Last revision March 29, 2024: Dramatic Arts Building | Revision history
USC generally follows Associated Press Style for its print and online communication to the public. If you don’t find your issue addressed below, follow AP Style. (In some cases, the university has its own style for certain uses, such as memos, letters and academic publications.)
Members of the USC community have free access to AP Style online through USC Libraries (the new link as of December 2022 is
https://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.apstylebook.com/usc_edu/ ). (It is no longer necessary to connect remotely using USC’s VPN.)
If the AP Style guide doesn’t help, refer to Webster’s New World College Dictionary as your first reference, then the Oxford American Dictionaries or Merriam-Webster.
abbreviations and acronyms
In general, avoid abbreviations and acronyms that may be unfamiliar to the audience. A good guide: If you need to explain it, you probably shouldn’t use it.
Avoid putting a unit’s abbreviation after its name. Exception: If you have a quote that includes a possibly unfamiliar abbreviation, add the abbreviation in parentheses after the first reference.
- Example: Juarez made a donation to USC’s Information Sciences Institute at the evening’s gala. The institute’s work is exceptionally valuable, he said.
- Example: Juarez made a donation to USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at the evening’s gala. “The work of ISI is exceptionally valuable,” he said.
Abbreviations and acronyms may be used on second reference but try to use “the center,” “the institute” or simply a shortened version of the center or institute’s name if possible.
- Example: Ono made a donation to USC’s Information Sciences Institute. At the institute’s annual gala, she was honored with the Donor of the Year award. (Not: At ISI’s annual gala …)
For USC schools and academic units, avoid using abbreviations that may be known within the school but not necessarily by a wider audience or the general public (“IYA” for the USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy, “SDA” for the USC School of Dramatic Arts, etc.)
Also see entry on “state names.”
academic degrees
Styles such as Maria Gonzales ’15 or John Fong MA ’78, PhD ’85 are specific to USC Trojan Family Magazine, because its readers expect degree information. The magazine only includes degrees after names if the graduate attended USC.
In USC News and other media, degree information is provided if it’s relevant to the story, and degrees are generally written out. Examples:
- Maria Gonzales earned her bachelor’s degree at the USC Marshall School of Business in 2015.
- Alumna Maria Gonzales holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Academic degrees should be written without periods: BA, MA, MSW, PhD, EdD, PharmD.
Do not use “Dr.” before a name, even in a medical context.
When denoting an alumnus’ degrees, include only the graduating year for a bachelor’s degree — no BA or BS.
Examples:
- Jane Doe MA ’12, PhD ’12 is the executive director of Alpha Academy.
- Sally Smith ’13 joined the Peace Corps.
- Gabriela Lopez ’08, ’10 (for someone with two bachelor’s degrees).
For joint degrees, such as the ones at USC Gould School of Law, use a slash between the degrees. Example:
- Sam Jones JD/MA ’12
Degrees offered at USC:
BA — Bachelor of Arts
BFA — Bachelor of Fine Arts
BM — Bachelor of Music
BS — Bachelor of Science
EML — Executive Master in Leadership
MA — Master of Arts
MAT — Master of Arts in Teaching
MS — Master of Science
MAcc — Master of Accounting
MBA — Master of Business Administration (always abbreviated)
MBT — Master of Business Taxation
MCG (though commonly called MCM) — Master of Communication Management
MCM — Master of Construction Management
ME — Master of Education
MFA — Master of Fine Arts (may be abbreviated when the context makes it clear)
MFT — Master of Marriage and Family Therapy
MHA — Master of Health Administration
MHP — Master of Historic Preservation
MLA — Master of Landscape Architecture
MM — Master of Music
MMM — Master of Medical Management
MPA — Master of Public Administration
MPAS — Master of Public Art Studies
MPH — Master of Public Health
MPL — Master of Planning
MPP — Master of Public Policy
MPW — Master of Professional Writing
MRED — Master of Real Estate Development
MSW — Master of Social Work
DDS — Doctor of Dental Surgery
DMA — Doctor of Musical Arts
DPA — Doctor of Public Administration
DPPD — Doctor of Policy, Planning, and Development
DPT — Doctor of Physical Therapy
EdD — Doctor of Education
JD — Juris Doctor
MD — Doctor of Medicine
PharmD — Doctor of Pharmacy
PhD — Doctor of Philosophy
academic programs
If an academic program has a generic-sounding name, lowercase it; if it sounds more like a proper noun, then capitalize.
- Examples: USC Viterbi’s environmental science program; the USC Roski School of Art and Design’s Curatorial Practices and the Public Sphere Program
advisor
Going forward it’s “advisor,” an exception to AP Style (“adviser”). Don’t bother correcting previously published stories.
Alfred E. Mann Charities and Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering
For written remarks, speeches and articles, use the full name on first reference “Alfred E. Mann Charities and Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering.” On second reference, “Alfred E. Mann Charities” is acceptable.
In headlines, decks, photo captions, social media references and video text/scripts, you can use “Alfred E. Mann Charities” on first reference for brevity.
Alfred E. Mann Department of Biomedical Engineering
Use the full name on first reference to the USC Viterbi department.
Allyson Felix
The Olympic champion and namesake of Allyson Felix Field on the USC University Park Campus is a USC alumna, but she was never a USC student-athlete.
Alumni Memorial Park
Use the full name (including the word “memorial”) for the large park between Bovard Administration Building and Doheny Memorial Library in which commencement and other big events are held.
artificial intelligence, AI
In keeping with AP style, AI is acceptable in headlines and on second reference in text. However, there may be certain circumstances (for example, all-cap headlines in a sans serif font) in which you will want to use A.I. to avoid it looking like the name “AL.”
athletic department, Department of Athletics
Lowercase “athletic department” but capitalize Department of Athletics, as the latter is its formal name. (We use “athletic department” most of the time.)
- Example: Miguel Moreno joined the USC athletic department in 2019.
- Example: Miguel Moreno left the USC Department of Athletics in 2020.
athletic director, director of athletics
Lowercase “athletic director” whether before or after the person’s name; capitalize “Director of Athletics” before the person’s name as it is the formal title.
- Examples: USC athletic director Jane Doe; USC Director of Athletics John Doe; Jay Doe, USC director of athletics
Big Ten Conference
Note that “Ten” is spelled out. USC (and UCLA) will join the conference as full members effective Aug. 2, 2024. USC (and UCLA) remains in the Pac-12 Conference until then.
Black
Preferred term, rather than African American (unless an individual specifically prefers the latter).
Board of Trustees
Capitalize “Board of Trustees” as well as other USC-affiliated boards. For official names of USC trustees, go to the Trustees site.
Bovard Administration Building, Bovard Auditorium
Bovard Auditorium is a room within Bovard Administration Building.
brackets and parentheses
Use brackets when there is a phrase or word inserted by the editor in someone’s direct quote.
- Example: “My team [the Los Angeles Dodgers] might win the pennant.”
Otherwise, use parentheses.
Bridge Institute
On first reference it is the Bridge Institute at the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience (or the USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience Bridge Institute). See also USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience.
campus, University Park Campus, Health Sciences Campus, Capital Campus
Since there is more than one USC campus, do not say “the USC campus” when you are referring to the University Park Campus.
The USC Capital Campus is at 1771 N St. NW in the Dupont Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C.
capitalization
Follow AP style.
In a sentence with a colon, capitalize the first word of the phrase that follows if it is a complete sentence. If it’s a fragment, the first word is lowercase.
- Example: The school said “thank you” by naming his old department after him: the Daniel J. Epstein Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering. (The word “the” is not capitalized because what follows is not a complete sentence.)
In a sentence with a semicolon, the second clause is always a complete sentence and always begins with a lowercase letter.
Titles preceding a full name should be capitalized. Titles following a full name should be lowercased. For specifics, see “Titles” entry in the style guide.
Exceptions: President Emeritus, University Professor, University Archivist, Distinguished Professor, Provost Professor, Presidential Professor and named-chair titles are always capped — before and after a name.
- Examples: USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample; Steven B. Sample, President Emeritus of USC; Chester A. Newland, the Duggan Distinguished Professor of Public Administration
Special uses:
- Capital Campus, Health Sciences Campus, University Park Campus (avoid “HSC” and “UPC” if you can)
- Trojan Family: T and F are capitalized
- Capitalize “Class of xxxx” (as in Class of 2015)
- Commencement and convocation have a lowercase c
- Headlines in the print USC Trojan Family Magazine are “upstyle” — most words are capitalized. Capitalize prepositions that have four or more letters: from, through, into. Do not cap “off, too, for” in heds (unless “to” is part of a verb, in which case it is capitalized).
- Examples: In the print magazine, it’s “A Century of Trojan Pride”; on the USC Trojan Family
- (Note: We used to capitalize “Move-in Day” when it was a single day — usually the Wednesday in August before classes begin — but now that it’s multiple days, it makes more sense as “move ins” or “move-in days.”)
Carol Folt
She is USC President Carol Folt on first reference; just “Folt” thereafter. When her name is written out, we no longer use her middle initial.
Her husband is David Peart. He should not be called “first gentleman” or anything like that.
cardinal and gold, Cardinal and Gold
Capitalization of the USC school colors depends on the specific usage, but generally it is capitalized when used as a noun or a synonym for “USC” or “Trojans.”
- Examples: India Anderson was proud to represent the Cardinal and Gold as USC drum major. India Anderson was proud to wear the cardinal and gold cape as USC drum major.
Cardinal Divas of SC
“SC” is correct.
centuries
Follow AP style, which is to lowercase and write out numbers one to nine. Use figures for 10 and up. When used as a modifier, there is a hyphen between the number and the word “century.”
- Examples: fourth century, 12th century, 17th-century ballads
Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
The USC-affiliated hospital’s name can be abbreviated CHLA, but never Children’s Hospital L.A.
coach, head coach
Lowercase “coach” or “head coach” before or after the person’s name.
- Example: USC football coach Lincoln Riley
Coliseum
It’s the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on first reference, the Coliseum thereafter.
As of August 2019 — upon completion of the $315 million renovation project (formerly $270 million) — the field within the venue is known as United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The Coliseum is jointly owned by the state, the county and the city of Los Angeles, and is managed and operated by USC under a 98-year lease that extends through 2111.
(Colosseum is the correct spelling for the historic building in Rome and the concert venue at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas.)
colons
Capitalize the first word after a colon only if it is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence.
Exception: The first word after a colon is always uppercase in headlines.
commas
In general, no serial commas. To quote the AP Stylebook, “If a comma does not help make clear what is being said, it should not be there. If omitting a comma could lead to confusion or misinterpretation, then use the comma.”
Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series.
- Example: There were green tents, blue tents and red tents on the lawn.
Use a comma before a conjunction if it is necessary to prevent confusion.
- Example: There were green tents, blue tents, and red and white striped tents on the lawn.
Use a comma after Washington, D.C.
- Example: The Washington, D.C., office of the California senator
Use commas to set off state and country names.
- Examples: They went to Arlington, Texas, to see friends. They visited Siuna, Nicaragua, with friends.
Do not use commas to set off Jr.
- Examples: Edward P. Roski Jr., Martin Luther King Jr.
Do not use commas to set off Inc., Co., Ltd., LLC, PC or PLLC.
- Examples: Apple Inc., Widgets LLC
A nonessential phrase must be set off from the rest of a sentence by commas.
- Example: Jeff released his first book, Twilight at USC, to rave reviews. (The book title is nonessential because Jeff has only one first book — there is no confusion as to which book the sentence is referring.)
An essential phrase is not set off from the rest of a sentence by commas.
- Example: Jeff released his book Twilight at UCLA to rave reviews. (The book title is essential to this sentence because Jeff has written more than one book, so the title isn’t set off by commas.)
- Example: Larry and his wife, Lorna, went to the theater. (Larry has only one wife, and therefore the name “Lorna” is nonessential in this sentence. If Larry had more than one wife, “Lorna” would become essential and would not be set off by commas.)
commencement
Lowercase. Do not call it “graduation.”
convocation
Lowercase.
credits
Images in USC News and USC Trojan Family Magazine must have credits.
Photo credits and graphics credits are determined by ownership of the image. Items created by USC employees or by people or companies hired by USC get USC credits.
Credit for work by any USC employee or by a photographer/artist hired by the university (for freelance work, do not include the agency’s name, if any):
(USC Photo/Gus Ruelas)
(USC Illustration/Letty Avila)
(USC Photo) — for a photo that’s a screenshot from a USC video (no names in video credits)
(USC Video) — no names in video credits
Credit for work provided to us:
(Photo/Courtesy of Jane Martinez)
(Photo/Courtesy of Bank of America)
(Illustration/Courtesy of Gensler)
Credit for stock image or work from an image website (include the person’s name if available):
(Photo/iStock)
(Photo/Rick Ho, Pixabay)
(Illustration/Shutterstock)
No image can be used without permission; crediting the image does not eliminate the need for permission.
diaspora
Lowercase.
dashes
Use em dashes rather than en dashes to set off phrases and indicate pauses. Always use a space on either side of an em dash.
- Example: He went to Westfield Mall — a shopping center in the middle of the city — to buy a phone.
For ranges, use a hyphen.
- Example: The festival will be held April 12-24.
diabetes patients
Or “people with diabetes.” Avoid using the word “diabetics.”
Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall
It’s “Hall,” not “Building.” It will be the home of the USC School of Advanced Computing.
Dramatic Arts Building
The former United University Church building, it’s home to the USC School of Dramatic Arts and houses the Sanctuary Theatre and the Stop Gap Theatre.
Eastside
Preferred. Don’t use “East L.A.”
elite
Avoid describing colleges with this word. “Top,” ”great,” “high-quality,” “best,” etc. are OK, but “elite” has a connotation we don’t want to convey.
ellipses
Use an ellipsis to indicate the deletion of one or more words in quotes, texts and documents.
In general, treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, constructed with three periods and two spaces. Leave one regular space on both sides of an ellipsis.
- Example: I … tried to do what was best.
When a complete sentence precedes an ellipsis, place a period at the end of the sentence, followed by a regular space and an ellipsis.
- Example: “I no longer have a strong enough political base. … ”
Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC
Consult with Lauren Bartlett or Jeremy Pepper before writing about this institute. “Ellison Institute” on second reference. Separate from the Keck entities. Formally the “Lawrence J. Ellison Institute for Transformative Medicine of USC.”
entitled vs. titled
Do not use “entitled” to mean “titled.” Entitled means “a right to do or have something.”
fall semester, spring semester
Lowercase, but Maymester is capitalized. Avoid “summer semester” altogether because it’s not really a semester.
fellow, fellowship
Capitalize when part of an official name.
- Examples: She received a Guggenheim Fellowship. He was named a Guggenheim Fellow. The John Simon Guggenheim Foundation sponsors dozens of fellows each year. Their fellowship begins in January.
gaming, video gaming
Avoid “gaming” in describing video gaming if it could be misread as referring to the kind of gaming that happens in Las Vegas.
Fight On!
Capitalization and punctuation of the USC slogan will vary depending on usage. Text examples:
- Her motto in the classroom is “Fight On,” something she learned to do as a USC student.
- “To them, ‘fight on’ means persevere when their family has no money for food, clothes or school supplies; ‘fight on’ means work long hours at an after-school job to help pay the bills; ‘fight on’ means strive for your dreams, even when no one in or outside of your community seems to believe in you. For almost a year, these students have drawn strength from ‘fight on,’ ” Rios said.
- The song mentions USC traditions, including the Trojan Marching Band, Traveler, Tirebiter and Tommy Trojan. It invokes the university’s official fight song and the concept of the Trojan Family with the chorus: “Fight on for old ’SC; we are family ’til the end, that’s a guarantee.”
Headline examples:
- From TFM: Longtime Trojans Still Fight On
- From USC News: From move in to ‘Fight On’: Campus comes to life with fall arrivals
first lady, first gentleman, second gentlemen
Do not use “first lady” or ”first gentleman” to refer to the spouse of the USC president.
Do not use “second gentleman” to refer to Doug Emhoff, the USC Gould alumnus married to U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris.
freeways and highways
For Southern California freeways commonly known by their route number, use the number and “Freeway” (or “Toll Road”): the 110 Freeway, the 5 Freeway, the 241 Toll Road.
Exception: Pacific Coast Highway.
- Examples: The University Park Campus is near the 110 Freeway. She drove down Pacific Coast Highway.
Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center
The building includes the donor’s first name on first reference; the USC Kaufman School of Dance does not.
graduation dates
In USC Trojan Family Magazine, when writing someone’s graduation year, make sure to use the proper backward-curling apostrophe before the year.
- Example: Caroline Smith EdD ’60 launched an educational program targeting at-risk youths.
In USC News, we generally describe the graduation year and degree in words.
health care
Not healthcare. When using as an adjective, do not use a hyphen.
- Example: health care plan
Hollywood Bowl
On second reference, capitalize “the Bowl.”
homecoming
Lowercase.
honorary degrees
Use narrative text to explain the honorary degree; do not present in the style we use for earned degrees.
- Example: Filmmaker Brian Grazer, who received an honorary degree from USC in 2022, said …
hyperlinks
On digital platforms, avoid displaying URLs and instead use text that is hyperlinked.
- Example: Learn more on the USC Athletics website (instead of: Learn more at www.usctrojans.com).
On print platforms, use a link shortener like bit.ly or tinyurl.com to shorten URLs that are awkwardly long.
- Example: Buy tickets at tinyurl.com/fbtickets22 (instead of: Buy tickets at https://usctrojans.evenue.net/cgi-bin/ncommerce3/SEGetGroupList?groupCode=FB&linkID=usc&shopperContext=&caller=&appCode=)
hyphens
- Examples: stem cell research, smart-car charger, health care center, small-businessmen’s conference
Use a hyphen whenever ambiguity would result if it were omitted:
- Examples: He recovered his health. He re-covered the leaky roof.
Per AP’s 2019 style decree, do not hyphenate African American, Asian American, etc.:
- Examples: She taught African American studies. Irish Americans voted in large numbers.
Use hyphens or en dashes for ranges:
- Example: 32-35 inches tall. (No space between the numbers and the hyphen)
For words that start with “co,” retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status:
- Examples: co-author, co-founder, co-signer
Do not use hyphens in other combinations:
- Examples: coed, coexist, coequal (See the AP style guide for more)
When a modifier that would be hyphenated before a noun occurs instead after a form of the verb “to be,” the hyphen usually must be retained to avoid confusion:
- Examples: The man is well-known. The woman is quick-witted. The children are soft-spoken. The play is second-rate.
Email and esports are written with no hyphen, but all other e- constructions take a hyphen:
- Examples: e-book, e-commerce
illegal immigration
Entering or residing in a country in violation of civil or criminal law. Except in direct quotes essential to the story, use “illegal” only to refer to an action, not a person.
- Example: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant
See “Undocumented immigrant” entry
interim president
As a title before a name, it is “interim President Wanda M. Austin.”
internet
lowercase
interment, incarceration
Avoid the term “internment” in describing the imprisonment of Japanese Americans during World War II. It is better to say they were incarcerated or detained. It is better to say that they were incarcerated or detained, and to describe the larger event as the incarceration of Japanese Americans.
italics
Do not use italics in headlines; instead, use single quotes to set off titles that would be italicized in body copy.
In body copy:
Italicize stand-alone works such as book titles; movie titles; play titles; radio and television show and podcast titles (when referring to the series itself and not an individual episode); names of exhibitions; names of video games; and album titles. When such a title is part of a longer name, italicize only the work and not the related words.
- Example: “Tusk,” the debut single off of Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk album, features the USC Trojan Marching Band.
- Example: Episode 589 of the This American Life podcast, “No Coincidence, No Story,” featured listeners describing coincidences that happened in their lives.
- Examples: the BioShock series; Star Wars Day
Italicize court cases:
- Example: NCAA v. Alston
Italicize foreign words and include the English translations in parentheses.
- Example: l’Ordre national du Mérite (National Order of Merit)
Do not italicize commonly used foreign words that have been adopted into the English language.
- Examples: summa cum laude, sushi, pro bono, alma mater, déjà vu, faux pas
Set conference names and festival names in plain text with no italics. Set newspaper, magazine, journal and website names in roman (plain) text with no quotation marks. Generic musical forms such as titles are not italicized.
- Example: Mozart Symphony No. 32 in G major
If the title appears in a block of copy that’s already italicized (for example, in a listing giving directions to a venue), then the title is run in plain (roman) type to set it off.
- Example: Editor’s Note: To see the special screening of Casablanca, make a reservation online.
Kathleen Leavey McCarthy ’57
The USC trustee is married to Franklyn G. Kostlan ’56, MBA ’62, but at USC we don’t refer to her with his last name. See also USC Village.
Keck entities
For an excellent overview of Keck Medicine of USC branding (and the difference between Keck Medicine of USC and the Keck School of Medicine of USC), watch the Keck Medicine branding video (it’s less than five minutes long).
In all uses of Keck related to the medical enterprise, “USC” never precedes the “Keck” name; “USC” is always referenced at the end of a name that includes “Keck.” The preposition before USC is always “of” never “at.”
- Example: Welcome to the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
On first reference, the complete name of the entity must be spelled out. The phrase “of USC” may be deleted on second reference.
The primary brand for use in clinical marketing is Keck Medicine of USC. Any reference to a service, an event or a physician in promotional materials/communications for patients and referring physicians should use Keck Medicine of USC.
Keck School of Medicine of USC
First reference: Keck School of Medicine of USC
Second and later references, externally: Keck School of Medicine
Second and later references, internally: Keck School
Later reference option: the medical school
Do not use the one-word name “Keck” to refer to the medical school. Do not use the abbreviation “KSOM” to refer to the medical school.
You may use “the” in front of the name of the school.
Examples: Welcome to the Keck School of Medicine of USC. Keck School of Medicine was established in 1885. The medical school’s total enrollment includes 701 medical students, 285 doctoral students and 581 master’s students.
USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
First reference: USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center
Second and later references: USC Norris cancer center
Later reference option: the cancer center
The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is a part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC.
Do not refer to “USC Norris” or simply “Norris” in writing as this may create confusion between the hospital and the cancer center.
Examples: The USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center is one of the country’s original eight comprehensive cancer centers. The Norris cancer center is part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC, and it is affiliated with USC Norris Cancer Hospital.
Keck Medical Center of USC
First reference: Keck Medical Center of USC
Second and later references: Keck Medical Center
Later reference option: the medical center
Do not use the one-word name “Keck” to refer to the medical center.
Use the article “the” in front of the medical center name in a sentence.
Examples: The Keck Medical Center of USC is located on the university’s Health Sciences Campus, just east of downtown Los Angeles. The Keck Medical Center is home to two university-owned hospitals (Keck Hospital of USC and USC Norris Cancer Hospital) and more than 500 physicians.
Keck Hospital of USC
First reference: Keck Hospital of USC
Second and later references: Keck Hospital
Later reference option: the hospital (as long as the document concerns only Keck Hospital of USC, and there is no chance of confusion with USC Norris Cancer Hospital)
Do not use the article “the” before the name of the hospital.
Examples: Keck Hospital of USC, formerly known as USC University Hospital, is part of the Keck Medical Center of USC. Keck Hospital is located on USC Health Sciences Campus.
Note: Any correspondence or communication related to each hospital’s license or regulatory issues should refer to the specific hospital of concern.
USC Norris Cancer Hospital
First reference: USC Norris Cancer Hospital
Second and later references: USC Norris Cancer Hospital.
Later reference option: the cancer hospital
Do reference that the USC Norris Cancer Hospital is a part of the Keck Medical Center of USC.
Do not refer to “USC Norris” or “Norris” in writing as this may create confusion between the hospital and the cancer center.
Examples: USC Norris Cancer Hospital, a part of the Keck Medical Center of USC, is affiliated with the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.
Note: Any correspondence or communication related to each hospital’s license or regulatory issues should refer to the specific hospital of concern.
Keck Medicine of USC
First reference: Keck Medicine of USC
Second and later references: Keck Medicine
Do not use the article “the” before the name “Keck Medicine of USC.”
Examples: Keck Medicine of USC is the new name for the academic medical enterprise made up of the Keck School of Medicine of USC and the Keck Medical Center of USC.
Note: Keck Medicine of USC is an organizational concept, not a physical place.
Examples: Patients are treated at the Keck Medical Center of USC, not at Keck Medicine of USC. Students enroll in the Keck School of Medicine of USC, not in Keck Medicine of USC.
Latino, Latina, Latinx, Latine
We follow AP style, which generally prefers “Latino” and “Latina,” except when “Latinx” or “Latine” is used in a quote, a formal name of an organization or event, or is specifically requested by an individual.
Note: The student organization is now the Latine Student Assembly (formerly the Latinx Student Assembly).
Note: The heritage month now at USC (at least for 2023) is now Latinx/e Heritage Month (the national celebration is Hispanic Heritage Month).
law students
In uses outside the law school (like USC News, USC Trojan Family Magazine, universitywide channels, etc.), refer to law students as “first-year law student,” “second-year law student,” etc. Terms like “1L,” “2L,” etc. are best used only within the law school.
LeVar Burton
The actor and very active USC supporter attended USC but did not earn a degree. Don’t call him an “alumnus,” but do call him a “Trojan.”
LGBT, LGBTQ, LGBTQ+
In keeping with AP Style, “LGBT” and “LGBTQ” are both acceptable. We often use “LGBTQ+” because USC Student Life says there are students who feel that “LGBTQ” does not include them.
Los Angeles
Abbreviating Los Angeles as L.A. on second reference or in headlines is acceptable. (This is an exception to AP, which prefers LA without periods.)
Los Angeles General Medical Center
Formerly Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center. The institution isn’t part of the Keck School or Keck Medicine, but the doctors are Keck School doctors.
Los Angeles Trade-Technical College
L.A. Trade-Tech or LATTC on second reference. The community college down the road is part of the Los Angeles Community College District.
mascot
Traveler, the (live) noble white horse, is the official USC mascot.
Tommy and Traveler, the costumed characters, while not the official USC mascot, are “mascots” that appear primarily at basketball games but also selected other USC athletic events and other events outside of football. They are also used in certain sports media campaigns, i.e. ESPN Gameday commercials or the Capital One Mascot Challenge.
Tommy Trojan (officially the Trojan Shrine) is a statue next to Bovard and is not the USC mascot.
The person who rides Traveler at football games is a regal Trojan warrior. He is not Tommy Trojan.
The USC Trojan Marching Band drum major, also dressed as a Trojan warrior, is also not Tommy Trojan.
ministers and priests
In keeping with AP style, use the Rev. before a name on first reference; when referring to a Catholic priest, be sure the context makes it clear he is a Catholic priest.
Ming Hsieh Department of Electrical Engineering
Use the full name on first reference to the USC Viterbi department.
“moonshots”
Use quotation marks on first reference to President Carol Folt’s ambitious slate of priority projects, first announced during her 2022 State of the University speeches. The moonshots are:
- Frontiers of Computing.
- Sustainability (lowercase).
- Reimagining athletics (focused on providing student-athletes with the best facilities, resources, etc).
- Health sciences 3.0.
- USC Competes — making USC the destination of choice for top faculty, students and staff in all fields (this moonshot also includes diversity, student financial aid, attracting and retaining the best faculty members, etc.).
names
Building names
For residential colleges, use full name on first reference and shortened name on second reference.
- Example: Ray Irani Residential College (first reference), Irani College (second reference)
Center and institute names
Refer to the center’s web page for preferred wording.
If USC is not part of the center’s preferred name, use the possessive.
- Examples: USC Lusk Center for Real Estate, USC’s LGBTQ+ Student Center, USC Institute for Creative Technologies, USC’s Population Dynamics Research Group
See individual entries for center/institute names that are often used incorrectly.
Company or group names
Lowercase “the” unless it is part of the company/group’s formal name. Refer to the company/group’s website for preferred wording.
- Examples: The Grammy Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, AARP, The Beatles, Nine Inch Nails.
- Examples: There were articles in The Wall Street Journal and the Los Angeles Times.
Do not use all caps in a name unless it’s an acronym.
- Example: RATT is the name of a band. AP stories spell it “Ratt.”
Do not use TM or R symbols in a company name.
People’s names
FIRST NAMES, NICKNAMES, LAST NAMES:
In keeping with AP style, use a nickname in place of a person’s given name if it is the way the individual prefers to be known: Jimmy Carter, Bill Clinton, Babe Ruth, Tiger Woods, Magic Johnson.
If the nickname and the given name are used, use quotation marks: Sen. Henry M. “Scoop” Jackson, Paul “Bear” Bryant, Oliver “Frank” Warren, Yanhao “Max” Wei.
If a person was known with a previous name but now uses another name (for instance, a person attended USC with one name but now uses their spouse’s last name), use the previous name in parentheses if you’d need to help the reader know they are the same person: Victoria (Adams) Beckham.
For faculty and staff names, check how the name is written on the individual’s school profile page. If a profile page isn’t available, check how the name is listed in the USC directory. (Remember that titles on profile pages may be out of date.)
MIDDLE INITIALS:
Follow each individual’s personal preference.
Individuals who prefer no middle initial include:
- Carol Folt, USC president
- Anthony Bailey, vice president for strategic and global initiatives
- Willow Bay, USC Annenberg dean
- Felicia Washington, senior vice president for human resources
- Charles Zukoski, former provost
Individuals who prefer using a middle initial include:
- Monique S. Allard, USC vice president for student life
- Andrew T. Guzman, USC provost
- Amber D. Miller, USC Dornsife dean
- C. L. Max Nikias, former USC president, and Nikias’ wife, Niki C. Nikias
- Ishwar K. Puri, senior vice president for research and innovation
- Allissa V. Richardson, USC Annenberg associate professor
When people have two initials in their names, use periods with no spaces between the initials.
- Examples: E.F. Hutton, M.G. Lord
- The sole exception: former USC President C. L. Max Nikias (use a space between his initials)
Do not use commas to set off Jr., Sr., etc.
- Example: Martin Luther King Jr.
Note: Former USC Pacific Asia Museum Director Christina Yu Yu goes by the last name Yu on second reference.
USC schools and divisions
On first reference to a USC school, write out the school’s full name as specified here; use the shorter version in subsequent references.
- Example: USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
On subsequent mentions: USC Dornsife or USC Dornsife College
“The” should generally precede the long name and the medium-sized name (e.g. USC Dornsife College), but not the short name. Examples:
- She graduated from the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
- She graduated from the USC Dornsife College.
- She graduated from USC Dornsife.
Avoid abbreviations that may be understood within a school (SDA, SCA, IYA, etc.) but may be unfamiliar to people outside that school or USC.
Note that individual schools may have their own usages (for instance, the dance school might use the full name “USC Glorya Kaufman School of Dance,” while our style is the “USC Kaufman School of Dance”). Our style is based on contractual obligations that came with each naming gift.
THE SCHOOLS AND THEIR SHORT NAMES:
Keck School of Medicine of USC
Keck School
Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
Ostrow School
(Note: USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy organizationally are entities within the Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC.)
USC Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences
USC Mann or USC Mann School
USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
USC Annenberg or USC Annenberg School
USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
USC Leonard Davis or USC Leonard Davis School (always use the first name to avoid confusion with UC Davis)
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
USC Dornsife or USC Dornsife College
USC Gould School of Law
USC Gould or USC Gould School
USC Jimmy Iovine and Andre Young Academy (it was made a school in 2018)
USC Iovine and Young Academy
USC Kaufman School of Dance (housed in the Glorya Kaufman International Dance Center)
USC Kaufman or USC Kaufman School
USC Leventhal School of Accounting
USC Leventhal or USC Leventhal School
USC Libraries
USC Libraries
USC Marshall School of Business
USC Marshall or USC Marshall School
USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
USC Chan or USC Chan Division
USC Price School of Public Policy
USC Price or USC Price School
USC Roski School of Art and Design
USC Roski School (try not to use “USC Roski” to avoid confusion with the USC Roski Eye Institute)
USC Rossier School of Education
USC Rossier or USC Rossier School
USC School of Advanced Computing
School of Advanced Computing
USC School of Architecture
School of Architecture
USC School of Cinematic Arts
School of Cinematic Arts
USC School of Dramatic Arts
School of Dramatic Arts
USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
(must not be shortened; use “the school”)
USC Thornton School of Music
USC Thornton or USC Thornton School
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
USC Viterbi or USC Viterbi School
Keck entities have their own style. See “Keck Entities” entry.
Short versions of school names are allowed in USC in the News, the email blast on external media hits sent out by the media relations team in USC University Communications.
Other colleges and universities
Use the institution’s full name on first reference.
- Examples: Harvard University; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill on later references); California State University, Los Angeles; University of California, Berkeley.
For Cal State and UC schools, commas set off the specific location of the institution.
- Example: California State University, Long Beach, and University of California, Irvine, are two schools in Southern California.
Exceptions:
- Cal Poly Pomona and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo are acceptable on all references to California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and California State Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo.
- Caltech is acceptable on all references to California Institute of Technology.
- UCLA is acceptable on all references to the University of California, Los Angeles.
- Sports stories: Short names (“Stanford” instead of Stanford University, “Arizona State” instead of Arizona State University, etc.) are acceptable on first reference in sports stories. “Long Beach State” is acceptable on first reference to California State University, Long Beach, in sports stories.
TV station and radio station names
- Examples: NBC News Los Angeles affiliate KNBC-TV; CW Utica, N.Y., affiliate WBU-TV; NPR San Diego affiliate KPBS-FM
- Example of TV stations with no network affiliation: CLTV-TV
state names
An exception to AP’s current style, we do abbreviate most state names when running with a city or county, using the longer abbreviations (Ala., Ariz., Ark., etc.) as listed in the AP Stylebook’s state name entry (do not use postal abbreviations: AL, AZ, AK, etc.).
- Examples: He was traveling from Nashville, Tenn., to Austin, Texas, en route to his home in Albuquerque, N.M. She said Cook County, Ill., was Mayor Daley’s stronghold.
The names of eight states are never abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah
See the AP Stylebook’s “dateline” entry for the list of cities that stand alone without a state (or foreign cities that run without a country).
numbers
Follow AP style, which is to write out the numbers one to nine and use figures for 10 and up.
Use figures in headlines except where the number serves instead as a word:
- Examples (headlines): USC Dornsife adds 5 new majors; 7 named Distinguished Professors; USC named one of the best U.S. schools
Use figures when referring to age.
- Example: At age 5, she learned to read.
Use figures for percent and percentages.
- Examples: Rajid made 5% less than last year’s total. The stock fell 15 percentage points over the course of three months.
Use figures for dollar amounts and measurements.
- Examples: $3 million grant, 3-inch plywood
It’s “4 billion to 6 billion,” not “4 to 6 billion.”
orthopedic
Use the spelling “orthopaedic” only if it’s spelled that way in a formal name.
- Example: The Luskin Orthopaedic Institute for Children is part of UCLA Health.
president-elect
The phrase is hyphenated. As a title before a name, it is “USC President-elect Carol Folt.”
quotation marks
Put quotation marks around smaller components within stand-alone works, such as book chapters, titles of articles in academic journals or magazines, individual television show/series episodes, song titles, classes, fairy tales, names of seminars, titles of works of art, poem titles, lecture and speech titles. (For other works, see “Italics” entry.)
Conference names and festival names should be in roman (plain) text with no quotation marks.
Newspaper, magazine, journal and website names should be in roman (plain) text with no quotation marks.
Quotation marks go inside colons and semicolons. Quotation marks go outside commas, periods and exclamation marks.
Use single quotation marks in headlines and <h2> subheads; use double quotation marks in decks/excerpts and in email newsletter subject lines.
race and ethnicity
African American, Black, white, Latino and Hispanic are all acceptable. Respect an individual’s preferred term if a preference is expressed.
Do not use hyphens for African American, Asian American, etc.
- Examples: She taught African American studies. Irish Americans voted in large numbers.
residential colleges
The preferred term for USC’s undergraduate housing. Do not call them “dorms.”
résumé
In a variation from AP style (“resume”), we prefer to use the accent marks.
riot
Avoid using the words “riots” and “uprising” — “civil unrest” is often a better choice — to describe the events of April/May 1992 that followed the acquittal of four LAPD officers in the Rodney King beating. Use similar care when referring to the events of August 1965 in Watts.
(The Los Angeles Human Relations Commission notes that people focusing on the destruction of property largely use the term “1992 Riots,” while people focusing on the event as a response to systemic oppression largely use the term “1992 Uprising.”)
See the AP Stylebook entry on riot, unrest, protest, demonstration, uprising, revolt for additional guidance.
scholars
Capitalize titles like Rhodes Scholar, Rhodes Scholarship, Truman Scholar, Truman Scholarship.
South Los Angelesspecial characters
Use smart (curly) quotation marks and smart (curly) apostrophes.
- Examples: “Don’t go there,” she said.
On a Mac you can type then manually with these key combinations:
“ option-openbracket
” shift-option-openbracket
‘ option-closebracket
’ shift-option-closebracket
subheads
For USC News, USC Trojan Family Magazine and press releases, lowercase subheads.
- Examples: Health insurance or earthquake insurance, not Health Insurance or Earthquake Insurance
Suzanne Nora Johnson
The chair of the USC Board of Trustees is Suzanne Nora Johnson on first reference, “Nora Johnson” on second and subsequent references (not just “Johnson”).
Swim With Mike
tense
For USC News, use present tense for heds and decks, and generally use past tense for text.
For the USC Trojan Family Magazine, generally use present tense throughout.
theater vs. theatre
In generally usage, it’s theater, not theatre. For formal names of theater buildings, use the preferred spelling. Note that formal names of almost all of USC’s theater buildings are spelled -tre (Bing Theatre, Norris Cinema Theatre, etc.). An exception: the Songwriter’s Theater at the Music Center on the University Park Campus.
titles
Per AP style, titles are capitalized when they precede the name but not when they follow the name.
- Examples: USC Provost Andre T. Guzman, but Andrew T. Guzman, USC provost; USC Trustee Stayce Harris, but Stayce Harris, USC trustee
When titles are long, avoid overcapitalization by placing the title after the name.
- Examples: Jack H. Knott, dean of the USC Price School of Public Policy; Michael Quick, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs
President Emeritus, University Professor, University Archivist, Distinguished Professor, Provost Professor, Presidential Professor and named-chair titles are always capitalized — before or after a name.
- Examples: USC President Emeritus Steven B. Sample; Steven B. Sample, President Emeritus of USC; Chester A. Newland, the Duggan Distinguished Professor of Public Administration
Town and Gown; Town & Gown
The building on the University Park Campus is Town and Gown.
The organization is Town & Gown of USC on first reference, Town & Gown on subsequent references.
Trojan Family
This broad term includes everyone who is part of the “family”: students, parents, faculty, staff, alumni, even friends of the university.
UCLA
Acceptable on all references to the University of California, Los Angeles.
undocumented immigrant
Not “illegal immigrant”
United Kingdom, United Nations, United States
Spell out “United States” in text when used as a noun (except in a direct quote where someone says something else, like “U.S.”).
Abbreviate as U.K., U.N. and U.S., with periods. These are exceptions to AP Style (which would have UK, UN and US without periods in headlines).
USC
Acceptable on all references to the university. Spell out “University of Southern California” only in the rarest, formal instances or when used in a direct quote. (Note that “the” is not part of the university’s name.)
Avoid ’SC; USC is preferred.
Never abbreviate as “Southern Cal.”
USC Amy King Dundon-Berchtold University Club at King Stoops Hall
Use this full name on first reference. On subsequent references, it’s the USC Dundon-Berchtold University Club or just “the club.”
USC Annenberg Charlotta Bass Journalism and Justice Lab
Note that it is “USC Annenberg” (not just “USC”) and “and” (rather than an ampersand).
USC Center for AI in Society, USC Center for Generative AI and Society
Two different entities. Avoid the abbreviations CAIS or CGAIS if possible.
USC Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Institute for Biomedical Therapeutics
Use this full name on first reference. On subsequent references, it’s the USC Ginsburg Institute.
USC Engemann Student Health Center
Use this full name on first reference to the facility, which is run by USC Student Health.
USC Epstein Family Center for Sports Medicine
Use this full name on first reference.
USC Games
The program should be identified as is a joint program of the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Interactive Media & Games Division and the USC Viterbi School of Engineering.
USC Government and Civic Engagement
Not the USC Office of Government and Civic Engagement. When referring to the offices, it is “USC Civic Engagement” and “USC Government Relations.”
USC Hotel
The former Radisson was rebranded as the USC Hotel on Jan. 1, 2019; note that “the” is not part of its name. Built in 1974, the hotel was initially managed by Hilton Hotels, later becoming a Crowne Plaza and a Radisson. USC purchased it in 2000.
USC International Academy at Davidson Conference Center
The building was formerly the Davidson Continuing Education Center.
USC Leslie and William McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative
Use this full name on first reference. On subsequent references, it’s the USC McMorrow Neighborhood Academic Initiative or just “the initiative.”
USC Leventhal School of Accounting
It is a unit of the USC Marshall School of Business.
USC Libraries
Sometime singular, sometimes plural. Follow the lead of the USC Libraries staff on any given piece.
USC Mary and Mark Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute
USC Stevens Neuroimaging and Informatics Institute on second reference or just “the institute.”
USC Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience
The entity is Michelson Center for Convergent Bioscience (USC Michelson Center on subsequent reference).
The building is Michelson Hall for Convergent Bioscience (usually called Michelson Hall). Use photos of the building instead of the preconstruction artist renderings — but if for reason you do use a rendering, be sure to use the rendering that says just “Michelson Hall.”
See also Bridge Institute.
USC President’s House
The estate in the city of San Marino, formerly the Seeley G. Mudd Estate, was sold in 2021 and is no longer a USC facility.
USC Roski School of Art and Design, USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute
The art and design school is the USC Roski School of Art and Design on first reference, and the USC Roski School thereafter.
The eye institute is the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute on first reference, and the Roski Eye Institute thereafter.
Do not use “USC Roski” to avoid confusion between the art school and the eye institute.
USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service, USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics
Note the ampersands. On subsequent references, it’s the USC Schaeffer Institute (or the institute) and the USC Schaeffer Center (or the center), but not just USC Schaeffer. The USC Schaeffer Institute includes the USC Schaeffer Center and the Leonard D. Schaeffer Fellows in Government Service.
USC School of Advanced Computing
It is a unit of the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and formally comes into existence on July 1, 2024.
USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education
In text, use the full name on first reference (and there is no “the” before the name). On subsequent reference, it can be USC Shoah Foundation, the Shoah Foundation, the foundation or the institute. Never use just “Shoah.”
- Examples: She made a donation to USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education. Her donation will allow USC Shoah Foundation to increase its programming. The Shoah Foundation’s Dimensions in Testimony enables people to ask questions that prompt real-time responses from pre-recorded video interviews with Holocaust survivors and other witnesses to genocide. The foundation’s offices are in Leavey Library. The institute does important work.
In headlines and decks, “USC Shoah Foundation” is fine.
USC Song
Formerly the Song Girls but no longer. “USC Song” on first reference; “the squad,” “the team,” etc. on subsequent mentions.
- Example: The USC Trojan Marching Band and USC Song will perform at the Coliseum.
USC sports teams
Generally we do not capitalize the name of the sport (e.g. “USC baseball,” not ”USC Baseball).
- Example: USC’s baseball team faces Stanford on Monday (although USC Athletics would say “USC Baseball faces Stanford on Monday”).
USC Student Health
Part of Keck Medicine of USC (not part of the Keck School of Medicine of USC), this entity that runs the USC Engemann Student Health Center on the University Park Campus and the USC Eric Cohen Student Health Center on the Health Sciences Campus.
USC Student Life
Formerly USC Student Affairs.
USC Tower at South Park Center
The formal name of the 32-story building at 1150 S. Olive St. (briefly known as USC Center). Designed by noted architect William Pereira and completed in 1965, it was formerly known as the AT&T Center (and the Transamerica Building before that). It houses a variety of USC offices, along with other tenants.
USC Trojan Family Magazine
Not Trojan Family Magazine. Don’t say “TFM” in any public-facing usage.
When referring to USC Trojan Family Magazine issues, write Spring 2012 or Autumn 2012 (capitalize with no comma before the year).
USC Trojan Marching Band
It’s the USC Trojan Marching Band on first reference. On subsequent reference, it can be the Trojan Marching Band, the Spirit of Troy or just “the band.” Do not call it TMB.
USC Village
Never “the USC Village.” If you just say “the village,” then “village” is lowercase. The $700 million retail-residential complex is the largest development in the history of the university and the largest in the history of South Los Angeles.
The building with the spire on it is Leavey Honors Hall (formally the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation Honors Hall), which contains the McCarthy Honors College (formally the Kathleen L. McCarthy Honors College) and the Honors Residence Hall. The Leavey and McCarthy names are thanks to a gift from the Thomas and Dorothy Leavey Foundation, chaired by USC Trustee Kathleen Leavey McCarthy (daughter of Thomas and Dorothy Leavey).
In another building is the Ghada and Ray Irani Residential College on first reference, Irani College thereafter.
The large public space anchored by the statue of Hecuba, queen of Troy is the central piazza.
The large grassy area on the village’s northwest side, which McClintock Avenue wraps around, is the Great Lawn.
The lawn at the corner of Jefferson Boulevard and McClintock Avenue, where the Bank of America used to be, doesn’t have a name.
The students’ residential rooms should be called “suites”; however, it is preferable to link them as much as possible to the “residential college” (“residential college suite” or “suite in the residential college” are options). The rooms are not “dorm rooms” and the buildings are not “dorms.”
USC welcome experience
Formerly Welcome Week, but no longer.
Visions and Voices
Although the logo uses the ampersand, the word “and” is spelled out in most uses so that will be our style.
web, website
Lowercase in keeping with AP style change of June 1, 2016. The word website is written as one word with a lowercase w.
In most cases, do not include “https://” or “www.” However, there are some cases in which these are necessary, so it’s best to double-check the website addresses.
The last forward slash is not needed in web addresses.
Class Notes in USC Trojan Family Magazine
The best way to learn how to write the Class Notes section is to study previous issues of the magazine and model everything off them.
The most important thing is consistency within the issue.
Academic degrees: Follow the list provided in the USC Style Guide.
School abbreviations: The school should be written without periods: LAS, ARC, SCA, DEN, ENG, SFA and follows the appropriate graduation year and is contained in parenthesis. If the person received multiple degrees from the same school, then the school abbreviation follows the last degree and graduation year listed.
Examples:
- Marguerite Sadler ’83 (LAS), JD ’86 (LAW) was recently promoted to senior vice president and corporate counsel at Club Holdings LLC.
- Jane Doe MA ’12, PhD ’12 (LAS) is currently serving as executive director of Alpha Academy.
List of abbreviations
LAS – USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
ACC – USC Leventhal School of Accounting
ARC – USC School of Architecture
BUS – USC Marshall School of Business
SCA – USC School of Cinematic Arts
SCJ – USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism
DNC – USC Kaufman School of Dance
DEN – Herman Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC
DRA – USC School of Dramatic Arts
EDU – USC Rossier School of Education
ENG – USC Viterbi School of Engineering
ART – USC Roski School of Art and Design
GRN – USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology
LAW – USC Gould School of Law
LIB – USC Libraries
MED – Keck School of Medicine of USC
MUS – USC Thornton School of Music
OST – USC Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy
PHM – USC Mann School of Pharmacy
BPT – Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy
SPP – USC Price School of Public Policy
SSW – USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work
Under the appropriate graduation decade, enter the person’s name in bold, type of degree(s) only if it’s anything other than a bachelor’s, degree year(s), school affiliation in parenthesis, followed by the announcement.
- NEVER put periods in between the letters if the degree comes directly after a person’s name. For ex. “Doris Smith MA, PhD ’05 (LAS) was promoted to president of XYZ Co.”
- NEVER put periods in between the letters if the degree is listed alone, not next to a name (see Academic Degrees). For ex. “Doris Smith graduated with her MA in 2000 then decided to pursue a DDS.
- If a person has multiple degrees, separate by commas and type the degree followed by the year.
Examples:
1950s
Mark Brauer ’50 (BUS), MA ’53 (LAS) was elected president of Ackmecie Consultants, a business-consulting firm based in Corpus Christi, Texas. (This indicates he received his bachelor’s in 1950 and master’s in 1953.)
1970s
Clyde Cronkhite MPA ’73, DPA ’91 (SPP) published the book Criminal Justice Administration: Strategies for the 21st Century.
(This indicates he received his MPA in 1973 and his DPA in 1991.)
-Include the school the person graduated from in parenthesis after the appropriate graduation year listed (see School Abbreviation).
-If a woman gives her maiden name, put it in parentheses between the first and last name, or middle initial/name (if provided) and last name.
Example:
Jennifer Ann (Smith) Brown
(Her maiden name is Smith, but now she goes by Jennifer Brown.)
-Nicknames (if given) go in quotes between the first and last name, or first name and middle initial/name (if provided).
Examples: William “Skip” Johnson, Josephine M. “Jo” McGee
-Try to make each entry as concise but descriptive as possible. Give a brief description of the company/business the person works for if it’s not very well known. If a person is given an award, mention the organization that gave the award. Provide brief descriptions (genre, five-word summary, etc.) of any books people write.
-Whenever possible, include some kind of reference to where the person lives. Examples:
-Norman C. Bitter DDS of Fresno, Calif., published ….
-Joseph Rivera EdD was re-elected as a governing board member of the El Rancho Unified School District in Pico Rivera, Calif.
-Jeff Lenning had an article on application servers published by the Journal of Accountancy. He lives in Irvine, Calif.
-Bold the name of all alumni that are mentioned in each class note and include their class year.
Marriages
-Same format/method for listing names and degrees as Class Notes. Only put alumni names in bold; if their spouses did not go to USC, do not bold their names.
-General format:
-Alumni Name [year/degree] [(school)] and Alumni Name [year/degree] [(school)] (This is if both people in the announcement are alumni)
-Include the school the person graduated from in parenthesis after the appropriate graduation year listed (see School Abbreviation).
-List chronologically – Whoever graduated first gets listed first. If both people in the announcement graduated in the same year, arrange their names alphabetically
-Alumni Name [year/degree] [(school)] and Spouse Name (This is if only one person is an alum)
-Always list the alum’s name first
-Only put a period at the very end of the marriage announcement section—not after each individual announcement.
Class Notes Style Manual for USC Trojan Family Magazine (Revised May 2013)
Births and Adoptions
-Same format/method for listing names and degrees as Class Notes. Only put alumni names in bold; if their spouses did not go to USC, do not bold their names.
-General format:
-Arrange all birth announcements chronologically by graduation year. If both people in the announcement graduated in the same year, put the woman’s name first. Include the school the person graduated from in parenthesis after the appropriate graduation year listed (see School Abbreviation).
-If the baby joins siblings, say:
“[He/She] joins [brother(s)/sister(s)/siblings (if the baby joins a mix of brothers and sisters)] [name of sibling], [age, if provided]”
Examples:
-Cristin Powitzky Murphy ’94 (ENG) and Derek Murphy, a daughter, Tessa Grace. She joins brothers Ryan, 5, and Troy, 2
-Alli (Tapio) Gardea ’85 (LAS), MBA ’87 (BUS) and Rene Gardea ’90 (SFA), a son, Benjamin Jude. He joins sister, Anita, and brothers Emilio, Matthew and Tadeo
-Sometimes birth announcement submissions include names of family members who also graduated from USC. Put alumni names in bold and do the same format for listing their degrees as you do for Class Notes. Arrange in order according to generational status: great-grandparents, great-aunts/uncles, grandparents, aunts/uncles, nieces/nephews, cousins
“[He/She] is the [relation] of [Alumni Name] [year/degree]”
Example:
Matthew Tonkovich ’92 (SSW) and Babe (Foster) Tonkovich ’04 (LAS), a daughter, Petra Jeanette. She joins brothers Ryder Dean and August James. She is the great-great-granddaughter of Ruth (Dallman) Launer ’16 (LAS), the great- granddaughter of Earl Harris ’39 (LAS) and Eunice (Launer) Harris ’39 (LAS), the great-grandniece of Ruthmarie (Launer) Gruber ’41 (MUS), the granddaughter of
Janet (Harris) Tonkovich ’65 (SED), the grandniece of Kathleen (Harris) Windsor ’66 (SED), the niece of Diane (Tonkovich) Miller ’92 (MUS), Gregory Tonkovich
’94, MS ’01 (LAS) and Jaclyn (Talarico) Tonkovich MA ’01 (LAS), and the cousin of
Divita Elliott ’93 (SCJ)
– Only put a period at the very end of the birth announcement section—not after each individual announcement. Do, however, put a period at the end of each sentence within the individual announcement; but don’t put a period at the end of the last sentence in the individual announcement.
– Treat adoptions in the same way as you treat births. Don’t specify anywhere in the announcement that it’s an adoption.
In Memoriam
-Same format/method for listing names and degrees as Class Notes
-Include the school the person graduated from in parenthesis after the appropriate graduation year listed (see School Abbreviation).
-Arrange chronologically by graduation year. If two people graduated in the same year, arrange alphabetically
-Non-alumni go at the end of the obit section under subhead “Faculty, Staff & Friends,” and are listed in alphabetical order. Non-alumni are classified into three groups: those who attended USC, but did not graduate nor receive a degree; those who donated a monetary gift to the university; and those who served as a member of the Board of Trustees. Oftentimes, an alum also was a USC faculty/staff/friend. In those cases, place obituary under “Faculty, Staff & Friends” and include the graduation year(s), degree(s) and school affiliation.
(Print Version) Each obit should include:
-Alumni Name
[year/degree], [City/Town, State]; [date of death] at the age of [age]
Examples: -Louis A. Hebert
’35 (LAS), Northbrook, Ill.; July 20 at the age of 96
-Robert Pike Whitten
’35 (ARC), Glendale, Calif.; Nov. 12 at the age of 98
-Only put a period at the very end of the “In Memoriam” section – not after each individual announcement.
(web version) Each obit should include the above – Alumni Name [year/degree], of [City/Town, State]; [date of death], of [cause of death], at the age of [age].
-In the second sentence of the obit (after the first sentence with all the necessary biographical info), establish his/her connection to USC
-Generally, we try to stick to mentioning professional accomplishments, life achievements, professional affiliations and family info. We try to omit things like hobbies and sentimental remarks from family members (“He was a loving father” etc.)
-General Notes: It is extremely important that you type all names exactly as they were given to us – even if it breaks our normal style. This goes for the deceased and all names of the family members. This can be a very touchy subject among the family. Also, check, double-check and triple-check all information you’re including in the obits. It can be extremely upsetting to the family if any piece of information is wrong – especially things like misspellings of family names, omissions of certain relatives etc.
2024
March 29: Dramatic Arts Building
Feb. 15: USC Center for AI in Society, USC Center for Generative AI in Society, USC Schaeffer Institute for Public Policy & Government Service
Feb. 5: Clarifying USC Shoah Foundation in headlines and decks
Feb. 2: School of Advanced Computing is real; clarifies moonshots and Trojan Family; LeVar Burton
2023
Dec. 13: Double quotation marks in email newsletter subject lines
Nov. 30: Link to Keck Medicine of USC branding video
Nov. 16: Freeways and highways; United States
Oct. 16: Carol Folt (no middle initial)
Sept. 27: advisor
Sept. 14: credits
Sept. 13: riot
Sept. 11: USC Shoah Foundation — The Institute for Visual History and Education.
Sept. 6: U.K, U.N., U.S.
Sept. 5: gaming, video gaming
Aug. 29: Latine Student Assembly, Latinx/e Heritage Month
Aug. 17: USC Song
Aug. 16: USC Student Life
Aug. 14: Use of italics when a movie title, etc., is part of a longer name
Aug. 7: Dr. Allen and Charlotte Ginsburg Human-Centered Computation Hall, USC School of Advanced Computing
June 21: homecoming
June 16: Italicize podcasts
May 22: artificial intelligence, AI
May 3: Los Angeles General Medical Center
April 26: Alumni Memorial Park
April 10: fellow, fellowship
April 4: Allyson Felix
March 28: Alfred E. Mann Charities and Alfred E. Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering
March 21: internment vs. incarceration
March 20: cardinal and gold, Cardinal and Gold
March 17: Reminder regarding Ellison Institute
March 15: Use a middle initial with Carol L. Folt; USC Capital Campus
March 7: Italicize court cases
* Revisions since March 7, 2023