Writing Style Guide
UCF Communications and Marketing follows the writing guidelines in the Associated Press Stylebook for stories unless otherwise noted here. This reference is not intended to be a duplication of that guide, but a supplement for style, consistency, spelling and terms often encountered around the university. Please send comments or suggestions for this evolving reference to Nicole Dudenhoefer at Nicole.Dudenhoefer@ucf.edu.
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A
A&P Administrative and Professional employment classification. Acceptable on first reference for stories on campus but spell out the name in the story.
abbreviations and acronyms Avoid turning stories into alphabet soup. Universities have many buildings, courses, organizations, clubs, programs and titles that often are shortened for casual use, but generally spell them on first reference. It is not necessary to follow a full name with an abbreviation in parentheses; if an abbreviation on second reference is not clear on its own, don’t use it. It is often more clear on second reference to say the department or the organization or use some other identifier rather than use unfamiliar abbreviations and acronyms. Some abbreviations, however, have become so universally known that they stand alone, such as NCAA, SAT, GPA, ROTC and others, that can be used on first reference.
academic degrees The preferred form is to use bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in place of abbreviations. Also acceptable without a possessive in this style: Bachelor of Arts and Master of Science.
Abbreviations can be used when the use of full terms would be cumbersome, as in a list of people. To abbreviate, use periods and no spaces between letters, such as B.S. (Bachelor of Science) or M.A. (Master of Arts). For degrees with three or more capital letters, such as MBA or MFA, omit the periods. The word degree does not follow a degree abbreviation.
An Associate of Arts is a two-year post-secondary degree offered by colleges. For students who transfer to UCF, the degree serves as the first two years of work for a bachelor’s degree. Associate degree is not possessive.
If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, the preferred form is to use a phrase such as: John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Use such abbreviations as B.A., M.A.,and Ph.D. only when identifying many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use these abbreviations only after a full name – never after just a last name.
academic departments Capitalize as part of an official name as in Department of Political Science and Department of History, but lowercase when referring to them generically as in the political science department or history department.
Academic Health Sciences Center Organizational structure that includes the College of Medicine, College of Nursing, and College of Health Professions and Sciences.
academic titles Capitalize and spell formal titles (president, provost, dean, chancellor, vice president, professor) when they precede a name: Dean Abe Pizam. Lowercase job titles elsewhere, such as: James Green, dean. When used as descriptors, lowercase titles when they identify something else: dean’s list, provost’s office. Do not abbreviate assistant or associate.
accents Use tildes and other accent marks when spelling proper names and other words as needed. Depress control and apostrophe keys while typing the vowels for á, é, í, ó and ú.
For ñ, depress the Alt key and type numbers 164 on the right side of the keyboard.
For ü, type Alt 0252.
accreditation UCF is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the associate, baccalaureate, master’s, specialist and doctoral levels. SACSCOC reaffirmation of accreditation is on a 10-year schedule. UCF was initially accredited in 1970 and was last reaffirmed in 2016 as a Level VI institution.
There is no reason to qualify accreditation: fully accredited
ACT Use only the initials when referring to the previous American College Testing.
add/drop
Addition Financial Arena Official name beginning May 1, 2019, of the UCF arena, which hosts basketball games, commencement ceremonies, concerts and other events.
A&P Stands for Administrative & Professional employment category. Acceptable on first reference but spell out the name somewhere in the story.
administration Lowercase and spell out unless part of a proper name. Do not use admin.
advisor Varies from AP’s adviser.
Alafaya Trail UCF’s main entrances are along this roadway, also known as State Road 434.
(See roads entry for main roadways in and around the university.)
alma mater
alum, alumna, alumnae, alumni, alumnus
alum – catchall term for someone who attended or graduated from the university
alumna – a woman who has attended UCF (alumnae is the plural)
alumni – a group of men and women collectively
alumnus – a man who has attended UCF (alumni is the plural)
Note, people who attended UCF but did not graduate with a bachelor’s or graduate degree should be referred to as former student or Knight.
alumni association Capitalize only if part of a proper name. (See UCF Alumni)
American Association of State Colleges and Universities
America’s Partnership University and America’s Leading Partnership University UCF trademarks registered in 2013.
Anheuser-Busch Beer & Wine Lab Classroom at Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
antisemitism
Aramark UCF food-service provider.
Association of American Universities Use AAU or the association on second reference.
Associate of Arts (See academic degrees.)
AutoNation Cure Bowl Football bowl game that supports breast cancer research at UCF.
B
baccalaureate The degree of bachelor conferred by universities and colleges, a sermon to a graduating class, or the service at which this sermon is delivered.
bachelor’s degree (See academic degrees).
Barbara Ying Center
Barnes & Noble bookstores on campus.
Big 12 UCF’s athletic conference — joined July 1, 2023.
Black Preferred as an adjective. African American without a hyphen also is acceptable. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable. Americans of Caribbean heritage, for example, generally refer to themselves as Caribbean American. Follow a person’s preference.
Black Faculty & Staff Association
Blackstone LaunchPad
Blended Learning Toolkit Resource materials for blended-learning courses created by UCF and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Board of Governors Capitalize when referring to the State University System’s board. Use board on second reference instead of BOG, unless it would need to be distinguished from other boards mentioned in a story. The panel that oversees operation and management of the State University System of Florida. The board has 17 members, 14 of whom are appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Florida Senate for a term of seven years. Other members are the chair of the Advisory Council of Faculty Senates, the commissioner of education, and the chair of the Florida Student Association.
Board of Trustees Capitalize when referring to the UCF board. Use board on second reference instead of BOT, unless it would need to be distinguished from other boards mentioned in a story. When writing stories that only mention UCF’s board, it is not necessary to precede the name with UCF. Each state university has a 13-member panel responsible for budgeting, implementing programs and maintaining education standards. The governor appoints six members and the Board of Governors appoints five; all are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate and serve a term of five years. The remaining two members are the chair of the Faculty Senate or its equivalent, and the president of the student body of the university.
Bounce House Nickname for UCF’s football stadium. Avoid using on first reference.
BRIDG Acronym for Bridging the Innovation to Development Gap, a consortium led by UCF, Osceola County, and the Florida High Tech Corridor Council to conduct research on next-generation sensors.
Bright House Networks Stadium Former name of the FBC Mortgage Stadium.
building numbers Use Roman numerals when identifying buildings that have the same name: Classroom Building I and Classroom Building II.
buildings Capitalize the official name of buildings on first reference, but lowercase the type of building in subsequent generic usage. Nicholson Fieldhouse, John C. Hitt Library, the fieldhouse, the library. The main campus updated building names in 2013. A master list of all building names is at https://spaceadmin.provost.ucf.edu/buildinglist.asp.
Burnett Honors College Capitalize Burnett Honors College and Burnett Honors Scholars; lowercase honors in other uses such as honors courses and honors classes.
Burnett House UCF president’s residence on campus.
C
Carl Black & Gold Cabana Specialty seating area in the campus football stadium.
Cartwright, Alexander N. UCF’s sixth president. Capitalize President before his name on first reference, President Alexander N. Cartwright. Use Cartwright on second reference. Lowercase title when standing alone or used after name.
Cartwright, Melinda K. President Alexander N. Cartwright’s wife should be referred to as UCF First Lady Melinda K. Cartwright or Melinda K. Cartwright, UCF first lady.
catalog Not catalogue.
Celeste Hotel, The Name of the only hotel on campus, at the main UCF entrance.
Center for Advanced Transportation Systems Simulation
Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD)
Center for Distributed Learning
Center for Initiatives in STEM (iSTEM)
Center Multilingual and Multicultural Studies
Center of Public Safety
Center for Success of Women Faculty
Central Florida Do not use as a name for the university.
Capitalize when referring to the region. Also, South Florida, North Florida.
Central Florida Future The final name of the former independent, off-campus, student-written newspaper that shut down in 2016 after 48 years.
Central Florida Research Park
CentroPlex City of Orlando parking garage leased by UCF for parking near UCF Downtown.
Centsible Knights A financial-literacy program to help students make sound financial decisions.
CEOWorld magazine
CFE Arena Former name of the UCF arena.
chair, chairman, chairwoman Capitalize as a title before a name; use the person’s preference.
Charge On! This can be used with or without an exclamation point, but “on” should always be capitalized. For athletics-related uses, use Go Knights! Charge On!
cities Add and spell out state names to identify cities other than Orlando in a UCF-produced story. Use judgment about whether to include Florida if it is clear the cities are in the state.
These U.S. cities should not be followed by a state name, as per AP style: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, New York City, Oklahoma City, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Tallahassee, Tampa, Washington. If unclear whether referring to District of Columbia or state of Washington, use: Washington, D.C.
These international cities should not be followed by a country name: Amsterdam, Baghdad, Bangkok, Beijing, Beirut, Berlin, Brussels, Cairo, Djibouti, Dublin, Geneva, Gibraltar, Guatemala City, Havana, Helsinki, Hong Kong, Islamabad, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, Kuwait City, London, Luxembourg, Macau, Madrid, Mexico City, Milan, Monaco, Montreal, Moscow, Munich, New Delhi, Panama City, Paris, Prague, Quebec City, Rio de Janeiro, Rome, San Marino, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, Vatican City, Vienna, Zurich.
Citronaut An early unofficial mascot of Florida Technological University.
class/course titles Capitalize specific classes and those with numerals: Evolution of Dance, Biology II, Journalism 3100. Lowercase as a general reference: dance class, biology.
class standings Lowercase designations of sophomore, junior and senior. Avoid using freshman because some consider it a sexist term; use first-year student instead. Also avoid upperclassman.
Clery Act Acceptable in all references for the federal Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, which requires colleges and universities participating in federal student-aid programs to disclose campus safety information.
Clinton Global Initiative University A consortium of colleges and universities that provides seed funding to student leaders and entrepreneurs working on solutions to world challenges. UCF is a member of the network.
coed Avoid this term to mean a female student. The term is acceptable to use when describing coeducational institutions. No hyphen.
COHPA Acronym for the former College of Health and Public Affairs.
college Lowercase unless part of a formal name for a specific college: College of Business. Avoid use as a synonym for university.
colleges UCF has 13 colleges:
Burnett Honors College
College of Arts and Humanities
College of Business (“Administration” has been unofficially dropped from its name.)
College of Community Innovation and Education (Renamed college that includes programs such as civic engagement and governing, safety and justice, health and well-being, public administration, public affairs, legal studies, criminal justice, health management and informatics, and education programs. 2018)
College of Engineering and Computer Science
College of Graduate Studies
College of Health Professions and Sciences (Renamed college that includes health-related programs such as physical therapy, kinesiology, athletic training, social work, health sciences, and communication sciences and disorders programs. The college is part of the Academic Health Science Center with the College of Medicine and College of Nursing. 2018)
College of Medicine
College of Nursing
College of Optics and Photonics (see CREOL)
College of Sciences
College of Undergraduate Studies
Rosen College of Hospitality Management (Rosen or Rosen College on second reference)
(The names for the former College of Education and Human Performance and the College of Health and Public Affairs have been dropped.)
Collegiate Cyber Defense Club @ UCF Also known as Hack@UCF. (The name for this club varies from AP spelling of cyberdefense.)
commencement Preferred term for the event instead of graduation.
Common App (not Application)
Communication Disorders Clinic
Communication and Media Building Formerly the Center for Emerging Media; home to the Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy; Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment (CREATE), and other programs at UCF Downtown.
Counseling and Psychological Services
CREATE Center for Research and Education in Arts, Technology and Entertainment.
Creative Village Development by a public/private partnership for retail, commercial, office, residential and educational space (including UCF Downtown) west of Interstate 4, generally the area near where the Amway Arena formerly stood on Livingston Street.
CREOL Acronym for Center for Research and Education in Optics and Lasers, one of the research centers in the College of Optics and Photonics. Acceptable on first reference but spell out the name in the story. CREOL is often used on campus as the name of the college because of its cachet within the industry, but stories should make clear that CREOL is part of the college. Other research centers in the college are the Florida Photonics Center of Excellence, Townes Laser Institute, and Institute for the Frontier of Attosecond Science and Technology.
cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude
Curriculum Materials Center
curriculum vitae A summary of one’s personal history and professional qualifications.
Cypress Dome, The Literary and visual arts magazine produced by The Cypress Dome Society undergraduate literary organization.
cyber Follow the general rules for prefixes and do not hyphenate, such as cyberattack, cyberdefense and cybersecurity. Exceptions: Cyber Monday and when cyber is used as a separate modifer as in cyber shopping.
D
dates Always spell out months when used with a date, except in On Campus (Pegasus) or when used stylistically as part of an ad or promoted event listing.
dean Capitalize when used as a title before a name; lowercase in other uses.
dean’s list
department, division, center Capitalize as part of a formal name. Lowercase for other uses. Department of Philosophy, the political science department. Office of Research, the research office.
DeVos Sport Business Management Program
dictionary Use Merriam-Webster as the official Communications and Marketing dictionary at https://www.merriam-webster.com/.
DirectConnect to UCF Program that guarantees admission to UCF with an associate degree from one of the university’s partner colleges: College of Central Florida, Daytona State College, Eastern Florida State College, Lake-Sumter State College, Seminole State College of Florida, and Valencia College. No space between Direct and Connect, and always use full name.
disabled, handicapped In general, do not use these terms to describe someone unless it is pertinent to a story. If a description of an illness or condition is needed, use language that is specific and refers to the person first and the disability second: Sara, who has multiple sclerosis, works at the cafeteria. Don’t use descriptions that connote pity, such as afflicted with or suffers from. For a more comprehensive list, visit the National Center on Disability and Journalism’s style guide: ncdj.org/style-guide.
Division of Student Learning and Academic Success Division of Teaching and Learning
doctoral is an adjective; doctorate is a noun. He earned his doctoral degree. He earned his doctorate.
Dr. Avoid using, even for medical doctors. In running copy, use the person’s formal title (i.e., professor of art history, director, etc.) at the university.
Dr. Phillips Academic Commons Four-story building at UCF Downtown with classrooms, library space and offices.
Dr. Phillips School of Real Estate
Duke Energy University Welcome Center
E
E2i Creative Studio
East Side Club Florida-themed social area and lounge at the FBC Mortgage Stadium.
email, emailed and emailing
email addresses Use lowercase letters and a put a period afterward if the address is at the end of a sentence.
emeritus (for a man), emerita (for a woman), emeriti (plural)
English Language Institute The university’s provider of English-language programs for international students and professors.
exempt / nonexempt The federal Fair Labor Standards Act requires that employers classify jobs as exempt or nonexempt. Exempt positions are typically executive, supervisory, professional or outside sales positions excluded from minimum wage, overtime regulations, and other rights provided to nonexempt workers. Employers must pay a salary rather than an hourly wage for a position to be exempt.
Nonexempt employees are not exempt from FLSA requirements and must be paid at least the federal minimum wage and given overtime pay.
Experiential Learning Capitalize when referencing the office. Lowercase when referencing generally.
F
faculty Lowercase when not part of a title. The Faculty Senate, the faculty met to vote. If not cumbersome to the sentence, refer to faculty members instead of faculty.
FAFSA Spell out first reference for Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
FAIRWINDS Capitalize and italicize as in UCF FAIRWINDS Alumni Center, FAIRWINDS Credit Union and other uses. FAIRWINDS is UCF’s student banking partner.
farmers market Produce on the Patio is the name of the UCF farmers market.
FBC Mortgage Stadium Name of UCF’s football stadium.
FCAT Acceptable on first reference, but spell out Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test somewhere in the story.
FERPA Spell out first reference for Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act.
Ferrell Commons
FIEA Acceptable on first reference, but spell out Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy in the story.
First Generation Program
First Year Experience
Florida Advanced Manufacturing Research Center
Florida Center for Students with Unique Abilities
Florida College System Florida has 28 state colleges that are under the direction of the Florida Department of Education. Many have dropped “community college” from their name.
Broward College, Fort Lauderdale
Chipola College, Marianna
College of Central Florida, Ocala
Daytona State College, Daytona Beach
Eastern Florida State College, Cocoa
Florida Gateway College, Lake City
The College of the Florida Keys, Key West
Florida SouthWestern State College, Fort Myers
Florida State College at Jacksonville, Jacksonville
Gulf Coast State College, Panama City
Hillsborough Community College, Tampa
Indian River State College, Fort Pierce
Lake-Sumter State College, Leesburg
Miami Dade College, Miami
North Florida College, Madison
Northwest Florida State College, Niceville
Palm Beach State College, Lake Worth
Pasco-Hernando State College, New Port Richey
Pensacola State College, Pensacola
Polk State College, Winter Haven
Santa Fe College, Gainesville
Seminole State College of Florida, Sanford
South Florida State College, Avon Park
St. Johns River State College, Palatka
St. Petersburg College, St. Petersburg
State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota, Bradenton
Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee
Valencia College, Orlando
Florida Consortium of Metropolitan Research Universities Composed of UCF, University of South Florida and Florida International University.
Florida High Tech Corridor and Florida High Tech Corridor Council
Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy Spell out on first reference. FEIA acceptable on second reference.
Floridan Aquifer
Florida Space Institute
Florida Prepaid College Plan
Flying Horse Big Band
Flying Horse Editions
Flying Horse Records
Florida Technological University Original name of UCF. FTU was created June 10, 1963, by the Florida Legislature. Classes began in 1968; the university changed its name to UCF in 1978.
Founders’ Day and Founders’ Day Honors Convocation Not Founders Day or Founder’s Day.
Fraternity and Sorority Life Office building on campus.
G
game day Unless referring to a proper name such as ESPN GameDay.
Global Perspectives Office
goals Former President John C. Hitt set five goals in 1992 that defined UCF’s course:
- Offer the best undergraduate education available in Florida.
- Achieve international prominence in key programs of graduate study and research.
- Provide international focus to our curricula and research programs.
- Become more inclusive and diverse.
- Be America’s leading partnership university.
Go Knights, Charge On!
Golden Knights Do not use this outdated nickname for UCF athletic teams. Just use Knights.
Golden Rule, The A compilation of university policies and procedures outlining student rights and responsibilities.
Gordon Rule A Florida requirement for college and university students to complete at least four courses of writing and two courses of mathematics.
GPA Acceptable on all references for grade-point average.
grades Place single quotation marks around grade letters: She earned an ‘A’ in history.
Graduate Record Examination GRE on second reference.
Graduation Success Rate
graduated from Do not drop from: Jones graduated from the university.
graduate school Lowercase unless part of a proper name.
graduation honors Lowercase cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude.
graduation years and degrees When identifying an individual’s graduation years and degrees, use the appropriate style depending on a variety of factors: where the person’s name is used, type of degree, where it was earned, etc. Follow these guidelines:
Degrees from UCF
One degree:
Undergraduate: Michelle Akers ’89
Graduate: Richard Beary ’04MS
Multiple degrees
Ida Eskamani ’12 ’16MPA
Colton Tapoler ’12 ’17EdD
Doctoral degree
Sarina Amin ’13MD
Albert Manero ’12 ’14MS ’16PhD
Master’s degrees
If a degree is a Master of Science or Master of Arts in anything, abbreviate as MS or MA.
Degrees such as Master of Nonprofit Management (MNM) or Master of Education (MEd) abbreviate accordingly.
Do NOT include master’s degrees with a person’s name if earned at a university other than UCF.
Doctoral degree NOT from UCF
Do not designate as part of individual’s name. If necessary, write in sentence form. Use job title instead.
UCF Honorary Alumni Award (given by UCF Alumni to non-alumni)
Refer to this honor in sentence form. Do not use a format behind the person’s name. UCF Alumni recognized Martha Hitt with the Honorary Alumni Award in 2017.
The complete recipient list is at ucfalumni.com.
UCF Honorary Doctorate (given by the Office of the President)
Refer to this honorary degree in sentence form. Do not use a format behind the person’s name. After his time as a student at UCF, Richard Walsh ’77 ’83MS went on to receive an honorary doctorate from the university in 2014.
The complete recipient list is at president.ucf.edu.
UCF Parent Council member
Refer to connection as a parent of a current student or alumnus in sentence form. Do not use a format behind the person’s name. Loretta Corey, an honorary alumna whose three children all attended UCF, is an avid fan of the football team.
** FOR USE IN LISTINGS OR AT EVENTS (name tags, PowerPoint slides, list of names in publications, etc.)
The format is the same as in stories above except for doctoral degrees not from UCF, and honorary and Parent Council designations. Follow these guidelines for those:
Doctoral degree NOT from UCF
Dr. Graham Worthy
Alumnus, but doctoral degree NOT from UCF
Dr. Andre Garcia ’08 ’16MBA
UCF Honorary Alumni Award (given by UCF Alumni to non-alumni)
Martha Hitt H’17
UCF Honorary Doctorate (given by the Office of the President):
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar HC’17
Richard Walsh ’77 ’83MS HC’14
Many variations of honorary doctorates exist. HC (honoris causa) was selected to designate all of them. Alumni distinction should always be designated before the honorary degree.
UCF Parent Council member
Roslyn Burttram P’20
Karen Manglardi P’15 ’16 ’20 ’22 (multiple children)
If parent’s child is currently attending UCF, use the anticipated year of graduation.
grant-in-aid, grants-in-aid
Greek, Greeks Capitalize when referring to fraternity and sorority organizations, which take their names from Greek letters.
GrowFL The Florida Economic Gardening Institute, which is based at UCF.
H
Hack@UCF See Collegiate Cyber Defense Club @ UCF
headlines Capitalize the first word and all other words except the articles a, an and the and the conjunctions and and but. Use numerals for numbers and single quotes for quotation marks. In subheads, capitalize just the first word and proper nouns, and end the sentence with a period.
healthcare
Healthcare Corporation of America College of Medicine’s hosptal partner at Lake Nona. HCA on second reference.
high-tech
Hispanic-Serving Institution
Hitt, John C. UCF’s fourth president, who died Feb. 20, 2023. Capitalize and use emeritus title with full name on first reference, President Emeritus John C. Hitt. Use Hitt on second reference. Lowercase title when standing alone or used after name.
Homecoming Capitalize when referring to UCF’s annual event.
Housing and Residence Life
housing sites operated by UCF
Apollo, Hercules, Nike, Lake Claire, Libra and Neptune communities.
NorthView, Towers at Knights Plaza, Rosen College Apartments, Knights Circle and The Pointe at Central apartments.
I
ICubed Acceptable on first reference for Innovation through Institutional Integration, a National Science Foundation-funded project that partners with several UCF colleges in STEM fields. Spell out complete name high in story.
IGNITE: The Campaign for UCF The university’s $500 million fundraising goal that concluded in 2019 in support of student success, academic excellence and growth opportunities.
Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport
Institute for Economic Competitiveness
Institute for Simulation and Training
instructor A non-tenured faculty rank. Lowercase in all usages.
intermural, intercollegiate, intramural Competitive teams from different universities are intermural or intercollegiate. Competitive teams at a single community or institution are intramural.
International Affairs and Global Strategies
international students Not foreign students.
internet
Intracoastal Waterway
J
John C. Hitt Library
John Euliano Park UCF’s baseball stadium.
John T. Washington Center, John T. Washington Center Breezeway Use full name on first reference. The breezeway is acceptable on following references.
Joust New Venture Competition
K
Kennedy Space Center Spell out first reference and use KSC elsewhere.
Kenneth G. Dixon School of Accounting
Kiplinger / Kiplinger’s Kiplinger is the financial-advice company. Kiplinger’s magazine is the acceptable style to use for the company’s Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine that publishes an annual list of the best values among colleges and universities.
kNEXT/ Knight Experience Team
Knightly News A student-produced news broadcast.
KnightNews.com An independent, online news source.
Knightro The athletic teams’ mascot. (Glycerin was Knightro’s former female counterpart.)
Knightro’s A campus restaurant near the CFE Arena.
Knight Ride Formerly the Safe Escort Patrol Service.
Knights The university’s athletic team name.
Knights Major Exploration and Transition Center Formerly First Year Advising and Exploration (2/2020)
Knights Plaza Athletic village and shopping center.
Knight-Thon A student-organized dance marathon and other philanthropic events held to raise money for the Children’s Miracle Network.
L
L3Harris Engineering Center Formerly the Harris Corporation Engineering Center
Lake Claire and Lake Claire Recreation Area
Lake Nona Site of the College of Medicine.
land–grant university The Morrill Land Grant College Act of 1862 was designed to encourage states to establish agricultural and mechanical arts universities. The State University System’s land grant institutions are UF and FAMU.
Latino Faculty and Staff Association LaFaSA on second reference.
Latinx A gender-inclusive way of referring to people of Latin American descent.
Lavender Council Academy
LEAD Scholars Acceptable on first reference but spell out program name early in the story. Stands for Leadership Enrichment and Academic Development.
lectern A speaker stands behind a lectern, in a pulpit, and on a podium, rostrum or dais.
LEED Acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. Acceptable on first reference but spell out the name in the story.
Legislature Capitalize when referring to the Florida Legislature even when not preceded by Florida.
Let’s Be Clear Campus program to help find help for victims of sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence and stalking.
LGBTQ+ Services Resource office for Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Questioning/Queer issues.
Leisure Pool
Limbitless Solutions Nonprofit organization started by students to create 3D printed arms for children missing limbs. The group has developed other engineering projects for medical causes.
LinkedIn Learning An online-course platform.
Living Learning Communities Campus program to house students with others of same majors or interests.
Lockheed Martin/UCF Academy Acceptable on first reference for Lockheed Martin/University of Central Florida Academy for Mathematics and Science.
Lou Frey Institute of Politics and Government This office at UCF along with the Bob Graham Center for Public Service at the University of Florida make up the Florida Joint Center for Citizenship, a civic-education partnership.
Lynx Central Florida’s regional transportation system. Not LYNX.
M
majors Do not capitalize majors, programs, specializations, or concentrations of study if they are not part of an official department name or title. He majored in history.
manikin An anatomical model of the body used during healthcare simulation training.
mannequin A model of the human form for fitting or displaying garments.
Marching Knights UCF’s Marching Band
Market Day Held each Wednesday on the patio adjacent to the Student Union for student organizations and vendors to promote products, causes or services.
Marriage and Family Research Institute
master’s degree (See academic degrees.)
Math Launch
Math Success Center Formerly Math Lab.
Medical City Acceptable on first reference for the developing area at Lake Nona that includes the UCF College of Medicine; Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute; Orlando VA Medical Center; Nemours Children’s Hospital, Orlando; and the University of Florida’s Research and Academic Center. The official name of the UCF presence at Lake Nona is the UCF Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona, but use only when needed for clarification.
Memory Mall
Michelle Akers Alumni Award Presented to outstanding graduates; named after the UCF graduate, Olympic gold medalist and professional athlete.
midterm
million, billion Use figures with the words million or billion. Use decimals to show fractions ($2.5 million). Don’t go beyond two decimal places. Do not use a hyphen. It was a $2 million building.
MOOC Acronym for massive open online courses. Spell out on first reference.
Morgridge International Reading Center
Multicultural Academic and Support Services
myUCF The site for faculty, staff and students’ personalized information and applications.
N
NanoScience Technology Center
National Center for Forensic Science
2017 National Champions Declared by UCF after finishing the season as the only NCAA school to finish the season undefeated (13-0), including beating Auburn in the 2018 Peach Bowl in Atlanta on New Year’s Day.
National Consortium for Academics and Sports
National Merit Scholarship Program and National Merit Scholar
NCAA Acceptable in all references for National Collegiate Athletic Association.
Nicholson Fieldhouse
Nicholson School of Communication and Media
NID Network Identification number (from Network Identification).
NorthView Student housing complex adjacent to the north edge of campus.
O
Office of Access and Community Engagement Formerly the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Office of Institutional Equity Formerly the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Programs.
Office of Military and Veteran Student Success Formerly known as the Veterans Academic Resource Center.
Ombuds Office
ONE Central Florida A WUCF TV magazine-style show.
OPS Abbreviation for Other Personal Services employment classification. Acceptable on first reference but spell out the name in the story.
Orlando Tech Center
orthopedics Unless a physician’s office or organization uses orthopaedics in its name.
Oviedo
PedsAcademy UCF’s pediatric school program at Nemours Children’s Hospital to provide children with educational opportunities. Pronounced Peeds Academy.
P
page When referencing page numbers, capitalize and spell out: To read more, see Page 44.
Park and Ride A campus service in conjunction with the campus shuttles.
Partnership I, Partnership II, Partnership III, Partnership IV and Partnership V
PBS Acceptable in all uses for Public Broadcasting Service.
PedsAcademy UCF’s pediatric school program at Nemours Children’s Hospital designed to provide children in with educational opportunities. Pronounced Peeds Academy.
Pegasus The official symbol for UCF.
Pegasus Not Pegasus Magazine.
Pegasus Express Name change from the former Black and Gold Shuttle (2018)
percent Use symbol as per AP style
Ph.D., Ph.D.s The preferred form is to say a person holds a doctorate and name the area of specialty. The abbreviation is acceptable for doctor of philosophy only when names are listed but not as part of running copy.
phone numbers Use area code and hyphens in news stories, not parentheses and/or periods: 407-555-1234.
PID Personal Identification number (from Personal Identification).
Pineapple Ball, The An annual event hosted by the Rosen College of Hospitality Management at which new members are inducted into the Central Florida Hospitality Hall of Fame.
postdoctoral, postdoctorate
postgraduate
Power Five conferences UCF is the youngest Power Five program by three decades.
predoctoral
presidents UCF’s presidents:
Charles N. Millican, 1965-78
Trevor Colbourn, 1978-89
Steven Altman, 1989-91
John C. Hitt, 1992-2018
Dale Whittaker, 2018-2019
Thad Seymour Jr., 2019-2020 (interim)
Alexander N. Cartwright, 2020-current
President’s Honor Roll
President’s Leadership Council Group of students selected by the university president to serve as advisors and official ambassadors.
Pride Commons
professor Capitalize and do not abbreviate as a title before a name. Capitalize and do not abbreviate assistant or associate when used with the title before a name. (These capitalizations vary from AP.) Capitalize Professor Emeritus as a title before a name. Do not capitalize the title when used alone.
Q
Quadrangle Office park west of UCF and north of University Boulevard where UCF Health’s Orlando facility is located.
R
Recreation and Wellness Center
Reflecting Pond Not Reflecting Pool, Reflection Pond or the Fountain.
Research Pavilion
Registrar’s Office
residence hall Preferred term instead of dorm or dormitory.
resident assistant Not residents’ or resident’s assistant.
roads Road names on and near the main campus. A master list of all campus addresses is at https://spaceadmin.provost.ucf.edu/buildinglist.asp.
Alafaya Trail (also known as State Road 434)
Andromeda Loop
Aquarius Agora Drive
Ara Drive
Centaurus Boulevard
Central Florida Boulevard (UCF’s address is 4000 Central Florida Blvd., Orlando, FL 32816)
East Plaza Drive
Gemini Boulevard
Greek Court
Greek Park Drive
Home Run Court
Hydra Lane
Knights Victory Way
Lake Claire Way
Leo Lane
Libra Drive
Lockwood Boulevard
McCulloch Road
Mensa Lane
North Orion Boulevard
Pegasus Drive
Perseus Loop
Pictor Lane
Pyxis Lane
Research Parkway
Scholarship Drive
Science Drive
Scorpius Street
Technology Parkway
Triangulum Court
University Boulevard
Ursa Minor Street
West Plaza Drive
Robinson Observatory
room numbers When referencing room numbers, capitalize and spell out: The meeting is in Room 23.
ROTC Acceptable in all references for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. There are two branches at UCF: Air Force and Army.
S
’63 South A campus restaurant in Ferrell Commons.
SAT Use only the initials when referring to the Scholastic Aptitude Test. Do not use a comma in scores.
School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
School of Global Health Management and Informatics
School of Kinesiology and Physical Therapy
School of Performing Arts
School of Politics, Security, and International Affairs
School of Public Administration
School of Social Work
School of Teacher Education
School of Visual Arts and Design A merged partnership of the former art and digital media departments.
semesters Lowercase fall, spring and summer semesters as in spring semester, but capitalize when referring to a specific term as in Fall 2014.
Seminole State College of Florida Seminole, Seminole State or Seminole State College are acceptable on second reference. The college prefers not to use SSC. Another Seminole State College is in Oklahoma.
service-learning
SG Abbreviation for Student Government. Acceptable on second reference.
Siemens Energy Center
ShanghaiRankings
slogans Some of UCF’s slogans through the years:
America’s Leading Partnership University
America’s Partnership University
America’s Space University
Black & Gold
Knight Nation
Reach for the Stars
SpaceU
The University for the Future
Southeastern Conference SEC on second reference.
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools SACS on second reference.
space Use just one space after a period in text.
Spectrum Stadium Official name of UCF’s football stadium 2017-2020.
Spirit Splash
spring break
staff member(s) If not cumbersome to the sentence, refer to staff members instead of staff.
State University System of Florida Comprised of 12 institutions:
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Florida A&M, FAMU Tallahassee
Florida Atlantic University, FAU Boca Raton
Florida Gulf Coast University, FGCU Fort Myers
Florida International University, FIU Miami
Florida Polytechnic University, FPU Lakeland
Florida State University, FSU Tallahassee
New College of Florida, NCF Sarasota
University of Central Florida, UCF Orlando
University of Florida, UF Gainesville
University of North Florida, UNF Jacksonville
University of South Florida, USF Tampa
University of West Florida, UWF Pensacola
states Spell out state names when used with cities, military bases and party affiliations. (As per AP 2019.)
STEM Acronym for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Acceptable to use on first reference, but spell out someplace in the story.
The STEAM initiative adds ‘A’ to incorporate Art with STEM fields.
Student Academic Resource Center (SARC)
Student Accessibility Services
student-athlete
Student Financial Assistance
Student Government, formerly known as Student Government Association
student-veteran
Symphony Under the Stars An annual community event featuring the UCF Symphony Orchestra performing an outdoor concert on Memory Mall.
Student Care Services Formerly the Student of Concern Process and Case Management.
Student Success and Well-Being Previously known as Student Development and Enrollment Services
Student Health Services Formerly UCF Health Services.
Student Union
T
3D AP change from 3-D (2018)
30 Under 30 Awards program that recognizes outstanding young alumni who have found success in their personal and professional endeavors.
TeachLivE Lab Mixed-reality classroom of simulated students that provides situations for teachers to develop educational practices.
TEFL Abbreviation for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Spell out first reference for this degree.
TESOL Abbreviation for Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages. Spell out first reference for this degree.
theatre/theater Use theatre when referring to a program, students or the craft. Use theater when referring to a venue. For proper nouns, use the spelling preferred by the organization. Varies from AP.
Theatre UCF
Thomas L. Keon Testing Center
times Use this style:
10:30 a.m. (colon separating hours and minutes; lowercase a.m.)
2 p.m. (unnecessary to use 2:00 p.m.)
8-10 a.m. (if both times are in the a.m. or p.m.)
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
midnight (don’t use; it is confusing as to whether it refers to the beginning or end of the day.)
titles Italicize newspapers, magazines, books, movies, plays, songs, works of art, courses, lectures, etc.
™ or ® The trademark and registered symbols are not included in stories when referring to brand names licensed by the university.
Timothy R. Newman Pavilion
Townes Laser Institute
Townes & Gown Council Council set up to develop a strong relationship between UCF and the community.
U
UCF Abroad The university office that provides access to study-abroad programs.
UCF Advancement The official fundraising and gift beneficiary for the university.
UCF Alumni Acceptable on first reference or UCF Alumni Association.
UCF Arboretum Capitalize when referring to the set-aside natural area on the east side of campus that provides research, education and outreach opportunities.
UCF Athletics Uses a singular verb: UCF Athletics has, UCF Athletics needs.
UCF Connect Division that includes the university’s 11 regional campuses, DirectConnect to UCF, continuing and corporate education, personal enrichment, and opportunities for faculty consulting. Formerly Regional Campuses.
The campuses are: Altamonte Springs, Cocoa, Daytona Beach, Leesburg, Ocala, Palm Bay, Sanford/Lake Mary, South Lake, Valencia East, Valencia Osceola, Valencia West.
Distinct from the UCF Connect campuses are several off-site locations from the main Orlando campus, including: Center for Emerging Media, Executive Development Center, Florida Solar Energy Center, Rosen College of Hospitality Management, Health Sciences Campus at Lake Nona, and UCF Downtown.
UCF Downtown Not Downtown UCF, UCF’s Downtown Campus or any other variation. A project of UCF and Valencia College in the Creative Village, a development by a public/private partnership for retail, commercial, office, residential and educational space. Facilities include UnionWest at Creative Village, Dr. Phillips Academic Commons, Communication and Media Building, and Florida Interactive Entertainment Academy.
UCF Global A program for international students.
UCF Health Two clinics operated by the College of Medicine at Lake Nona and on University Boulevard near UCF.
UCF Lake Nona Hospital A partnership academic hospital between the UCF College of Medicine and HCA Healthcare located the UCF’s Academic Health Sciences Campus.
UCF Libraries The inclusive name for all of the university’s libraries (John C. Hitt Library, Rosen Library, etc.)
UCF Online
UCF RESTORES Clinical research center that studies anxiety, trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder and is committed to helping active military, veterans, first responders and civilians who have experienced traumatic events.
UCF Student Health Services
undergraduate A student who has not earned a degree.
UnionWest at Creative Village A 15-story tower for UCF Downtown classrooms, residence halls, offices and restaurants; the tallest downtown building west of Interstate 4. UnionWest on second reference.
United Faculty of Florida UFF on second reference for the faculty union.
university Lowercase unless part of a proper name.
University Innovation Alliance Composed of UCF, Arizona State University, Georgia State University, Iowa State University, Michigan State University, Oregon State University, Purdue University, The Ohio State University, University of California at Riverside, University of Kansas, and The University of Texas at Austin.
University of Central Florida Spell out in first reference for public publications, and use UCF or the university on second reference. For in-house publications it is acceptable to use UCF on first reference. Do not: abbreviate any of the words, use periods or spaces, or use the term Central Florida.
University Press of Florida Official book publisher for the State University System.
University Tech Center
University Tower
universitywide
University Writing Center
University Testing Center
upperclassmen Avoid use of sexist and elitist term.
Upstarts Student Venture Accelerator
U.S. News & World Report
USPS Sands for University Support Personnel System employment classification. Acceptable on first reference but spell out the name in the story.
V
Valencia College Valencia acceptable on second reference. University partner at UCF Downtown.
Venue, The Facility adjacent to Addition Financial Arena for concerts, sports, banquets, trade shows, etc.
Veterans Commemorative Site On the south end of Memory Mall.
VPK Acceptable to use abbreviation on first reference for Voluntary Prekindergarten Program, but spell out in the story.
W
War on I-4 Athletic rivalry series created by UCF and USF.
Walt Disney World Center for Culinary Arts and Hospitality Facility for Valencia College’s culinary arts program.
Wayne Densch Center for Student-Athlete Leadership
Wayne Densch Sports Center
website Use all lowercase letters, even when containing a title or an acronym. Do not use www.
White Coat Ceremony College of Medicine tradition of welcoming first-year medical students as colleagues in healthcare.
-wide No hyphen in campuswide, citywide, countywide, nationwide, statewide, universitywide, worldwide.
Women’s and Gender Studies
Workday The enterprise resource planning system that replaced PeopleSoft for campus administration processes.
WUCF FM
WUCF TV
Z
Zora Neale Hurston Institute for Documentary Studies
ZORAfest!