Abbreviations & Acronyms

Definitions

Abbreviation: a shortened form of a word or phrase used to save space

  • etc. (et cetera)
  • dept. (department)

Initialism: an abbreviation that is pronounced letter by letter

  • CT scan (see-tee, computerized axial tomography)
  • IBM (International Business Machines)

Acronym: a shortened form that is typically made up of the first letters of the words that make up the complete name or phrase

Acronyms are usually written in all capital letters with no periods and are pronounced as words.

  • CAT scan (kat, computerized axial tomography)
  • FAFSA (faff-suh, Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
  • CLEP (klep, College Level Examination Program)

General Guidelines

Check the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook for general questions.

The first time you mention an office, initiative, system or other entity on a webpage, write out the full name followed by the abbreviation or acronym in parentheses. Then use the short version for other references on the same page.

  • First use: Lifestyle and Community Learning (LCL)
    • Second use: LCL

Specifics

Academic Degrees

See also:

Put a period after each element in the abbreviation of an academic degree.

Do not add any spaces.

  • Associate of Arts: A.A.
  • Associate of Applied Science: A.A.S.
  • Bachelor of Science: B.S.
  • Master of Science: M.S.
  • Master of Arts: M.A.
  • Doctor of Philosophy: Ph.D.
  • Doctor of Education: Ed.D.

List only the most advanced degree a person has earned plus any special certifications.

Follow period or no-period protocols for professional certifications.

  • Yes: John Smith, Ed.D.
  • Yes: Mary Jones, Ph.D., SPHR
  • No: John Smith, B.S., M.S., Ed.D.

Academic & Administrative Titles

Use the formal title Dr. only before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dentistry, medicine, osteopathy, etc.

In all other cases, place the degree abbreviation after the individual's name.

  • Yes: Dr. Jonas Salk invented the polio vaccine.
  • Yes: Bill Coppola, Ph.D., is the president of TCC Southeast.
  • No: Dr. Tahita Fulkerson will speak at the library dedication ceremony.

Building Names

Use the building names as they appear on the campus maps.

  • The TCC Trinity River Library is located in TREF 2302.
  • You’ll find the TCC Northeast Business Services in NADM Building.

Campus Names

See also Capitalization: Campus Names

Refer to campuses in one of the following two ways.

Location + Campus

  • Northeast Campus
  • Northwest Campus
  • South Campus
  • Southeast Campus
  • Trinity River Campus
  • TCC Connect Campus

TCC + Location

  • TCC Northeast
  • TCC Northwest
  • TCC South
  • TCC Southeast
  • TCC Trinity River
  • TCC Connect

Do not use abbreviations, such as TCC-NE or TCC NE.

Do not refer to a campus by its location only, such as Southeast.

Tarrant County College

TCC (without periods) is the acronym for Tarrant County College.

Never use periods: T.C.C.

Use the acronym TCC on Web pages. Our full name appears prominently throughout the website.

  • Yes: Complete TCC's Active Apply Online Admissions Application.
  • No: Complete Tarrant County College's Active Apply Online Admissions Application.
  • No: T.C.C. does not have an admissions test.

Tarrant County College District

TCCD (without periods) is the acronym for Tarrant County College District.

Never use periods: T.C.C.D.

Use the acronym TCCD only for official District business, including the TCC Board of Trustees, the Chancellor's Office and the offices of the Chancellor's Cabinet

  • Yes: Currently, 273 administrative planning units cover all of TCCD's operations.
  • No: All purchases are governed by T.C.C.D.'s General Terms and Conditions of Purchase unless specifically stipulated otherwise in writing.

Abbreviation & Acronym List

508/Section 508 Section 508 of the Workforce Rehabilitation Act of 1973, which specifies the requirements for accessible electronic and information technology

ADA Americans with Disabilities Act

AVC Associate Vice Chancellor

C&I Curriculum & Instruction

CE Lifestyle and Community Learning

CFK or C4K College for Kids

ESOL English for Speakers of Other Languages

ESL English as a Second Language

FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid

FERPA Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act

FTIC First Time In College

GED General Educational Development

GPA Grade Point Average

IEP Institutional Effectiveness Plan

NSO New Student Orientation

PDF Portable Document Format

QEP Quality Enhancement Plan

SAR Student Accessibility Resources

STSC Student Transition to Success Course

SACSCOC The Southern Association of College and Schools Commission on Colleges, our accreditation agency

TABS Texas Academy of Biomedical Sciences High School

TBN To Be Named (to indicate an open position, time, or date)

THECB Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

TSI Assessment Texas Success Initiative Assessment, student placement tests

Updated January 20, 2023