UNO’s style guide is not meant to replace specific stylebooks that might be applicable to specific units on campus (such as how to present mathematical equations in printed documents).
The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm) adheres to this style guide first, followed by the Associated Press Style Guide.
Style and grammar rules are presented here to help communicate UNO messages clearly to our different audiences. We are aware that space constraints on signs, postcards, and banners may call for some deviation from the official writing style guide, and can be addressed when the marketing material is submitted through Start Your Project.
In these instances, please keep in mind that consistency is essential to presenting a professional publication. If you deviate from the UNO writing style guide, do so consistently.
A| B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | L | M | N | O | P | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z
A
A.M., P.M.
Note capitalization and punctuation. This deviates from AP Style, which is a.m. and p.m.
- Avoid redundancies like 10 A.M. in the morning.
Note: using the word "noon" is preferred over 12 P.M., e.g.: 10 A.M. - noon
Use AP Style for exact hours; :00 is not needed. 7 - 8:30 P.M.
abbreviations/acronyms
The full, official name of a company, association, or organization should be used on first reference. The acronym should be included in parentheses with the first reference. Then, on second reference, an abbreviation or acronym may be used.
- Example:
The Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm) has created a brand toolkit for campus use to promote individual units. MarComm is here to help the university tell a consistent story about our contributions and vision for the future.
Capitalize proper noun elements in course names or numbered courses.
- Examples:
American history, English, Algebra 1, History 6, Philosophy 209.
Otherwise, lowercase: calculus, world history.
academic degrees
Capitalize formal abbreviated degrees: B.A., B.S., Ed.D., M.Ed., Ph.D.
Capitalize majors only if a proper noun or part of a noun phrase:
- Example:
Some popular majors at UNO are biology, English, and cybersecurity.
Capitalize formal names of degrees:
Bachelor of Science in chemistryLowercase spelled-out degrees: bachelor's degree in chemistry.
academic departments
Capitalize the names of all colleges and departments when using the proper name. It should not be capitalized when referencing generic “department” or “college."
- Examples:
Department of History, College of Arts and Sciences
Dropping off files to the biology department
academic titles
See AP Stylebook for news writing.
Capitalize formal titles used directly before an individual's name. Lower case all titles if they fall after the person's name.
- Examples:
Jane Smith, Ph.D., chancellor, attended a luncheon. Chancellor Jane Smith, Ph.D., spoke today.
John Doe, chair of the Department of Political Science, gave a presentation... .
When used without a specific name, titles are not capitalized.
- Example:
The dean of Graduate Studies... .
addresses
The proper format of university addresses is as follows:
Name of individual and title
1234 department, office, or organization name
6001 Dodge Street
Omaha, NE 68182
adjunct
An adjunct professor is a part-time professor who is hired on a contractual basis rather than being given tenure and a permanent position.
advisor
Not “adviser”
African American
No hyphen is used for either the noun or the adjective.
- Examples:
African American students
African Americans
alumni
singular vs. plural:
One man is an alumnus. Men plural: Alumni.
One woman is an alumna. Women plural: Alumnae.
A group of men and women are alumni.
Avoid the casual reference to “alum."
ampersand (&)
In printed publications, do not substitute an ampersand (&) for the word “and” unless referring to an official name that contains an ampersand. Currently the College of IS&T and the Academic & Career Development Center are the only areas to use the ampersand.
- Examples:
College of Public Affairs and Community Service (CPACS)
College of Information Science & Technology (IS&T)
Asian American
No hyphen is used for either the noun or the adjective.
- Examples:
Asian American students
Asian Americans
assistant, associate
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize only when part of a formal title before a name. Assistant and associate as relating to academic titles are not interchangeable.
B
bachelor's degree
Note apostrophe and lower case.
Capitalize if using full name of the degree: Bachelor of Science.
- Examples:
She is pursuing a bachelor’s degree at UNO.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in communication from UNO.
backward
Not backwards
Board of Regents
An exception to AP style. The governing body of the University of Nebraska central system/administration as established by the state of Nebraska laws. The board consists of eight members elected by districts and a student representative from each of the university's four campuses.
The board's official name is the University of Nebraska Board of Regents. Acceptable on second reference: the regents.
bulleted lists
Deviation from AP Style for better readability. Use dots not dashes; capitalize the first word for each bullet point; do not use end punctuation unless each bullet point is a full sentence.
- Example:
Mavericks are:
-
Independent thinkers
-
Agents of change
-
Risk-takers
Bullseye, The
A weekly email sent out to all UNO students containing information on different events and opportunities around campus.
C
campus building names and abbreviations
The full name should be used on the first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses, then the abbreviation in the following mentions.
| Building | Abbreviation |
| Allwine Hall | AH |
| Arts and Sciences Hall | ASH |
| Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center | CEC |
| Biomechanics Research Building | BRB |
| Castelar Building | CR |
| Center Building | CNB |
| Center Storage | CNS |
| Central Utilities Plant | CUP |
| Child Care Center | CCC |
| College of Public Affairs and Community Service Building | CPACS |
| Dr. C. C. and Mabel L. Criss Library | CL |
| Durham Science Center | DSC |
| East Parking Garage | EPG |
| Eppley Administration Building | EAB |
| Health and Kinesiology | HK |
| Henningson Memorial Campanile | HMC |
| Kayser Hall | KH |
| Mammel Hall | MH |
| Maverick Village | Mav Village |
| Milo Bail Student Center | MBSC |
| Peter Kiewit Conference Center | PKCC |
| Peter Kiewit Institute | PKI |
| Resource Conservation & Recovery Area | RCRA |
| Roskens Hall | RH |
| Sapp Fieldhouse | SFH |
| Scott Conference Center | SCC |
| Scott Court | no abbreviation, always Scott Court |
| Scott Village | no abbreviation, always Scott Village |
| Strauss Performing Arts Center | SPAC |
| University Village | no abbreviation, always University Village |
| Weber Fine Arts Building | WFAB |
| Welcome Center | WC |
| West Parking Garage | WPG |
| William H. and Dorothy Thompson Alumni Center | second reference – Thompson Alumni Center or Alumni Center |
campus
Lowercase in general references. Uppercase in reference to the different campus names.
- Examples:
I park my car away from campus.
I park my car on Dodge Campus.
campus (location) names
UNO is one university with three campuses. They are Center Campus, Dodge Campus, and Scott Campus. The word “street” is not in official campus names. Campuses also should not be referred to as “North” or “South."
campuswide
One word, no hyphen. Same as universitywide, citywide, etc.
CEC (effective 2/14/18)
It is preferred that the Barbara Weitz Community Engagement Center’s name be shortened to CEC and not Weitz CEC.
century
Lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10: the first century, the 20th century. Hyphenate when a compound modifier: 13th-century literature, seventh-century armor.
chair
Chair is used instead of chairman or chairwoman in academic references. Please reference Academic Titles.
chancellor
Capitalize when used as a title; lowercase when it appears after the name or stands alone.
- Examples:
UNO is led by Chancellor Joanne Li, Ph.D., CFA.
The chancellor will attend the banquet.
citywide
One word, no hyphen. Same as universitywide, campuswide, etc.
CMS
Content Management System. UNO’s CMS is called Cascade Server.
colleges at UNO (with abbreviations)
| College Name | Abbreviation |
| College of Arts and Sciences | CAS |
| College of Business Administration | CBA |
| College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media | CFAM |
| College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences | CEHHS |
| College of Information Science & Technology* | IS&T* |
| College of Public Affairs and Community Service | CPACS |
*The College of Information Science & Technology's official abbreviation includes the ampersand - the word "and" should never be used.
College of Information Science & Technology
When using the college's name in text and graphics, do not intentionally break the words "Information" and "Science" to separate lines. To prevent confusion, "Information Science" should always be kept together and on the same line.
- Example:
College of
Information Science
& Technology
Avoid this configuration:
College of Information
Science & Technology
colors
UNO’s primary color for promotional items is black. If other primary colors are needed for publication design, Pantone Cool Grey 10 or white may be used. Pantone Cool Grey 4 and Pantone 186C (red) may be used sparingly for accents. See brand guidelines for additional information.
comma
The Oxford/serial comma should be used in all forms of writing; it is used before the word "and" at the end of a list in a sentence.
- Examples:
NOT: He wore a shirt, tie and jacket.
BUT: He wore a shirt, tie, and jacket.
Commencement
Capitalize when referring to this event.
composition titles
Composition titles should be in either italics or quotation marks; be consistent in using one or the other. In general, when it's technically difficult to put words in italics, use quotation marks.
Put these composition titles in italics*:
- Names of books
- Newspapers
- Magazines
- Journals
- Movies
- Television series
- Paintings
- Works of art
- Records/albums/CDs
- Photographs
- Theater productions
- Legal cases
- Music movements
Put these composition titles in quotations:
- Titles of poems
- Songs
- Presentations
- Talks
- Lectures
- Speeches
- Lectures
- Television episodes
- Short stories
- Chapters in books
- Magazine articles
*Note for web writing: Italics should be used sparingly online, as readability is poor. While this does not follow the traditional AP style, the preferred style is to put these titles in quotation marks when used in online content.
D
dates
An exception to AP style: Always give the exact date of an event to ensure clarity, especially in news releases. A year is not necessary unless the intent is to archive, post on the web, or provide historic detail for an event.
- Examples:
NOT: The event is Monday in the Student Center
BUT: The event is Oct. 18 in the Student Center
As noted in AP Stylebook, abbreviate these months: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec., but not: March, April, May, June, July. Do not abbreviate a month without a date. If writing about a month and a year, do not place a comma after the month.
- Examples:
NOT: October, 2014
BUT: October 2014
Disability Statement
Required when inviting anyone to any event (meeting, gathering, movie, viewing, Commencement, etc.) using any format (print, electronic announcement, postcard, etc.) so that the invitee is aware of the accommodations available to them on our campus.
The statement is as follows:
- UNO is an AA/EEO/ADA institution. For Title IX concerns, please contact the Title IX Coordinator (phone: 402.554.2120). For ADA/504 accommodations or assistance, please call/contact the ADA/504 Coordinator (phone 402.554.2463) or the Accessibility Services Center (phone: 402.554.2872).
Diversity/Equity Access
In its broadest sense, diversity refers to the benefit gained by including individuals of all backgrounds.
Per Title IX, UNO's non-discrimination statement is required on all official UNO publications, both print and electronic.
It does not need to be on regular email communications staff, faculty, and students may send.
-
The University of Nebraska does not discriminate based on race, color, ethnicity, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and/or political affiliation in its education programs or activities, including admissions and employment. The University prohibits any form of retaliation taken against anyone for reporting discrimination, harassment, or retaliation for otherwise engaging in protected activity.
doctoral/doctorate
Doctorate is a noun; doctoral is the adjective: A person may have a doctorate, but not a doctorate degree.
doctoral/research
One of UNO’s academic priorities, expanding doctoral education and celebrating and expanding our research productivity is essential in achieving UNO’s vision to be a metropolitan university of distinction.
dorms/dormitories
Avoid these terms. Use “student housing” or “residence hall."
Dr.
Avoid the use of the honorific title Dr. in reference to an academic who has earned a doctorate, unless it's in a direct quote. This is to provide clarity, as the general public frequently identifies "Dr." only with physicians. Use the appropriate doctoral credential after the name instead.
If appropriate in the context, Dr. may be used on first reference before the names of individuals who hold other types of doctoral degrees. However, because the public frequently identifies Dr. only with physicians, care should be taken to ensure that the individual’s specialty is stated in the first or second reference.
- Examples:
NOT: Dr. John Doe, Ph.D., gave a speech today on the effects of coffee on sleep cycles.
BUT: John Doe, Ph.D., gave a speech today on the effects of coffee on sleep cycles.
E
early childhood/child welfare
One of UNO’s academic priorities addresses the need to develop and improve early childhood and child welfare practices. We are working toward fulfilling this priority by identifying new research methods, best practices, and skills for preparing UNO students to help children learn from birth through eight years.
earth, Earth
Generally lowercase; capitalize when used as the proper name of the planet. “What on earth are you talking about?” The astronauts returned to Earth.
e.g.,
Stands for exempli gratia in Latin and means for example, it is always followed by a comma. See i.e.
email
Lowercase e, without a hyphen. Do not use carats (<>) or parentheses around email and website addresses when printing them in running text. UNO's email handle is @unomaha.edu. Always provide full email addresses.
engagement
At UNO, engagement is one of our academic priorities. The opportunity to serve the community is at the heart of our dedication to engagement on both a local and global scale. We look for ways to learn, to be of service, and to improve the community in order to create innovative leaders.
ensure, insure
Use "ensure" to mean guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure accuracy.
Use "insure" for references to insurance: The policy insures his life.
F
Facebook
Proper name, online social media outlet that has personal, group, and organizational "pages" - capitalize when referring to your or UNO's pages.
- Example:
"Visit the UNO Facebook page"
Facebook pages
Facebook pages with UNO sponsorship should be indicated with UNO or University of Nebraska at Omaha (if there is room) either at the beginning or at the end. Do NOT list a page as UN-O, University of Nebraska Omaha, or University of Nebraska-Omaha
- Examples:
UNO Campus Recreation, Campus Recreation (UNO)
University of Nebraska at Omaha Department of Theatre
When referring to UNO (if using the full name) in the Facebook post, use: University of Nebraska Omaha (no at or hyphen).
federal
Use a capital letter for the architectural style and for corporate or governmental bodies that use the word as part of their formal names.
- Example:
I visited the Federal Communications Commission.
Lowercase when used as an adjective to distinguish something from state, county, city, town, or private entities.
- Examples:
federal assistance
federal court
the federal government
flier/flyer
Updated: AP Style has changed the preferred term to "flyer."
forms of address
see Post Nominal Abbreviations
G
Gateway
The official name of the UNO student newspaper.
GPA
Acceptable in all references for grade-point average.
H
headlines
When writing a headline, capitalize everything except prepositions. Headlines should never be written in all caps (caps lock).
health care
Two words, no hyphen. Exception if it is part of an official name.
Hispanic
Capitalize this term. Latina (feminine) and Latino (masculine) are also acceptable. Please reference Latina/Latino.
historic, historical
A historic event is an important occurrence.
Any occurrence in the past is a historical event.
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. When indicating honorary degrees after a name, use "Hon." followed by the class year.
- Examples:
Jane Smith ’85 received an honorary Doctor of Education degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 1990.
Jane Smith ’85, Hon.’90 is no relation to John Smith Hon.’72.
I
icon
A representative symbol; UNO icons include the “O” for the university as a whole and “The Maverick” for the athletic department and sports teams. These icons are not substitutes for the official University Logo. All marks should not be stretched or altered in any way.
Guidelines for the UNO icons and logo
i.e.
Abbreviation for id est in Latin and means “in other words.” See e.g.
Instagram
An online mobile photo-sharing, video-sharing, and social networking service that enables its users to take pictures and videos, apply digital filters to them, and share them on a variety of social networking services, such as Facebook and Twitter.
- UNO’s official Instagram account is: unomaha.
instructor
A teacher in a college or university who is not a professor.
internet
Lowercase. AP Style no longer capitalizes the word internet.
L
Lady Mavericks or Lady Mavs
All UNO women’s and men’s athletic teams should always be referred to as “Mavericks.” The qualifier “lady” should not be used.
Latina, Latino
These terms are considered to be English and are therefore not italicized as foreign words. Hispanic is also acceptable. Please reference Hispanic.
Learning Community
Defined as a group of students who learn together. Students take coursework together, participate in projects with one another, and work to build learning in a particular area.
LEED certification
LEED certification is the recognized standard in the U.S. for measuring building sustainability. Achieving LEED certification is the best way to demonstrate a truly “green” building. LEED stands for “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design." Mammel Hall has LEED Gold certification.
Logo
The University of Nebraska Omaha follows the University of Nebraska system brand guidelines. UNO’s logo is determined by the University of Nebraska system. The University Logo must be present on all publications and other communication materials. Guidelines for the use and application of the official logos of UNO and other University of Nebraska institutions are included in the University Identification Handbook, which can be found in the UNO Brand Guide
Guidelines for the UNO icons and logo
M
master's degree
Note apostrophe and lower case.
Capitalize if using full name – Master of Arts Degree.
- Examples:
He is pursuing a master’s degree at UNO.
She graduated with a Master of Science in Communication from UNO.
Maverick
The mascot of the University of Nebraska Omaha. Maverick can be shortened to Mav. The plural form is also appropriate: Mavericks, Mavs.
MavCARD
The MavCARD is the official identification card at UNO. Students, staff, and faculty can use this card to access many services on campus. The card can also be used as a debit card for making purchases on campus.
Maverick Daily
A daily email that is sent out to all UNO faculty and staff containing information on different events and opportunities around campus.
MavGRANTS
MavGRANTS is a web-based, pre-award proposal management and storage software system that is used for all externally funded academic activities at UNO.
MavFORENSICS
UNO’s nationally competitive speech program.
MavLINK
MavLINK provides students with access to the student information system through a web browser. With MavLINK, students can register for classes, obtain schedules, get grades, view financial aid awards, pay tuition, and perform many other enrollment services. Faculty can use MavLINK to get class lists, grade courses, issue permits/authorizations, and perform other advising functions.
Maverick Productions
This is the official student programming board of UNO.
MavRIDE
In partnership with Omaha Metro, UNO students, faculty, and staff can ride city buses for free by showing their MavCARD.
MavCONNECT
MavCONNECT allows students to make appointments with their academic advisor online, 24/7.
months
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 alone. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day, and year, set off the year with commas.
- Examples:
January 1972 was a cold month.
Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month.
His birthday is July 12.
Feb. 14, 1987, was the target date.
She testified that it was Friday, Nov. 3, when the accident occurred.
N
names
On first reference, individuals should be identified with first and last names, usually proper name (as opposed to a nickname or “known by” name), and academic title(s), if appropriate. On the second reference, use the last name without the title. If two people in the story have the same last name, use both first and last names for both people on all subsequent references.
nationwide
not nation-wide
Native American
No hyphen is used for either the noun or the adjective. In many cases, tribal affiliation is the most appropriate term.
nonprofit
One word, no hyphen.
NU
Use as the abbreviation for the University of Nebraska system. Do not use UN.
number usage*
Follow AP Style for numbers. Spell out whole numbers one through (and including) nine, then use numerals.
Spell out casual expressions, e.g. "A picture is worth a thousand words."
*Exception: use numerals for credit hours
O
off campus, on campus
Hyphenate when used as an adjective, not as an adverb.
- Examples:
Off-campus housing is plentiful during the summer.
It’s difficult to find housing off campus during the fall semester.
office names and locations
| Office Name | Abbreviation |
| Accessibility Services Center | 104 H&K |
| Center for Faculty Excellence | 514 KH |
| Military-Connected Resource Center | 117 MBSC |
| Office of Enrollment Management (EM) | 117 EAB |
| Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications (MarComm) | 102 EAB |
| UNO Testing Center | 522 KH |
| Office of Civic and Social Responsibility (CSR) | 130 CEC |
| Counseling Services | 102 HK |
| MaverickPR | 108 ASH |
| MaverickPR (second office) | 122 CEC |
| Service Learning Academy | 216 CEC |
| Emergency Services Program | 114 CPACS |
| Spirituality, Public Health, and Religious Studies (SPHRS) | 122B CEC |
| Volunteer Program Assessment | 223 CEC |
| William Brennan Institute for Labor Studies | 115 CEC |
| Office of Latino/Latin American Studies (OLLAS) | 102 ASH |
| OLLAS (second office) | 117B CEC |
| Office of Student Activities | 113 MBSC |
| UNO Maverick Food Pantry | 130 CEC |
| Orientation | 205 WC |
online
One word, no hyphen.
P
part time, part-time
Hyphenate as an adjective before the noun; otherwise, leave as two words.
- Examples:
Lisa is a part-time student.
Lisa attends classes part time.
percent, percentage, percentage points Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases (a change in 2019): Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote. Use figures: 1%, 4 percentage points.
For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6%
phone numbers
Use a period to separate the groups of numbers. Do not place the area code in parentheses.
- Example:
402.554.5544
photography statement
Required on all event materials where photographs will be taken. The statement is as follows:
- The University of Nebraska at Omaha will be taking pictures at this event for use in advertising and other promotional materials, whether in print, electronic, or other media.
post-nominal address
Typical etiquette in the United States is a six-tier hierarchy of qualifications, awards, and honors.
1. Religious Institutes
2. Theological degrees
3. Academic degrees
4. Honorary degrees, honors, decorations
5. Professional licenses, certifications, and affiliations
6. Retired uniformed service
Use those credentials directly pertinent to the situation, or the highest academic degree obtained.
- Example:
A person who has a Master of Business Administration and is also a certified Project Management Professional:
NOT: Jane Doe, B.A., P.M.P., M.B.A.
BUT: Jane Doe, M.B.A., P.M.P.
One exception is when you have achieved a doctorate-level degree (such as Ph.D. or Ed.D.) and an M.B.A. or professional degree (e.g. M.D., J.D., or D.D.S.).
- Example:
John Doe, Ph.D., J.D.
premier (adj.)
First in importance or rank; chief; foremost.
premiere (n.)
A first performance or showing of a play, film, etc.
Presence
Presence (formerly Engage) is an online community where students can explore student organizations, fraternities and sororities, campus recreation, university departments, and community engagement opportunities on UNO’s campus in order to make getting involved a little easier.
president
AP Style indicates that president should only be capitalized as a formal title before one or more names: President Smith, Presidents Bush, and Obama. All other references are lowercase.
- Examples:
George Washington was the first president of the United States of America.
The president returns to the White House tomorrow.
Use the generic term when referring to a faculty member. Check ranks carefully when updating lists. Faculty members are promoted from assistant professor to associate professor and then to professor (sometimes referred to as full professor, but never listed as such).
R
résumé
Use this spelling that includes the diacritical marks to avoid confusion with the word "resume."
room
Do not capitalize the word “room,” if used at all. It should only be used if it is officially part of the name.
room/office numbers
Number precedes the building. Do not use the word room unless it is officially part of the name.
- Example:
203 Health and Kinesiology
203 HK
room names for MBSC*
- Fireplace Lounge
- Aksarben Room
- Ballroom
- Board Room
- Chancellor's Room
- Nebraska Room
- Council Room
- Dodge Room A & B
- Gallery Room
- Jenkins Room
- Redick Room
- Tower Room
- Umoho Room
Use Milo Bail Student Center in front of a room name when appropriate.
- Example:
The Faculty Senate will hold a special meeting in the Milo Bail Student Center Jenkins Room at 3 P.M.
*Rooms 220, 222, and 224 are located on the second floor. Location should be listed according to the above room number guideline.
- Example:
Students will meet in 220 MBSC at 2 P.M.
S
Scott Campus
Formerly known as Pacific Campus, never referred to as South Campus.
seasons
Lowercase spring, summer, fall, and winter and derivatives such as springtime unless part of a formal name: Winter Olympics, Summer Olympics, fall semester, spring play. See semesters below.
semesters
Capitalize semester if used with a year: Fall 2018. Do not capitalize if using the generic term fall semester, spring semester, summer semester.
Service Learning Academy (SLA)
The Service Learning Academy implements a method of teaching that combines classroom instruction with meaningful community service. The academy emphasizes critical thinking and personal reflection while encouraging a heightened sense of community, civic engagement, and personal responsibility. Hyphenate Service-Learning when used as part of the academy's proper name. Can be referred to as “SLA” after the first reference.
Service Learning
Service learning is one way that UNO builds relationships between the university and the local community. This is a method of teaching that connects academic coursework to community needs.
STEM
UNO has recognized STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) as one of its academic priorities. UNO is establishing a reputation as a national leader in STEM education. Housed in the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences the focus lies on many aspects of STEM education, including improving teacher training, increasing the number and diversity of STEM teachers, providing innovative curricula, and researching STEM education interventions.
Sustainability
One of UNO’s five academic priorities, sustainability serves as another way for UNO to give back to the community. Areas of interest in relation to sustainability include enhancing the efficiency of campus operations, better preparing our students to address the problems of tomorrow, and establishing UNO as a responsible and respected leader in academia and the community.
state names
The names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village, or military base (e.g., Vancouver, Washington). This is a recent change to AP style. Check the AP Stylebook for the appropriate abbreviations of states. Always use the postal service abbreviation (e.g., OR, WA, CA) and zip code in a complete address. Do not include the state name in the body of a story for cities that stand alone in datelines (i.e., San Francisco, but Redding, California).
statewide
One word, no hyphen. Same as universitywide, campuswide, etc.
student-athlete
Hyphenate this compound word.
T
theatre
Use theatre, instead of theater.
titles
In general, name followed by title of position information. Please reference Academic Titles.
- Example:
John Doe, vice chancellor for Business and Finance
Thompson Learning Community (TLC)
This learning community is designed to promote the academic success of UNO students receiving the William H. Thompson Scholarship. Can be referred to as “TLC” after the first reference. Please reference Learning Community.
toward
not towards
Twitter
Proper name, online social media outlet that has "profiles" but people use the words "tweet" or "follow" to indicate involvement. Capitalize when referring to your or UNO's profile:
- Examples:
Check out UNO's latest tweet.
Follow UNO on Twitter!
typesetting
The process of arranging type for printing.
All UNO units, colleges, and offices may have a typesetting of their unit/college/office name.
U
unique
Means one of a kind. Do not describe something as rather unique, most unique, very unique, etc.
university
Capitalize only when using with the rest of a formal title, such as “University of Nebraska Omaha" or when referring the NU System.
When speaking of the university in general, or other universities in general, lowercase.
- Example:
The University of Nebraska Omaha is located... .
This policy applies to the entire university... .
University of Nebraska at Kearney
This is the preferred name when referring to the University of Nebraska at Kearney. In written communication, when the university is first mentioned or cited, the full name, “University of Nebraska at Kearney,” should be spelled out, immediately followed with “UNK” in parentheses (UNK). Thereafter, references should cite “UNK.”
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
This is the preferred name when referring to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. In written communication, when the university is first mentioned or cited, the full name, “University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” should be spelled out, immediately followed with “UNL” in parentheses (UNL). Thereafter, references should cite “UNL.”
University of Nebraska Medical Center
This is the preferred name when referring to the University of Nebraska Medical Center. In written communication, when the university is first mentioned or cited, the full name, “University of Nebraska Medical Center,” should be spelled out, immediately followed with “UNMC” in parentheses (UNMC). Thereafter, references should cite “UNMC.”
University of Nebraska at Omaha
This is the preferred name when referring to the university. In written communication, when the university is first mentioned or cited, the full name, “University of Nebraska at Omaha,” should be spelled out, immediately followed with “UNO” in parentheses (UNO). Thereafter, references should cite “UNO.”
*Please note that for digital communications, "University of Nebraska Omaha (UNO)" (no "at") is preferred.
- Examples:
The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) College of Business Administration
Follow your interest at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO). There are more than 200 academic programs of study at UNO.
University of Nebraska Office of the President (formerly Varner Hall)
Updated 2021: University of Nebraska Office of the President. The building that houses University of Nebraska central administration, the office of the president, and the Board of Regents.
universitywide
One word, no hyphen.
unomaha
Lowercase, UNO's username on Twitter and Facebook.
This name should not be used when referring to the University of Nebraska Omaha outside of these social media sites.
unomaha.edu
UNO's website.
UNOMavTV
UNO's username on YouTube
URL
Uniform Resource Locator, an internet address. For University of Nebraska Omaha website URLs, it is not necessary to include https:// or www.
V
Varner Hall
Updated 2021: University of Nebraska Office of the President. The building that houses University of Nebraska central administration, the office of the president, and the Board of Regents. Not to be used as a familiar identifier for Central Administration.
W
website
Lowercase, one word.
web addresses
Do not use the “www.” at the beginning of web addresses in university publications.
- Example:
unomaha.edu
Wi-Fi
Hyphenated, capitalized.
Y
years
Use figures without commas: 1988. Use s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the 1890s, the 1800s. Years are the lone exception to the general rule in numerals that a figure is not used to start a sentence.
YouTube Pages
YouTube pages with UNO sponsorship should be indicated with a UNO or University of Nebraska at Omaha (if there is room) either at the beginning or at the end. Do NOT list a page as UN-O, University of Nebraska Omaha, or University of Nebraska-Omaha.
UNO’s official YouTube page is UNO MavTV: youtube.com/user/UNOMavTV
Z
Zoom
Proper noun - always capitalize. Zoom is the name of popular a video conferencing platform that can be used through a computer desktop or mobile app, and allows users to connect online for video conference meetings, webinars and live chat.