Guidelines for the College and its Units
These naming guidelines helps our college and units have a consistent approach to communications and how present ourselves and our brand.
Our Name:
When it comes to branding, consistency is key – consistency in design, text and in our name. If we expect external audiences, including the media and the general public, to refer to us correctly, we must do so internally, as well. Whenever possible, we refer to ourselves by our full name – The College of Fine and Applied Arts. When a shorter term is needed, we refer to ourselves as FAA.
In Writing:
In writing, the first reference should always be our full name and the word “College” is capitalized. After this instance, FAA can be used on its own when necessary. Second and subsequent references also can be “college” (lowercase) in instances when no other colleges are referenced.
Example: The College of Fine and Applied Arts is a creative place to study. FAA has much to offer. Students accepted into the college have access to a great range of experiences.
Similar rules are followed for our academic units. We always use the official unit name for the first reference in writing, and then follow with the approved shortened version. The chart below shows the approved official and shortened versions of department names.
Example: The Department of Urban and Regional Planning offers two different master’s degrees. Have you considered applying to Planning?
While we capitalize a unit name when we refer to the specific school or department, we do not capitalize when we refer to it in a general sense.
Example: Enrique is completing his undergraduate degree through the Department of Dance. He studies dance at the university.
FAA Unit Official Names and Abbreviations
How to refer to FAA units in writing.
| Official FAA Unit Name | Second Reference |
|---|---|
| School of Architecture | Architecture |
| School of Art and Design | Art and Design |
| Department of Dance | Dance |
| Department of Landscape Architecture | Landscape Architecture |
| School of Music | Music |
| Department of Theatre | Theatre |
| Department of Urban and Regional Planning | Planning |
| Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Design | Sustainable Design |
| Japan House | N/A |
| Krannert Art Museum | KAM |
| Krannert Center for the Performing Arts | Krannert Center |
More Details & Examples
Including the University Name:
On many occasions, it is important to make an early and direct connection with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and to draw on the strength of our unified brand. This is especially true when engaging with audiences who may be less familiar with us or are hearing from us directly for the first time. In this case, on first reference use “the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s College of Fine and Applied Arts” or “The College of Fine and Applied Arts at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.” Subsequent references remain the same as above.
& / + / and
In most running text communications like emails, newsletters, and print publications we never use a symbol to represent the word "and" in the names of our college or units. We simply write out "Fine and Applied Arts", or "Department of Urban and Regional Planning". This standard applies to email signatures as well when you list your unit. In graphics and images, we can use the ampersand (for example, in certain wordmarks – see below for more details). We never use the plus sign as a substitute for the word and in written communications or in graphics, including the college wordmark.
| Reference Name | Communication/materials |
|---|---|
| Fine and Applied Arts | Emails, newsletters, brochures, advancement materials, digital signs, email signatures |
| Fine & Applied Arts | Wordmarks and graphics |
| Fine + Applied Arts | None |
| FAA | Social media posts |
More details
In Conversation:
It is best to always use the college’s full name in conversation with external audiences and people who are not intimately familiar with The College of Fine and Applied Arts. However, acronyms and nicknames are often used as an internal shorthand – a way for us all to refer to ourselves without using our full name. Similarly, in casual conversation, we sometimes refer to a unit by a familiar name. But in written communications, always use the official unit title. After the first reference, you may shorten the official title with the approved list. Avoid using symbols and acronyms (with the exception of FAA and KAM).
Search Engine Optimization:
Using our college naming conventions correctly and consistently is crucial to our search engine optimization strategy and to our ongoing efforts to build our reputation and improve our rankings.
In any web stories that you create, it’s important to work in “The College of Fine and Applied Arts” at least once per page. Also use that as an opportunity to link to the FAA homepage in your inline text.
Things to Avoid:
In any official or external communications, do not use acronyms or unapproved unit names or abbreviations like “DAI” for the Department of Dance, or “ISOA” for the School of Architecture.