Editorial Guidelines

It’s important that all communications written for or about the University of Alaska Anchorage have a consistent style and tone. This editorial style guide serves as a reference for the university’s various departments to ensure consistency and comply with UAA brand standards and personality.

In general, the UAA Office of University Advancement adheres to rules of the Associated Press Stylebook, unless certain “house rules” are otherwise noted. We also refer to the Associated Press Alaska Stylebook for cases specific to Alaska.

A

Abbreviation
House rule is to abbreviate only on second reference, in most cases, when referring to an organization, college, department, program or other institution. However, the first reference should be followed by abbreviation in parentheses.
The College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP) announced its new dean.
academic degrees
If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Also: an associate degree (no possessive).
Use such abbreviations as B.A., M.A., LL.D. and Ph.D. only when the need to identify 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. When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke. Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree in the same reference.
academic departments
All UAA departments are formally referred to as the Department of ___________, not the ___________ Department. Lowercase the word department when referring to the department in general or on second reference. Some units do not have names that fit "Department of" constructions. In these cases, use the unit's formal name.
Correct: The Construction, Design & Safety Division has been steadily growing. 
Incorrect: The Construction Division just hired a new faculty member. 
academic honors
Cum laude, magna cum laude and summa cum laude are all Latin words and should be italicized.
academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, chairman, etc., when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere. Lowercase modifiers such as department in department Chairman Jerome Wiesner.
accreditation
UAA is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).
Administration/Humanities Building
ADM on second reference. ADMIN is also acceptable.
advisor
Not adviser, contrary to AP Style.
ages
Always use figures. 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 a substitute for a noun. Examples: 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).
Alaska
Do not abbreviate in datelines or text.
Alaska Airlines Center (AAC)
Refers to the 5,600-seat sports arena on UAA’s campus.
Alaska Airlines Governor’s Cup
Alaska Native
Uppercase Native when it refers to Alaska’s Indigenous peoples. Distinguished from native (lowercase) Alaskan, who is someone born in the state and may be of any racial background.
Follow the person's preference regarding reference to race or ethnicity. The term Eskimo is considered offensive by some people. Federal legislation signed by President Obama in 2016 removed the term Eskimo and Aleut from federal laws and replaced it with Alaska Native.
Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program
In first reference, use Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program followed by (ANSEP). ANSEP can be used on second reference.
Alaska State Legislature
Capitalize Legislature in all uses when referring to the Alaska body even when the context does not require using the full name. (see legislature entry in “The Associated Press Stylebook,” but lowercase legislator(s), legislative, legislation).
Alaskan
A noun referring to a person who lives in Alaska. Never an adjective except in a proper name.
Many alumni proudly call themselves Alaskans. They are innovators in the Alaska economy.
Aleut
See Alaska Native.
Allied Health Sciences Building
AHS on second reference.
alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
Use alumnus (alumni in plural) when referring to a man who has attended school.
Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman.
Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.
ampersand (&)
Avoid using, if possible. The ampersand should not be used in place of and. Use the ampersand only when it is part of a company and/or building’s formal name or composition title. When more than one college or building is noted in copy for a story or project, default to "and" for consistency. See college, school entry.
Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program, Engineering & Industry Building. 
a.m., p.m.
Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning.
Amazing Stories Being Written Every Day
UAA’s former tagline used from 2013 – 2023. Use the current tagline in all communications: “Your Journey. Your Community. Your Impact.” 
Anchorage Bowl
As a region, capitalize.
Anchorage Daily News, ADN, adn.com
Alaska's statewide newspaper. Italicize name of newspaper publication. ADN acceptable on second reference. 
Anchorage Mayor's Marathon and Half-Marathon
Summer solstice tradition that attracts runners from all over the world. Race proceeds help support Seawolf Athletics and its student-athletes. Formerly known as the Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon and Half-Marathon.
annual
An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held in at least two successive years. Do not use the term first annual. Instead, note that sponsors plan to hold the event annually.
apostrophe
Used to show the possessive case of nouns and certain pronouns. Make sure direction of apostrophe is correct.
Arctic / arctic
Capitalize in proper nouns and when referring to the region, lowercase when used as an adjective.
Association
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize as part of a proper name.
athletic conferences
The Seawolf athletic teams belong to the following conferences. While the conference names should be spelled out on first reference, with the acronym 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)
  • Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF)
  • Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA)
aurora borealis
Do not capitalize. Aurora is acceptable on second reference.
awards
Capitalize.
She won a Pulitzer Prize for fiction.

B

baccalaureate
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
A bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s is acceptable in any reference.
Abbreviate: B.A., B.S.
benefit, benefited, benefiting
biannual, biennial
Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for the word semiannual. Biennial means every two years.
board
Capitalize only when an integral part of a proper name.
board of directors, board of trustees
Always lowercase.
board of regents
Lowercase internal elements of an organization when they are names that are widely used generic terms. The board of regents of the University of Alaska or the board of regents. But capitalize when the full title is used: The University of Alaska Board of Regents.
borough
Lowercase except as part of a title before or after a name.
Bookstore
Capitalize when referring specifically to the UAA Online Bookstore. Do not capitalize a preceding “the.” The student rented textbooks from the Bookstore.
BP Asset Integrity and Corrosion Lab
The name of a lab established within the UAA School of Engineering by a $1 million gift from BP Exploration (Alaska) Inc.
breakup
Refers to a season in late March or early April when ice and snow melt and springtime is approaching. One word, no hyphen.
building
Never abbreviate. Capitalize the proper names of buildings, including the word building if it is an integral part of the proper name: the UAA Health Sciences Building. Use the building's full name on first reference; acronyms can be used on second reference.
Note: Some buildings have ampersands in their names. These may be used in standalone references but not when listed with other buildings.
For a complete listing of UAA buildings, visit http://fpgis.uaa.alaska.edu/FPTableANC.htm.

C

cabinet
Capitalize references to the body of advisors heading executive departments for the chancellor. 
The Chancellor Cabinet works directly with the Chancellor to carry out the mission, strategic plan and strategic initiatives at UAA.

canceled, canceling
Use one l, not two. 
The meeting was canceled due to a snowstorm.

campus
Lowercase. 
The Anchorage campus is open and operating a normal schedule today.

campus locations
Acceptable to capitalize campus locations, such as Main Campus, East Campus, West Campus, the Quad, etc. Similar to AP’s rules relating to capitalization of hemispheres and West Coast, East Coast.

Campus Kick-Off
The fall festival that welcomes students, staff and faculty to campus and is generally held the weekend before fall semester begins. Hyphenate and capitalize Kick-Off.

campuswide
One word, no hyphen.

capitalization
Start each sentence with a capital letter, even if the sentence begins with a word like iPhone or eBay. In general, avoid unnecessary capitals in text, titles and headlines. Using capitalized letters is acceptable when writing an acronym, otherwise do not write a word in all caps. Capitalize formal titles and names, but lowercase general uses of a noun. See the AP Stylebook for details on capitalization.

Sometimes a company or program will use all capital letters for its title — INNOVATE awards, for example. The style in this instance would be “Innovate”, since those letters are not designating an acronym (such as ADAC, which represents Arctic Domain Awareness Center).

catalog

center
Capitalize as part of a title: The Center for Economic Development
Lowercase in all other instances: The center is conducting research relating to seal behavior.

chancellor
Capitalize as part of a title: UAA Chancellor Sean Parnell gave a presentation today at a luncheon.
Lowercase in all other instances: Sean Parnell is the chancellor of UAA.

chancellor’s list

chair
Not chairman, chairwoman or chairperson, contrary to AP Style. Capitalize when preceding a name and lowercase in all other instances.

championship
Capitalize as part of a formal title: UAA swept the GNAC Championship.
Lowercase otherwise: The championship tournament was held last weekend in California.

check-in (n. and adj.) / check in (v.).

city
Capitalize when used to refer to the proper name of a legal or political entity: City of Anchorage
Lowercase when used to refer to a geographical location: city of Anchorage

class of …
Lowercase class: The class of 1975 held its reunion last weekend. 

class standing
Lowercase freshman (freshmen, pl.), sophomore, junior, senior, undergraduate student and graduate student.

clean up (v.) / cleanup (n. and adj.)

close-up (n. and adj.)

co-
Retain hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status. Dr. Loren Buck is the co-principal investigator on the research project. Do not use hyphens in other combinations: coordinate, cooperate, coed, etc. See the AP Stylebook for details on this rule.

college, school
Capitalize as part of a formal name: The College of Business and Public Policy. Lowercase in other instances: The college offers a program in real estate management.

UAA Colleges/Schools and abbreviations:

UAA Community Campuses:

  • College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
  • College of Business and Public Policy (CBPP)
  • College of Engineering (CoEng)
  • College of Health (COH)
    • Alaska WWAMI School of Medical Education
    • School of Allied Health
    • School of Nursing
  • Community and Technical College (CTC)
  • School of Education (SOE)

UAA Community Campuses:

  • Kenai Peninsula College (KPC)
    • Kenai River Campus (KRC)
    • Kachemak Bay Campus (KBC)
    • Anchorage Extension Site (AES)
    • Resurrection Bay Extension Site (RBES)
  • Kodiak College (KOC)
  • Prince William Sound College (PWSC)
  • Matanuska-Susitna College (Mat-Su College or MSC)

Note: Some colleges prefer to use ampersands in their names. This may be done in standalone references but not when listed with other colleges.

commencement
Lowercase when used to refer to commencement generally: 
UAA’s commencement ceremonies are held in the spring and fall.
More than 2,000 people attended this year’s commencement ceremony.

Capitalize when associated with a specific year: 
UAA celebrated Fall Commencement 2023 in grand style. 
The 2024 Spring Commencement was memorable.

committee
Capitalize as part of a formal title: The UAA Campus Kick-Off Committee meets every Wednesday. 
Lowercase in all other references: The committee meets at 1:30 p.m. every Wednesday. Do not abbreviate.

Commons
Refers to the UAA Gorsuch Commons — a dining, meeting and gathering place located on campus near residence halls. May also refer to the UAA Academic Commons — an online blog community for faculty.

Community & Technical College, CTC
Use "and" when listed with other colleges.

complementary, complimentary
The two professors have complementary jobs.
Complimentary tickets were given to the first 100 guests.

composition titles (books, movies, etc.)
House rule is to italicize the titles of books, magazines, newspapers, movies and plays, contrary to AP Style.
I couldn’t decide where to curl up with the latest issue of Alaska Quarterly Review.
Check out the new UAA Planetarium show, River of Bears.

ConocoPhillips Integrated Science Building
CPISB for short on second reference. ConocoPhillips, no space between C and P, capitalize P. 

Consortium Library
Always state entire name in first reference: UAA/APU Consortium Library.

convocation
Refers to Freshman Convocation, held in late August at the start of the fall semester. Also refers to Faculty/Staff Convocation. Lowercase when used to refer to convocation generally; capitalize when used as part of formal event title.

corporation
Abbreviate the word “corporation” when it is used as part of a company’s title: CIRI Alaska Tourism Corp.
Spell it out otherwise: Alaska Native corporations operate enterprises throughout the world.

course names and numbers
Use Arabic numerals and capitalize the subject when used with a numeral: History 106, Philosophy 209

Capitalize official course names even when the course number is not included:
History 101: Introduction to World History
Aristotle Strikes Back
Fundamentals of Engines
Otherwise, lowercase generic course names: calculus, world history

coursework
One word, no hyphen.

cross country
No hyphen.

D

dashes
en dash: use to separate ranges of items, such as dates or quantities. Do not use spaces around the en dash. Keystroke: (Mac) “Option” + “-”; (PC Word) “--” which Word auto converts; (PC InDesign) “Alt” + “-”.
The conference will be held Dec. 10–13. The keynote speaker will address the audience from 10–11 a.m.
 
em dash: In informal writing, em dashes may replace commas, semicolons, colons and parentheses to indicate added emphasis, an interruption or an abrupt change of thought. Do not use spaces around the em dash.  Keystroke: (Mac) “Option” + “Shift,” + “-”; (PC Word) CTRL + Alt + “- on the number pad”; (PC InDesign) “Alt” + “Shift,” + “-”.
The Alaska Airlines Center––a 5,000-seat arena––is located on the UAA campus.
database
One word.
dates

Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug. Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone or with a year.

When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas: January 2024. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with a comma: January 1, 2024. Do not use st, nd, rd or th after a figure.

Use an en dash with no spaces on either side when dates are inclusive:
The conference will take place March 22–24.

 

days of the week
Never abbreviate in text:
The event will be held on Thursday, Jan. 31, 2024.
dean
Capitalize as part of a formal title: UAA College of Arts and Sciences Dean Jenny McNulty…
Lowercase in other instances: Jenny McNulty, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, announced today…
dean’s list / 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 many lists from many deans. Lowercase in all uses.
degrees
See academic degrees.
Dena’ina
Name of the Athabascan language and people of Southcentral Alaska and Cook Inlet. Also the name of a large convention center in downtown Anchorage: Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center, also called the Dena’ina Center.
Denali
Tallest peak in North America at 20,310 feet. Formerly Mount McKinley.
The park is Denali National Park and Preserve.
Denali is located in Denali National Park and Preserve.

department
See academic departments.

direct address
Capitalize commons nouns used in direct address when they are used in place of a name or as a name.
Dear UAA Community,
Dear Students,

director
Capitalize as part of a formal title when it precedes a name:
Multicultural Center Director Sara Caldwell-Kan
Lowercase in other instances:
Sara Caldwell-Kan, director of the UAA Multicultural Center, said in a statement…

distances
Use figures for 10 and above, spell out one through nine.
He ran nine miles; she ran 26.2 miles.

District of Columbia / D.C.
Abbreviate as D.C. in datelines or stories and use a comma to set off the abbreviation from the name of the city of Washington: The event will take place in Washington, D.C.

Doctor / Dr.
Contrary to AP Style, OK to use Dr. in front of the name of someone who has earned a Ph.D. Make an initial formal introduction of the person, then refer to them by last name thereafter (except in more informal writing).
Dr. Mark Wolbers is the conductor of the band that plays at commencement each year. Wolbers has been with the university for several years.

E

e.g.
Meaning for example, always followed by a comma.
(e.g., The mouse ran after the cheese.)
eLearning, e-learning
eLearning and Distance Education Services is the name of the administrative unit that oversees electronic learning and distance education activities at UAA. E-Learning (with hyphen) refers generally to learning through electronic methods.
email
One word, no hyphen. However, retain hyphen in e-book, e-reader and e-commerce.
emeriti, emerita, emeritae, emeritus
Emeritus (one man), emerita (one woman), emeritae (plural women), emeriti (plural men or both men and women)
Joe Smith, professor emeritus of geology, was appointed to the committee.
Janet Peters, who was given emerita status in 1991, established a scholarship.
Emeriti are recognized at commencement each year.
Capitalize emeritus et al. when used as a title preceding a name.
Professor Emerita Diddy Hitchens taught at UAA for many years.
Engineering & Industry Building
Refers to the 80,000-gross-square-foot engineering building being constructed near the Alaska Native Science & Engineering Building and Enrollment Services Center. 
Eskimo
See Alaska Native.
Eugene Short Hall
every day (adv.) / everyday (adj.)

F

Facebook
The university’s official Facebook page is: UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage
facebook.com/UAAnchorage

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.
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.
fieldwork
One word, no hyphen.
Fine Arts Building
Also referred to as ARTS and may be used on second reference. 
Flyer
Flyer is the preferred term for a handbill.
full time, full-time / part time, part-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
She works full time. She has a full-time job.
fundraising
One word, no hyphen.

G

Gordon Hartlieb Hall
GHH may be used on second reference. 
Gorsuch Commons
Refers to the UAA Gorsuch Commons — a dining, meeting and gathering place located on campus near residence halls. The Commons is OK on second reference.
government
Always lowercase, never abbreviate.
governmental titles
Abbreviate in the following ways in text:
Gov. Bill Walker, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Rep. Calvin Schrage
GPA / grade-point average
GPA is acceptable in all references for grade-point average.
Green and Gold
Refers to UAA’s school colors. Capitalize Green and Gold. Ampersand can be used in place of "and".

H

health care
Two words, unless part of a formal title or company name.
Health Sciences Building
The Health Sciences Building houses the UAA School of Nursing, Alaska WWAMI School of Medical Education and the School of Allied Health. HSB is acceptable on second reference.
homepage
One word, contrary to AP Style.
honors list
Lowercase, no apostrophe.
Honors College / Honors Program
Initial caps on both words when used together. Do not capitalize “honors” on its own. In reference to the Honors College use University Honors College in its entirety in first reference unless using UAA before the college's name, then use UAA Honors College. See University Honors College.
Because Jason was an honors student in the Honors Program, he was able to take honors classes.
The University Honors College has many opportunities for honors students.
honorary degrees
All references to honorary degrees should specify that the degree was honorary. Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary.
hyphens
Use when separating noninclusive numbers or in compound nouns. Do not use spaces around the hyphen.
The CPISB houses a state-of-the-art Planetarium and Visualization Theater.
The University Police Department phone number is 907-786-1120.

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 (no period after "C" except at the end of a sentence), ltd., etc.
Development Communications Exception: For correspondence with donors, and donor recognition lists, donor walls, gift lists, use the business name in the manner that the donor wishes (including Inc. if that is how they prefer their name to be listed.)
in-state (adj.)
Hyphenate:
Alaska residents pay in-state tuition.
indigenous
Lowercase.
institute
Capitalize when part of official title: The Institute of Social and Economic Research (ISER)…
Lowercase in other instances: The institute …
Institute of Social and Economic Research
ISER is acceptable on second reference.
internet
iPad / iPhone / iPod
Capitalize when used at start of a sentence. 
it's, its
It’s is a contraction for it is or it has: It’s up to you. It’s been a long time.
Its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun: The company lost its assets.
Inupiaq, Inupiak, Inupiat

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.

J

job titles
When preceding an individual's name, capitalize formal titles but not occupational descriptions. At UAA, capitalize only the following formal titles and their subsets (e.g., Chancellor Case and Vice Chancellor Olson): president, chair (but not "department"), chancellor, dean, director, professor and its subsets (contrary to AP), and provost. Chair is contrary to AP's use of chairman and chairwoman.
The audience applauded after Chancellor Case’s speech.
Students met with department chair Jim Pantaleone to discuss the changes.
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 Health is retiring.
Job titles may be capitalized in memos, lists and other irregular documents and publications, if desired.
To: Tom Case, Chancellor / From: Bruce Schultz, Vice Chancellor
Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson / JBER
Official name of Anchorage’s Army and Air Force military bases. JBER is acceptable on second reference.

K

K–12
Stands for kindergarten through 12th grade. Use en dash, no spaces between. Also, pre-kindergarten with hyphen.
Kachemak Bay Campus
Located in Homer, Alaska. A part of the Kenai Peninsula College, a community campus of UAA located in Soldotna, Alaska.
Kenai Peninsula College
A community campus of UAA located in Soldotna, Alaska. KPC on second reference. Kenai Peninsula College includes the Kenai River Campus in Soldotna and the Kachemak Bay Campus in Homer.
Kenai River Campus
Located in Soldotna, Alaska. A part of the Kenai Peninsula College, a community campus of UAA located in Soldotna, Alaska.
Kendall Hockey Classic
Kodiak College
A community campus of UAA located in Kodiak, Alaska.
KRUA 88.1 FM
UAA’s student-run radio station.

L

Land Acknowledgement
UAA recognizes and values the diversity of our unique location in Southcentral Alaska, the ancestral lands of the Dena'ina, Ahtna, Alutiiq/Sugpiaq, Chugachmiut and Eyak peoples.
Lady Seawolves
Do not use. See Seawolf / Seawolves.
Last Frontier
May be used as a nickname for Alaska.
Legislature
Capitalize when referring specifically 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.
Lower 48
Refers to the contiguous 48 states but not Hawaii. Do not set off in quotation marks. Contrary to 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.
-ly words
Do not use a hyphen with -ly adjectives and adverbs.
UAA offers many privately funded scholarships.

M

Master of Arts, Master of Science, M.B.A., master's
Abbreviate M.A., M.S.
A master’s degree or master’s is acceptable in any reference.
M.B.A., M.S.W., M.P.H.
House rule says to punctuate with periods M.B.A., contrary to AP Style. We reference many other three-letter degrees (e.g., Master of Public Administration, Master of Social Work, Associate of Applied Science, etc.) to maintain consistency.
Matanuska-Susitna / Mat-Su
Mat-Su acceptable in any reference. Mat-Su Borough or Mat-Su College preferred rather than spelling out Matanuska-Susitna in each reference. 
Matanuska-Susitna College / Mat-Su College
A community campus of UAA located in Palmer, north of Anchorage. MSC OK on second reference.
Mayor’s Midnight Sun Marathon and Half-Marathon
million
Spell out million and billion.
She gave $5 million to the university.
minus
Use a hyphen, not a dash. Use the word minus, not a minus sign, to indicate temperatures below zero.
Tomorrow’s forecast says it will reach minus 10 below zero.
Mount McKinley
"Denali" is now the official name of the peak formerly known as Mount McKinley. 
multimedia
No hyphens, one word.

N

names
In general, use only last names on second reference. OK to revert to first name if it is unclear to reader (e.g., if more than one person in the story has the same last name). Also OK to use first name on second reference in more informal writing.
Native
Capitalize when referring to Alaska's Indians, Eskimos and Aleuts. Do not capitalize when used in the sense "indigenous to." See AP entry citizen, resident, subject, national, native
Alaska Natives students from both rural and urban Alaska have taken leadership roles with Native Student Council.
The report included testimony from Native and non-Native observers.
The spruce tree is native to Alaska, but the chokecherry is not.
No.
Use as the abbreviation for number in conjunction with a figure to indicate position or rank.
UAA’s men’s basketball team is ranked No. 1 in its division.
non-degree students
Not "non-degree-seeking"
Hyphenate. (Contrary to Webster's pattern of not hyphenating non- words.)
Many non-degree students like to take classes for fun and aren’t interested in earning a degree.
nonprofit
One word, no hyphen.
non-resident
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.
North Slope
Refers to the region of Alaska north of the Brooks Range. Capitalize.
northern lights
Do not capitalize.
The Northern Light
UAA’s student newspaper. Italicize publication name. “The” is part of the newspaper’s formal title.
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, NWCCU
The agency that grants UAA'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. See AP Stylebook for treatment in other situations.
The lab has 12 workstations but only nine microscopes.
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…
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 only as a part of an official department title, lowercase otherwise.
The Office of New Student Orientation is busy preparing for the many activities associated with orientation.
Outside
Refers to anyplace not in Alaska. Always capitalized. May be used in regular text and is not restricted to direct quotes only.
She moved to Alaska from Outside.

P

part time, part-time / full time, full-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
She works part time. She has a part-time job.
percent
Use numerals and spell out percent:
More than 25 percent of the committee voted to build the new center.
Ph.D.
Use periods after Ph and D. Also see Dr. and academic degrees.
phonathon
-phone
Cellphone, iPhone, smartphone. All one word, no hyphens. (Note capital "p" in "iPhone.")
photo captions
When appropriate, include name(s), location and date in photo caption. When inserting a photo into WordPress or CMS, include caption information in alternative text for screen readers.
photo credits
(Photo by Philip Hall / University of Alaska Anchorage)
Photos provided by (but not necessarily taken by): Use "courtesy of."
Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Note: Style may be modified to accommodate photographer's wishes or acknowledgement needs.
physician assistant
No apostrophe in this medical profession title.
UAA is home to the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Training Program.
p.m., a.m.
Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 p.m. tonight.
podcast
A downloadable audio program. One word.
University Advancement produced a podcast of the lecture.
Police Department
The full name is the University of Alaska Anchorage Police Department or UAA Police Department (mainly referenced as the University Police Department or UPD, no periods). Capitalize when referring to the UAA department, even when not preceded by UAA. Lowercase when referring to police departments in general.
The UAA Police Department is staffed 24 hours per day, every day.
Please contact UPD for more information.
You may call the Police Department to request an escort to your car.
postbaccalaureate
One word, no hyphen.
postdoctoral
One word, no hyphen.
pre-major
Hyphenate.
premiere
A first performance.
president
Capitalize president only as a formal title before one or more names, lowercase in all other uses.
University of Alaska President Jim Johnsen presented at the December meeting.
The system president presented at the December meeting.
Prince William Sound College
A community campus of UAA located in Valdez, Alaska. PWSC OK on second reference.
Professional Studies Building
PSB on second reference.
professor, associate professor, assistant professor
Never abbreviate. As a house rule, contrary to AP style, capitalize when part of a formal title used directly before an individual's name: Professor John Rogers serves on three academic committees.
Lowercase academic titles 1) when they are not used with an individual's name and 2) in constructions that set them off from a name by commas: Marta Rodriguez, an associate professor of engineering, will be presenting at the conference.
program
Capitalize when used as part of a formal title but not in its general sense. If the word “program” isn’t part of an official name, it is considered descriptive and should not be capitalized.
The Alaska Native Science & Engineering Program offers dozens of opportunities for engineering students.
Academic programs (majors) are not capitalized.
He studied engineering before changing his major to biology.

Q

Q&A

Quotation Marks
Always put periods and commas inside quotation marks. Dashes, semicolons and colons go inside quotation marks when they apply to the quoted material only; otherwise, place them outside the quotation marks.
See Quotation Marks in AP Stylebook for additional guidance.

R

Rasmuson Hall (RH)
Not Rasmussen or Rasmusson. Capitalize when using the full name or shortened version:
The Edward & Cathryn Rasmuson Hall is located on the east part of campus.
Most of Joanne’s classes are in Rasmuson Hall.
regents
Lowercase when describing members of the board of regents of the University of Alaska. Capitalize when used as a title preceding a name or when the full title of a board is used.
room
Capitalize when part of a formal name of a room:
The meeting will be in the Lyla Richards Conference Room.
The group meets in the UAA/APU Consortium Library, Room 218.
room numbers
Use figures and capitalize room when used with a figure.
RSVP
The abbreviation for the French répondez s’il vous plaît, meaning please reply. No periods between letters.

S

School, school
Capitalize when part of official title, lowercase otherwise:
The School of Nursing is in the Health Sciences Building.
The school will renew its accreditation next year.
seasons / semesters
Do not capitalize, unless part of a formal name or header:
She caught a cold every winter.
Enrollment was high at the start of the fall 2013 semester. (OK to capitalize Fall 2013 Semester if part of a headline, but AP's rule is to use lowercase in text.)
The Winterfest event is held each March on UAA’s campus.
Seawolf / Seawolves
Refers to UAA’s mascot, “Spirit the Seawolf.” The Seawolf mascot is based on the Alaska Native myth of “Gonakadet,” also known as “Wasgo the Sea Wolf” in Tlingit and other Alaska Native cultures.
set up (v.) / setup (n. and adj.)
sign-up (n. and adj.) / sign up (v.)
size
Hyphenate when used as an adjective modifying a noun.
The 196,000-square-foot Alaska Airlines Center opened in fall 2014.
The building featured 14,000 square feet of labs and classrooms.
slogans
Use the following in title case:
Amazing Stories Being Written Every Day. (When used as a graphic element, preference is to capitalize A and S, with a closing period. When used in ad copy, capped A and S is preferred, and follow normal punctuation rules.)
social media
Facebook
UAA: University of Alaska Anchorage
URL: facebook.com/UAAnchorage
Instagram
@uaaphotos
URL: instagram.com/uaaphotos
LinkedIn
University of Alaska Anchorage
URL: bit.ly/UAALinkedIn
Twitter
@uaanchorage
URL: twitter.com/uaanchorage
YouTube
UAAnchorage
URL: youtube.com/uaanchorage
Southcentral
Capitalize, one word. Refers to the Southcentral region of Alaska.
Spine
The Spine refers to a series of pedestrian bridges that span UAA's campus. Capitalize. 
Spirit
Refers to UAA’s Seawolf mascot. Always capitalize.
SpringHill Suites Invitational
startup
One word (n. and adj.) to describe a new business venture.
UAA has two startup companies: Zensor and CFT Solutions.
state names
Spell out state names in text in standalone references or when used with a city.
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. Do not abbreviate Alaska in datelines or text.
The state of Alaska is the 49th state in the union.
The State of Alaska issues Permanent Fund dividends to eligible Alaskans each fall.
statewide
Do not use a hyphen and don't capitalize:
The statewide University of Alaska system.
student-athlete
Hyphenate.
systemwide
One word, no hyphen.

T

telephone numbers
Do not use parentheses to set off the area code; in document/publications text (with the exception of invitations and posters), use hyphens rather than dots within the phone number: 907-786-1111 rather than 907.786.1111.
temperatures
Use figures. Use below, not a minus sign, for temperatures below zero:
It was 70 degrees in July and 10 below in February.
Fahrenheit temperatures are assumed and need not be designated as such.
theatre / theater
Use theatre when referring to UAA's department:
UAA's Department of Theatre and Dance presents many performances every year.
Use theater when referring to theater in general:
Theaters across the country are …
Note: UAA’s planetarium goes by the UAA Planetarium and Visualization Theater.
times
For whole-number times, use numerals, not :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 (no spaces between) if times are inclusive. Do not repeat a.m. or p.m. if they are the same.
The conference will be held from 9–11 a.m.
titles
Capitalize and use quotation marks.
Academic posters, articles, columns in periodicals, exhibits, lectures, songs, unpublished papers:
The choir sang "Alaska’s Flag" after the ceremony.
He introduced Bill Robinson’s lecture, "Leading from the Middle."
The museum hosted "The Nature and Art of Collections" exhibit.
Capitalize. Do not italicize or use quotation marks.
Awards, certificates, classes, committees, conferences, conventions, course names, lecture series, prizes, programs, 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.]
Italicize, contrary to AP style.
Books, concerts, magazines, movies, newsletters, newspapers, operas, plays, radio shows, reports, television shows:
Newsweek quoted the president as saying …
The Music Department's concert, A Night in Berlin, featured music by German composers.
(The Chicago Manual of Style may offer solutions not found here for further treatment of titles.)
trademark symbol, (TM) or ™
Do not use in regular copy.
Josie liked her new UAA sweatshirt, which she often wore with her Levi jeans.
Not: Josie liked her new UAA™ sweatshirt, which she often wore with her 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).

U

UAA
Do not use periods between letters. Use only after full name has been used at least once. If possessive, use an apostrophe. In stories about UAA when it had a different name (e.g. University of Alaska, Anchorage), it is acceptable to use the then-current name as long as it is clear that the name is obsolete.
UAA/APU Consortium Library
Always state entire name in first reference.
UAOnline
One word, UAO all capitalized.
University, university
Capitalize as part of a title:
The University of Alaska Anchorage campus is beautiful in the winter.
Lowercase in other instances:
The university’s campus is beautiful in the winter.
University Center
An extension site of the UAA Anchorage campus, located in the University Center Mall in midtown Anchorage.
URLs

In print publications, delete the http:// and www. Use vanity URLs for UAA website links whenever possible in print to keep URLs short. Shorten external links with online tools such as bit.ly.
Visit uaa.alaska.edu.
Get more information at uaa.alaska.edu/admissions

In online or electronic publications, include any networking protocols (e.g., https, ftp) that are necessary to make a URL work. For ease of reading, link the URL directly to text whenever possible. It is recommended that URLs have a different font treatment to differentiate them from regular copy.
Visit the UAA College of Engineering <link text to https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/academics/college-of-engineering/> website to learn more about the program.
Visit www.uaa.alaska.edu for more information.
Check your financial aid status online at http://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. The creation of a vanity URL is recommended for UAA website links. Shorten external links with online tools such as bit.ly.
For more information about the program visit https://www.uaa.alaska.edu/about/administration/
office-of-the-chancellor

U.S.
Use periods for abbreviating United States but not USA. In headlines, it’s US, no periods.
USUAA
Union of Students of the University of Alaska Anchorage. UAA’s student government body. Spell out on first reference. USUAA acceptable on second reference.
University of Alaska Foundation
The UA Foundation is a private nonprofit corporation that operates as a public foundation. It was established in 1974 to solicit, manage, and invest donations for the University of Alaska's exclusive benefit. The UA Foundation is separate and distinct from the University of Alaska and governed by a Board of Directors. The UA Foundation works closely with each university in the UA system and with others in the community, exclusively for the benefit of the university.
University of Alaska System
The preferred reference to Alaska's public university system, and should be written as University
of Alaska system. The formal name for the statewide system is the University of Alaska.
University of Alaska System Office
The system office comprises the president, federal and state relations, IT infrastructure, internal/external audit, financial oversight and services, [tax reporting, debt, treasury, payroll, claims/risk management], general counsel, institutional research/reporting, university relations/public affairs, academics/research, human resource functions and land management.
The University of Alaska System Office is the preferred name to reference the central administration unit. It replaces the term “Statewide.” System Office is the term used consistently across the higher education community and should be uppercase on first reference and lowercase when used as a stand alone title [e.g. University of Alaska System Office will hold an annual administrative meeting.... The system office administrators meet weekly....]
University of Alaska Statewide – DO NOT USE
Use the University of Alaska System Office instead.
University of Alaska Board of Regents, the board of regents of the University of Alaska
The 11-member board that governs the university system. The Board of Regents is a proper noun and must be capitalized when using full name: The University of Alaska Board of Regents met on Wednesday.
Lowercase when used as a common noun – typically on second reference. The board met Wednesday.
Takes a singular verb: The board is meeting on the UAA campus and a singular pronoun: The board met its budget goal. The same is true for use of “regents” on second reference. The governor will appoint a new regent shortly.

V

Valley
Acceptable on second reference for the Matanuska-Susitna Valley or Mat-Su Valley.
vessels
Italicize names of vessels: “The family decided to sail their boat, Precipice, from Greenland to Dutch Harbor.”
vice chancellor
Do not hyphenate.
Capitalize as part of a title: Vice Chancellor Megan Olson voted to second the motion.
Lowercase in other instances: Megan Olson, vice chancellor, voted to second the motion.
vita, curriculum vitae, CV
Refers to a biographical sketch outlining academic history. Vita and CV are acceptable on first reference. Curriculum vitae (CV) may also be used, but is more formal and less common.
The candidate was asked to send her curriculum vitae prior to the phone interview.
Her vita is very impressive.
He has many years of education and experience noted in his CV.
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.

WWAMI School of Medical Education
WWAMI is a collaborative medical school among universities in five northwestern states and the University of Washington School of Medicine. WWAMI is an abbreviation for Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho.

web
When web stands alone, use a lowercased w, contrary to AP style. This is short for the formal name World Wide Web or WWW. Avoid use of the formal name, whenever possible, but if it must be used, the Ws should be upper case.
web page
Lowercase web page, contrary to AP Style.
website
One word, lowercase.
well-being
Wells Fargo Sports Complex
Wendy Williamson Auditorium
Winterfest
One word, lowercase f.
WolfCard
Name for official UAA IDs. Formerly stylized as WOLFcard, changed to WolfCard in fall 2020.
workforce

X Y Z

years
Use figures without commas. When combined with a month and day, set off the year with a comma. Use an s with no apostrophe to indicate a span of years. Years are the lone exception to the general rule in numerals that a figure is not used to start a sentence.
2013
On July 7, 1989, we went to Seward.
In the 1980s, UAA continued to grow.
2003 was a good year.
Yupik, Yup'ik
In most cases, use Yupik with no apostrophe. Use Yup'ik when referring to those from Central or Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta regions.