To maintain consistency, clarity and accuracy in all written communication, the university follows AP Style for grammar, spelling, punctuation and language usage. Commonly used terms, and campus-specific terms and definitions, are outlined below.
General Guidelines
SUNY Oneonta: should be referred to as SUNY Oneonta on first reference and as “the university” and/or “Oneonta” on further references. Official name is the State University of New York at Oneonta.
Red the Dragon: SUNY Oneonta’s mascot. Red is genderless and should not be referred to as “he” or “she.”
Academic and administrative titles: Capitalize titles when they precede names.E.g. President Alberto Cardelle, Assistant Professor Wesley Bernard, Coach Iain Byrne.
Lowercase titles when used as occupational identifiers or when titles follow names, e.g. Joe Pignato, chair of the Music Department.
Academic departments and programs: Capitalize the names of academic departments and programs when using their full formal names (Department of History, Dietetic Internship Program) or when referencing the specific program (She is a Music Industry major). For departments such as Fashion and Textiles, spell out “and” rather than using “&”.’
Academic disciplines: If you’re not specifically referencing a specific SUNY Oneonta major or program, do not capitalize the names of academic disciplines or fields of study, unless the names are proper nouns. (Jill plans to study history and African American literature.)
Administrative offices: Capitalize the names of SUNY Oneonta offices when using the official, formal name. The Office of University Advancement is housed in the Netzer Administration Building.
Alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
- Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended a school.
- Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman.
- Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.
Course titles: Capitalize course names. She was enrolled in Literature and Politics of Central America.
Dates, days
- Always use Arabic figures, without st, nd, rd or th.
- When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.: Fall Open House will be held on Oct. 8.
- When a phrase lists only a month and year, do not separate the month and the year with commas: The event will take place in December 2027.
- When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas: Jan. 15, 2008, was the first day of the semester.
Times: should be written as such: 10 a.m., 7 p.m., from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. etc.
Acronyms: Spell out on first reference, with the acronym in parentheses The acronym may then be used on subsequent references within the same communication.
Campus Services and Frequently Used Terms
Dining Services: Various dining options on campus, managed by Sodexo, offering a range of meal plans and dietary accommodations
Experiential Learning: Hands-on learning opportunities such as internships, service-learning, research projects and faculty-led field experiences, both locally and internationally
First-Generation: A first-generation college student is someone whose parent(s) or guardian(s) did not earn a bachelor's degree. This can be complicated and may not fully account for the diversity of students who qualify. Students may qualify as first-generation if their parents have some college experience but did not earn a degree.
First-Year Experience (FYE): Programs and activities designed to help first-year students transition to college life, including orientation and special events
Student Association: A student-run organization managing an annual budget of more than $1 million, dedicated to enhancing student life through clubs, events and services
Old Main: The university’s original building, located at the top of Maple Street. It is no longer standing, but the entryway pillars were saved and installed on campus.
LEAD: An acronym for Leadership Education and Development. (this is different than LEED, the acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a green building rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council)
Events and Traditions
Alumni Weekend: An annual spring event that brings together students, alumni, and the community for various festivities, including sports events, performances and reunions
Club Expo or “eXpo”: A twice-annual event, usually held in Alumni Field House or the Hunt Union Ballroom at the beginning of each semester, where hundreds of clubs and organizations “table” with information and signups, letting students see what’s available and get involved
Founders’ Day/Week: Autumn anniversary of SUNY Oneonta’s founding in 1889 as the “Oneonta State Normal School,” which exclusively trained teachers
OH-Fest: An annual spring festival organized in collaboration with Hartwick College, featuring live music, carnival rides and community activities. Used to be held downtown but has since moved to campus.
Pass Through the Pillars: A tradition where new students walk through the historic pillars of Old Main at the beginning of their college journey and again right before graduation
Red Day: A campus-wide event held each fall to celebrate school spirit with various activities, entertainment and giveaways. Wear red!
Buildings and Facilities
Alumni Field House: Main athletic facility, including a gymnasium, fitness center, indoor track, dance studio and racquetball courts
Alumni Hall: Houses classrooms, offices and meeting spaces for students, staff and alumni; home to the Business, Economics and Political Science Departments and the Division of University Advancement
All-College Field: A turf field and an eight-lane, 400-meter track with jumping areas for long, high and pole vault. Mainly used for field hockey and track. Located next to Hunt Union.
A.J. Read Science Discovery Center: A hands-on science museum for the community, located inside the Physical Science Building
Biological Field Station (BFS): Located on Otsego Lake in Cooperstown, NY, the BFS consists of 2,600 acres with 12 major buildings that house laboratories, classrooms, conference spaces, offices and equipment for research support. It is home to SUNY Oneonta’s Lake Management graduate program.
Chase Physical Education Building: Contains additional athletic facilities such as a pool, gym and courts for various sports, as well as offices
Craven Lounge: Meeting/conference space inside Morris Conference Center
CRJIE: The Center for Racial Justice and Inclusive Excellence, located inside Lee Hall
College Camp: A few miles from campus, College Camp is located on nearly 300 acres of former farm and woodland and used for outdoor education and recreation, offering activities like fishing, hiking and environmental studies. Also home to a community garden and the SUNY Oneonta Observatory, which houses the largest optical telescope in New York.
Dewar Arena: The name of the gymnasium inside Alumni Field House
Dragon Express: Handles all campus mail and packaging services, located inside Hunt Union
Emergency Services Building: Headquarters for the University Police Department, SUNY Oneonta Law Enforcement Academy and campus Emergency Operations Center; located at the lower end of campus, next to Higgins Hall
Fine Arts Center: Home to the Art and Theatre Departments, equipped with classrooms, studios, galleries and practice and performance spaces for creative and performing arts students
Fitzelle Hall: Multi-disciplinary academic building with classrooms and lecture halls, supporting a variety of programs; Home to the Education, Africana and Latinx Studies, Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics, Philosophy and Psychology departments
Goodrich Theater: Located inside the Fine Arts Center, the Goodrich Theater is a large, traditional proscenium-style space, allowing for large audiences
Hamblin Theater: Located inside the Fine Arts Center, the Hamblin Theater is a flexible black-box space, providing opportunities for intimate storytelling in a variety of non-traditional configurations
Hodgdon Instructional Resources Center (IRC or HIRC): Home to lecture halls and classrooms, computer labs, offices and the campus TV studios
Human Ecology (sometimes shortened to HECO): Multi-disciplinary academic building with classrooms, offices, meeting spaces, cutting-edge sewing and cooking laboratories and kitchens and a child development center; Home to Human Development and Family Studies, Nutrition and Dietetics, Fashion and Textiles, and Food Service and Restaurant Administration
Hunt Union: The center for student activities, featuring the Experiential Learning Center, Starbucks, Dragon Express, the Ballroom, meeting rooms, and spaces for student organizations
Hunt Union Ballroom: Ballroom in Hunt Union used for large events
Lee Hall: Home to the Center for Racial Justice and Inclusive Excellence, the campus Meditation Room and the SICAS Center
Martin Mullen Art Gallery: The larger of two art galleries in the Fine Arts Center, the Martin Mullen Art Gallery hosts a variety of exhibitions featuring work by students, faculty and professional artists
Milne Library: The campus library, offering extensive academic resources, study spaces, research support and more
Mills: One of two full-service dining halls on campus; Home to MyKitchen, a hands-on, self-serve kitchen, and convenience store Mills Marketplace downstairs
Morris Conference Center: The main venue for conferences and events on campus, providing various meeting spaces and dining facilities
Netzer Administration Building: Home to various academic, administrative and student service offices
Perna Science Building: Formerly “Science 1,” the Janet R. Perna Science Building—named in recognition of a distinguished alumna—houses the departments of Biology and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, dozens of classrooms and laboratories, a rooftop weather observation station, a greenhouse, herbarium and campus planetarium
Physical Science Building: Home to the departments of Anthropology, Chemistry, Biochemistry and Physics; features classrooms, laboratories and the A.J. Read Science Discovery Center
Project Space Gallery: Located in the Fine Arts Center, room 165, the Project Space Gallery is the smaller of two main campus art galleries; serves as a more intimate space for solo and group shows
Red Dragon Field: Located directly next to Alumni Field House and home to the university’s soccer and lacrosse programs
Schumacher Hall: Multi-disciplinary academic building with traditional classrooms
Welcome Center: Visitor center where campus tours begin and home to the Office of Admissions
Wilsbach: One of two full-scale dining halls on campus