ASU Brand Guide - Elements of the Brand
Elements of the ASU brand

ASU word list

This section provides clarification of words and phrases used in ASU communications. It includes exceptions to AP Style. This list is a living document that will be of greater benefit with your contributions. If there is a word or phrase you see frequently misused, or that you frequently look up,please share your insights.

24/7Use 24/7 to describe 24 hours a day and seven days a week.
3D

3D has no hyphen.

 

  • 🚫 Don’t: 3-D

Note that a numeral-and-letter combination, such as “3D,” may start a sentence:

  • ✅ Do: 3D metal printing seminars are scheduled in July.

See Numerals, Abbreviations and acronyms.

A New American University™See Trademarks and licensing, ASU boilerplate text.
“A” MountainThis becomes ‘A’ Mountain in a headline.
academic concentrations, programsSee Academic programs, degrees, courses and tests, Abbreviations and acronyms, Capitalization.
academic degreesSee Academic programs, degrees, courses and tests, Abbreviations and acronyms, Capitalization.
academic titlesSee Titles.
adidasAlways lowercase, even at the beginning of a sentence.
admission, Admission

Singular in all references to academic admission.

  • 🚫 Don’t: admissions.

The names of the ASU offices are Admission Services, Graduate Admission Services and International Admission Services.

  • ✅ Do: John completed the steps for admission to ASU.
  • ✅ Do: The admission office assists prospective students with the admission process.
advisor
  • ✅ Do: advisor.
  • 🚫 Don't: adviser.
AISee Abbreviations and acronyms.
alumni, alum, alumna, alumnae, alumnus
  • Alumni — plural, gender neutral. Use alumni for mixed-gender groups.
  • Alum — It is acceptable to use alum instead of alumnus or alumna when the gender of the subject is unknown, to be more inclusive, or both.
  • Alumna — female who has earned a degree.
  • Alumnae — feminine plural.
  • Alumnus — male who has earned a degree.
a.m., p.m.See Times, days, months, seasons, years.
amid
  • ✅ Do: amid
  • 🚫 Don't: amidst
among
  • ✅ Do: among
  • 🚫 Don't: amongst
and/or
  • Not acceptable to indicate alternatives.
  • Rewrite the statement using more precise phrasing.

See Punctuation and symbols, Academic programs, degrees, courses and tests, Abbreviations and acronyms.

antifragileOne word. No hyphen.
approximatelyUse about, which is shorter and synonymous.
ARAugmented reality. AR may be used in subsequent references to augmented reality. See Abbreviations and acronyms.
Arizona State University®See also, ASU. See Trademarks and licensing.
associate degree

Do not use an apostrophe-s. This is a variance with bachelor’s degree, master’s degree.

 

  • 🚫 Don't: associate’s degree.

See Academic programs, degrees, courses and tests, Abbreviations and acronyms.

​​​​​

ASUSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
ASU (in translation)When translating university documents into languages other than English, Arizona State University and ASU remain in English.
ASU®See Trademarks and licensing.
ASU Thrive magazine

Refer to full name.

  • ✅ Do: ASU Thrive magazine
  • 🚫 Don't: Thrive magazine
ASU Universal Learning®See Trademarks and licensing.
ASURESee Abbreviations and acronyms.
ASURITESee Abbreviations and acronyms.
a total of

Superfluous in most instances.

  • ✅ Do: Department expenditures reached $1 million last year.
  • 🚫 Don't: Department expenditures reached a total of $1 million last year.
backward
  • ✅ Do: backward
  • 🚫 Don’t: backwards
Barrett, The Honors CollegeSee ASU locations, campuses, buildings and units.
bio-inspiredUse hyphen. See Punctuation and symbols.
Black

Capitalize, per AP Stylebook.

Black as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black studies, Black colleges. African American is acceptable for an American Black person of African descent.

 

See Inclusion guidelines.

boilerplateSee ASU boilerplate text.
bootcampUse one word. (AP style variance)
both

Superfluous in most instances.
 

  • ✅ Do: This trait is common to cats and dogs.
  • 🚫 Don't: This trait is common to both cats and dogs.
building codesSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
campusDo not capitalize. See Abbreviations and acronyms, ASU boilerplate text.
campus descriptionsSee Abbreviations and acronyms, ASU boilerplate text.
centsSee Numerals.
CEOSee Titles.
changemaker, changemakingNo hyphen. See Punctuation and symbols.
Changemaker CentralTitle case. A community of students who are leading social change locally and globally.
check-in(n. and adj.), check in (v.) See Punctuation and symbols.
checkout(n. and adj.), check out (v.)
check sheetTwo words.
city of Tempe, city of PhoenixCity is not capitalized. See Capitalization.
class

Capitalize class when referring to a group of students or alumni who share the same graduation year.

 

  • ✅ Do: Class of 2023.

 

climate change

Not global warming, which is just one aspect of climate change.



Climate change encompasses global warming. The terms are not interchangeable.

Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns and is the correct term to use in the broader sense.

co-See Punctuation and symbols.
collegesSee ASU locations, campuses, buildings and units.
commencement

Only capitalize when used as an event title:

  • ✅ Do: 2022 Spring Commencement is an exciting event for the whole family.
  • ✅ Do: He attended commencement ceremonies.
  • ✅ Do: This year, the fall commencement featured more speakers.
company namesSee Company names.
composition titlesSee Titles.
compound modifiersSee Punctuation and symbols.
convocationCollege and cultural convocations are a time for smaller groups to gather and celebrate students’ graduation. At these events, a student’s name is called and they will cross the stage to receive congratulations. These events are separate from the main graduation ceremony, which is referred to as commencement.

See also, commencement.
costDo not mention cost when referring to ASU programs, or position them as free. See Language and tone.
course titles

Capitalize official course titles, but not generic references:

  • ✅ Do: The department will offer applied computer science next semester.
  • ✅ Do: Calculus 101.
courseworkThis is another way of saying "Her courses in college were challenging." Like "coursework," "classwork" is a single word.
COVID-19Instead of COVID unless part of a quotation or proper name.
credit hoursThis is the preferred term.

🚫 Don't: semester hours.
critical requirementsDo not capitalize. See Capitalization.
curriculum vitae(s.), curricula vitae (pl.)
cutting edge(n.), cutting-edge (adj.) Considered trite. Avoid if possible. See also leading edge.
datesSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
daysSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
decision-makers, decision-makingHyphenate in all uses. See Punctuation and symbols.
departmentsSee Abbreviations and acronyms, Capitalization.
Devils™See Trademarks and licensing.
Devil2DevilASU-only social network for incoming students.
discountsDo not mention discounts when referring to ASU programs, but it is acceptable to advertise scholarships. See Language and tone.
Dr. See Titles.
eAdvisor™

Do not capitalize the first letter, even at the beginning of a sentence. Include the superscript trademark symbol on first reference. Subsequent references do not require it. (Exception: The trademark symbol is not allowed on the eAdvisor platform, so it is not used on any reference in copy for the ASU academic catalog.)

  • ✅ Do: Academic progress reports are sent through eAdvisor™.
  • ✅ Do: eAdvisor™ is a new tool to help ASU students succeed.

Note: Microsoft Word creates the superscript™ automatically when those letters are entered without a space between.

eCheck, ePacket

Do not capitalize the first letter even at the beginning of a sentence:

 

  • ✅ Do: eChecks are ASU's preferred payment method.

See Capitalization.

e.g.,It means for example. Periods and comma required.
See Punctuation and symbols.
Eight, Arizona PBSNo comma after PBS within a sentence.
emailNot hyphenated. Capitalized only at the beginning of a sentence. Use a hyphen with other e-terms: e-book, e-business, e-commerce, e-newsletter, e-reader.
emeritus, emeriti (pl.)See Titles.
English as a second languageSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
English for Speakers of Other Languages and ESOL

Spell out on first reference; use the initialism thereafter.

  • 🚫 Don't: English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

See Academic programs, degrees, courses and tests.

entitled, titled
  • People are entitled to their opinions.
  • Books and nobility are titled.
faculty

(n., pl.) Collective noun. For singular reference, use faculty member, member of the faculty.
 

  • ✅ Do: The professor recently joined the ASU faculty.
  • ✅ Do: ASU has three Nobel laureate faculty members.
  • ✅ Do: The school’s faculty are expected to hold office hours each week.
FAFSASee Abbreviations and acronyms.
fall, autumnNot capitalized unless it is part of a proper noun. See Times, days, months, seasons, years.
FAQSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
Fear the fork®See Trademarks and licensing.
Federal Work-StudyCapitalize and hyphenate. See Capitalization, Punctuation and symbols.
First-year studentUse first-year student(s) instead of freshman or freshmen since it’s gender-neutral and more inclusive.

See Language and tone, Inclusion guidelines, Punctuation and symbols.
flyer, flier
  • A flyer is an aviator or a handbill.
  • Use flier in the phrase take a flier, meaning to take a big risk.
formal titlesSee Titles.
foreword

Introduction to a book. 
 

  • 🚫 Don't: forword
  • 🚫 Don't: forward
Fork ’em™See Trademarks and licensing.
Fork ’em Devils™See Trademarks and licensing.
Forks up®See Trademarks and licensing.
forward (adj.)
  • ✅ Do: forward
  • 🚫 Don't: forwards
Foundation ProfessorSee Academic titles.
freeAvoid using this word when referring to ASU programs. See Language and tone.
freshman (n., singular; adj.), freshmen (n., pl.)Use first-year student(s) instead of freshman or freshmen. See also, First-year student.
front line(n.), front-line (adj.) 

See Punctuation and symbols.
Fulbright

There are two types of Fulbright programs at ASU.

  • Fulbright Scholars are faculty members, scholars and professionals.
  • Fulbright student awards allow students to study abroad. It is not correct to refer to these students as Fulbright Scholars. Fulbright Student Award winners is a more accurate collective term.
full time

(adj.), full-time Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier.

  • ✅ Do: Doctoral students are required to commit full time to the program.
  • ✅ Do: He has a full-time job.

See Punctuation and symbols.

Game Day
  • Refers to a Game Day celebration.
  • Use two words and capitalize both words.
game watchingUse two words.
global warmingSee also, climate change.
Go Devils™See Trademarks and licensing.
Golden GradUse initial caps.
GPA
  • Uppercase, without periods in all references including first reference.
  • Include two decimal places: 2.00 GPA.

See Punctuation and symbols, Numerals.

grades

Place the letter between quotation marks, with its grade point value in parentheses: “A” (4.00).

  • This is an exception to not using quotation marks to call attention to words or letters.

See Punctuation and symbols.

halftimeOne word in sports copy. half-time (adj.), half time (n.)
health careTwo words.
headlinesSee Language and tone.
his/her, s/he, his or herDo not use these practices to indicate alternatives. Rewrite the statement using more precise writings. 

See Inclusion guidelines, Punctuation and symbols.
historic, historicalPrecede with the article a, not an. (Note: A historic event is one that stands out in history; any occurrence in the past is a historical event.)
homeless people, people without housing, people without homes
  • ✅ Do: homeless people, people without housing, people without homes. 
  • 🚫 Don't: the homeless
  • 🚫 Don't: unhoused (People without homes may have some sort of housing.)
homepageOne word.
honors thesisNo apostrophe.
i.e.,

It means that is. It is followed by a comma.

See Punctuation and symbols.

IndigenousCapitalize.
InfernoFestOne word. Capitalize "Inferno" and "Fest."
initialismSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
institutesSee Abbreviations and acronyms, Capitalization.
interdisciplinaryConnotes cooperation between disciplines. Use transdisciplinary to connote transcending the boundaries of disciplines.
iPOS, POSSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
international visasVisa types should be hyphenated, such as J-1. Refer to relevant .gov websites for capitalization and punctuation of other immigration and international student-related terms.
internetAlways lowercase.
It’s Time™See Trademarks and licensing.
leading edge(n.), leading-edge (adj.) Considered trite. Avoid if possible. See also, cutting edge.
Learn to thrive®The endorsed and only tag line of the ASU brand. Presented in sentence case, no punctuation as a headline or when used as a graphic element. See Trademarks and licensing, Tag line.
Links See Formatting.
living and learning community, living-learningNot capitalized.

See Punctuation and symbols.
lock down

(v.), lockdown (n., adj.)

  • ✅ Do: When the mayor declared it was necessary to lock down the city, the citizens protested.
  • ✅ Do: The lockdown was lifted by the government.
login, logon, logoff

(n.), one word. log in, log on, log off (v.), two words.

  • ✅ Do: I forgot my login sequence.
  • ✅ Do: Please log off when you are finished.
  • ✅ Do: Your login ID and password are required.
lower division(n.), lower-division (adj.) Hyphenate when used as a compound adjective.
major mapsTwo words. Not capitalized.
majorsSee Capitalization.
Mayo ClinicDo not use the before Mayo Clinic.
Mayo Clinic and ASU Alliance for Health Care

Do not use a hyphen. Health Care is two words:

  • 🚫 Don't: Mayo-ASU Alliance
  • 🚫 Don't: HealthCare
me3

A mobile app for eAdvisor. Do not capitalize, even to begin a sentence.

  • ✅ Do: Students use me3 to explore college degree programs that align with their interests, which helps them plan the courses to take that will best prepare them for success at the university.
  • ✅ Do: me3 is an online tool that can help middle and high school students prepare for college.
midnightSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
more than
  • Use more than or greater than in numeric references.
  • Use over in spatial relationships. (AP Stylebook variance)

Examples:

  • ✅ Do: There are more than 500 students attending the event.
  • ✅ Do: The plane flew over the city.
Mountain America Stadium

Formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium, the venue has been renamed Mountain America Stadium, Home of the Sun Devils.

 

  • ✅ Do: On all references, use Mountain America Stadium
My ASUTwo words. See also, ASURITE. See Abbreviations and acronyms.
multidisciplinaryConnotes cooperation between disciplines. Use transdisciplinary to connote transcending the boundaries of disciplines.
NASASee Abbreviations and acronyms.
New American University™

This term may be preceded by a, the or this. The article is capitalized only to begin a sentence or when the phrase stands alone:

  • ✅ Do: A New American University.
  • ✅ Do: ASU is a New American University.

See Language and tone.

New American University ScholarsSee also, scholarships.
Nobel laureate
  • A person who has been awarded a Nobel Prize. 
  • Also a Nobel Prize winner.
non-See Punctuation and symbols.
nondegree-seeking
  • ✅ Do: nondegree-seeking student
  • 🚫 Don't: non-degree seeking, non-degree-seeking
noon
  • Midday, specifically 12 o’clock at midday.
  • Use instead of 12 p.m. in text.
  • In tables, event announcements and invitations, 12 p.m. is acceptable.
  • Avoid redundancy.
    • 🚫 Don't: 12 noon.
o’clockSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
Off track

Students who do not meet critical requirements are notified they are off track.

  • Off-track status is displayed on My ASU student pages.

See Punctuation and symbols.

older adult, older adults, older person, older people
  • ✅ Do: older adult, older adults, older person, older people is preferred for general phrases that do not refer to specific individuals.
  • 🚫 Don't: senior citizens, seniors or elderly.
onlineOne word. No hyphen.
Orientation, orientation
  • The title of the new-student event for first-year students is ASU New Student Orientation.
  • Other orientation programs at the university are capitalized only in their full titles.
  • Use lowercase for orientation in subsequent references.
over
  • Refers to spatial relationships.
  • Use more than or greater than in numeric references. (AP Stylebook variance)

Examples:

  • ✅ Do: The plane flew over the city.
  • ✅ Do: Their salaries went up more than $20 a week.
PDFSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
Pac-12

The athletic conference should be referred to as:

  • ✅ Do: Pac-12 or Pac-12 Conference.
  • 🚫 Don't: Pacific-12 Conference, PAC-12 Conference.

Lowercase a and c unless the entire name is uppercase: PAC-12 CONFERENCE.

part time

(n.), part-time 

(adj.) Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier.

  • ✅ Do: Students working part time may prefer evening programs.
  • ✅ Do: That is a part-time position.

See Punctuation and symbols.

pitchfork

One word. Lowercase except when used to describe Sun Devil Rewards Pitchforks used to redeem merchandise and event tickets.

  • ✅ Do: The crowd cheered when Sparky raised his pitchfork.
  • ✅ Do: Using her Sun Devil Rewards account, she redeemed Pitchforks for tickets to the show.
p.m., a.m.

Lowercase with periods and a space following the number:

  • ✅ Do: 10:15 a.m.
  • Avoid redundancy.
    • 🚫 Don't: 10 p.m. tonight.

See Times, days, months, seasons, years.

policymaker, policymakingOne word. No hyphen.

See Punctuation and symbols.
PolytechnicPolytechnic campus is not synonymous with The Polytechnic School which is one of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering, though that school is located on the Polytechnic campus.

See ASU boilerplate text.
POS, iPOSSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
post-See Punctuation and symbols.
pre-See Punctuation and symbols.
President’s ProfessorSee Titles.
priceDo not mention price or cost when referring to ASU programs, or position them as free.

See Language and tone. See also, free.
Principled Innovation®Capitalize both words. Use registered mark.
problem-solvingUse hyphen.

See Punctuation and symbols.
professorSee Titles.
professor of practiceSee Titles.
P.S.See Abbreviations and acronyms.
re-See Punctuation and symbols.
Regents ProfessorSee Titles.
Registered trademark symbol ®See Punctuation and symbols, Trademarks and licensing.
renown, renowned
  • Renown means fame.
  • Renowned means famous.
requester 
  • ✅ Do: requester, per AP style.
  • 🚫 Don't: requestor.
residential college, Residential CollegeA residential college is a division of a university that places academic activity in a community setting of students and faculty, usually at a residence and with shared meals, the college having a degree of autonomy and a federated relationship with the overall university.

Lowercase for general reference. Capitalize as part of an official university name. 

See Capitalization.
residential communityUse this phrase when referring to a group of people living in a residential hall.
resumeFor the career document, not résumé.
RN to BSNNot RN-BSN.
RSVPSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
says(rather than said) 

When quoting, put a speaker’s words in present tense (AP style variance for ASU branding) when there is not a precise time element in the sentence to express a sense of ongoing present.

If a quote or reference is date- or time-specific, use past tense.
scholarshipsMost ASU merit-based awards are part of the New American University Scholarship and Financial Assistance program.

See also, New American University Scholars.

Refer to the ASU scholarship site for the current list of awards.
SDGSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
semester hoursPreferred term is credit hours.
Sky Harbor International Airport
  • Use the complete name in the first instance.
  • Subsequent mentions: Phoenix Sky Harbor, Sky Harbor.
Skysong Innovations®See Trademarks and licensing.
SkySong®, the ASU Scottsdale Innovation Center See Trademarks and licensing.
springSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
smartphoneOne word, lowercase.
smartwatchOne word, lowercase.
Social SecurityCapitalized. When referring to the number, “number” is not capitalized: Social Security number.
startupOne word (n. and adj.) to describe a new business venture. 

An exception to Webster's New World College Dictionary preference.
state of ArizonaState is not capitalized.
statewideNo hyphen.
summerSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
Sun Devil®See Trademarks and licensing and Sun Devil Athletics spellings and abbreviations.
Sun Devils®

See Trademarks and licensing and Sun Devil Athletics spellings and abbreviations.

Only use Sun Devils when referring to Athletics or in social media for community support messages. Avoid using Sun Devils when referencing high-profile academic events such as graduation.

  • ✅ Do: ASU stands with all Sun Devils.
  • ✅ Do: This year, ASU released more graduates into the workforce than ever before.
  • 🚫 Don’t: Sun Devils cheered as the commencement ceremony began.
 

The venue has been renamed Mountain America Stadium, Home of the Sun Devils.

 

 

  • ✅ Do: On all references, use Mountain America Stadium
TAG

Transfer Admission Guarantee. Spell out on first reference; abbreviate in subsequent references. Do not show the acronym in parentheses after the first reference.

 

See Abbreviations and acronyms.

tag lineThe name of the branding tool is two words.
TGenOn first reference, use Translational Genomics Research Institute.
The Mayo ClinicDo not use the before Mayo Clinic. See also, Mayo Clinic.
theaterUse this spelling unless part of a proper name containing the word “Theatre.”
Thunderbird®See Trademarks and licensing.
temperatureSee Numerals.
timeSee Times, days, months, seasons, years.
titled, entitled
  • People are entitled to their opinions.
  • Books and nobility are titled.
top 10 list
  • No hyphen.
  • Capitalize this in a formal name; lowercase in casual reference.
  • Follow the spelling rules for numerals.

Examples:

  • ✅ Do: The Top 100 Graduate Degree Producers.
  • ✅ Do: Finished in the top 10.

See Numerals, Punctuation and symbols.

top tier(n.), top-tier (adj.) See Punctuation and symbols.
toward
  • ✅ Do: toward
  • 🚫 Don't: towards
transdisciplinaryConnotes transcending the boundaries of traditional disciplines.
Trademark symbolSee Punctuation and symbols, Trademarks and licensing.
TTYSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
unique
  • Means “the only one of its kind,” and is commonly used incorrectly.
  • Use with caution, or use the more broad — and usually more accurate — distinct.
  • Cannot be modified with an adjective.
Universal Learner®See Trademarks and licensing.
Universal Learning™See Trademarks and licensing.
universitySee Abbreviations and acronyms and Capitalization.
universitywideNo hyphen.
upper-division (adj.), upper division

(n.) Hyphenate when used as a compound adjective before a noun; no hyphen elsewhere in the sentence, with the individual words in normal order:

  • ✅ Do: upper-division coursework.
  • ✅ Do: course work in the upper division.

See Punctuation and symbols.

U.S., US

See Addresses and U.S. states, Abbreviations and acronyms.

 

See also, USA.

U.S. News & World ReportUse periods, ampersand. See Company names, Rankings, Punctuation and symbols.
USANo periods. See Abbreviations and acronyms, Punctuation and symbols.
Valley of the Sun, the ValleyRefers to metropolitan Phoenix. See Abbreviations and acronyms.
versusSee Abbreviations and acronyms.
VRVirtual reality. VR may be used in subsequent references to virtual reality. See Abbreviations and acronyms
virus’s (pl.)

The singular possessive form of virus.

  • ✅ Do: virus’s
  • 🚫 Don't: virus’
Washington; Washington, D.C.
  • The nation’s capital is not abbreviated.
  • Use state of Washington or Washington state and Washington, D.C., or District of Columbia when context requires distinction between the state and the federal district.

See Addresses and U.S. states.

web(n.) Short form of World Wide Web. Do not capitalize.
webcam, webcast, webform, webinar, webisode, webmaster, webpage, website(n.) Web-related nouns are single, lowercase words.

Exceptions: Web address, Web feed, Web host, Web style.
Web feed, web hosting(v.) Web-related verbs are capitalized and shown as two words.
well-beingUse hyphen.
well-knownUse hyphen.
“Whitewashing the ‘A’”Use Echo from the Buttes. See Inclusion guidelines.
winter(season) 

Use lowercase unless it is part of a proper noun. See Times, days, months, seasons, years.
workbook, workday, workforce, workhorse, workout, workplace, workstation, workweekOne word as a noun.
world-classHyphenated compound adjective. Considered trite and vague. Avoid if possible. See Punctuation and symbols.
world-renownedMeans “known to the entire world.” Use carefully. See Punctuation and symbols.
yearlong, yearslongOne word as an adjective.
year-round(adj. and adv.) Use hyphen for both.