Albert E. Warrens Reception Center Formerly called the Julia Morgan House.
Academic Senate
Academic Titles Academic titles are tricky. At Chico State, ranks and titles abound. Instructor or Lecturer is a non-tenure track appointment that may include full-time or part-time assignments. Avoid the term adjunct.
An Assistant Professor is on tenure track but has not yet achieved tenure. An Associate Professor has earned tenure but not been promoted to full Professor. Professor is the highest appointment for a faculty member.
Acker Gym Acceptable on all references to Arthur Acker Gymnasium.
Adventure Outings Acceptable on all references. Do not abbreviate
Alumni Glen
Alumni House (See Ella Caroline Sapp Hall.)
Accessibility Resource Center Not disability services. Use ARC on second reference.
arboretum Lowercase in reference to Chico State’s arboretum, the outdoor areas throughout campus where plants have been cultivated for scientific and educational purposes
Associated Students on first reference, A.S. thereafter. A.S. should be abbreviated when coupled to a program such as A.S. Programming or A.S. Recycling.
Avenues A neighborhood north of campus. No apostrophe. Avoid use of Aves unless in direct quote.
Ayres Hall Acceptable for all references to John C. Ayres Hall.
Aymer J. Hamilton Building
Between the Stairs and the Office Gallery An art gallery located at the first floor of Ayres Hall. B-SO Space is OK after first reference.
Bell Memorial Union on first reference, BMU thereafter. Refers to Hugh M. Bell Memorial Union.
Bidwell Bowl The campus amphitheater along Big Chico Creek.
Bidwell Mansion
Bidwell Park Capitalize the proper names of places within the park: the Bear Hole, Upper Bidwell Park, Bidwell Park Golf Course. But lower case general references such as the park, lower park, the grove.
Bidwell-Sacramento State Park on first reference. Use the state park on second reference.
Big Chico Creek First reference for the 45 mile creek that runs from Colby Mountain through Bidwell Park and Chico State and into the Sacramento River.
Big Chico Creek Ecological Reserve on first reference. The 3,950 acre reserve is owned by Chico State Enterprises. Use the reserve on second reference.
Blue Room Theatre
businesses Please find the website or Facebook page for any and all businesses, then spell the name exactly as it appears on the website or Facebook page, e.g. Tender Loving Coffee. Pay attention to possessives, plurals and unique spellings, e.g. Bill’s Towne Lounge.
Butte College Not Butte Community College.
Butte County Public Health Department Not Butte County Department of Health.
Butte County Jail
Butte County Sheriff’s Office
Butte Hall
Butte Station
CalFresh
California Collegiate Athletic Association spelled out on first reference; CCAA thereafter.
California Faculty Association Spelled out on first reference; CFA thereafter.
California Highway Patrol for first reference. Use CHP on second reference.
The California State University system The CSU system is acceptable in all references. A breakdown of correct usages for each campus:
Chico All references, Chico State
Bakersfield all references, Cal State Bakersfield
Channel Islands All references, Cal State Channel Islands
Dominguez Hills All references, Cal State Dominguez Hills
Fresno First reference, Fresno State; second reference: Fresno State or Fresno
Fullerton All references: Cal State Fullerton
East Bay (Hayward) All references: Cal State East Bay
Humboldt All references: Humboldt State
Long Beach All references: Long Beach State
Los Angeles All references: Cal State L.A.
Maritime Academy First reference: California Maritime Academy; second reference: Cal Maritime
Monterey Bay All references: Cal State Monterey Bay
Northridge All references: Cal State Northridge
Pomona All references: Cal Poly Pomona
Sacramento All references: Sacramento State
San Bernardino All references: Cal State San Bernardino
San Diego All references: San Diego State
San Francisco All references: San Francisco State
San Jose All references: San Jose State
San Luis Obispo All references: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo
San Marcos All references: Cal State San Marcos
Sonoma All references: Sonoma State
Stanislaus All references: Cal State Stanislaus
Camp Fire Not the Paradise fire. The fire started on Nov. 8, 2018, on Camp Creek Road in Butte County and 85 people from Paradise died.
Campus Alcohol and Drug Education Center on first reference, CADEC thereafter.
Career Center
CARE Team Acceptable for all references to Campus Assessment Response and Education.
CAVE Acceptable for all references to Community Action Volunteers in Education, but it may be helpful for readers to include the proper name somewhere high in the story.
Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies
Center for Continuing Education
Center for Healthy Communities on first reference. CHC or the center on second reference.
Chico Area Recreation & Park District on second reference, CARD.
Chico City Council
Chico Enterprise-Record Drop Chico on second reference.
Chico News & Review Drop Chico on second reference.
Chico Police Department on first reference. Chico PD on second reference.
Chico State Hungry Wildcat Food Pantry
Chico State Wildcat Store Wildcat Store on second reference.
The City of Chico The proper noun for the city government. Do not use city of Chico when simply referring to Chico.
City Plaza The downtown park between Fourth and Fifth streets.
colleges Chico State has six colleges, plus the Office of Graduate Studies and Regional & Continuing Education. Colleges are made up of departments and some departments contain programs. Use lowercase when possible to avoid inaccuracy.
College Panhellenic Council
Colusa Hall
Common Grounds
Community Legal Information Center on first reference, CLIC thereafter.
Cross-Cultural Leadership Clinic on first reference, CCLC thereafter.
degrees Use the lowercase version of relevant academic degrees. Keep in mind that some degrees are singular and possessive, e.g. bachelor’s in journalism, master’s in biology. Exception: holds a doctorate in English. Avoid abbreviations like Ph.D.
department Lowercase in most references unless using the full title of the academic department, e.g. Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations. Make sure the discipline is a department, not a program. Incorrect: He works for the Department of Journalism. Correct: He works for Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations. Also correct, he teaches in the journalism department.
Department Chair is a formal title capitalized before a name: Department Chair Aaron Quinn. You should also mention the department to avoid confusion, e.g. Aaron Quinn, chair of Chico State’s Department of Journalism & Public Relations.
Deen House
doctor Unlike AP Style, The Orion encourages the use of the title Dr. before a person’s name, e.g. Dr. Susan Wiesinger of the Journalism & Public Relations Department. Always make it clear in what department the doctor works or in what discipline the doctor specializes. You may also avoid Dr. by using the phrase who holds a doctorate in journalism. Only use Ph.D. in a long list of faculty or experts. Do not assume that all faculty have a doctorate. Many do not.
dorms Dorm and dorms are acceptable as generic references. Dorms on campus include:
Esken Hall
Konkow Hall
Lassen Hall
Mechoopda Hall
Shasta Hall
University Village
Whitney Hall
Sutter Hall
Eagle Lake
Educational Opportunity Program on first reference. EOP on second reference.
Ella Caroline Sapp Hall Official name of the building known as the Alumni House; refer on first reference as Ella Caroline Sapp Hall; Alumni House on second reference.
Enloe Medical Center Enloe on second reference.
the Esplanade Lowercase the. Pronounced: Es-pluh-neyd.
Financial Aid & Scholarship Office Acceptable as a first reference. Second reference: Financial Aid. Lowercase if not referring to the office: He applied for financial aid.
Founder’s Week
Gender & Sexuality Equity Coalition (to replace Women’s Center entry): Formally known as the Women’s Center. GSEC or the coalition on second reference.
Glenn Hall
George Petersen Rose Garden on first reference; the Rose Garden thereafter.
Gus Manolis Bridge Dedicated for the former football coach and located between Selvester’s Café and Holt Hall
Harlen Adams Theatre
Highway 32 is acceptable in all references for California State Route 32
Highway 99 is acceptable in all references for California State Route 99
Holt Hall Acceptable on all references for Vesta Holt Hall.
Old Hutch’s Plaza
Interfraternity Council IFC on second reference.
Instructional Media Center on first reference, IMC thereafter.
Ivy/Warner streets Ivy Street becomes Warner Street north of Big Chico Creek.
Jacki Headley Art Gallery
Janet Levy Center
Janet Turner Print Gallery
KCSC KCSC, an Internet station, is the Associated Students-supported radio station. No periods are used for radio/television call letters.
Kendall Hall Acceptable on all references for Glenn Kendall Hall.
Langdon Engineering Center Acceptable on all references for Herbert F. Langdon Engineering Center.
Larry Wismer Theatre
Lassen National Forest on first reference. LNF is acceptable on second reference.
Lassen Volcanic National Park on first reference. Lassen is acceptable on second reference.
Laxson Auditorium
Little Chico Creek
majors/minors Please lowercase all academic majors, minors and disciplines unless the word itself is a proper noun: She is journalism major and an English minor.
Marketplace Café
Mary Lemcke Camellia Garden
Meriam Library
Modoc Hall
Monstros Pizza
Multicultural & Gender Studies Department Not to be confused with the Center for Bilingual/Multicultural Studies.
Nettleton Stadium Home of the Chico State Wildcat baseball team. The game will be at Nettleton Stadium.
Northern California
North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve on first reference. Table Mountain reserve acceptable on second reference. (See Table Mountain)
north state/north valley Use two words, both lowercase.
NSPR North State Public Radio on first reference. NSPR on second reference. The station (91.7 FM) is a partnership between Chico State and Cap Radio. Chico State Enterprises owns the license and Cap Radio runs the station.
O’Connell Technology Center Acceptable on all references to John F. O’Connell Technology Center.
Oroville Dam The tallest dam in the U.S.
Performing Arts Center on first reference, PAC thereafter.
Physical Science Building
Plumas Hall
resident adviser Do not capitalize before a name. On second reference it may be abbreviated to RA when referring to a specific adviser. The RA inspected the room. Avoid generic terms such as He wanted to be an RA.
Roth Planetarium
Rush/Rush Week
Ruth Rowland-Taylor Recital Theater
Sapp Hall (See Ella Caroline Sapp Hall.)
Science Building
Selvester’s Cafe on first reference, Selvester’s thereafter. Refers to John I. Selvester Cafe.
Shasta Hall
Shurmer Gym Acceptable on all references for Jane W. Shurmer Gymnasium.
Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.
Siskiyou Hall
south-campus area A neighborhood south of campus. Instead of avenues, the area has streets such as Fifth Street.
Southern California
Stiles Warehouse
Student Learning Center on first reference, SLC thereafter.
Student Services Center on first reference, SSC thereafter.
Sutter Dining Hall
Table Mountain in all references to the volcanic mesa between Chico and Oroville. Table Mountain emcompasses more than just the North Table Mountain Ecological Reserve.
Taylor Hall Acceptable on all references for Alva P. Taylor Hall.
Tehama Hall
The Orion capitalize The.
Thursday Night Market Not to be confused with the Chico Farmers Market on Saturday mornings.
Trinity Hall
Trinity Commons Formerly the Free Speech Area.
University Art Gallery
University Box Office
University Farm
University Housing
The University of California system All references: The UC system. A breakdown of schools:
Berkeley All references: UC Berkeley
Davis All references: UC Davis
Irvine All references: UC Irvine
Los Angeles All references: UCLA
Riverside All references: UC Riverside
San Diego All references: UC San Diego
San Francisco All references: UC San Francisco
Santa Barbara All references: UC Santa Barbara
Santa Cruz All references: UC Santa Cruz
University Police The proper name for the Chico State police department.
University Stadium not University Track.
vice president The official title is “vice president for” not “vice president of.” Thus the title is “vice president for Academic Affairs.” Capitalize before a name, e.g. Chico State Vice President of Student Affairs Thomas R. Rios
Veterans Affairs Office
Wellcat Counseling Center
WellCat Health Center
Wildcat Recreation Center Use on first reference. On second reference and in headlines, WREC.
Wildcats In sports reference, use Wildcats and avoid terms such as Lady Cats should be avoided. Wildcats is plural so the correct pronoun is they.
Willie Wildcat Official mascot of the Chico State Wildcats.
Writing Center
Yolo Hall
