Our name – in its full and abbreviated forms – reinforces who we are and how we’re represented to the world.
On first written reference, to clearly establish our identity in the minds of our audience, we refer to ourselves by our full name: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (notice there is no “at” before the campus name).
In certain cases, this first-reference requirement may be fulfilled by a design element (for instance, on website pages that follow the new web header guidelines and in print pieces that prominently display the new wordmark). This frees up writers to tighten lede paragraphs and focus on what’s compelling about the particular communication.
Here’s the general rule of thumb: Can you easily see something that says University of Illinois and the campus location, Urbana-Champaign, when you look at the piece in question? If so, that counts as the first reference, and you may simply use “University of Illinois” as your first written reference.
For second and subsequent references, use one of these approved, abbreviated terms:
- University of Illinois
- U of I
- UIUC
- Illinois
You are encouraged to consistently use whichever nickname is most strongly supported by data for your respective audience.
