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Always use "Old ��ֱ���� University" as a first reference, especially in prominent sections of any publication.

• For subsequent references, “the University" is acceptable.
• Limited use of "ODU" is permitted after the first reference. (Example: Headlines, captions, lists and direct quotes.)
• When writing for a national audience, use "Old ��ֱ���� University" in all references. Exceptions may be made for websites and digital content.
• For publications intended solely for a Hampton Roads audience, "the University" or "ODU" may be used more liberally after the first reference.

The University’s colleges and schools are listed alphabetically with named colleges/ schools listed first followed by those not named. Named colleges and school can be abbreviated upon subsequent reference. 

• Batten College of Engineering and Technology (Batten College)
• Darden College of Education and Professional Studies (Darden College)
• Ellmer College of Health Sciences (Ellmer College)
• Ellmer School of Nursing (Ellmer School)
• Strome College of Business (Strome College)
• College of Arts and Letters
• College of Sciences
• Eastern Virginia Medical School
• EVMS School of Health Professions
• Graduate School
• Joint School of Public Health
• Perry Honors College School of Cybersecurity
• School of Data Science
• School of Supply Chain, Logistics & Maritime Operations

• Use Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old ��ֱ���� University in full for all first and second references. On third references, “Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU” can be used.
• The proper name is not preceded by the article “the” in any references.
• For uses that require character or word limitations, use “Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU” before removing the first names of the donors. If character or word limits require further abbreviation, use the following options:
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU
  • Brock Virginia Health Sciences at ODU
     
• Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old ��ֱ���� University Schools
  (second reference in parentheses)
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer College of Health Sciences at Old ��ֱ���� University (Ellmer College of Health Sciences at ODU)
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Ellmer School of Nursing at Old ��ֱ���� University (Ellmer School of Nursing at ODU)
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old ��ֱ���� University (Eastern Virginia Medical School at ODU)
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences EVMS School of Health Professions at Old ��ֱ���� University (EVMS School of Health Professions at ODU)
  • Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Joint School of Public Health, an academic partnership between Old ��ֱ���� University (ODU) and Norfolk State University (NSU)
     
• Eastern Virginia Medical Center (EVMC) refers to Old ��ֱ���� University's medical campus comprised of Eastern Virginia Medical School and EVMS School of Health Professions, which are both part of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences at Old ��ֱ���� University, as well as Sentara Norfolk General Hospital, Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters and the City of Norfolk Public Health Department.

When referencing Old ��ֱ���� University facilities at this location, refer to it as “Old ��ֱ���� University’s medical campus.”

Examples: “The free breastfeeding awareness event will be offered at Old ��ֱ���� University’s medical campus.”

Old ��ֱ���� University's mission statement has several important goals that can be included when describing the University. The text does not need to be included in its entirety.

• The University, from its main campus in Norfolk, is Virginia's forward-focused public doctoral R1 research university with more than 23,000 students, rigorous academics, an energetic residential community and initiatives that contribute $3.8 billion annually to state’s economy.
• The institution serves its students and enriches the Commonwealth of Virginia, the nation and the world through its rigorous academic programs, strategic partnerships and active civic engagement.

(See the University’s vision, mission and core values page.)

• Recognized nationally and internationally as a forward-focused metropolitan university;
• Embraces a collaborative and innovative approach to academics and research; and
• Focuses on student success, engages civic and community partners, and connects with the military, maritime industries and other ��ֱ���� partners to provide practical solutions to complex, real-world problems.

Old ��ֱ���� University's main campus in Norfolk, Virginia, is in the Hampton Roads region of Coastal Virginia, a community with a population of more than 1.7 million residents and located in the southeast corner of the state.

The University operates regional higher education centers in the cities of Virginia Beach, Portsmouth (Tri-Cities), Hampton (Peninsula) and Suffolk (Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center). It reaches students across the world through , the University’s online distance learning network.

Old ��ֱ���� University's 335-acre campus is bounded on two sides by the Elizabeth and Lafayette rivers. The northern section of the campus is the oldest. It contains shaded brick walkways, stately buildings and the University's newly renovated football stadium and complex. To the south, the campus features newer academic buildings, residence halls and student support facilities, including the Chemistry Building and Hugo A. Owens House, ODU's newest residence hall.

To the west, Whitehurst Hall and the Sailing Center sit along the Elizabeth River waterfront, with a front row seat to spectacular sunsets and a passing parade of maritime activity.

Chartway Arena at the Ted Constant Convocation Center is home of Monarch basketball and hosts many University and non-University events. For many, it is informally known by its nickname, "The Ted."

Leo Online - two words
MIDAS - Monarch Identification and Authorization System
Monarch Orientation - a one-day on-campus orientation experience for new students during which parents, family members and supporters are welcome to attend.
Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary - ODU's founding name in 1930

• The Norfolk Division of William & Mary (*William & Mary uses the ampersand)
• The Norfolk Division; the division

ODUGlobal -- Old ��ֱ���� University’s distance learning program, formerly called Teletechnet and ODUOnline

When the title precedes the name of the person, it is uppercase.

• President Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., was unanimously chosen in 2021 by the Board of Visitors.
• Professor Michelle Kelly, Ph.D., was elected Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science.

Lowercase titles that follow a name. Eminent Scholar is capitalized regardless of where it is placed in a sentence.

• Brian O. Hemphill, Ph.D., is Old ��ֱ���� University's ninth president.
• Shaomin Li, Ph.D., is an Eminent Scholar and professor of international business.

Use acronyms and abbreviations after the formal name has been mentioned. If a program is named only once in text, do not add its acronym in parentheses.

• Center for Coastal Physical Oceanography (CCPO)
• Division of Digital Transformation and Technology (DTT)
• Engineering Systems Building (ESB)
• Graduate Program in International Studies (GPIS)
• Technology Services (IT)
• Joint School of Public Health (JSPH)
• Office of Enterprise Research and Innovation (OERI)
  • Center for Mission Engineering (CME)
  • Center for Secure and Intelligent Critical Systems (CSICS)
  • Commonwealth Center for Recurrent Flooding Resiliency (CCRFR)
  • Institue for Coastal Adaptation and Resilience (ICAR)
  • Virginia Digital Maritime Center (VDMC)
  • Virginia Institute for Spaceflight & Autonomy (VISA)
  • Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center (VMASC)

Old ��ֱ���� University's capitalization style calls for less, rather than more, when it comes to the use of uppercase. When possible, rearrange elements to use lowercase. This increases the readability for your audience. Guiding principles should include whether it's a proper noun or proper name. Time periods with a date are capitalized, i.e. Fall 2025Example:

• Before: “Each Fall, the College of Sciences hosts a Welcome Reception for new students, where Faculty and Staff from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics are Introduced by the Dean.”
• After: “In Fall 2025, the College of Sciences hosts a welcome reception for new students, where biology, chemistry and physics faculty and staff are introduced by Dean Dodge.”

Lowercase unless it is part of an official name.

• The political science department, the art department, admissions office
• Old ��ֱ���� University Department of Physics; Career Development Services

Use the guide below when it’s necessary to specify someone’s degree(s):

• Use their highest degree or professional designation. Limit the list to three credentials; any more hampers readability.
  • Joan B. Smith, Ed.D., RN
• The type of degree is sufficient without adding the word "degree."
  • She earned her Ph.D. in English this fall.
  • He was the first to earn a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity.
• Degree programs are not capitalized within text unless the program is a proper noun or is presented as part of a full degree.
  • She has a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy.
  • She is studying philosophy.
• Periods are used with degrees, except for MD and MD-equivalents, including DO (Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine) and MBBS (received by students in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries and considered equivalent to MD). Examples: Ph.D., D.N.P., M.S., B.A.

Terminal Degrees: For faculty, staff and alumni, terminal degrees (Ph.D., MD, Ed.D., etc.) should be used in all instances upon first reference whether received at Old ��ֱ���� University or not.

The prefix “Dr.” is permitted for both MD and Ph.D. (or equivalent terminal degrees, ex. Ed.D.) holders on second and subsequent references and used with the individual’s last name. 

• Dan Barshis, Ph.D., was a sixth grader at summer camp in Wisconsin when he first tried scuba diving. Now Dr. Barshis dives in countries around the world.
• Judette Louis, MD, M.P.H., was recently named dean of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old ��ֱ���� University. Dr. Louis has spent her career working to improve outcomes for mothers and babies.

Spell out whole numbers below 10; use figures for 10 and above. Use the same rule for ordinals. Ages (of people, animals, events or things) are always numbers, even less than 10.

Examples: 

• There are five starters on a basketball team; 11 per side for football teams.
• The First Amendment and the 26th Amendment gave 18-year-olds the right to vote in federal elections.

Use numerals (1 through 9 and above) when preceding a unit of measure (inches, pounds, miles, quarts, temperature degrees, etc.) — except for time measurements.

Generally, spell out zero except when used in technical contexts or ranges when the figure 0 may be appropriate: the car’s acceleration from 0 to 60 mph; financing from 0% to 3%.

Note:  for other exceptions related to dimensions, distances, etc.

For external media items, websites and magazines, the University follows AP Stylebook guidelines and does not use an Oxford comma before a conjunction in a simple series. Exceptions are made when its omission could create confusion, make meaning unclear or an integral element requires a conjunction. It should also be considered when a sentence includes a series of complex phrases:
Examples:

• Jane Smith, a senior at Old ��ֱ���� University, is a member of the chess club, plays intermural soccer and goes birding on the weekends.
• The professor starts each class with greetings, a brief review, and questions and answers.
• The key things to look at are whether the research plan is fair and well-designed, whether the methods used to study the data fit the project, and whether the conclusions are backed up by solid proof and trustworthy sources.

Students are identified by their full names on first reference. On second reference, students are referred to by their first name to convey a more personal tone. 

Faculty are identified by their full names and academic rankings on the first reference (see entry for “Degrees” for additional guidance). Use their last name and title (i.e. Dean) on subsequent references (see entry for “Doctor” for additional guidance).

When listing professional honors, credentials and certifications, follow the punctuation standard set by the certifying organization.

Examples: 

• Accreditation in Public Relations (APR)
• Fellow of the Academy College of Surgeons (FACS)
• FAHRMM for Fellow of the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management
• Public Relations Society of America (PRSA)

Generally, spell out state names in most instances (stories, press release, etc.). Note state abbreviations are permitted when space is at a premium, such as a list of obituaries in Monarch magazine. Use the U.S. Postal Service two-letter abbreviations in complete mailing addresses, seen on department brochures, for example.

• Punctuation: Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence. 
  Example: Old ��ֱ���� University is in Norfolk, Virginia, a coastal city with a population of roughly 238,000 people. 

Capitalize "University" when referring to Old ��ֱ���� University on second reference, specifically, but not when referring to universities in general.

• Old ��ֱ���� University is Virginia's entrepreneurial-minded public research institution. Located in Norfolk, Virginia, the University is on 335 acres and bound on two sides by the Elizabeth and Lafayette rivers.

"Advisor" may be used for internal/academic references to describe an academic counselor (an exception to the Associated Press Stylebook).

• Use "adviser" for an external audience.

A male graduate is an alumnus. For groups of males or a group of males and females, use alumni (i.e., plural). A female graduate is an alumna; for a gathering of females — a sorority, for example — use alumnae.

• Alumni degrees and graduation years: When writing about undergraduate and graduate alumni, use degree abbreviations (B.A., B.S., M.A., M.S., M.F.A., etc.), a “smart” (curly) apostrophe and the last two numbers of the graduation year inside parenthesis after the first and last name.
  • Be specific with master’s degrees. For instance, M.S.N. (nursing and M.S.D.H. (dental hygiene), M.E. (engineering), M.S.Ed. (education), M.E.M. (engineering management) and M.P.A. (public administration).
  • If the person is both an employee and a graduate, use the terminal degree directly after the name separated by a comma.

Examples: Jane Wright (B.A. ’15); Leann Consolvo (M.S.Ed. ’64); Thomas Jane (B.S.’13, MBA ’17)

Examples: Stanley Higginbotham, Ph.D. (Ph.D. ’91), Rhonda Jones, Ph.D. (M.S. ’04, Ph.D. ’10), Cynthia Romero, MD (B.S. ’93)

• Bold the full name, degree and year on first reference in both online and magazine stories. 
  Example: Jordan Patel (M.A.’11) joined the GreenTech Energy Cooperative as an intern in 2000, seeking a great experience with a growing organization. What he found was his professional home. Terminal degrees should be used in all instances, even if not conferred through Old ��ֱ���� University. For stories, try to identify from what institution the terminal degree was attained.

Example: Elena Ramirez, Ph.D. (M.S.Ed. ’93) is the president and CEO of the Coastal Philharmonic Association. In 2007, she earned a doctorate in educational policy and leadership from Lakeside University.  

• Residencies and Fellowships: For alumni of Macon & Joan Brock Virginia Health Sciences Eastern Virginia Medical School at Old ��ֱ���� University, residency and/or fellowship information should be included in alumni notations.
   Example: Marissa Galicia-Castillo, MD (B.S. ’94, MD ’97, Internal Medicine Residency ’00, M.S.Ed. ’06)
• Honorary Degrees and Honorary Alumni Certificates: ‘Honorary Degree’ recipients are designated by the University. ‘Honorary Alumni Certificate’ recipients are designated by the Alumni Association. In both cases, it is preferable to refer to the honorary degree or certificate in a story but not as graduation year listed after the name like other alumni. 

Examples: 

• Dennis Ellmer, an honorary alumni certificate holder since 2011, has been a longtime supporter of Old ��ֱ���� University.
• Angela Bassett, actress, director and activist, was awarded an honorary degree from Old ��ֱ���� University when she spoke during the University's May 2022 Commencement. 

The exception is when someone with an honorary degree or certificate is listed in a program, such as for Commencement. Follow the guidelines for regular alumni and use the following abbreviations: 

• H.C. for honorary degree holders (abbreviation for Honoris Causa)
• H.A. for honorary alumni

Example: Angela Bassett, L.H.D. (H.C.'12); Dennis Ellmer (H.A. '11)

Virginia is one of four U.S. commonwealths, but limit "commonwealth" to formal statements. On first reference use “Commonwealth of Virginia.” On second reference, “the commonwealth” is acceptable.

• The Commonwealth of Virginia is one of four U.S. states designated as a "commonwealth," a term from English common law emphasizing the people's sovereignty for the common good.
• Old ��ֱ���� University has a reputation as one of the most military-friendly universities in the commonwealth.

Generally combined as one word, no hyphen.

• Cyberspace, cyberattack, cybersecurity majors at Old ��ֱ���� University, cyberbullying, cybercafe
  • Exceptions: Cyber Monday, cyber systems security, cyber specialist

Old ��ֱ���� University avoids words that contain discriminatory connotations. Use these suggested alternatives:

• best candidate rather than best man for the job
• chair | chairperson | departmental chair instead of chairman
• Artisan | designer rather than craftsman
• international student instead of foreigner
• supervisor instead of foreman
• staffed the booth rather than manned the booth
• synthetic instead of man-made

• Latino is appropriate for all-male groups; Latinos is plural. Latina designates a group of females; Latinas, if plural.
• Hispanic designates a person from — or whose ancestors were from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture. It is also generally acceptable for those in the U.S. Be specific, when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican American.
• The gender-neutral term  "Latine" has emerged as a popular way to refer to those whose ancestors came from a Spanish-speaking land or culture or a Latin American country.
• Whenever possible, be specific: Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican American, for example. The best rule of them is to ask how an individual prefers to be identified. 

The symbol is permitted in text and for statistical and tabular data.

• Old ��ֱ���� University awards $200 million in financial aid each year; 67% of its undergraduates receive financial assistance.

In June 2020, the Associated Press and many other media organizations reset their style to capitalize Black and Indigenous in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense, conveying a shared sense of history, identity and community among people.

A few guidelines:

• Black is generally used as an adjective: Black literature, Black culture and Black studies.
• White remains lowercase.
• African American is an alternative for a Black person in the U.S. from Africa or in the African diaspora. It is not always interchangeable. Many cultures that have settled in the United States proudly identify their dual heritage, such as Somali Americans or Caribbean Americans. Be specific whenever possible.
• Native Americans or American Indians are acceptable general references in the U.S. when referring to two or more Indigenous tribes. When possible, refer to individuals by their specific tribal affiliation.
• In Alaska, the Indigenous groups are collectively known as Alaska Natives.

To take a gender-neutral position, the Associated Press in 2017 allowed the use of a singular “they/their/them" as a singular pronoun in limited cases. AP still prefers rewording whenever possible. Another option is to directly address the student ("you") or use plural references.

• If an applicant writes poorly, they will not be hired for the job.
• Students must speak with their faculty advisors to drop courses after the deadline.
• You must inform the professor that you dropped the class.

The preferred spelling is "theater”; however, except for Stables Theater, the University uses "theatre":

• ODU Department of Communication and Theatre Arts
• Old ��ֱ���� University Theatre
• Goode Theatre

Books that are not reference books are set off with quotation marks. Magazines, newspapers, journals and reference books are not italicized or placed in quotation marks. Radio and television shows are enclosed in quotation marks.

• "A Mathematical Nature Walk" by John Adam, a math professor and photographer
• Time magazine, The New York Times
• "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" on NPR
• "Car Talk" on NPR
• MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers

One word in all uses.

• Construction for the Hugo A. Owens House, the University's newest residence hall, is underway.