Official Organizational Names and References

Years ago, we used to be the College of Agriculture. We used to be the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station. We used to be the Ohio Cooperative Extension Service.

No more.

We have changed these names to better reflect who we are within Ohio and beyond. But only by using our organizations' correct, official names consistently will we become easily recognized. It is essential that in any written or oral communications, we use the complete, correct name when making a first reference to our college, departments, regions, centers, and programs. Using an incorrect name instead of the full, formal name (for example, "the agricultural economics department" instead of "the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics") can lead to confusion among our audiences and a lack of recognition for our programs.

University-wide guidelines can be found in the university's Style Guide. College guidelines are below.

Official Name

College
College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences  

second reference:

the college

Please try to avoid using an acronym such as FAES, CFAES or CoFAES as a second reference to our college name unless your audience is completely internal. None of these acronyms are easy on the eye, and it's often difficult for audiences to remember what the letters stand for. The college changed its name to better reflect who we are and what we do; using an acronym detracts from that.

Also, do not capitalize "College" in a second reference such as this. As the university's Editorial Style Guide stipulates, unofficial, informal, shortened or generic names should not be capitalized.

Extension
Ohio State University Extension

Remember: There is no "The" in Ohio State University Extension

second reference:
Extension

The "E" in Extension should be capitalized in second references because of the confusion that could result if it is not capitalized. The word "extension" has many different meanings. Without the capital "E," it may not be clear that we are referring to our organization rather than something else. This is an exception to the rule that shortened names of official entities should not be capitalized.

OSU Extension

While the university stipulates that "OSU" should not be used as a second reference to the university, it is permissible to use "OSU Extension" as a second reference to this organization. Do not use "Ohio State Extension," as it removes the university link and, to people unfamiliar with us, could be interpreted as a division of something else (e.g.,the Ohio Department of Agriculture). Similarly, avoid using "OSUE," as too many audience members would not easily make the connection from that acronym to OSU Extension.

Research
Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

second reference:
the center
the research center
OARDC (do not use periods)

OARDC Agricultural Research Stations:

(second reference for any of the below: the research station, the station)

Ashtabula Agricultural Research Station
Kingsville, Ashtabula County
Eastern Agricultural Research Station
Belle Valley, Noble County
Jackson Agricultural Research Station
Jackson, Jackson County
Muck Crops Agricultural Research Station
Celeryville, Huron County
North Appalachian Experimental Watershed
Coshocton County
North Central Agricultural Research Station
Fremont, Sandusky County
Northwest Agricultural Research Station
Custar, Wood County
Pomerene Forest Laboratory
Coshocton County
Southern Agricultural Research Station
Ripley, Brown County
Western Agricultural Research Station
South Charleston, Clark County

Agricultural Technical Institute
Second references: Ohio State ATI, ATI, the institute

How to Explain Who We Are

Let's face it: We're complicated. It's often difficult to explain who we are to people who have never heard of Extension, an agricultural experiment station or the land-grant university system. A consistent message explaining who we are is a major factor in achieving audience recognition.

To help, here are ready-to-use paragraphs (known as "boilerplates") written to market and promote the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University Extension, and Academic Programs.

You may copy these paragraphs and insert these descriptions into news releases, brochures and other written communications as needed. No credit or attribution is needed.

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center

Ohio State University Extension

Academic Affairs

Agricultural Technical Institute

The Agricultural Technical Institute, located in Wooster, Ohio, is an associate-degree granting program within the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University. Students participate in a curriculum that includes general and basic studies, hands-on experience and a paid industry internship. Ohio State ATI is the largest institution of its kind in the United States, enrolling 900 students and offering 28 programs of study. Ohio State ATI maintains a 99 percent job placement rate for all graduates within four months of graduation.

For detailed information on how the college is officially organized, see Organizational Relationships.