campuswide

No hyphen; with exception of university-wide, most -wide compounds are not hyphenated.

capitalization

Official names are capitalized; unofficial, informal, shortened or generic names are not. This rule applies to offices, buildings, schools, departments, programs, institutes, centers, etc.

Phrases such as the center, the institute or the new museum are not capitalized:

The Office of the Registrar is capitalized; the terms registrar’s office and the registrar are not.

The Carlos Alvarez College of Business is capitalized; the terms business college and college are not.

Use the formal name on first reference. Second references to the same office can be general and lowercase.

first reference: Office of the President Second reference: president’s office
the Center for Archaeological Research, the center
the Institute of Texan Cultures, the institute

Lowercase university unless it is used as part of a formal name, even when referring specifically to The University of Texas at San Antonio. EXCEPTION: In formal programs for Commencement and the President’s Dinner, university may be capitalized when referring specifically to UTSA.

Capitalize official names of bulletins, forms, conventions, conferences, symposia, etc. (see also  forms):

the Schedule of Classes, the Democratic National Convention, a Financial Aid Transcript

Capitalize the letters used for grades, as well as official grade names; do not put quotation marks around grades:

A, B, C, D, F, S/F, I, Incomplete, Pass, Deferred, a grade of B

Names of official policies such as Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity should be capitalized; if the concept, rather than the official name, is being discussed, lowercase is appropriate.

Names of holidays and recurring celebrations are usually capitalized; names of seasons, academic periods and onetime celebrations generally are not:

Thanksgiving, Commencement, Arts Week, Homecoming, Diversity Awareness Month
BUT registration, winter 1995–96, summer session, spring semester, spring break

For historical or documentary accuracy, follow the capitalization style of original texts:

Humphrey Newton, Sir Isaac Newton’s assistant and distant relative, once observed, “I never saw him take any Recreation or Pastime, either in Riding out to take the Air, Walking, Bowling, or any other Exercise whatever, Thinking all Hours lost that was not spent in his Studies, to which he kept so close that he seldom left his Chamber.”

Carnegie R1

Can be used as a title/header when speaking directly to faculty and staff members, alumni, research partners, elected leaders and peers at other higher education institutions. For news articles, communications to current and prospective students, and other communications for the general public, refer instead to “ Tier One."

Note that the R in R1 stands for research. It is not necessary to say “R1 research institution” as that would translate to “Research 1 research institution” and is repetitive.

When referring to the recognition, use “classification,” “designation” or “recognition,” not “status.”

Additionally, the status is “attained,” not “earned” or “achieved.”

UTSA attained the Carnegie R1 classification in 2021.

UTSA is an urban serving, Carnegie R1 university that is committed to tackling society’s grand challenges.

UTSA is an R1 institution that is committed to launching large-scale research activities that are gaining the university national and international recognition.

cascarones/cascarón

confetti-filled eggshells

Cattleman Square

The Downtown Campus is situated on 18 acres in San Antonio’s Cattleman Square Historic District.

centers/institutes

Avoid alphabet soup. Spell out the formal name of the center or institute on first reference. On second reference, it is preferable to refer to the center or the institute.

César E. Chávez Boulevard / Durango Boulevard

The boulevard that runs near the Downtown Campus’ Durango Building was renamed César E. Chávez Boulevard. Note the accents. The Durango Building will not change names.

chair / chairperson

Chair is the preferred term for UTSA department heads. However, keep the appropriate term for historical accuracy if referring to a past chairman or chairwoman.

In references to people who work outside the university, use their preferred titles.

Tracy Cowden is chair of the Department of Music.

This year’s keynote address will be presented by Phillip Green, chairman and CEO of Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc.

chat room

Two words in all instances

Chicano / Chicana

The terms are not synonymous with Hispanic and could be used to reflect political affiliation. Use with caution.

child care

Two words in all instances.

cisgender

An adjective referring to a person whose gender identity is the same as that commonly associated with their sex assigned at birth (assigned male at birth, identifies as a man; assigned female at birth, identifies as a woman).

citizen

A person is a citizen of a nation, but a resident of a city or state.

City of ... / city of ...

Capitalize city of and state of  when referring specifically to governmental bodies—but not geographic locales.

A $1 million contribution from the City of San Antonio helped fund the construction.

UTSA is located in the city of San Antonio.

Effective January 1, 2004, smoking is prohibited in enclosed places in the city of San Antonio.

colleges

As a general guideline for naming colleges, capitalize the name of the college when it includes UTSA. Avoid the possessive form of UTSA in proper names, including college names, as much as possible.

UTSA College of Sciences

NOT

UTSA’s College of Sciences

Do not use college acronyms in sourced quotations.

“The College of Education and Human Development provided me with the knowledge and skills I’ll need to succeed in the workforce,” said Jane Doe, educational psychology major.

NOT

“The COEHD provided me with the knowledge and skills I’ll need to succeed in the workforce,” said Jane Doe, educational psychology major.

Named colleges should follow the writing conventions below:

Business:
First reference: “Carlos Alvarez College of Business at UTSA”

If the relationship between UTSA and the college has been previously established in the text, the first reference may be Carlos Alvarez College of Business.

The Carlos Alvarez College of Business at UTSA is one of the university’s largest colleges.

UTSA is home to the Carlos Alvarez College of Business.

UTSA is Tier One research university. Its Carlos Alvarez College of Business is growing each year.

Second reference: “Alvarez College of Business”
Subsequent references: “the college,” lower case

Exception: When the first and second references are close to each other in copy, “the college” may be used on second reference.

The Carlos Alvarez College of Business at UTSA offers many nationally recognized programs. The college transforms students from the curious and hopeful into confident and career-ready young professionals.

Education:
First reference: UTSA College of Education and Human Development
Subsequent written references: “the college” (in lower case) or COEHD if the acronym has been previously defined
Subsequent verbal references: “the college,” lower case

Engineering and Integrated Design:
First reference: Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design at UTSA

If the relationship between UTSA and the college has been previously established in the text, the first reference may be Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

The Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design at UTSA hosts a tech symposium twice each year.

UTSA is home to a nationally recognized engineering program, offered by the Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design.

The Margie and Bill Klesse College of Engineering and Integrated Design is nationally recognized.

Second and subsequent references: the Klesse College
Note that in these references, the word "the" must be placed before "Klesse College."

Health, Community and Policy:
First reference: UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy
Subsequent written references: “the college” (in lower case) or HCAP if the acronym has been previously defined
Subsequent verbal references: “the college”

“The UTSA College for Health, Community and Policy is offering a new distinguished lecture series,” said HCAP Dean Lynne Cossman.

NOT

“HCAP is offering a new distinguished lecture series,” said Dean Lynne Cossman.

Liberal and Fine Arts:
First reference: UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts
Subsequent written references: “the college” (in lower case) or COLFA if the acronym has been previously defined
Subsequent verbal references: “the college”

“The UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts provided me with the knowledge and skills I’ll need in the workforce,” said Jane Doe, educational psychology major.

NOT

“I am pleased to join the faculty at COLFA,” said Jane Doe, assistant professor of English.

Sciences:
First reference: UTSA College of Sciences
Subsequent written references: “the college” (in lower case) or COS if the acronym has been previously defined
Subsequent verbal references: “the college”

“The UTSA College of Sciences is home to state-of-the-art technology,” said Jane Doe, biology major.

NOT

“I moved to San Antonio because I was recruited by the COS,” said Jimmy Green, post-doctoral fellow.

colons

Colons are most often used at the end of a complete sentence to introduce a list. Do not use a colon to separate a direct object from a verb within a complete sentence.

There are four UTSA campuses: Main Campus, Downtown Campus, Hemisfair Campus and Park West Campus.
The four UTSA campuses are the Main Campus, Downtown Campus, Hemisfair Campus and Park West Campus.

NOT

The four UTSA campuses are: Main Campus, Downtown Campus, Hemisfair Campus and Park West Campus.

If a colon is desired, the text may be rewritten to make it grammatically appropriate to use one:

For more information, contact David Mongeau, director of the School of Data Science, at david.mongeau@utsa.edu.

OR

For more information:
David Mongeau
Director of the School of Data Science
david.mongeau@utsa.edu

NOT

For more information, contact: David Mongeau, director of the School of Data Science, at david.mongeau@utsa.edu.

commas

Do not use the serial comma (sometimes known as the Oxford comma) in a list of three or more items (the final comma before and/or/nor) in press releases or publicity materials, unless the use of a comma prevents confusion or an element within the list requires its own conjunction.

Courses are offered in the spring, summer and fall semesters.

BUT

She’s taking classes in consumer health, nutrition and health, and human sexuality.

When the items in the series contain commas themselves, use semicolons between all of the items:

New board members are Dinah Covert, owner of Covert Enterprises, a consultant in licensing and accrediting facilities; Rob Killen, attorney and partner with the law firm Castro & Killen; and Joe Solis, small business owner.

The letters in question are dated August 7, 2012; June 20, 2015; and November 1, 2021.

The company has plants in Naples, Fla.; Bellingham, Wash.; and Santa Rosa, Calif.

For numbers larger than 999, use a comma to mark off the thousands, millions, etc. An exception is SAT scores. (See also  numbers.)

1,001 nights; 35,000 students

When they follow a person’s name, qualifiers such as Ph.D. and C.P.A. are preceded by a comma; a second comma follows the qualifier in running copy:

The opening remarks by Beth Michaels, M.A., set the tone.

However, do not set off Jr., Sr. or III with commas:

Felix D. Almaraz Jr., the Maury Maverick Sr. Award, H. Paul LeBlanc III

Set off a geographical unit’s name with commas when it follows the name of a smaller geographical unit found within its borders:

Paris, Texas, is a small community.

The same holds true for a year, if a day of the month precedes it:

April 1, 2008, is not an official holiday. BUT She knew April 2008 was the deadline for contest submissions.

Always set off a parenthetical (nonessential) expression with commas.

In the following example, Joe Biden is parenthetical because it does not narrow the meaning of U.S. president (the United States has only one president):

The U.S. president, Joe Biden, will be there.

NOT

The U. S. president Joe Biden will be there. 

NOT

The United States President, Joe Biden will be there. 

When using a title, do not use a comma:

U.S. President Joe Biden will be there.

Commas appear after, not before, an expression in parentheses (like this), and they always go inside quotation marks:

“It’s time to leave,” he said.

comprise / compose

Use compose when referring to something created or put together. It can be used in both active and passive voices. Comprise means to contain, to include all or to embrace. It should be used in active voice. Do not use comprised of:

The aquifer is composed of fractured limestone that filters and stores water.
The Texas Diversity Council is composed of five councils serving the greater metropolitan areas of Austin, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio.
The archive comprises letters, papers and 350 graphics reflecting the history of late 20th century printmaking on the West Coast.

NOT

The archive is comprised of letters, papers and 350 graphics reflecting the history of late 20th century printmaking on the West Coast.

conjunctions

Use a comma before a conjunction separating two noun-verb clauses:

The vice president met with the director, but they didn’t come to any conclusions.
Students should apply early for scholarships, and the Scholarship Office should ensure that they have all the information required.

BUT

She attended classes daily and took notes.

coronavirus

See  COVID-19

course names

Each course has a course number and title, which is always capitalized; there is no punctuation between the course number and course title. Also capitalize if the official course name is referred to without the number; however, lowercase a general reference to a course:

CHE 5643 Advanced Organic Chemistry
Professor Walmsley will teach Advanced Organic Chemistry I.
Professor Walmsley will teach a graduate chemistry course.

courtesy titles

In general, avoid courtesy titles except in formal invitations, etc.

Dr. is used only for doctors of medicine, not for those with a Ph.D.
The Reverend, the Rev.
Use The Honorable or The Hon. only on formal invitations and other formal documents.

COVID-19

Acceptable on first reference for the novel coronavirus disease that first appeared in late 2019. COVID is short for coronavirus disease and the 19 refers to the year of its appearance. When referring specifically to the virus, the COVID-19 virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are acceptable.

COVID-19 is not the name of the virus itself, though. The disease is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. Because COVID-19 is the name of the disease, not the virus, it is not accurate to write a new virus called COVID-19.

ALSO INCORRECT:

COVID-19 spreads through the air
scientists are investigating how long COVID-19 may remain on surfaces
she worries about catching COVID-19

In each of those examples, it should be the coronavirus or SARS-CoV-2 or the novel coronavirus, not COVID-19.

Also, per AP guidance, the possessive form for virus is virus’s, which does seemingly contradict typical AP style.

cyber

In general, do not use a hyphen when combining cyber with another word beginning with a consonant: 

cybercafe, cybersecurity, cyberspace, cyberterrorism

Exceptions: UTSA Institute for Cyber Security is two words as are the university’s Department of Information Systems and Cyber Security, its B.B.A. in Cyber Security, its Online B.B.A. in Cyber Security; and its Master of Science in Information Technology Cyber Security concentration in the Carlos Alvarez College of Business.

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