AHS- and UIC-specific terminology

Guidelines

Writing about AHS

Our college’s full name is the University of Illinois Chicago College of Applied Health Sciences.
This can be shortened to UIC College of Applied Health Sciences or College of Applied Health Sciences.
We are never the College of Applied Health or the College of Applied Health Science.

Abbreviate as AHS, not CAHS.

Refer to AHS as “we,” not “it.”

Use the full name rather than the acronym on first reference. Unless subsequent references follow promptly after the first, spell out the name each time.

Departments

Capitalize a formal department name, preferably preceded by “the UIC” or “UIC’s”:

  • Department of Disability and Human Development
  • The UIC Department of Disability and Human Development
  • UIC’s Department of Disability and Human Development

When inverting the order of the words, lowercase all of them

  • the occupational therapy department

Subsequent references should be written simply as:

  • the department

In describing the relationship between a department and AHS, the correct phrasing is that the department is in the college, not of the college:

  • The Department of Occupational Therapy in the College of Applied Health Sciences

Programs

Capitalize a formal  program name, preferably preceded by “the UIC” or “UIC’s”:

  • UIC Program in Health Informatics
  • UIC’s Program in Health Informatics

When inverting the order of the words, lowercase all of them:

  • the health informatics program

Subsequent references should be written simply as:

  • the program

 

AHS terms

Buildings: Spell out building names on first reference. Unless subsequent references follow promptly after the first, spell out the name each time.

AHSB: Applied Health Sciences Building
CMET: College of Medicine East Tower
DHSP: Disability, Health and Social Policy Building
PEB: Physical Education Building

Degree abbreviations: In general, avoid abbreviating department names on the website or in other materials for external audiences. The following abbreviations are acceptable in indicating a student or alumnus degree program, e.g., “Jane Doe ’13 MS HI”

BHI: Biomedical and health informatics
BVIS: Biomedical visualization
DIS: Disability studies
DHD: Disability and human development
HI: Health informatics
HIM: Health information management
KN: Kinesiology and nutrition
KINES: Kinesiology
NUT: Nutrition
OT: Occupational therapy
PT: Physical therapy
RS: Rehabilitation sciences

Departments: There are five academic departments in our college:

Department of Biomedical and Health Information Sciences (not Science)
Department of Disability and Human Development (not Disability Studies)
Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition (not Human Nutrition)
Department of Occupational Therapy
Department of Physical Therapy

Institute on Disability and Human Development: Note the preposition “on,” rather than “for.” Do not put IDHD in parentheses after first mention of the full name. The acronym will be understood, and is acceptable to use, in subsequent references.

UIC Physical Therapy Faculty Practice: Capitalize all words, and do not end with “clinic” or similar noun. It is acceptable to refer to the practice as a clinic in generic terms.

UIC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice: Capitalize all words, and do not end with “clinic” or similar noun. It is acceptable to refer to the practice as a clinic in generic terms.

UIC Developmental Disabilities Family Clinic: Capitalize all words.

UIC Assistive Technology Unit: Capitalize all words.

UIC terms

Refer to the UIC terms and punctuation page on the UIC marketing and brand management website: marketing.uic.edu/marketing-toolbox/university-style-guide/terms-and-punctuation.