Editorial guidelines
This style guide is based primarily on the Associated Press Stylebook. First reference for spelling and usage is Webster's New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition. Secondary usage is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed. Another useful resource for Alaska-specific questions is the AP Stylebook for Alaska.
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A
academic honors
Cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude should be italicized. See the academic catalog for the GPA requirements to earn these honor designations at graduation.
academic years
Use all digits in both years when expressing a range.
The 1922-1923 academic year was the university's first.
acronyms
Use apostrophe only to show possession:
The PM's calendar was full.
Do not use apostrophe to show plural:
PSAs are great publicity tools.
advisor
Not adviser (contrary to AP style).
ages
Always use figures for people, animals and inanimates.
The girl is 15 years old; the law is 8 years old; the 101-year-old house. When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years.
Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.
A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The woman, 26, has a daughter 2 months old. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s (no apostrophe).
See also boy; girl; infant; youth and numerals in AP Stylebook. See comma in punctuation guidelines in AP Stylebook.
Alaska
Do not abbreviate in text.
Alaska Nanooks
Ensure that it's clear that the Alaska Nanooks are the athletics teams that represent the University of Alaska Fairbanks. Avoid confusion between the sports team and the state. Do not use "lady" when referring to a women's team (e.g., the Lady Nanooks).
Referring to the teams
Best
The Alaska Nanooks toppled Ferris State Saturday night. The University of Alaska Fairbanks
toppled Ferris State Saturday night.
Avoid
Alaska toppled Ferris State Saturday night.
Referring to the coaches, staff or student-athletes
Best
University of Alaska Fairbanks student-athlete Jenny Black is an amazing guard. Alaska
Nanooks rifle shooter David Green took top honors. The University of Alaska Fairbanks
senior had the highest score both days of the match. Alaska Nanooks coach Sarah White
had lots of praise for her team's performance. University of Alaska Fairbanks men's
basketball coach Henry Jackson joined other coaches throughout the NCAA in supporting
the rule change.
Avoid
Alaska student-athlete Jenny Black is an amazing guard.
Alaska rifle shooter David Green took top honors. The Alaska senior had the highest score both days of the match.
Alaska coach Sarah White had lots of praise for her team's performance.
Alaska men's basketball coach Henry Jackson joined other coaches throughout the NCAA in supporting the rule change.
See also Nanook.
Alaska Sea Grant
Capitalize initial letters of each word. Formal title is "Alaska Sea Grant College Program," but "Alaska Sea Grant" should be the first choice. If "program" must be appended for clarity, lowercase it.
Alaskan
Use as a noun describing a person, not a place — never "Alaskan city," for example.
The professor is a longtime Alaskan.
AlaskaOne
Do not use. Referred to the disbanded statewide public television stations. See KUAC.
alphabetizing
Alphabetizing letter by letter, not word by word, is preferred. In the letter-by-letter method, spaces and hyphens are ignored.
Letter by letter: newborn, newcomer, New Deal, new economics (Word by word: New Deal, new economics, newborn, newcomer)
alumni
Alumna is a female who has attended a school; alumnae is plural for female attendees; alumnus is a male who has attended a school; alumni is plural for male graduates and the term used when referring to a group of men and women. Use alumnus when referring to a nongender-specific individual.
Note: The term does not necessarily denote a graduate but may refer to anyone who has attended UAF as a student. Use the plural alumni whenever possible. Avoid abbreviating as alum.
For treatment of obsolete forms of UAF's name, see UAF.
a.m., p.m.
Lowercase with a space between the time and a.m./p.m., and periods between the letters:
The conference will start at 9 a.m.
See also time of day.
app
Short for "application" when referring to a computer program running on a device. Acceptable on first reference. Names of program apps are capitalized without quotes. Capitalize gaming apps and place in quotes.
Arctic, arctic
Capitalize when using as a noun or adjective referring to the geographic region:
The Arctic can be a dangerous and hostile place. Interest in Arctic research is at an all-time high.
Lowercase when using as an adjective denoting extreme cold:
The hikers were quickly chilled by the arctic winds swirling through the narrow valley.
Animal names, despite being derived from the region, are lowercase, per AP.
The arctic tern, while pursuing an arctic grayling, startled an arctic fox that was stalking an arctic hare.
See also sub-Arctic.
Associated Students of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (ASUAF)
Do not use periods. Use abbreviation only after full name has been used at least once.
Athabascan
Not Athabaskan.
athletic conferences
The Nanook sports teams belong to the following conferences. While the conference names should be spelled out on first reference, with the abbreviated initial form used in subsequent references, the overall governing body, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, can be referred to as NCAA in all references.
Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) — basketball, cross-country running, volleyball
Pacific Collegiate Swimming and Diving Conference (PCSC)
Patriot Rifle Conference (PRC) — (The rifle team joined the newly formed conference beginning with the 2013-2014 season.)
Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) — cross-country skiing
Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA) (UAF joined the WCHA when the Central Collegiate Hockey Association disbanded after the 2012-2013 season.)
athletic director, director of athletics
The person who oversees the Department of Athletics [plural] is the athletic [singular] director. Lowercase in all uses.
The new coach was welcomed by athletic director S.C. Orr.
The director of athletics announced that UAF would host the first game of the Governor's Cup.
aurora borealis
Do not capitalize. Aurora is acceptable on second reference.
Plural form auroras or aurorae; borealis does not change.
B
ballroom (Wood Center Carol Brown)
See Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom.
bioinformatic
(adjective) – Relating to bioinformatics.
bioinformatics
(noun) – Science of information and information flow in biological systems, especially the use of computational methods to process information in genetics and genomics.
Blue and Gold
May be used sparingly to refer to a UAF athletic team. Do not use an ampersand. Capitalize "Blue" and "Gold."
board of regents
Capitalize when using full name:
The University of Alaska Board of Regents met on Wednesday.
Lowercase when not using full name:
The board of regents met Wednesday.
Takes a singular verb:
The board of regents is meeting on the UAA campus.
Bookstore
Capitalize when referring specifically to the bookstore in Constitution Hall. Do not capitalize a preceding "the."
The student bought art supplies at the Bookstore.
Bonanza Creek Long-term Ecological Research Site
"Bonanza Creek LTER Site" is acceptable on second reference.
building — names
Capitalize building if part of the formal name.
Many students have classes in the Gruening Building. The Girl Scouts sold cookies outside the Fred Meyer building.
Complete formal names may be abbreviated to their common usage.
Ernest Gruening Building or Gruening Building.
Brooks Memorial Mines Building or Brooks Building
The word "building" may be omitted when the meaning is clear
She taught most of her classes in Duckering.
Lowercase in other instances:
The building was constructed …
Apply the same rules to other building designators, such as complex, facility, hall and theater. A more complete treatment of Fairbanks campus buildings and facilities names and histories is available from University Relations.
building — floors
Do not capitalize.
ACEP is located on the fourth floor of the Engineering Learning and Innovation Facility.
building — rooms
The use of the word building is optional with room numbers. Although there is no preference between placing the numeral before or after the building name, maintain consistent use within a document. Delete "room" when using a numeral and building name.
The conference will be held in 208 Gruening Building. (or Gruening 208)
Use numerals for numbers:
The conference will be held in 208 Gruening.
Capitalize when part of a formal name of a room:
The meeting will be in the Wood Center Conference Room A. The lecture will be in the Globe Room.
Bursar, Office of the
The Business Office formally changed its name to the Office of the Bursar July 1, 2013. "Office of the Bursar" is the preferred usage, but "Bursar's Office" may also be used. Do not use "Business Office" unless needed to explain the name change.
Business Office
Do not use. See "Bursar, Office of the."
C
campus
Capitalize when using full name:
The Chukchi Campus is in Kotzebue, and the Bristol Bay Campus is in Dillingham. Fairbanks campus does not take a capital c, and is used to refer specifically to the administrative headquarters of the UAF system. However, in a list of UAF campuses, for example, it may look odd or like a mistake to capitalize "campus" for the community sites but not Fairbanks, in which case it is acceptable to capitalize as "Fairbanks Campus."
Lowercase when not using full or formal name:
The campus was teeming with students on the first day of class.
See also community campuses.
campuswide
One word, no hyphen:
That email was sent campuswide. The campuswide distribution was a success.
canceled
Use one l, not two:
The meeting is canceled due to aliens landing on Gruening.
capital, Capitol
Use capital (lowercase) when referring to the city where a seat of government is located, the case of a letter, or a budget or monetary reference. Use Capitol (capitalized) when referring to the building in which a state or federal legislative body meets.
Juneau is the capital of Alaska. Many consider the Capitol too small and want to build a new one.
capitalization
See individual entries. In general, capitalize formal titles or names but lowercase general uses of a noun:
The University of Alaska Fairbanks is the flagship of the statewide system. The university's Troth Yeddha' campus is in Fairbanks. Many classes are held in Schaible Auditorium. The lecture was held in the auditorium.
See also center, department, seasons, titles and job titles.
catalog
Not catalogue.
centennial
Lowercase when using as a noun and adjective unless part of a formal name.
UAF celebrated its centennial in 2017. To mark the occasion, it launched the Centennial Scholarships and Fellowships Initiative.
center
Capitalize when using the full name; lowercase in other instances.
The Alaska Quaternary Center deals with certain geological time periods. The center deals with certain geological time periods.
chair
Not chairman, chairwoman or chairperson. Contrary to AP style. Capitalize when preceding a name (but not department); lowercase in all other instances.
The students met with department Chair Rachel Smith to discuss their concerns. Rachel Smith, chair of the department, issued a statement on the dean's behalf. The committee chair was appointed last year.
championship
Capitalize when part of the complete title:
UAF won the NCAA Rifle Championship again this year. UAF has won the national rifle championship three years in a row. The Nanooks' best skier won the national championship at the NCAA National Skiing Championship.
chancellor
Capitalize as part of a title:
At the meeting, Chancellor Dan White …
Lowercase in other instances:
Dan White is chancellor of UAF. Please welcome UAF's chancellor, Dan White.
chancellor's list
Place the apostrophe before the s as there is only one chancellor for whom the list is named. Do not capitalize the c or the l.
Charles W. Davis Concert Hall
Can be shortened to Davis Concert Hall (initial caps).
circumpolar, circumpolar North
Capitalize only "North."
city of Fairbanks
Don't capitalize city unless referring to the full name as a legal or political entity:
The city of Fairbanks is located in Interior Alaska. The City of Fairbanks sued the state for interfering in municipal matters.
class of year
Lowercase class.
The reunion celebrated the class of 1960.
class, academic
When referring to an academic class in general, do not capitalize it unless the subject studied is a proper noun. Never capitalize the word "class."
Lucy's math class started at 8 a.m. Her English class started at 9:45.
Capitalize the titles of classes.
Lucy liked both Principles of Geometry and Poetry in Translation.
When the course number must be used, capitalize all letters of the abbreviated department name and include the prefatory "F" (denotes Fairbanks campus) and any letters that follow the three-number designator.
The Justice Department added two new sections of JUST F110. Students can take BIOL F103L in the spring only.
class names, class standing
Lowercase class standings: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student, undergraduate student.
coed
Use coed when referring to a coeducational college or university. No hyphen.
Residence Life offers living environments to meet every need including coed buildings by floor.
NOTE: Use of coed when referring to a female student at a coeducational university could be considered sexist language.
cold-climate (modifying adjective)
Hyphenate cold climate when used as a modifying adjective.
The findings will help improve cold-climate building practices in Alaska.
Note: Do not hyphenate Cold Climate Housing Research Center. Do not hyphenate when climate is the noun:
Researchers took special care of their instruments in the cold climate.
college, colleges
Capitalize as part of official name:
The College of Liberal Arts offers …
Lowercase in other instances:
The college offers …
UAF colleges and their abbreviations:
College of Business and Security Management (CBSM), College of Engineering and Mines (CEM), College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences (CFOS), College of Liberal Arts (CLA), College of Natural Science and Mathematics (CNSM), College of Indigenous Studies (CIS)
See also school, schools.
Combined Heat and Power Plant
Name of the heat and power plant completed in 2018. Capitalize. Abbreviate as "the CHP."
commas
Use a comma before the "and" when combining two independent clauses (where there are two subject doing two things).
I was laughing, and he was crying.
In a series, do not use a comma before the "and" unless one of the items in the series has an "and" in it. Complicated sentences may, however, benefit from a final comma, regardless of the preceding "and" rule.
I bought oranges, apples and butter. They looked into funding, research and development, and history. My mother booked a tour that would take her trekking in Nepal, where she used to live, scuba diving in the Mediterranean to search for sunken treasure, beer tasting in Germany with my brother, who lives there, and finally to Egypt.
commencement, convocation
Lowercase when used to refer to commencement or convocation generally:
More than 2,000 people attended the UAF commencement ceremony. Ice cream was served after convocation.
Capitalize when followed by the specific year:
UAF celebrated Commencement 2012 in grand style. A reporter interviewed the chancellor after the Convocation 2012 presentation.
community campuses
Capitalize when using full name:
Bristol Bay Campus is in Dillingham. Chukchi Campus is in Kotzebue. Interior Alaska Campus is based in Fairbanks. Kuskokwim Campus is in Bethel. Northwest Campus is in Nome.
Lowercase when not using full or formal name:
The campus is located on the other side of town.
convocation
See commencement.
Cooperative Extension Service
May use "Extension" (capitalized) on second reference, or abbreviate to CES (no periods). Agents are "Extension agents."
corporation
Abbreviate when used in a company's name. Lowercase when used as a common noun.
The Bristol Bay Native Corp. is one of Alaska's Native corporations.
core
Refers to the concentration of classes taken by all baccalaureate students. Do not capitalize.
course, academic
See class, academic.
coursework
One word.
credit hours, numbers of
In regular copy (e.g., recruitment brochure, media release), spell out numbers of credit hours when less than 10.
Meg took nine credits in the fall. She took 15 credits in the spring.
In academic publications like the academic catalog, use numerals in all cases.
cross-country
Hyphenate. At UAF, “cross-country” alone refers to cross-country running, not cross-country skiing.
After a successful cross-country season, Nanook runners are getting ready for their first skiing competition in two weeks.
D
dashes
See hyphens and dashes.
data
Data can be either a singular or plural noun and requires a singular or plural verb accordingly. See the AP Stylebook for further explanation.
The data is inaccurate. The data have been carefully collected.
database
One word, not two
dates
When a phrase refers to a day and date or a month, day and year, separate each unit with a comma.
The fundraiser will be on Wednesday, Nov. 8, in the Wood Center multilevel lounge. Children born on or after Jan. 1, 2010, are eligible for the program.
Do not use a comma to separate a month and year when no specific date is included.
She ran her first marathon in September 2003.
Abbreviate months with more than five letters. Use cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3), not ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd).
The program will begin Jan. 1, 2015. The program will begin March 1, 2015. The program will take place on April 1, 2015.
Use a hyphen when dates (and other numbers) indicate a range.
The conference is June 1-10. Organizers expect 100-125 people to attend.
Davis Concert Hall
Acceptable use of Charles W. Davis Concert Hall. Use initial caps in both versions.
day care
Two words, no hyphen, in all uses. (An exception to Webster's use as an adjective.)
The Bunnell House day care center gives hands-on training to early childhood education students.
days of the week
Never abbreviate in text:
The program will begin Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1991.
dean
Capitalize as part of a title:
UAF School of Hard Knocks Dean John Smith … At the meeting, Dean John Smith …
Lowercase in other instances:
John Smith, dean of UAF's School of Hard Knocks …
dean's list and deans' lists
When someone is named to a dean's list, the apostrophe should be placed before the s. Place the apostrophe after the s when referring to the many lists from the many deans.
degree students
Not "degree-seeking."
All degree students eventually must declare a major.
(See also nondegree students)
degrees
Capitalize when the formal title of the degree is given
Associate of Arts (Science)
Associate of Applied Science
Bachelor of Arts (Science)
Master of Arts (Science)
Doctor of Philosophy
Lowercase when a shortened form is used.
associate degree (no apostrophe-s)
bachelor's degree
master's degree
doctoral degree (But "doctorate" is the word if "degree" is dropped.)
UAF offers two Bachelor of Arts degrees in Eskimo — one in Inupiaq, one in Yup'ik
Capitalize when abbreviating (only on second reference), with each letter separated by a period, no space. Exception: MBA, no periods.
Kelly earned his B.A. in social work three years ago.
Preferred: John received a bachelor's degree in computer science.
Hannah worked full-time while she earned her MBA degree.
UAF offers:
licensures
occupational endorsements
certificates
associate degrees
bachelor's degrees
master's degrees
graduate and postbaccalaureate certificates
doctoral degrees/doctorates – Ph.D. (doctor of philosophy)
Denali
The former Mount McKinley, renamed in 2015 by the federal government. Denali is the Koyukon Dene name for the mountain.
Also in the same year, an expedition accompanied by UAF researcher Tom Heinrichs used GPS to establish a summit elevation of 20,310 feet. The U.S. Geological Survey adopted the measurement. The previous longstanding official elevation was 20,320 feet.
The surrounding federal park is Denali National Park and Preserve.
Dene
“Dene” is an umbrella term for a family of Indigenous languages and peoples that ranges
across the interior regions of Alaska and northwestern Canada, the Pacific Coast and
the Southwest U.S. It’s derived from the common root term for “person” that appears
in these languages. Pronounce it “de-NEH,” with the vowels in both syllables sounding
like the "e" in "bet."
For each Dene people and language, the term will differ. “Dena” describes the language
and Indigenous people of the lower Tanana River, where UAF is based. Pronounce it
“de-NA.” The first vowel in "Dena," again, is the same as "bet." The second vowel
is the same as in "dad." Use this term in land acknowledgments associated with UAF
locations in the Fairbanks area.
“Dene” encompasses the peoples and languages historically known as “Athabascan.” However,
“Athabascan” comes from a place-name word in the separate Cree language, so “Dene”
is often preferred today.
department
Although many departments' formal names are Department of X, they are also commonly referred to as X Department. Retain capitalization in either case. See also unit.
The Department of History is sponsoring a contest. The History Department is sponsoring a contest.
Lowercase when not using the full title in either form:
The department is sponsoring …
Exceptions: There are departments that are not preceded by Department of or whose official name at UAF is contrary to convention. Such names should be capitalized. These include but are not limited to: University Fire Department, University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department and University Relations.
Dine 49
Name of the main dining service in Wood Center. Signs in the facility originally used "Forty-nine," but "49" now is almost universally used in publications and on the web.
director
Capitalize as part of a title:
When Employee Relations Director Bill Smythe arrived …
Lowercase in other instances:
When Bill Smythe, director of Employee Relations, arrived …
dollars
Use dollar sign, not the word dollars, no decimal:
The cost is $12 per person.
Do not hyphenate costs that modify a noun:
The $1.2 million budget increase was blamed on skyrocketing insurance costs.
Dr.
Reserve Dr. for those with medical degrees unless it's specifically necessary to use Dr. to indicate expertise in a subject as opposed to a lay understanding. Do not use Dr. as a title when someone has earned a Ph.D. or honorary degree, and don't use Ph.D. after the name.
Willa Wims is the new director.
Exceptions: May be made for formal university documents or on mailings pulled from Raiser's Edge.
E
Earth, earth
Capitalize when referring to the planet:
The Earth is bigger than the moon.
Lowercase when using as a general reference:
It felt good to dig in the moist spring earth.
eCampus
eCampus is the name of the unit that oversees electronic learning and distance education activities at UAF. The proper noun uses a lowercase "e" followed by an uppercase "C," with no intervening space or hyphen. The "e" is lowercased even when starting a sentence.
eCampus offers a variety of learning opportunities anywhere there is an internet connection. CLA and eCampus students helped organize the conference.
e-learning
e-learning (with hyphen) refers generally to learning through electronic methods. The "e" is capitalized when starting a sentence.
E-learning can take place anywhere a student has an internet connection. Many students take a mix of in-person and e-learning classes.
EDIR
Former abbreviation for UA's electronic directory. Replaced in January 2018 by UA People.
Edith R. Bullock Prize for Excellence
Initial capitalization. "Service" is not part of the title; neither is "award."
Eileen's House
Informal name for the Eileen Panigeo MacLean House. Avoid "MacLean House," per request from her family.
Elder, Elders
Capitalize in all uses when referring to Native American individuals who have been honored by their communities with that status. Capitalize both the singular and plural.
Several Elders were interviewed by the reporter. UAF gave Alaska Native Elder Katherine Peter an honorary degree in 1999.
For news content, including items posted on the UAF news website, follow Associated Press style (no capitalization).
ellipsis
Indicates the omission of words from a quoted sentence. In the middle of a sentence: space, three periods, space. (On Mac keyboards, type option+semicolon to create an ellipsis. On Microsoft keyboards, it's alt, control and period.)
I always try to do my best … however, nobody's perfect.
At the end of a sentence: space, one period, space, three periods. The first period indicates the end of the sentence:
Spring activities included mud volleyball and a bonfire. …The chancellor began the festivities with a reception.
See the AP Stylebook for further treatment.
All one word, no hyphen. However, retain the hyphen in words like "e-books" and "e-commerce."
emeriti, emeritus
Use emeritus for any one person, regardless of whether that person is a man or a woman. Capitalize emeritus when used as a title preceding a name.
Professor Emeritus Laurel Scribe taught English for many years. Laurel Scribe, a professor emeritus of English, volunteered as a tutor for many years after her retirement.
Emeriti is the plural for men or both men and women. Plural women is expressed as emeritae.
Emeriti are recognized during commencement each year. The professors emeritae began a campaign to fund a scholarship for women pursuing engineering degrees.
Note that the formal wording used on emeriti resolutions may be different from the style discussed here.
esports
Use "eSports" or "e-sports" only if they're parts of formal names, like that of departments. Capitalize the "e," not the "s," when starting a sentence. Match with singular verbs when referring to esports as a general subject, but use plural verbs when referring to two or more different types of esports:
Esports is a new field of study at UAF.
Many esports are available.
Extension
See Cooperative Extension Service.
F
faculty (applies also to "staff" and "staff member")
Use faculty as a singular noun. Preference is given to using "faculty" as a singular noun when referring to professors et al as a group, while "faculty members" refers to individuals within that group.
The faculty is meeting today. Some faculty members are on vacation and cannot attend. He is a member of the faculty.
Fairbanks Experiment Farm
Not "Experimental." Name of the farm itself, managed by the Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.
Farmers Loop
No apostrophe.
fax
Short for facsimile machine, use lowercase:
The student wanted to fax her transcript to the graduate school.
fellow, fellowship
Do not capitalize when describing a person who is a member of an academic society or organization or who has a similar standing as a graduate student. Capitalize "fellowship" when used in the formal title of the award.
August Mensch was named a Brookings fellow for his work in economic theory. The Profound Fellowship is offered in alternating years. Graduate students who win the fellowship are expected to publish a peer-reviewed article within three years.
fieldwork
One word, no hyphen.
Fire Department
The full name is the University Fire Department (not UAF Fire Department; compare with Police Department.) Capitalize when referring to the university department, even when not preceded by University. Lowercase when referring to fire departments in general.
The University Fire Department serves the University of Alaska Fairbanks campus, as well as a large off-campus fire district. UAF fire science graduates find employment in fire departments nationwide.
See also Police Department.
first names
Use full name unless nickname is preferred by the owner:
Charles Ray was named professor emeritus.
Or if he prefers:
Chuck Ray was named professor emeritus.
See AP, names entry for treatment of children and youth.
first-year student
Alternative term for a freshman, but not always synonymous. A student might have attended two or more years with a minimal course load and so, while not a first-year student, could remain a freshman from an academic standpoint.
flyer
A "flyer" is the word for a handbill, a person flying and some trains and buses. "Flier" is only used in the phrase "take a flier," meaning to take a risk.
fonts
See approved university fonts.
fundraiser, fundraising
One word, no hyphens.
G
GED
General Educational Development. Use initial caps. On first reference, use General Educational Development. For second reference, use GED.
For admission to associate/certificate programs, you must have a high school diploma or a General Educational Development diploma. If you do not have a high school diploma or GED, you may take courses as a nondegree student.
genus, species
In the first reference of scientific or biological names, capitalize the first, or generic, Latin name for the class of plant or animal, lowercase the species that follows, and italicize both: Homo sapiens, Tyrannosaurus rex. On second reference, abbreviate the first letter and spell out the second word: H. sapiens, T. rex. Divisions higher than genus — phylum, class, order and family — are capitalized but not italicized.
geographic information system
Lowercase. Abbreviate as GIS (no periods).
geologic ages
Capitalize the name and the eon, era, etc.
Several faculty members in the Anthropology Department specialize in Alaska archaeology from the Holocene Epoch of the Quaternary Period.
Georgeson Botanical Garden
Garden is singular, not plural.
governmental titles
Abbreviate in the following ways in text:
Gov. Jay Hammond … Sen. Joe Smith … Rep. Ann Jones …
grade point average
On first reference, use grade point average. For second reference, use GPA.
Great Hall
See Regents' Great Hall.
H
headlines
For ease in creating consistent headlines, follow AP style, which lowercases most words.
The details: Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the headline, including the first letter in words such as "iPhone" or "eBay." Lowercase all subsequent words except proper nouns. Also capitalize the first word after a colon. Use single quotation marks, not double. Use numerals. Don't put periods in abbreviations such as "US" or "DC."
If you must capitalize words in a headline, first consult the Chicago Manual of Style; the rules are complex.
High-frequency Active Auroral Research Program
HAARP on second reference.
high school
Two words when used as a noun and a compound modifier (contrary to Webster's).
home schooling, home-schooled, home-schooler
honors list
Lowercase, no apostrophe:
John Smith was named to the honors list.
Honors College
Initial caps on both words when used together. Do not capitalize "honors" on its own.
Because Jason was an honors student in the Honors College, he was able to take honors classes.
honorary degrees
Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary. Exceptions may be made for formal university documents or on mailings pulled from Raiser's Edge.
hyphens and dashes
hyphens: Use in compound noun and modifiers, to separate noninclusive numbers or to separate ranges of items, such as dates or quantities. Do not use spaces around the hyphen.
My mother-in-law is coming to town. Her phone number is 555-1234. There will be 30-50 people there. The event runs Oct. 10-15.
em dash: Use in place of commas to set off a section of the sentence that requires special emphasis. Place one space before and after the em dash.
(On Mac keyboards, type option+shift+dash to create an em dash. PC keyboard strokes vary, depending on the word processing version being used.)
The em dash — a very important typographical element — should not be overused.
See also time of day.
I
Inc.
Preferred house style is to delete even when part of a corporate name, but if it is retained, abbreviate and capitalize as Inc. Do not set off with commas. Apply the same treatment to other designations such as LLC.
Arco Alaska is an oil company. Arco Alaska Inc. is an oil company.
Indigenous, indigenous
Capitalize in all uses when referring to Indigenous people or individuals. Lowercase in other uses.
in-state (adj.)
Hyphenate
Alaska residents pay in-state tuition.
Institute, institute
Capitalize when part of official title:
The Institute of Arctic Biology …
Lowercase in other instances:
The institute …
Interior
Capitalize when referring to the geographical region of Alaska. Refers generally to the Yukon and Kuskokwim river drainages upstream of the area where those rivers enter the flatlands of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta.
Fairbanks is in the Interior. Fairbanks is in Interior Alaska.
Interior Alaska Campus
Formerly the Interior-Aleutian Campus. Renamed in June 2015.
Internet
Always capitalize. Acceptable to use "the net" on second reference.
Inupiaq
The language of Alaska Inuit Eskimos, spoken on the North Slope and in Northwest Alaska as far south as Unalakleet. Distinct from Yupik. A northern Alaska Eskimo (person). Use Inupiaq to refer to the language (never Inupiat), to one person and as an adjective. Use Inupiak to refer to two people. Use Inupiat to refer to three or more people (never Inupiats), to the people collectively and to the culture.
The Eskimo languages include the four Yupik languages of Alaska and Siberia as well as Inuit, the Alaska sector of which is called Inupiaq.
italics
Generally avoid except for specific instances listed in this guide (search on "italic" to find them). Do not italicize non-English words. Place in quotes if needed for emphasis.
J
job titles
When preceding an individual's name, capitalize formal titles but not occupational descriptions. At UAF, capitalize only the following formal titles and their subsets (e.g., Chancellor Smith and Vice Chancellor Jones): president, chair, chancellor, dean, director, provost and professor and its subsets. (However, AP style treats "professor" and its subsets as occupational descriptions, so lowercase them in news releases. The exception is "professor emeritus," which AP style treats as a formal title.)
The audience applauded after Chancellor Smith's speech. The committee listened to the advice of attorney Janice Rogers. The committee granted tenure to Assistant Professor Rodriguez.
Do not capitalize titles in regular text when not followed by a name.
The dean of the College of Liberal Arts is retiring.
Capitalize academic or administrative unit names associated with the title only if using the full organization name as part of the title. Do not capitalize the job title if the person's name is set off with commas.
Department of Communication and Journalism Chair Ezra White led the meeting. Students met with department Chair Ezra White to discuss the changes.
Students met with the department chair, Ezra White, to discuss the changes. UAF's new history professor, Jane Doe, spoke on Thursday.
Job titles may be capitalized in memos, lists and other irregular documents and publications, if desired.
To: Kelly Smith, Chancellor / From: Flip Jones, Vice Chancellor
K
K – 12
Stands for kindergarten through 12th grade. Use en dash, offset by space on either side.
KUAC
Refers to both the radio station transmitter and the PBS television station in Fairbanks. Can be used as KUAC FM and KUAC TV (no hyphen). Do not use "AlaskaOne," which no longer exists.
L
Lady Nanooks
Do not use. See Nanooks.
Land, Sea and Space Grant institution
Capitalize Land, Sea and Space Grant, but not institution. No hyphens.
Latin names
For scientific names, see genus, species.
Lee H. Salisbury Fine Arts Theatre
Salisbury Theatre is acceptable variant of formal name. Use initial caps.
Legislature
Capitalize when referring to the Alaska Legislature, but do not capitalize when referring to legislatures in general.
The Legislature held a special session in Anchorage to discuss oil taxes.
Some legislatures meet only every other year.
Lena Point Fisheries Building
Located in Juneau.
lidar
Acronym for "light detection and ranging," a technology in which data from laser light pulses reveals distance. The casing style follows that of "radar" and "sonar."
Lower 48
Capitalize. Refers to the contiguous 48 states but not Hawaii. Do not set off in quotation marks. Contrary to The AP Stylebook for Alaska, it may be used in regular text and not in direct quotes only; however, consider audience familiarity with the term, and allow for the exclusion of Hawaii in the reference. See also Outside.
Life Sciences Facility
Do not use. See "Murie Building."
-ly words
Do not use a hyphen with -ly adjectives and adverbs.
UAF offers many privately funded scholarships.
M
Marine Advisory Program
A unit of Alaska Sea Grant. Refer to outreach and extension agents as "Marine Advisory agents."
master, master's
Do not capitalize unless at the beginning of a sentence. Use an apostrophe when modifying a noun, otherwise use no apostrophe.
She's getting a Master of Science degree in chemistry. His master's degree means great job prospects.
MAYmester
Capitalize MAY but not mester. Denotes the weeks between the end of the spring semester and the start of Summer Sessions when students can take intensive courses for credit.
media and medium
Media is plural and takes a plural verb, whereas medium is singular:
The media work hard for their money. This medium is better than the rest.
Moore-Bartlett-Skarland Complex
Hyphenate Moore-Bartlett-Skarland. Capitalize all initial letters, including Complex. Abbreviate to MBS Complex (no hyphens) on second reference.
Mount McKinley
Denali's former name. The mountain's official federal name was changed in 2015. Do
not abbreviate Mount.
The surrounding federal park is Denali National Park and Preserve.
multilevel lounge
See Wood Center multilevel lounge.
multimedia
No hyphens, all one word.
Murie Building
Formerly the Life Sciences Facility, renamed in December 2012 as the Margaret Murie Building. May be referred to as "Murie Building" in all references.
muskox (singular) and muskoxen (plural)
One word, no space (contrary to Webster's).
N
Nanook
Nanook is a derivation of the Inupiaq Eskimo word for polar bear, nanuq. Capitalize. Use singular form as an adjective, plural or singular as a noun.
The Nanook hockey team made the playoffs this year. The Nanooks won in overtime. The former Nanook was a first-round NHL draft.
Alaska Nanooks is the official brand of the UAF Department of Athletics and its 10 varsity athletic teams. For complete treatment of Alaska Nanooks, see that entry.
Nanook Rendezvous
The name of UAF's annual reunion. May be called the "Nanook Rendezvous reunion" for clarity, but don't capitalize "reunion."
Native
Capitalize when referring to people or individuals with ancestry in the Indigenous peoples of Alaska. Do not capitalize when used in the sense of "indigenous to."
Alaska Natives have lived in Alaska a long time.
The report included testimony from Native and non-Native observers.
The spruce tree is native to Alaska, but the chokecherry is not.
non
Do not hyphenate non- words unless followed by a capitalized, proper noun or a word beginning with "n": e.g., non-English, non-Native, non-nuclear.
noncontiguous state
No hyphen. Refers to Alaska and Hawaii. (Contrary to AP Stylebook for Alaska.)
nondegree students
Not "nondegree-seeking."Hyphenate.
Many nondegree students like to take classes for fun and aren't interested in earning a degree.
(See also degree students.)
nonprofit
Do not hyphenate.
nonresident
Do not hyphenate.
north, North, northern, Northern
Do not capitalize when using as a general term.
The snow on the north side of the building was the last to melt. The house's northern exposure made it harder to sell.
Capitalize when referring to the specific geographic area.
His research was on the mushrooms of the North. Scientists studying the Northern Hemisphere were at the conference.
Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-term Ecological Research Site
"Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER Site" is acceptable on second reference.
northern lights
Do not capitalize.
See also aurora borealis.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities
The agency that grants UAF's institutional accreditation. May be referred to as NWCCU on second reference.
numbers, cardinal
For print copy in most instances, spell out one through nine, and use figures (10, 27, 134) thereafter. SeeAP Stylebook for treatment in other situations. See also ages.
The lab has 12 workstations but only nine microscopes.
When writing for the web, using figures in conjunction with facts is often preferred, even when the number is less than 10, but spell out numbers when not used with specific facts.
UAF's AISES chapter has won the chapter of the year award 5 times. Students may bring one or two study aids into the testing room.
numbers, ordinal
Do not superscript the st or th designations:
They celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.
O
oil pipeline
Don't capitalize:
The trans-Alaska oil pipeline flows south from …
on campus, on-campus
Hyphenate when serving as an adjective describing a noun:
I want to live in on-campus housing.
Do not hyphenate when on serves as a preposition:
I want to live on campus.
NOTE: Same rules apply with off campus and/or off-campus
online
No hyphen.
orientation/Orientation
Capitalize "Orientation" when referring to any of the programs designed specifically for students and their families. Programs include: New Student Orientation (no hyphen), Family Orientation, Graduate School Orientation (no hyphen) and International Orientation.
Wood Center staff members were busy preparing for the many activities associated with Orientation.
Do not capitalize when using the word in a general sense.
Marcy's supervisor gave her a quick orientation around the office and introduced her to her new co-workers.
Outside
Always capitalized. Refers to anyplace not in Alaska. May be used in regular text and is not restricted to direct quotes only. Consider audience familiarity with the term before using it.
It happens all the time: people from Outside plan to visit Alaska for a few weeks, and they end up staying the rest of their lives.
P
Patty Center
Do not capitalize pool or ice arena. The rifle range is the E.F. Horton Rifle Range. The gymnasium is the Alaska Airlines Court, under a five-year sponsorship agreement beginning in August 2015.
percent
Use numerals and the percent symbol, with no space between, in most instances:
More than 5% of the fish were dead. Less than 20% of the people voted.
But spell out "percent" in casual uses and following spelled-out numbers at the beginning of a sentence:
Seventy-five percent of people aren't aware of the change.
phonathon
-phone
Cellphone, iPhone, smartphone. All one word, no hyphenation. (Note capital "p" in "iPhone.") Capitalize the "i" in "iPhone" if beginning a sentence.
photo credits
End all photo credits with a period, regardless of whether the credit is a phrase or a complete sentence.
UAF photo by Todd Paris.
Photos by University Relations staff and student employees:
UAF photo by Todd Paris. UAF photo by LJ Evans.
Photos by UAF employees outside UR:
UAF photos by Ned Rozell, Geophysical Institute.
Photos by non-UAF employees, follow the photographer's name with a comma and affiliation, if any:
Photo by Andy Canton, United Way.
Photos provided by (but not necessarily taken by): Use "courtesy of."
Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Photos courtesy of Andy Canton, United Way.
Note: Style may be modified to accommodate photographer's wishes or acknowledgment needs.
pipeline
See oil pipeline.
planets
Capitalize nouns and adjectives derived from the proper names of planets and other heavenly bodies.
Spirit and Opportunity are two rovers NASA landed on Mars in January 2004 that continue to gather data as they roam the Martian landscape.
Poker Flat Research Range
There is no "s" on the end of "Flat" or "rocket" in the title.
Polaris
UAF's student newspaper.
Polaris goes on hiatus in the summer.
polar-orbiting satellite
Hyphenate.
PolarExpress
One word. Capitalize E and italicize Express.
PolarExpress
Police Department
The full name is the University of Alaska Fairbanks Police Department or UAF Police Department (not the University Police Department. Compare with Fire Department.). Capitalize when referring to the UAF department, even when not preceded by UAF. Lowercase when referring to police departments in general.
The UAF Police Department is staffed 24 hours per day, every day. You may call the Police Department to request an escort to your car. CTC Law Enforcement Academy graduates are employed by police departments throughout the country.
See also Fire Department.
postbaccalaureate
One word, no hyphen.
postdoctoral
One word, no hyphen.
pre-major
Hyphenate.
president's professor
Capitalize when used as part of a formal title before the name, otherwise lowercase.
President's Professor Beetle Bailey studies spruce beetles, and Hazy Skye, president's professor of atmospheric sciences, conducts research in the Geophysical Institute.
pro card
Two words, no hyphen. Short for "procurement card," as "pro shop" is to "professional shop."
program
Capitalize when used as part of a formal title but not in its general sense.
The Marine Advisory Program offers dozens of publications about Alaska's marine and coastal environments.
Note: Not all programs use the word program in their title, as in the following:
UAF participates in GVEA's Sustainable Natural Alternative Power program.
Academic programs (majors) are not capitalized. Department names are.
She studied philosophy before switching her major to wildlife biology. She worked with professors in the Department of Biology and Wildlife.
Pub
Capitalize when referring to the bar in Wood Center. Do not capitalize "the" unless at the beginning of a sentence.
The older students went to the Pub, leaving the younger ones to sip their lattes in silence.
Q
Quaternary
Not Quarternary.
See also geologic ages.
R
Rasmuson Library
Capitalize when using the full name or shortened version:
The Rasmuson Library is part of the Fine Arts Complex. The Elmer E. Rasmuson Library is in the Fine Arts Complex.
Do not capitalize library when not preceded by Rasmuson.
Mike's favorite place on campus was the library.
Regents' Great Hall
Official name and preferred name. Regents' is possessive and plural. Great Hall (initial caps) is acceptable on second reference but is not preferred.
ribbon-cutting
Hyphenate in all uses.
The ribbon-cutting was well attended. A video of the ribbon-cutting ceremony was posted online.
room
See buildings.
S
Salisbury Theatre
Acceptable variant of Lee H. Salisbury Fine Arts Theatre. Use initial caps in both cases.
Schaible Auditorium
school, schools
Capitalize when part of official title:
The School of Education is in the Gruening Building.
Preferred house style is not to flip-flop school names (see department), but capitalize if doing so. Lowercase in other instances:
The school renewed its accreditation in 2020.
UAF schools and their abbreviations:
Graduate School (usually not abbreviated), School of Education (SOE)
scientific names
See genus, species.
seafloor
One word.
seasons
Do not capitalize:
She caught a cold every winter. Enrollment was high at the start of the fall 2005 semester. I hope to graduate in spring 2006.
ships
Italicize the name of the ship (contrary to AP style), but not the preceding designator, such as "research vessel." Use the article "the" before the name, and use the pronoun "it" rather than "she."
Spell out "research vessel" on first reference. "RV" may be used thereafter.
The research vessel Sikuliaq replaces the RV Alpha Helix.
Signers' Hall
Not Signer's Hall. Signers' Hall is plural since there were many signers of the Alaska constitution in this building.
size
Hyphenate when used as an adjective modifying a noun.
The 14,000-square-foot building was funded in part by private donations. The building featured 14,000 square feet of labs and classrooms.
slogans
Use the following upper- and lowercase:
Nanook Nation. Alaska's Land, Sea and Space Grant institution UAF is a Land, Sea and Space Grant institution.
Sparktacular
The annual New Year's fireworks display on West Ridge. Do not capitalize "celebration" if used with it.
SpringFest
One word. Capitalize F.
square foot, square mile, square inch
See size.
staff
See faculty.
state of Alaska
In general, don't capitalize state when used in its geographical sense, but capitalize when referring to it as a political entity.
The state of Alaska is the 49th state in the union.
The State of Alaska issues hunting licenses for hunts conducted in the state of Alaska, but not for hunts conducted in other states or countries.
states
See AP Stylebook.
statewide
Do not use a hyphen and don't capitalize:
The statewide offices are in the Butrovich Building.
Steller's jay, Steller's eider, Steller's sea eagle
Capitalize Steller and spell with an -er, not an -ar.
Steller sea lions
Capitalize Steller and spell with an -er, not an -ar.
student-athlete
Hyphenate.
sub-Arctic
Hyphenate, and capitalize "Arctic." The word usually denotes an area south of the Arctic or a person, place or thing associated with that general area. (Rarely, "subarctic" may be needed to indicate cold but not extreme cold.)
Fairbanks' size and its location in the sub-Arctic make it a good base of operations for Arctic research.
The student collected specimens from sub-Arctic and Arctic lakes.
See also Arctic, arctic.
Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning
A UAF program that offers classes during the summer and between traditional semesters, as well as lectures, concerts and other public events.
system, statewide
Alaska's public university system and the umbrella office overseeing its branches can be called "the UA system" or "UA statewide." Do not capitalize "system" or "statewide." They are not formal names. The formal name is the University of Alaska.
systemwide
One word, no hyphen.
T
telephone numbers
Correct form for calling between campus telephones:
Call 474-7581 for more information.
Correct form for all web references and all calls from off campus to an on-campus number, regardless of whether the originating caller is local, in Alaska or out of state:
Call 907-474-7581 for more information. Call 800-474-1111 for more information.
As of October 2021, local callers in Alaska must use the 907 prefix to create 10-digit numbers, although callers between numbers on campus can use just the seven digits. Also, when calling off-campus numbers, people on the Fairbanks, Dillingham, Bethel and Nome campuses must first dial "8," not "9," to obtain an outside line. For all long-distance calls, a "1" still must be dialed before the 10-digit number. See more at OIT's FAQ.
See also toll free.
temperatures
Use figures. Use below, not a minus sign, for temperatures below zero:
It was 80 degrees in July and 30 below in October.
Fahrenheit temperatures are assumed and need not be designated as such. See the AP Stylebook for further treatment of Fahrenheit and Celsius.
theatre
Use theatre when referring to UAF's department or theater company:
Theatre UAF is the university's student production company. UAF's Department of Theatre and Film is popular among students. UAF's Salisbury Theatre is located off the Regents' Great Hall.
Use theater when referring to theater in general:
Theaters across the country are …
time of day
For whole number times, use numerals, no :00. If minutes are indicated, include the colon. Separate the time from the a.m./p.m. designation with a space:
The program will start at 9 a.m. The program will start at noon. (Note "noon" is lowercased.)The doors will open promptly at 6:45 p.m.
Use a.m. and p.m., always lowercase:
The program will start at 9 a.m.
Use an en dash with no spaces if times are inclusive. Do not repeat a.m. or p.m. if they are the same. The same rule applies to other day/date ranges.
The conference will be held from 9–11 a.m. The office is open Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.
titles
Apply the guidelines below to titles of academic posters, articles, books, columns in periodicals, computer games and gaming apps, exhibits, lectures, movies, operas, plays, poems, radio programs, songs, speeches, television shows, unpublished papers and works of art.
- Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.
- Capitalize an articles — the, a, an — or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.
- Put quotation marks around the names of all works listed above except the Bible and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material. This category includes almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks and similar publications. Do not use quotation marks around software titles such as InDesign and Windows.
The choir sang "Heartbreak Hotel" for its final song. He introduced Bill Robinson's lecture, "Leading from the Middle." The museum hosted "The Nature and Art of Collections" exhibit.
Capitalize but do not use quotation marks. Awards, certificates, classes, committees, computer apps (non-game), conferences, conventions, course names, journals, lecture series, magazines, newspapers, prizes, programs (see program), projects, recognitions, scholarships, seminars, websites, workshops
She received the Alaskan of the Year Award. The student won the John Doe Scholarship. The department is hosting the Festival of Native Arts. He was appointed to the 2003 International Resources Committee. A fourth section of Technical Writing was added after dozens of students expressed an interest in developing their technical writing skills. [Note the difference between capitalizing the formal title of the class and lowercasing its subject.]
(The AP Stylebook contains more examples. The Chicago Manual of Style may offer solutions not found here for further treatment of titles. Chicago's section 8 also provides extensive treatment of specific situations.)
See also center, department, seasons and job titles.
tobacco-free
Hyphenate in all uses.
toll free
Two words unless modifying a noun.
Students can call toll free anytime. The toll-free number was inadvertently disconnected.
Toolik Field Station
The name of the research station operated by the Institute of Arctic Biology. The word "lake" does not appear in the station's name.
trademark symbol - (TM) or ™
Do not use in regular copy.
Kirk liked his new UAF sweatshirt, which he often wore with his Levi jeans. Not: Kirk liked his new UAF™ sweatshirt, which he often wore with his Levi™ jeans.
The trademark symbol is used only on items to be sold or given away as promotional collateral, and applies to the full or abbreviated name of the university and its logos. On commercial or promotional items, use a superscript if possible, otherwise, use parentheses (TM).
Tradition Stone
Troth Yeddha'
Capitalize.
The ridge occupied by the campus in Fairbanks is called Troth Yeddha' (wild potato hill) in the Lower Tanana Athabascan dialect. The UA Board of Regents approved the name in June 2012 and the U.S. Board on Geographic Names officially adopted it in February 2013. The 1.4-mile-long ridge lies between Smith Lake on its western end and the bluff overlooking College on its eastern end. Regents created Troth Yeddha' Park, located east of the UA Museum of the North, in 2008.
Troth Yeddha' Campus
As a geographical term, this describes the campus located on Troth Yeddha'. Capitalize
"campus" to parallel other campus names, e.g. Bristol Bay Campus, Kuskokwim Campus,
Chukchi Campus.
When referring to academic units, the name Troth Yeddha' Campus "refers to all units
that constitute the research university," per an Oct. 25, 2022, memo from UAF Chancellor
White to UA President Pitney. "While most of these are located physically on the hill,
Troth Yeddha', it also includes all units associated with the research baccalaureate
and graduate university functions that are not on the hill, including Lena Point in
Juneau, Seward Marine Center, Toolik Field Station, etc." In this context, the Community
and Technical College and Interior Alaska Campus are not part of the Troth Yeddha'
Campus, though some CTC and IAC programs may be taught on Troth Yeddha'.
U
UAF
Do not use periods between letters. Use only after full name has been used at least once. If possessive, use an apostrophe.
UAF's enrollment is up.
In stories about UAF when it had a different name, it is acceptable to use the then-current name as long as it is clear that the name is obsolete.
Jane Doe has seen many changes at the University of Alaska Fairbanks since she first attended the school, then known as the University of Alaska, in 1940.
UAOnline
One word, UAO all capitalized.
unit
In general, but especially on first reference in news copy, “University of Alaska Fairbanks” is always acceptable to represent any unit. Use to avoid long or awkward construction. See also department.
Best
Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have discovered something amazing.
Mushrooms really do make people more fun, according to a recent study by John Jones,
a professor with the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology.
The University of Alaska Fairbanks will host a free public lecture Friday, Oct. 13. The lecture is sponsored by the UAF Cooperative Extension Service.
Avoid
References to every subunit:
A researcher in the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Engineering and Mines
has made an amazing discovery. Jane Smith, an associate professor of civil engineering
in the UAF Institute of Northern Engineering's Alaska Center for Energy and Power,
has found that smoke does indeed mean fire.
First reference to the unit, not the university:
Summer Sessions and Lifelong Learning is sponsoring a workshop for teachers on the
University of Alaska Fairbanks campus.
No reference to UAF:
The Alaska Center for Climate Change Assessment and Policy will hold a webinar.
For unit names without "Alaska" in the name
Best
University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute
UAF Geophysical Institute (on second reference)
Avoid
The Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
The Geophysical Institute (lacks reference to UAF)
For those with "Alaska” in the name (or other potentially awkward constructions)
Best
University of Alaska Fairbanks' Alaska Center for Energy and Power
UAF Alaska Center for Energy and Power (on second reference)
Avoid
Alaska Center for Energy and Power at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Center for Energy and Power, which is part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Alaska Center for Energy and Power (lacks reference to UAF)
Avoid overuse of acronyms.
Best
UAF's Institute of Northern Engineering comprises several research centers, including
the Alaska University Transportation Center and the Water and Environmental Research
Center. Both centers address questions specific to Alaska and northern regions.
Avoid
UAF's INE comprises several research centers, including the Alaska University Transportation
Center and the Water and Environmental Research Center. Both AUTC and WERC address
questions specific to Alaska and northern regions.
University, university
Capitalize as part of a title:
The student wanted to attend the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
Lowercase in other instances:
The student liked the university's low student-to-faculty ratio.
URLs
A Uniform Resource Locator is a web address. In print publications, delete the http:// when there is a www; keep http:// when there is no www. In online or electronic publications, include any networking protocols (e.g., https, ftp) that are necessary to make a URL work. In email communication, retain http:// to allow readers to link to the referenced web page. It is recommended that URLs have a different font treatment to differentiate them from regular copy.
Visit www.uaf.edu for more information.
Check your financial aid status online at https://uaonline.alaska.edu.
If a URL must break across two lines, choose to break at a punctuation point, such as a period or a slash.
For more information about the counseling program visit www.uaf.edu/educ/graduate/
counseling.html.
URLs that end with a directory (e.g., www.uaf.edu/chancellor/) should have a slash at the end. Do not use a slash at the end if the URL ends with a filename (e.g., www.uaf.edu/chancellor/bio.html) or if the URL is only the domain name (e.g., www.uaf.edu). URLs that end in /index.html, /index.htm or /index.xml should be shortened to the directory name (e.g., www.uaf.edu/chancellor/index.html can be changed to www.uaf.edu/chancellor/).
U.S.
Use periods for abbreviating United States but not USA:
The U.S. is facing a coffee shortage. Several former Nanook athletes will represent the USA.
Usibelli Awards
The official titles of the awards are: Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching Award, Emil Usibelli Distinguished Research Award and Emil Usibelli Distinguished Service Award. May retain initial caps of Usibelli Award on second reference, or when combining the three separate titles for the sake of brevity. Do not capitalize award when used alone.
The university announced the Emil Usibelli Distinguished Teaching, Research and Service Awards today. Yelena Matusevich won the teaching award. The Usibelli Awards are handed out annually in the spring.
V
vice chancellor
Do not hyphenate. Capitalize as part of a title:
Vice Chancellor Joe Smith voted to second the motion.
Lowercase in other instances:
Joe Smith, vice chancellor, voted to second the motion.
vita, vitae
Vita is singular and vitae is plural. Use when referring to a biographical sketch, generally in conjunction with curriculum, especially when the information refers to academic history. Curriculum vita is the formal name for an academic's resume, curricula vitae is the plural designation.
Her curriculum vita was outstanding.
volcano
Do not capitalize or precede with "the."
Hundreds of passengers were stranded when Redoubt volcano sent out plumes of ash.
W
waitlist (n.), wait-list (compound modifier and v.)
When used as a noun, one word, no hyphen.
If you are on a waitlist for a class and have kept up with class activity, you may be allowed to register for the class as vacancies occur.
When used as a verb and compound modifier, hyphenate.
Ten students hoped to get into the wait-listed class. The registrar promised to wait-list all students who wanted to take the class.
web
ase in all uses and compound forms (e.g., webpage, website). "Web" is short for the formal name, World Wide Web.
The student found her grades on the web.
website
One word, lowercase.
West Ridge
Two words, initial caps. Refers to western portion of the Fairbanks campus.
WINTERmester
Capitalize WINTER but not mester. Denotes the weeks between the end of the fall semester and the beginning of the spring semester when students can take intensive courses for credit.
Wood Center
Officially William R. Wood Center, but Wood Center can be used. Does not need to be preceded by the.
Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom
The full name is the Wood Center Carol Brown Ballroom and is the preferred usage on formal, external documents when space permits. "Wood Center ballroom" (lowercase "b") may be used on first reference, especially for internal communications or when space is limited.
Wood Center multilevel lounge
Lowercase multilevel and lounge. Do not hyphenate multilevel.
work force
Two words, not one.
Y
years
No apostrophe:
In the 1960s UAF continued to grow. Deferred maintenance was an issue during the 1980s-1990s.
Yupik, Yup'ik
In most cases, use Yupik with no apostrophe. Use Yup'ik when referring to those from Central or YK Delta regions.