abbreviations

In general, avoid using abbreviations in running text (including the ampersand) except when they are part of official names. To aid understanding, the abbreviation may be listed in parentheses following the first reference; however, do not list UTSA in brackets following The University of Texas at San Antonio.

Avoid overusing abbreviations/acronyms Use generic terms on second reference:

The Institute for Cyber Security was founded in 2007. The institute conducts world-leading research with real-world impact, including the development of beneficial technologies and services.

abbreviations of degrees

Abbreviations of degrees, time expressions and countries’ names take periods without spaces, with the exception of MBA and USA which do not take periods:

M.F.A., B.A., B.S., Ph.D., a.m., p.m., B.C., A.D., U.K., U.S.

BUT

MBA and USA

Use periods and no space when an individual uses initials instead of a first name:

Professor K.K. Raman, G.V.S. Raju (LT Robinson is an exception.)

Abbreviations having more than one period generally take an apostrophe to indicate the plural:

M.A.’s, Ph.D.’s

abbreviations of places

In general, abbreviations of places take periods. If it’s not a place, leave the periods out.

For example: U.S. but AACOG, USAA, UTSA

abbreviations of titles

The terms governor, senator and representative should be abbreviated before a name:

Gov. Greg Abbott needs to be voted out
state Sen. Judith Zaffirini
state Rep. Lyle Larson

academic degrees

See degree

accent marks (diacritical marks)

Words in other languages, and a few adopted into English, sometimes have special marks above or beneath certain letters that provide help in pronunciation or meaning.

When accenting personal names, follow the preference of the individual, if known, even though this could result in different spellings of the same last name.

Treviño, Trevino

acronyms

In general, spell out acronyms on first reference. If speaking to an audience outside the UTSA community, acronyms should be avoided.

Acronyms and initialisms for job titles and names of organizations, centers, buildings, forms, tests and assorted other objects are generally spelled without periods:

UTSA, USAA, NASA, FBI, UN, EU
CEO
SAT, TAKS, TOEFL
FAFSA

Acronyms are made plural without apostrophes, unless the last letter of the acronym is an s, in which case an apostrophe is needed:

GREs, SATs, DVDs, SOS’s

addresses

For UTSA mailing addresses, list the department above the name of the university. Use two-letter Postal Service abbreviations only with ZIP codes.

The Graduate School
The University of Texas at San Antonio
One UTSA Circle
San Antonio, TX 78249-1644

The College for Health, Community and Policy
The University of Texas at San Antonio
501 César E. Chávez Blvd.
San Antonio, TX 78207-4415

(See states for non-postal abbreviations.)

adviser / advisor

The preferred spelling is adviser, per AP, Chicago and Webster’s 11th, but UTSA uses advisor for academic advisors.

AFB/Air Base

Use AFB instead of spelling out Air Force Base for a facility in the U.S.

Lackland AFB

For American Facilities located overseas, use Air Base.

Bagram Air Base

afterward

Not afterwards

AI

A common abbreviation for artificial intelligence. Use artificial intelligence upon first reference. AI is not an acceptable abbreviation for any other phrase, such as Academic Innovation or academic inquiry.

Air Force

Do not abbreviate except in headlines.

Alamo City

A nickname for San Antonio

The Alamo Colleges

Do not use former acronym ACCD. The system includes five colleges: San Antonio College, St. Philip’s College, Palo Alto College, Northeast Lakeview College and Northwest Vista College.

Alamodome

Lowercase dome is acceptable on second reference and headlines.

alien

Do not use in reference to a human being. Use immigrant instead.

alphabetizing

In alphabetizing personal names, an initial comes before any name beginning with the same letter:

A. Tiffany Smith
Andrew Smith
B.D. Smith
Barbara Smith

For individuals and organizations that share a name, alphabetize the individuals first:

Tom C. Frost
Frost Bank

For individuals with compound family names, alphabetize them according to the last name; hyphenated names should be treated as one word and alphabetized according to first part.

Patricia Torres Hernandez (alphabetized under H)
Patricia Torres-Hernandez (alphabetized under T)

Personal names containing particles such as de la, di, la, von, van, and saint should be alphabetized as one name:

Jean Claude Van Damme, listed under V for Van Damme.

alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae

Alumnus is the singular, masculine form; for references to women, use alumna (singular) or alumnae (plural). Alumni serves as the plural for a group of men only or of men and women.

In some uses, alumnus is not gender specific. For example, the UTSA Alumni Association does not change the name of its Alumnus of the Year Award based on the gender of the recipient.

Alicia C. Treviño was named 2004 Alumnus of the Year.

Anyone who attended The University of Texas at San Antonio is an alumnus or an alumna, even if he or she left without earning a degree.

American Indian/Native American

Both terms are acceptable for those in the U.S. Follow the person's preference.

ampersand

Use & only in official names:

AT&T, Fulbright & Jaworski NOT the Department of English, Classics & Philosophy

Anglo

Always capitalize and use only when a distinction must be made between Hispanic and non-Hispanic white people.

approximately

About is preferred

aro / ace

Prefixes relating to aromantic (an adjective referring to the experience of feeling little or no romantic attraction towards anyone) or asexual (an adjective referring to the experience of feeling little or no sexual attraction towards anyone).

athletics

In most cases, use athletics:

UTSA Athletics Feasibility Study, Department of Athletics, Director of Athletics, athletics director

award

Capitalize only as part of the name of the award.

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