Naming Guidelines

Ask yourself: Does this need a name?

Not all initiatives need their own unique name. Carefully evaluate whether the program would be more effective with its own name or if it would be better served by using an existing department or program’s identity.

Review existing program names.

Search for existing university programs and their names. Are there any that overlap with your new offering? How can you best differentiate your program from others?

• Do: “Graduate Student Research Conference” and “Undergraduate Research Conference” clarifies the specific audiences for each event.
• Don’t: “Research Conference” is too broad and vague to properly differentiate your event.

Think digital first.

How will the name be found online? How will it translate to social media? Use relevant keywords to improve search engine optimization, and avoid special characters to ensure your unit is easy to search for and accessible across all platforms.  

• Do: “New Graduate Student Orientation” uses relevant keywords for improved search.
• Don’t: “NGSO” or “Student Orientation” — the acronym isn’t helpful for search, and the second option is too broad for the intended audience.  
• Don’t: Options with special characters, like “New Grad @ TXST” or “Back2GradSchool” make it difficult to search across platforms.

Use descriptive, specific language.

Focus on your main purpose or function and use simple, specific language to describe it.

• Do: “First-Year Advising,” “Mass Comm Week,” and “Business Leadership Week” are all simple and specific.
• Don’t: “Bootcamp,” “Data,” and “New Students” are all examples of overly broad names that don’t provide enough context to make the purpose of the programs clear.

Focus on your audience.

Who are you serving? What are they searching for? Align your name with their needs and the language they would use to find your service or program.

• Do: “Riverfest,” “Outdoor Recreation” and “Career Services” use relevant, straightforward language for their student audiences.
• Don’t: If you’re targeting students, avoid academic jargon like “Civic Engagement Opportunities” or “Academic Enrichment” in place of more common terms like “Volunteering” or “Tutoring.”

Avoid “Bobcat” and cat puns.

There are at least 100 existing programs with “Bobcat,” “Paws,” or other cat puns in their names, and it’s hard to stand out in a crowd like that. Using other elements of our brand — including logos, official websites, and social media accounts — will make your association with the university clear; it is not necessary for you to have “Bobcats” or related phrases in your name.

Avoid overcomplicated names and acronyms.

Higher ed is overflowing with acronyms, making it hard to keep track of what’s what. If an acronym leaves people confused or uncertain about who you are and what you’re offering, ditch it for something more straightforward.  

If you absolutely must use an acronym…

If you find yourself unable to resist the siren song of acronyms, make sure you’re not using a widely known acronym — such as AI or CDC — to mean something else. The mismatch between the commonly understood meaning and the meaning you intend will confuse and possibly mislead your audience.