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Cal Poly Pomona Stylebook
A stylebook serves three significant purposes: It acts as an arbiter of factual and grammatical
accuracy, it ensures clarity and consistency, and it serves as a reference work. The Cal Poly
Pomona stylebook is intended to supplement and occasionally supersede the Associated Press
Stylebook, which is the industry standard.
Guidelines for Use
Why the Stylebook Is Online
Language evolves and geography changes. Names and issues unheard of a year or two ago gain
currency. A stylebook in print form becomes outdated the minute it lands on someone’s desk,
which is why a well-used guide contains so many handwritten additions and changes. With that
in mind, this stylebook shall remain as an online document that is updated and revised as
needed.
How to Use This Stylebook
Like the venerable Associated Press Stylebook, this guide is both alphabetical and cross-
referenced, with the intent to simplify and quicken a search. Unlike the AP Stylebook, however,
you will not find the dreaded “see” instruction, which directs you to look elsewhere. Instead, all
relevant information, if cross-referenced, will appear in its entirety in both places.
A
Academic degrees Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, but note that
there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. The preferred form is to avoid
abbreviations in listing degrees. Use the abbreviations B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., Ph.D. and Ed.D.
only when the use of someone’s credentials is important to a story and when the need to
identify many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form
cumbersome. The abbreviation MBA, for Master of Business Administration, is acceptable on
first reference. The use of Dr. should be limited to those who work in health care, such as
physicians, dentists and veterinarians. If it is relevant to reference that someone has a
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doctorate in another field, use a phrase such as Tom Zasadzinski has a doctorate in
photography.
Administrative Affairs The Division of Administrative Affairs is now the Division of
Administration Finance and Strategic Development.
Advisor Not adviser
AGRIscapes AGRIscapes opened in 2001 as the educational outreach branch of the Don B.
Huntley College of Agriculture. It occupies 20 acres of farmland and facilities, including the Cal
Poly Pomona Farm Store, plant nurseries, vineyard, agricultural fields, and a visitor center that
is available for meetings, workshops and small conferences. AGRIscapes also hosts the annual
Pumpkin Festival and thousands of children on field trips each year.
Alumnus A man who has attended a college
Alumna A woman who has attended a college
Alumni Men, or men and women, who have attended a college
Alumnae Women who have attended a college
Alumni reference When the subject of a story is an alumnus, use parentheses to set off their
class and major.
Examples:
• Lois Lane (’10, communication)
• Clark Kent (’97, English)
• Peter Parker (’93, bachelor’s in chemistry; ’95, master’s in biological sciences)
Sylvia A. Alva Provost and vice president for academic affairs. Alva started in her post on Aug.
3, 2015. Capitalize the title if placed before her name. Lowercase if set off with commas and
placed after her name. Lowercase title if it stands alone without a name.
All-Steinway School Cal Poly Pomona earned the prestigious distinction in April 2015. The
music department is equipped with 29 Steinway & Sons pianos. Only 170 conservatories,
universities and schools of music worldwide can boast this honor. The initiative is under the
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences.
Ampersand Use “and” instead of “&” when referring to colleges, departments, organizations
and programs. One exception is the use of the ampersand for Employee and Organizational
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Development & Advancement to avoid confusion with the Division of University Advancement.
Do not use the ampersand in place of “and” in normal writing or when referring to academic
majors.
Examples:
• College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
• Office of Research and Sponsored Programs
• Facilities Planning and Management Rewards and Recognition Committee
• A student majoring in kinesiology and health promotion.
Aratani Japanese Garden Never just Japanese garden.
Area codes Use hyphens to set off the area code of phone numbers. This usage conforms with
Associated Press style.
Example:
909-869-3346.
Associated Students Inc. No comma before Inc., despite what is on the logo used by the
student group. This also adheres to AP style.
Attribution Use the start quote mark “ and end quote mark ” when attributing quotes. Quotes
are used in a story to add flavor, emphasis or context. The message in the quote should be
emphasized, not the person marking the quote. Attribution to the person should be placed in
the middle or end of a quote. Quotation marks should not be used for basic information in a
story; use a paraphrase instead. In news stories, use “said” in the attribution. For feature stories
that employ the historical present, use “says.”
Examples:
• “For football fans, it doesn’t get any better,” said Coach Sean Payton. “This is going to be the
game of the century.”
• The accident occurred on Campus Drive but there were no injuries, said Police Chief Dario
Robinson.
B
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Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science There is no apostrophe in these in references. However,
the possessive is used when referring to a bachelor’s degree. Use B.A. or B.S. only when the use
of someone’s credentials is important to a story and when the need to identify many individuals
by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome.
Example:
Emily has a bachelor’s in communication.
BRIC (Bronco Recreation and Intramural Complex) A 165,000-square-foot recreation center
operated by Associated Students Inc. that opened in September 2014. The BRIC was cited as
Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Gold Certified facility in 2016.
Jéanne Brooks She is the director of the W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center. Her name is
pronounced “zhawn,” like Jean-Claude Van Damme.
Buildings Capitalize names of buildings and formally designated places on campus. Include
building numbers in parentheses, if necessary. The number for a room should be lowercase
(i.e.: Building 2, room 130). Named locations should never be abbreviated to leave out the
honorary name. Examples:
• Ronald W. Gregoire Hall
• Bronco Student Center, Ursa Major (or BSC, Ursa Major)
• W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery, never the University Art Gallery. The
gallery or Kellogg gallery are acceptable on second reference.
• Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center, never Biotrek Rainforest. The rainforest or Rain
Bird centers are acceptable on second reference.
• The Collins College of Hospitality Management or The Collins College.
• Engineering Laboratory (17)
• science labs in Building 8 or the Science Building (8)
• Biotechnology Building
• CLA Building (98)
• Darlene May Gymnasium
• Dr. Andrew G. Chong Box Office
C
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Cal Poly Pomona Never just Cal Poly. In direct quotes, adding “Pomona” is preferred for style
and clarity but not required. In formal references, use California State Polytechnic University,
Pomona. CPP is acceptable on second reference, as are university, campus and Cal Poly
Pomona. In general, CPP is acceptable on first reference for headlines, social media, and in
sports and athletics.
The Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Inc. is a 501(c)(3) and 509(a)(3) Type III Functionally Integrated
Supporting Organization that was established in 1966 to manage university enterprises. These include
the Bronco Bookstore, Dining Services, University Village, Innovation Village, Kellogg West Conference
Center and Hotel, and the Kellogg House. The foundation also administers and solicits grants and
contracts that are not philanthropic, but have specified deliverables or quid pro quos: e.g., federal or
state government grants that were given to the university for specific programs or projects.
The Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Foundation (CPP-PF) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that is
being created by the university to spearhead its fundraising efforts. The philanthropic foundation
accepts grants and gifts from individuals, families, corporations and private foundations. It is separate
from the Cal Poly Pomona Foundation Inc. and has its own board of directors that advises the university
president. The foundation is expected to begin accepting charitable on donations July 1, 2019.
Cal Poly Pomona Tasting & Auction Formerly called Southern California Tasting & Auction, this
is the university’s annual spring fund-raiser. The name was changed starting with the 2017
event. The tasting and auction in the W.K. Kellogg Rose Garden and the Aratani Japanese
Garden includes wine tasting, a sampling of cuisine from several notable Southern California
restaurants, music and other entertainment, and an auction.
California Center for Land and Water Stewardship Under auspices of the College of
Environmental Design, the interdisciplinary center was created in 2011 to address
environmental sustainability issues.
California State University Use the full name of the 23-campus state university system on first
reference. CSU is acceptable on second reference.
Example:
• Timothy P. White is the chancellor of the California State University system.
California State University campuses Use these names of the 23 campuses on first reference.
You may drop “State” on subsequent references if it’s clear that you are talking about the
university and not the city. Listed are the preferred short forms and the official campus names
used in formal references in parentheses.
Cal Poly Pomona (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in formal use).
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Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in formal use). Alternate short
form: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
CSU Bakersfield (California State University, Bakersfield).
CSU Channel Islands (California State University Channel Islands).
CSU, Chico (California State University, Chico). Alternate short form: Chico State.
CSU Dominguez Hills (California State University, Dominguez Hills). Alternate short form: Cal
State Dominguez Hills.
Cal State East Bay (California State University, East Bay). Alternate short form: CSU East Bay.
Fresno State (California State University, Fresno). Fresno State is acceptable in sports usages.
Cal State Fullerton (California State University, Fullerton). Alternate short form: CSU Fullerton.
Humboldt State (Humboldt State University). Alternate short form: Humboldt.
Cal State Long Beach (California State University, Long Beach). Alternate short form: CSU Long
Beach, The Beach. Long Beach State is acceptable in sports usages.
Cal State L.A. (California State University, Los Angeles). Alternate short form: Cal State Los
Angeles.
Cal Maritime (California State University Maritime Academy). Alternate short form: CSU
Maritime Academy.
Cal State Monterey Bay (California State University, Monterey Bay). Alternate short form: CSU
Monterey Bay.
CSUN (California State University, Northridge). Alternate short form: Cal State Northridge.
Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento). Alternate short form: Sac State.
Cal State San Bernardino (California State University, San Bernardino).
San Diego State (San Diego State University).
San Francisco State (San Francisco State University). Alternate short form: SF State.
San Jose State (San Jose State University).
Cal State San Marcos (California State University San Marcos). Alternate short form: CSU San
Marcos.
Sonoma State (Sonoma State University).
Stanislaus State (California State University, Stanislaus). Alternate short form: Stan State.
Capitalization Official names and proper nouns are capitalized. Common nouns and various
shortened forms of official names are not capitalized. Use the full, official name at least once
(preferably in the first reference) in a formal document.
These style guidelines for university-related terms may differ from what you have been using.
For several reasons, this guide recommends a lowercase style:
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• When too many words are capitalized, they lose their importance and no longer attract
attention. Text is more easily read when it isn’t peppered with initial caps or all caps.
• Using lowercase letters in no way diminishes the stature or credibility of an individual’s
position or a department’s reputation. After all, even the titles “president of the United States”
and “pope” are lowercase when they don’t immediately precede the president’s or pope’s
name.
• When writing promotional or marketing materials (such as brochures or print ads), emphasis
can be achieved more effectively by the skillful use of white space, typeface and typestyle than
by excessive use of initial caps or all caps.
• Keeping everything except full, official names lowercase also simplifies decisions about when
to capitalize shortened forms of official names.
Do Not Capitalize
• city of Pomona
• classes: freshman, sophomore, junior, senior
• college, the
• degrees: doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s, baccalaureate
• department (standing alone or at the end of a name)
• form names (e.g., admission form, drop/add form)
• orientation
• program
• quarters (fall, winter, spring, summer) or semesters (fall and spring)
• school
• spring break or winter break
• state of California
• university (when it stands alone in reference to Cal Poly Pomona)
Capitalize only the complete and official names of colleges, schools, divisions, departments,
offices, and official bodies (such as Board of Trustees, Academic Senate, Office of Research and
Sponsored Programs). Lowercase informal and shortened versions of all such names.
Example:
• The College of Education and Integrative Studies offers numerous undergraduate majors. The
education and integrative studies departments are housed in Building 5.
Exception: The Collins College of Hospitality Management, Don B. Huntley College of
Agriculture and other named facilities/programs may be capitalized in their shortened forms.
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The Collins College is named after Carol and James A. Collins. The Huntley College was named
after a 1960 alumnus.
Colleges
Capitalize the formal names of the nine colleges:
Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture (Huntley College of Agriculture is acceptable on first
reference.)
The Collins College of Hospitality Management
College of Business Administration
College of Education and Integrative Studies
College of Engineering
College of Environmental Design
College of Letters, Arts, and Social Sciences
College of Science
College of the Extended University
Lowercase college if used as a general reference.
Example:
The College of Business Administration admitted 1,400 freshman and transfer students last fall.
It is the highest total in the history of the college.
Retain capitalization when referring to two or more colleges.
Example:
The Colleges of Engineering, Business Administration and Science will hold career fairs in the
spring quarter.
Committee, Center, Group, Program, and Initiative Names
Unless a committee, center, group, program or initiative is officially recognized and formally
named, avoid capitalizing. An ad hoc committee’s name, for example, should not be capitalized.
However, do capitalize the official, proper names of long-standing committees and groups, as
well as formally developed programs and initiatives.
Example:
• The Strategic Planning Process started in January 2016.
• The university’s presidential search committee met in executive session Tuesday.
Course Titles
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Official course titles should be capitalized, but avoid quotation marks, italics or other
formatting.
Example:
• Students should consider taking Accounting Issues for Lawyers as well as Agency, Partnership
and the LLC.
Department Names
Capitalize official department names and office names. References using shortened or unofficial
names should be lowercase.
Examples:
• The Department of Economics publishes an annual newsletter.
• Mary Tyler Moore, who teaches in the engineering department, has been promoted to
associate professor.
• Faculty members from the biological sciences, chemistry and electrical engineering
departments are cooperating on this project.
Include the abbreviation in parenthesis following the first reference only when you cite it later
in the same story.
Example:
• The Computer Information Systems (CIS) department. … The CIS professor will lead a
discussion of cybersecurity.
Grades
Capitalize and italicize grade letters and use two numerals after the decimal point in GPAs.
Example:
• She got an A in biology, which raised her overall GPA to 3.50.
Job and Position Titles
Capitalize job titles only when they immediately precede the individual’s name.
Examples:
• It’s common knowledge that President Obama won the Nobel Peace Prize.
• The president, Barack Obama, attended Occidental College.
• The president of the United States serves a four-year term of office.
• Have you taken a course from Professor Renford Reese?
• Sherman, a music professor, does not teach in the summer.
• John Sherman, a professor of music, does not teach in the summer.
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• The vice president for student affairs uses a variety of means to improve students’ lives on the
Pomona campus.
• Jane Doe of engineering has been promoted to associate professor.
• Capitalize the U in University as part of the president’s title if it precedes her name: The
chancellor invited University President Soraya M. Coley to the forum.
Honorary titles are capitalized: The Hugh O. La Bounty Chair for Interdisciplinary and Applied
Knowledge coordinated a workshop.
Descriptive titles are not capitalized. Campus photographer Tom Zasadzinski works in the
Department of Strategic Communications.
Titles in Addresses and Display Format
When a title appears in an address or other display format (such as list of administrators in an
annual report or the Investiture program), as opposed to story text, the title may be capitalized
even if it appears after the name. Examples:
• Jean Warren, Director
• John Smith, Associate Director
Structures and Places
Capitalize names of buildings and formally designated places on campus. Include building
numbers in parentheses, if necessary.
Examples:
• Engineering Laboratory (17)
• science labs in Building 8 or the Science Building (8)
• University Park (not the campus park)
• Parking was difficult to find in Lot D, so I went to Parking Structure 2.
• Biotechnology Building
• CLA Building (98)
Students
Do not capitalize freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or first-year student unless they appear
at the beginning of a sentence or in a headline. Upper-division and first-year are preferred
adjectives for students instead of upper-class and freshman.
Trademarks
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Many words and names are legally trademarked and should appear with initial capitals to
acknowledge that fact. Also, owners of such trademarks have a legal right to restrict the use of
those trademarked terms to their specific product. As a result, avoid using trademarked names,
such as Xerox, as generic terms. Instead, use photocopier unless you intend to refer to the
trademarked brand name. The AP Stylebook will tell you whether commonly used words are
trademarked and will also indicate if a trademarked term should be capitalized.
The symbols ® and ™, which often appear on product packaging and advertisements, are
unnecessary.
Center for Community Engagement This is the name for the former Center for Community
Service-Learning. Michael Millar is the director (note spelling of last name).
chemistry and biochemistry department This is the name of what once was the chemistry
department. Remember, don’t capitalize department names unless you use the formal
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. We generally use the informal title.
CLA The tower side of the CLA, which became the architectural centerpiece and administrative
hub when it opened in 1993, closed in January 2019. The classroom side of the CLA remains
open.
Soraya M. Coley The sixth president of Cal Poly Pomona. She assumed the presidency on Jan. 1,
2015. Her Investiture was held Feb. 5, 2016.
Dr. Coley and Mr. Coley Use for a joint formal salutation.
Dr. Soraya Coley & Mr. Ron Coley Use for a joint formal addressee.
President Soraya and Ron Coley Use for social event invitations and greetings
Commencement Capitalize the graduation ceremony.
Composition titles Place quotation marks around book titles, movie titles, computer game
titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, television and radio and
program titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art. However, quotation marks
are not used in the names of publications or journals; these titles are not italicized.
Examples:
• “The Sun Also Rises” is one Ernest Hemingway’s classic works.
• The latest installment of the “Star Wars” series was a box-office smash.
• “Turandot” is Puccini’s best-known opera.
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• The music video for Coldplay’s “Adventure of a Lifetime” is an example of CGI mastery.
• The once cutting-edge science fiction series “The X-Files” has been relaunched.
• Political icons James “The Ragin’ Cajun” Carville and Mary Matalin will talk about “All’s Fair:
Love, War and Politics” in the Kellogg Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
Course titles Official course titles should be capitalized, but avoid quotation marks, italics or
other formatting.
Example:
• Students seeking a law concentration in the College of Business Administration should
consider taking Accounting Issues for Lawyers as well as Agency, Partnership and the LLC.
Cybersecurity Note that this is one word, as is cyberwarrior.
D
Degrees Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, but note that there is no
possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. MBA, the abbreviation for Master of
Business Administration, is acceptable on first reference. The use of Dr. should be limited to
physicians, dentists and veterinarians (those working in the health care). If it is relevant to
reference that someone has a doctorate in another field, use a phrase such as Tom Zasadzinski,
who has a doctorate in photography, …
Degrees: doctorate, master’s, bachelor’s, baccalaureate.
Use undergraduate degrees or graduate degrees to avoid an awkward construction
Department Capitalize official department names. References using shortened or unofficial
names should be lowercase.
Examples:
• The Department of Economics publishes an annual newsletter.
• Mary Tyler Moore, who teaches in the engineering department, has been promoted to
associate professor.
• Faculty members from the biological sciences, chemistry and electrical engineering
departments are cooperating on this project.
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Divisions The Division of Information Technology is now the Division of Informational
Technology and Internal Planning. The Division of Administrative Affairs is now the Division of
Administration Finance and Strategic Development.
Doctorate This is the preferred form to say that a person holds a Ph.D. Use doctorate and give
name the area of specialty.
Example:
• Ani Markarian holds a doctorate in graphic design.
Dr. The use of Dr. should be limited to physicians, dentists and veterinarians (those working in
health care). If it is relevant to reference that someone has a doctorate, the preferred form is to
say a person holds a doctorate and name the area of specialty.
Dr. Andrew G. Chong Box Office The music recital hall box office manages the ticket sales and
publicity for all music performances throughout the year. The facility was named after Dr.
Andrew G. Chong in recognition of $25,000 sponsorship, which was the first music facility
named in support of the university’s All-Steinway Initiative.
E
email No hyphen.
F
Farm Store The Farm Store sells produce grown on campus and other California agricultural
products, including nursery plants, snacks, dairy and gift items. The store is part of the
AGRIscapes.
Fall Conference Capitalize the annual event.
Fund-raiser, fund-raising Hyphenated as a noun (Source: Merriam-Webster)
Fund-raising One word or hyphenated as an adjective are both acceptable (Source: Merriam-
Webster). We will hyphenate.
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G
Gender In this area, we generally follow the recommendations of the AP stylebook. Language
around gender is evolving. Not all people fall under one of two categories for sex or gender, so
avoid references to both, either or opposite sexes or genders as a way to encompass all people.
In most cases, a plural pronoun should agree in number with the antecedent: The children love
the books their uncle gave them. They/them/their is acceptable in limited cases as a singular
and/or gender-neutral pronoun, when alternative wording is overly awkward or clumsy.
However, rewording usually is possible and always is preferable. Clarity is a top priority; gender-
neutral use of a singular they is unfamiliar to many readers. To provide clarity, an editor’s note
at the bottom of a story, website or document may helpful to readers. We do not use other
gender-neutral pronouns such as xe or ze.
Chevy Goldstein Physical Chemistry and Computational Chemistry labs Goldstein’s sister, Dina
Perry, made a $300,000 gift to refurbish and name the labs in the College of Science.
Grammy Award(s) Capitalize the honor that is handed out by The Recording Academy. Grammy
or Grammys can be used on second reference. Do not capitalize and place a copyright symbol.
Grammy is the widely accepted reference.
Ronald W. Gregoire Hall The first donor-named academic building on campus. Alumnus Ronald
W. Gregoire contributed $2.5 million for completion of the project at the College of Business
Administration. A dedication ceremony was held April 16, 2015.
H
Hispanic The preferred term on campus is Latino. Hispanic refers to a person from — or whose
ancestors are from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture. Use specific identification if possible,
such as Brazilian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican or Mexican-American. See Latino entry.
Don B. Huntley College of Agriculture The CSU Board of Trustees approved the naming of the
college on Sept. 20, 2016. It is the second named college at the university. The first was The
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Collins College of Hospitality Management. Don B. Huntley (’60, animal husbandry) is a highly
successful pistachio farmer in the San Joaquin Valley who made a transformative gift to the
college. Huntley College of Agriculture is acceptable on second reference or for casual
references.
Don B. Huntley Gallery Huntley Gallery is acceptable on second reference or casual references.
Do not use Huntley Art Gallery because the gallery showcases more than art.
Hyphen (-): Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two
or more words.
Examples:
• Small-business owner
• Man-eating shark
In a compound modifier: Use a hyphen when two or more words that express a single concept
precede a noun.
Examples:
• Tim’s team scored a first-quarter touchdown.
• The professor has a know-it-all attitude.
A hyphen is not needed with “very” and adverbs ending with “ly”.
I
internet Lower case except at the beginning of a sentence.
Interim Design Center Part of the College of Environmental Design, the 30,000-square-foot
design studio is located at the east end of the campus. IDC is acceptable on second reference or
for casual references.
Investiture Capitalize reference to the ceremony that conferred Soraya M. Coley as the sixth
president of Cal Poly Pomona. Her Investiture was Feb. 5, 2016.
IT Division of Information Technology is now Division of Informational Technology and
Institutional Planning. Provides innovative, strategic and cost-appropriate technology services
in collaboration with the campus community. The IT Service Desk extension is 6776.
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J
Lea M. Jarnagin Vice president for the Division of Student Affairs. Her tenure started July 5,
2016.
K
W.K. Kellogg Full name is Will Keith Kellogg. Initials used for first and middle names. No space
between initials. Spell out first and middles when appropriate in context of the story.
Kellogg House The historical landmark celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2016. The home was
built in 1926 by breakfast cereal magnate and Arabian horse breeder W.K. Kellogg. It is located
atop Mansion Lane on the north end of campus. http://www.kellogghousepomona.com/
W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery Never refer to it as simply the University Art
Gallery on first reference. On second reference it may be called the gallery or the Kellogg
Gallery.
W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Center The center, located on Kellogg Drive, is a showcase facility
that houses about 100 purebred Arabian horses. About 10 to 15 foals are born each year. The
center offers Sunday horse shows for the public, a tradition that has continued from the days of
the original Kellogg Ranch. http://www.wkkelloggarabianhorsecenter.com
W.K. Kellogg Arabian Horse Library This is the formal name of the special collections horse
library, which is housed on the first floor of the University Library. (On second reference, you
may use Kellogg Arabian Horse Library; avoid WKKAHL.
W.K. Kellogg Rose Garden Never just the rose garden on first reference.
Robert C. Kramer The second university president served from 1966 to 1977.
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L
Hugh O. La Bounty Note his name is two words. The former president of Cal Poly Pomona (1977
to 1991) served at the university in several capacities for nearly 40 years. He served as interim
president in 1977 before being named the permanent president. He was the third president of
the university.
Hugh O. La Bounty Endowed Chair of Interdisciplinary Applied Knowledge The university
established the chair in 1996 thanks to a matching grant of $500,000 from the W.K. Kellogg
Foundation. Named after the university’s third president, the endowment helps bring
distinguished visiting professors from academia, business, industry, the arts and government to
the university.
Latino In university publications (print and online) this is the preferred term for a person from
— or whose ancestors are from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America.
This has been noted in the prevalence of campus organizations that use Latino as part of their
name. Use specific identification if possible, such as Brazilian, Venezuelan, Puerto Rican or
Mexican-American. Ask the person or the organization for their preference.
Learn by doing is not capitalized, placed in quotation marks or italicized.
Example:
• For Carly, learn by doing became a lifelong trait.
Hyphenate if used as a compound modifier.
Example:
• The prospective student admires the university’s learn-by-doing approach.
Locations Capitalize names of buildings and formally designated places on campus. Include
building numbers in parentheses, if necessary. Named locations should never be abbreviated to
leave out the honorary name. Examples:
• W. Keith and Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery, never the University Art Gallery. The gallery
or Kellogg gallery are acceptable on second reference.
• Rain Bird Rainforest Learning Center, never Biotrek Rainforest. The rainforest or Rain Bird
centers are acceptable on second reference.
• The Collins College of Hospitality Management or The Collins College.
• Engineering Laboratory (17)
• science labs in Building 8 or the Science Building (8)
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• Biotechnology Building
• CLA Building (98)
• W.K. Kellogg Rose Garden
• Aratani Japanese Garden
• Mesozoic Garden
The Donald & Carolyn Lundberg Hall One of two wings that opened in November 2015 as part
of the $10-million expansion project at The Collins College of Hospitality Management. The
facility was dedicated by Hae and Shina Park. The Park family donated $1 million to the project.
John T. Lyle Center for Regenerative Studies Established in 1994 and administered by the
College of Environmental Design. The center is an education and research facility and operates
as living laboratory for sustainability projects. Lyle Center is acceptable in subsequent
references.
M
Majors Do not capitalize, except for English and other similar proper nouns.
Danielle L. Manning CFO and vice president for Administration, Finance and Strategic
Development. Her term began Aug. 1, 2016.
Manor House The Manor House is the home of the university president. Located on University
Drive, close to Palmitas Residence Hall, the home was originally built for W.K. Kellogg’s eldest
son Karl and his family.
John W. McGuthry Vice president for Information Technology. His term began July 5, 2011. His
title is VP for IT and Chief Information Officer (CIO).
Julian McPhee The first president of the university served from 1938-1966. He holds the
longest tenure of presidency.
The Marriott Learning Center One of two wings that opened in November 2015 as part of the
$10-million expansion project at The Collins College of Hospitality Management. The J. Willard
and Alice S. Marriott Foundation donated $2 million to the project.
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Master of Arts, Master of Science There is no apostrophe in these in references. However, the
possessive is used when referring to a master’s degree. Use M.A. or M.S. only when the use of
someone’s credentials is important to a story.
Example:
• Melanie earned a master’s in journalism.
Daniel E. Montplaisir Vice president for the Division of University Advancement. His term
started March 2, 2017. Montplaisir is pronounced “mont-PLAY-sure.”
Music groups and ensembles Visit the Department of Music website for a listing of the music
groups and ensembles. https://www.cpp.edu/~class/music/ensembles/index.shtml
N
Names Follow the preference that people have for use of their names. The name listed in the
campus directory is not always the name the person prefers. If James Smith prefers to be called
Jim, render the name simply as Jim Smith, not James (Jim) Smith.
Neutra VDL Studio and Residences Declared a National Historic Landmark in January 2017 by
the U.S. Department of the Interior. Commonly referred to as the VDL House, the home in Silver
Lake was designed in 1964 by Richard Neutra, an Austrian-American architect widely regarded
as one of the most important Modernist architects. The VDL House is a prime example of
midcentury modern architecture, which emphasizes geometric designs and airy, open floor
plans. Neutra lectured at the university in the late 1960s. VDL House was donated to the
university by the Neutra family in 1990. The home is open on Saturday for tours.
Numbers In general usage, spell out one through nine and use numerals for 10 and above.
Examples:
• The Broncos finished first in the league standing.
• She has worked at the university for nine months.
• The dean has to choose 10 students to attend the ceremony.
There are many exceptions to the general rule, however. Use numerals in academic course
titles, addresses, ages, centuries, dimensions, distances, millions, monetary units, political
districts, rank, speed, times. Spell out numbers at the start of a sentence.
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Examples:
• Enrollment has surged in Sports Marketing 305. Her favorite class is Composition 101.
• The university’s mailing address is 3801 W. Temple Ave. Pomona.
• The boy just turned 2 years old.
• Students are imagining needs in the 21
st
century.
• The basketball player is 6 feet 9 inches tall.
• The cross-country course is 8 miles.
• San Diego has a population of 1.3 million.
• Officials urge a $3 million increase to the county budget.
• The boy had 5 cents in his pocket.
• Grace Napolitano represents the 32
nd
Congressional District.
• Cal Poly Pomona ranks No. 4 in the West among non-doctorate granting institutions.
• The speed limit in the parking structure is 5 mph.
• Turn back the clock on Sunday at 2 a.m.
• Twelve cars were involved in the accident on the freeway off-ramp.
O
J. Michael Ortiz He retired as president in December 2014. He served from 2003 to 2014. Use
President Emeritus Michael Ortiz for story references. He was the fifth president of the
university.
P
Parking Structure 2 The university’s second parking structure, formerly Lot K, is located next to
iPoly High School and opened in September 2016. The structure contains 1,825 spaces, has
automatic lighting, 24 stations for charging electric vehicles, 13 emergency phones and 77
cameras for security, rideshare parking, and four stops for shuttles.
Jeff Passe Dean of the College of Education and Integrative Studies. His tenure began in July
2017. His last name is pronounced “pass.”
Percent One word. Use figures for percent and percentages.
Examples:
• The professor said that 60 percent is a failing grade on the midterm.
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• The tax increase will range from 8 to 16 percent.
Ph.D. Avoid using this term. The preferred form is to say a person holds a doctorate and name
the area of specialty.
Example: Ani Markarian holds a doctorate in graphic design.
Phone prefixes See entry on Area Codes.
President Capitalize before the name of the university president.
Example:
• In December, President Soraya M. Coley will speak at the student research conference.
Lowercase if the name is not present.
Example:
• Cal Poly Pomona’s president will speak at the conference.
Professor Capitalize before a person’s name; lowercase if the title falls after the name. If the
area of study is included, capitalize it as well.
Examples:
• In attendance was Professor Mary Smith
• Civil Engineering Professor Mary Smith
• English department chair Jonathan Smith, who has been a professor for 20 years, is taking a
sabbatical.
Retain capitalization when referring to two or more professors.
Example:
Cal Poly Pomona Professors Roseanne Welch and Peg Lamphier.
Psychology and Sociology The Department of Psychology and Sociology has split into two
separate departments. They are now the Department of Psychology and the Department of
Sociology respectively.
Pumpkin Festival The Cal Poly Pomona Pumpkin Festival is an annual event that is held on a
weekend in October at AGRIscapes. It draws nearly 50,000 people and is organized by the
Huntley College of Agriculture and AGRIscapes. The event has grown to include a pumpkin
patch, corn maze, petting farm, pony rides, live musical entertainment, farming demonstrations
in Ag Discovery Lane, contests (pie-eating, costume, and seed-spitting), and the Insect Fair.
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Student clubs and organizations also have booths with food or games; the festival is a major
fundraising event for them. Since 2015, the festival has charged admission to the event to help
cover expenses (police, traffic control, portable toilets, lighting) After the festival, the pumpkin
patch remains open through Halloween (except on Mondays). During this period, admission is
free, but free parking and activities are limited and generally include the petting farm, corn
maze and hay rides. The Pumpkin Festival website is https://pumpkinfestival.cpp.edu.
Punctuation
Apostrophe: Use the apostrophe (the end quotation mark on the keyboard) and two digits to
indicate when someone graduated and their major.
Example:
• Melanie Johnson (’97, communication) is a communication specialist in the Office of Public
Affairs.
Colon: The most common use is at the end of sentence to introduce text, lists and tabulations.
Example:
• The ingredients of a doughnut are simple: flour, eggs, milk, sugar and baking powder.
Comma: Use to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction
in a simple series.
Example: The American flag is red, white and blue.
Place a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series
requires a conjunction.
Example:
• Dinner consisted of pot roast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and macaroni and cheese.
Ellipsis (…): Use to indicate the deletion of one or more words in condensing quotes, texts and
documents. Be careful to avoid deletions that would distort meaning.
Exclamation point: Use to express a high degree of surprise, incredulity or other strong
emotion. Avoid overuse and do not use for emphasis or after mild interjections. Place
exclamation mark outside quotation marks when it is not part of the quoted material.
Hyphen (-): Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two
or more words.
Examples:
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• Small-business owner
• Man-eating shark
In a compound modifier: Use a hyphen when two or more words that express a single concept
precede a noun.
Examples:
• Tim’s team scored a first-quarter touchdown.
• The professor has a know-it-all attitude.
A hyphen is not needed with “very” and adverbs ending with “ly”.
Semicolon (;): Use to indicate a greater separation of thought and information than a comma
can convey but less than the separation that a period implies. Use to separate elements of a
series when the items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that
also must be set off by commas.
Example:
• He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith of Wichita,
Kansas, Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan Smith, of Boston; and a sister, Martha Smith, of
Omaha, Nebraska.
Q
Quotation marks Place quotation marks around book titles, movie titles, computer game titles,
opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, television and radio and program
titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art. However, quotation marks are not
used in the names of publications or journals; these titles are not italicized. Official course titles
should be capitalized, but avoid quotation marks, italics or other formatting.
Examples:
• “The Sun Also Rises” is one Ernest Hemingway’s classic works.
• The latest installment of the “Star Wars” series was a box-office smash.
• “Turandot” is Puccini’s best-known opera.
• The music video for Coldplay’s “Adventure of a Lifetime” is an example of CGI mastery.
• The once cutting-edge science fiction series “The X-Files” has been relaunched.
• Political icons James “The Ragin’ Cajun” Carville and Mary Matalin will talk about “All’s Fair:
Love, War and Politics” in the Kellogg Distinguished Public Lecture Series.
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• Students seeking a law concentration in the College of Business Administration should
consider taking Accounting Issues for Lawyers as well as Agency, Partnership, and the LLC.
Quotes Use the start quote mark “ and end quote mark ” when attributing quotes. Quotes are
used in a story to add flavor, emphasis or context. The message in the quote should be
emphasized, not the person marking the quote. Attribution to the person should be placed in
the middle or end of a quote. Quotation marks should not be used for basic information in a
story; use a paraphrase instead.
Examples:
• “For football fans, it doesn’t get any better,” said Coach Sean Payton. “This is going to be the
game of the century.”
• The accident occurred on Campus Drive but there were no injuries, said Police Chief Dario
Robinson.
R
Rain Bird BioTrek This is the cluster of educational facilities run by the biological sciences
department. The facilities are named after Rain Bird in recognition of its sponsorship. The Rain
Bird Rainforest Learning Center is located in Building 4A, and the Rain Bird Ethnobotany
Learning Center is adjacent. The Rain Bird Aquatic Biology Learning Center is in Building 4,
Room 2-626.
The Restaurant at Kellogg Ranch Operated and managed by students, the restaurant is a
central component to The Collins College of Hospitality Management’s curriculum. Located in
Building 79. RKR is acceptable on subsequent references.
Ron and Soraya Coley This is the preferred reference in formal listings, such as the
Kellogg/Voorhis Heritage Society, publications and correspondence.
Ron and Soraya Coley Endowment Fund The couple pledged $100,000 to the endowment shortly
after her Investiture on Feb. 5, 2016.
Rose Float Lab and Design Complex In October 2017, the university Cal Poly Pomona has
announced plans to build a new $3.7 million Rose Float Lab and Design Complex for its award-
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winning Rose Float program. A Rose Float Lab Fund Raising Campaign is expected to raise
$800,000. Visit www.cpp.edu/rosefloatlab for details.
Rose Garden See entry on W.K. Kellogg Rose Garden.
S
Scolinos Field Named after legendary baseball coach John Scolinos. Installation of lights on the
field was completed in December 2015 after a $500,000 gift from alumnus Danny Andrews.
Night games were hosted in 2016 for the first time in school history.
Semester conversion The university plans to convert to the semester calendar in fall 2018.
Preparations for the transition started in 2015.
Southern California Tasting & Auction Discontinue this reference. See entry for Cal Poly
Pomona Tasting & Auction.
States Names of states should be spelled out. The exception is in a mailing address; the U.S.
Postal Service abbreviation should be used.
Strategic Planning Process A university-wide effort led by President Soraya M. Coley to chart
the university’s course for the next several years while also identifying top academic and
campus initiatives and the resources and facilities to achieve those objectives. The strategic
planning process will fundamentally address where we are, our vision for the future, a plan to
achieve this vision, a process for monitoring our success, and the resources we will acquire and
apply in the execution of this plan.
Student Health and Counseling Services This is the department that includes the former
Student Health Services (SHS) and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).
Student Innovation Idea Lab Opened in fall 2015 as a resource for students, faculty and
business community to initiate cutting-edge and entrepreneurial student projects with
marketplace potential. iLab is acceptable on second reference or casual references.
Student Services Building The facility, which opened in January 2019, replaces the iconic CLA
Building in a portion of Parking Lot C. SSB is acceptable on second reference.
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Bob H. Suzuki Do not use Robert as his first name. He served from 1991 to 2003. Refer to him
as President Emeritus Bob H. Suzuki in stories. He was the fourth president of the university.
Swine flu The proper terminology is H1N1 influenza.
T
Theater Use this in general references.
Examples:
• I went to the theater to see a movie.
• The theater at the mall is showing “Gone With the Wind.”
Theatre Use this in reference to the academic department and the building on campus.
They/Them/Their See entry for Gender.
Titles Apply these guidelines for book, computer game, movie, operas, plays, poems, albums
and songs, radio and television programs, and lectures, speeches and works of art.
Examples:
• Place quotation marks around the names of all works except the Bible and books that are
primarily catalogs or reference material, including almanacs, dictionaries, directories,
encyclopedias, handbooks and other publications.
• Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.
• Capitalize articles or words fewer than four letters if they are the first or last word in a title.
• Capitalize the names of newspapers, magazines and journals but do not place quotation
marks around the names.
U
Underrepresented minorities One of the hallmarks of Cal Poly Pomona is educating first-
generation college students, many of whom are from underrepresented minorities. The word
“minorities” implies underrepresentation in society from a historical standpoint. Avoid usage of
Revised February 11, 2019
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“traditionally” with underrepresented; this implies a concerted effort to suppress
representation. “Traditionally” also carries a positive connotation.
University When using university on second reference, the “u” should be lower case. Example:
The university ranks in the top 10 for social mobility. Capitalize the U in University as part of the
president’s title if it precedes her name: The chancellor invited University President Soraya M.
Coley to the forum.
University names Use these names in first reference. You may drop “State” on subsequent
references if it’s clear that you are talking about the university and not the city. Listed are the
preferred short forms and the official campus names used in formal references in parentheses.
Cal Poly Pomona (California State Polytechnic University, Pomona in formal use).
Cal Poly (California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in formal use). Alternate short
form: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
CSU Bakersfield (California State University, Bakersfield).
CSU Channel Islands (California State University Channel Islands)*.
CSU, Chico (California State University, Chico). Alternate short form: Chico State.
CSU Dominguez Hills (California State University, Dominguez Hills). Alternate short form: Cal
State Dominguez Hills.
Cal State East Bay (California State University, East Bay). Alternate short form: CSU East Bay.
Fresno State (California State University, Fresno). Fresno State is acceptable in sports usages.
Cal State Fullerton (California State University, Fullerton). Alternate short form: CSU Fullerton.
Humboldt State (Humboldt State University). Alternate short form: Humboldt.
Cal State Long Beach (California State University, Long Beach). Alternate short form: CSU Long
Beach, The Beach. Long Beach State is acceptable in sports usages.
Cal State L.A. (California State University, Los Angeles). Alternate short form: Cal State Los
Angeles.
Cal Maritime (California State University Maritime Academy). Alternate short form: CSU
Maritime Academy.
Cal State Monterey Bay (California State University, Monterey Bay). Alternate short form: CSU
Monterey Bay.
CSUN (California State University, Northridge). Alternate short form: Cal State Northridge.
Sacramento State (California State University, Sacramento). Alternate short form: Sac State.
Cal State San Bernardino (California State University, San Bernardino).
San Diego State (San Diego State University).
San Francisco State (San Francisco State University). Alternate short form: SF State.
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San Jose State (San Jose State University).
Cal State San Marcos (California State University San Marcos). Alternate short form: CSU San
Marcos.
Sonoma State (Sonoma State University).
Stanislaus State (California State University, Stanislaus). Alternate short form: Stan State.
For the University of California system:
UC Berkeley
UC Davis
UC Irvine
UC Merced
UC Riverside
UC San Diego
UC San Francisco
UC Santa Barbara
UC Santa Cruz
UCLA is suitable in all references.
University Plaza Formerly called the Old Stables. It houses the Office of Student Life and
Cultural Centers.
W
web Lower case except at the beginning of a sentence.
webmaster One word, lower case except at the beginning of a sentence.
website One word and lower case, except at the beginning of a sentence.
Y
Year of graduation and major To give more prominence to alumni in stories, insert his or her
year of graduation and major set off by parentheses. This designation also applies to writers
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and communicators at the colleges. Use two digits and the apostrophe mark (end single quote)
to indicate when someone graduated followed by the major.
Examples:
• Clark Kent (’10, communication)
• Bruce Wayne (’97, English)
• Peter Parker (’93, bachelor’s in chemistry; ’95, master’s in biological sciences)
• Lois Lane (’97, communication) is a communication specialist.
• By Kara Zor-El
(’10, communication)
