prior to July 1, 2024.

University of Arizona Mall
On second reference, the Mall is acceptable.

NetID
The official personal identifier for University of Arizona faculty, staff and students. Your NetID permits secure access to a variety of applications and services using a single sign-on (one username and one password) system.

University of Arizona Foundation
The University of Arizona Foundation is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to advancing the university by building relationships, securing philanthropic support and stewarding assets. "The U of A Foundation" is acceptable on second reference, and "the foundation" is an acceptable tertiary option if context allows for clarity. 

W #

Wilbur Wildcat, Wilma Wildcat
Wildcat is this couple's last name. Their middle names are "The" but are shortened to an initial (Wilbur T. Wildcat and Wilma T. Wildcat). They are not Wilbur the Wildcat and Wilma the Wildcat.

Z #

ZonaZoo
This is the official student section and student-ticketing program for Arizona Athletics.