A number of UW–Madison faculty and staff are jointly funded by the UW–Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the UW–Madison Division of Extension. Likewise, a number of programs and activities are jointly funded by CALS and Extension. These guidelines provide a framework for writing about people and units with this kind of dual funding in the college’s printed and digital publications, and audio and video content.
The University, College and Division
For news releases and other materials shared with external audiences, be sure to use University of Wisconsin–Madison at the earliest opportunity. UW–Madison is encouraged on second and subsequent references.
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is to be used on first reference. CALS is encouraged on second and subsequent references.
In formal writing for official purposes, Division of Extension is to be used on first reference. Division of Extension or Extension may be acceptable on second and subsequent references in formal writing, depending on circumstances.
In most cases, Division of Extension is the preferred option for first reference, including on communications with external audiences such as news releases. Extension is acceptable on second and subsequent references.
Only capitalize Extension when referring to the campus division. When using the word to describe a person’s extension/outreach efforts, do not capitalize.
The forum is co-sponsored by Extension and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.
and
Sofia Hernandez’s extension activities include developing sustainable agriculture programming in partnership with area non-profits.
Only use descriptors such as “extension activities” and “extension work” for CALS personnel with Extension funding. When describing the extension/outreach-type activities of CALS personnel with no Extension funding, use “outreach activities” and “outreach work.”
In the interests of readability and length, formal references to Division of Extension and Public Media should be avoided in the body of news stories and press releases. If formal mention is necessary, it is preferable to incorporate it into “boilerplate” information at the bottom of a story or release.
For eCALS articles, Grow stories and other materials shared with internal audiences, it is acceptable to employ shorthand references on first use: UW–Madison, CALS, Extension.
For the most up-to-date information on Extension’s own official naming conventions, visit: https://kb.wisc.edu/extension/96746.
Centers and Units
CALS is the official administrative home for a number of centers and programs that have connections to Extension through co-funded staff. Personnel involved in these centers and programs can be funded by CALS, Extension or both.
In formal writing, use the full, official name of the center or program on first reference. In subsequent references, the center or the program or a shorter, commonly-used name may be used. At some point, provide context by mentioning that the center or program is housed in CALS. It may also be appropriate to mention the center’s or program’s departmental home.
The Applied Population Lab is housed in the Department of Community and Environmental Sociology in the UW–Madison’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.
and
The CALS-based Nutrient and Pest Management Program connects farmers and researchers on key issues of profitability, practicality, and environmental impact of crop production practices and cropping systems.
If important to the story, it is OK to mention that a center or program is supported or co-funded by Extension.
CALS-based centers and programs receiving funding from Extension:
- Applied Population Lab
- Integrated Pest Management Program
- Nutrient and Pest Management Program
People
Do not capitalize titles when they follow a person’s name. Ensure CALS faculty titles reflect a person’s current rank: assistant professor, associate professor, professor, or professor emeritus. The UW Directory at www.wisc.edu has up-to-date faculty titles. Do not capitalize department names unless written formally.
Sophia Hernandez is a UW–Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in the animal and dairy sciences department.
or
Sophia Hernandez is a UW–Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences.
For content originating from CALS, it is preferred to put the CALS affiliation before the Extension affiliation. Likewise, for content originating from Extension, it is preferred to put the Extension affiliation before the CALS affiliation. Other factors that determine the order of titles and affiliations include the topic of the story, audience, and publication or venue. For example, in a CALS-generated story that focuses on a person’s extension activities, it may be appropriate to mention their Extension appointment ahead of their CALS faculty appointment.
Extension specialists’ formal titles can sometimes be descriptive. In the interest of readability, it is the writer’s prerogative to use either the full formal Extension title (if it is approx. three words or less); a descriptive title pertinent to the article preceded by the word extension; or to incorporate the individual’s specialty into another area of the written piece.
Tyrone Williams is a UW–Madison assistant professor and extension machinery specialist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering.
or
Tyrone Williams is a UW–Madison assistant professor and extension specialist in the Department of Biological Systems Engineering. He specializes in agricultural applications for machinery and technology.
For academic staff jointly funded by CALS and Extension, use a descriptive title pertinent to the article preceded by the word extension. If it is important to directly call out a person’s CALS and/or Extension funding, do so at another spot in the article.
Lena Nowak is an extension outreach specialist in the UW–Madison Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics.
or
Lena Niec is an extension small grains program manager in the UW–Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences.
or
Lena Nosal is an extension horticulture educator in the UW–Madison Department of Plant and Agroecosystem Sciences. Nosal’s position is jointly funded by the university’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and Division of Extension.
Personnel sometimes have a connection to a center or program. If this connection is relevant, be sure to give their CALS and Extension titles as described above, as well as mentioning their connection to the center at some point.
Dorothy Jones is an associate professor and extension specialist in the Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics. She is the director of the CALS-based Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems.