Our Name Matters

The correct and consistent use of our name across all communications and media is essential to building awareness and reinforcing our identity.

 
Full Name/First Use:

University of Colorado Denver

 

Short Name/Subsequent Use:

CU Denver

 

 

Unacceptable Names for University of Colorado Denver

All other uses or variations are unacceptable, including

  • UC Denver
  • UCD, CUD, DC, DDC (no acronyms)
  • Denver Campus
  • Downtown Denver Campus, Downtown Campus at Denver
  • @Denver (no “at” or symbol) hyphens or commas before “Denver”

School and Unit Names

Consistent naming doesn't stop at the university level. The names of CU Denver's schools, centers, and units should also reflect a proactive approach to continuity.

 

Schools and Colleges

For first use, always use the full school name. Subsequent uses, or those directed at familiar audiences, may use the appropriate school acronym (noted in parentheses) instead.

  • College of Architecture and Planning (CAP)
  • College of Arts & Media (CAM)
  • Business School
  • School of Education & Human Development (SEHD)
  • College of Engineering, Design and Computing (CEDC)
  • College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS)
  • School of Public Affairs (SPA)
  • Graduate School

 

Centers and Units

Naming conventions for centers and units vary, depending on individual needs and practices. For consistency, be straightforward and exclude extraneous words such as "office of" or "department of" whenever possible. Some examples:

  • Institute for International Business
  • National Center for Media Forensics
  • Comcast Media and Technology Center
  • University Communications (versus Office of University Communications)
  • Student Success (versus Division of Student Success)
  • International Admissions (versus Office of International Admissions)

Spirit Identity/Mascot-Related Naming

Naming guidelines related to CU Denver’s spirit identity or lynx mascot is covered in the Spirit Marks section of this website. To request a program name related to spirit or our mascot, please submit a naming form for review.