Editorial Style Guide

Why Use a Style Guide?

Colorado Mesa University uses a set of standards for the writing of all publications created by the university, including print and web content. The implementation of a style guide provides uniformity in style and formatting within a document and across multiple documents, resulting in a professional look and a unified voice from different departments.

This guide includes CMU’s unique style choices as well as a section featuring important numbers used by the university in marketing materials.

 

Associated Press Style

Colorado Mesa University adheres to the style and guidelines laid out in the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, with the exception of the cases detailed in this guide. This guide also points out a few AP stylizations that are used frequently in university publications.

Abbreviation, Numbers & Times 

abbreviations

As a general rule, CMU uses common abbreviations.

etc., e.g., i.e., Q1, H2, FY

On first reference, spell the abbreviated word or phrase out and include its abbreviation in parentheses.

e.g., Lowell Heiny Hall (LHH) houses the financial aid office.

The names of other institutions are not abbreviated on first reference.

e.g., On Friday, the men’s lacrosse team plays the Metropolitan State University of Denver.

For a cleaner look, CMU does not use periods in abbreviations, except in the case of U.S.

e.g., The symphony plays at 7:30pm in the Moss Recital Hall.

contractions

As a general rule, use contractions (such as 'can't,' 'won't,' 'isn't') for all non-official communications to create a conversational tone and improve readability.

Avoid contractions in formal and academic writing – such as formal reports, academic papers, or official correspondence – to maintain a more professional tone

currencies

Use the international currency codes (ISO 4217) to write currencies.

e.g., EUR, USD, SEK.

Write the currency codes after the figure.

e.g., 5 million USD

dates

Use a dash with no spaces between dates.

e.g., The event ran from Jan. 13-Feb. 13.

months

Capitalize the names of months in all uses. 

When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone.

e.g., Dec. 12 was the coldest day of the month. 

When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas.

e.g., December 2023 was a cold month. 

When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas.

e.g., CMU was founded on April 20, 1925.

numbers

In general, spell out one through nine.

e.g., The Mavericks finished second. He had nine months to go.

Use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things. Also in all tabular matter, and in statistical and sequential forms.

As a general rule, abbreviate units of measurement.

No space between symbols and numbers.

e.g., 25%, 4ft.

COMPARING NUMBERS:

Use "more than" or "less than" but it is now accepted by the AP to use "over" or "under".

phone numbers

CMU uses periods, not dashes, in phone numbers.

e.g., Reach CMU at 970.248.1020

times

CMU does not include periods in “am” or “pm”.

Do not include a space between the time and “am” or “pm”.

The time is reflected as a numeral.

When writing an exact time (e.g., 8am, 3pm, etc.), do not include :00.

Use colons only with times not on the hour.

e.g., The lu’au begins at 6:30pm in the University Center.

CMU uses 12pm and 12am when referencing noon and midnight.

urls 

Write URLs without including “www”.

e.g., colorado.gov

 

Citations & References 

attributing quotes

Use past tense (he said, she said), not present tense (he says, she says).

product names and brands

Capitalize the full name of a product or brand, including all major words. This applies to both the product name itself and any associated trademarks or logos.

e.g., iPhone, Coca-Cola, Nike Air Jordans.

Use generic terms to describe a product or brand when necessary for clarity or when referring to a category of products rather than a specific brand. 

e.g., smartphone instead of iPhone, coke instead of Coca-Cola.

Use the appropriate trademark symbols (™, ®) as applicable, especially for well-known brands or registered trademarks. However, if trademark symbols are not commonly used or if the product is not well-known, it may be omitted.

Be consistent in capitalization and styling when referring to the same product or brand throughout a piece of writing. Avoid variations in spelling or capitalization unless specifically required by the brand's style guidelines.

Overall, the key is to treat product names and brand names with the same consistency and attention to detail as other proper nouns, ensuring accuracy and clarity in written communication.

 

Punctuation

apostrophes and quotation marks

As a general rule, CMU uses double inverted commas for direct speech and quotes.

e.g., “We're close to winning the tournament,” says the coach.

commas

IN A SERIES:

Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series. AP style guide does not use the oxford comma.

e.g., CMU’s colors are maroon, white and gold.

Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series, however, if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction.

e.g., I ordered orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs from Bookcliff Cafe.

INTRODUCING DIRECT QUOTES: 

Use a comma to introduce a complete one-sentence quotation within a paragraph.

e.g., Looft said, "These are exciting. They take virtual welding to a whole new level.”

Do not use a comma at the start of an indirect or partial quotation.

e.g., Taggart said Academic Partnerships bring "people power to this partnership."

BEFORE ATTRIBUTION:

Use a comma instead of a period at the end of a quote that is followed by attribution.

e.g., "This is CMU’s style guide," Summer said.

Do not use a comma if the quoted statement ends with a question mark or exclamation point. 

e.g., "Is anyone still reading this?" she asked.

WITH NONESSENTIAL PHRASES:

A nonessential phrase must be set off by commas. An essential phrase is a group of words critical to the reader's understanding. A nonessential phrase provides more information about something.

e.g., Don’s wife, Deyon, formed the charitable organization with him in the ‘70s. (Since Don only has one wife, set her name off with commas.)

An essential phrase must not be set off from the rest of a sentence by commas. 

e.g., They went to the farmers market with their daughter Julie. (Since they have more than one daughter, Julie's name is critical if the reader is to know which daughter is meant.)

dashes

An en dash (–) is the width of an n, a little longer than a hyphen. It is used when you might otherwise use the word “to”.

e.g., The years 2001–2003

An em dash (—) is the width of an m. Em dashes indicate added emphasis, interruptions or an abrupt change in thought.

ABRUPT CHANGE: 

Use em dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause.

e.g., As an artist, Schmidt has drawn, painted and printed  — but his real passion is cast-metal sculpture.

SERIES WITHIN A PHRASE:

When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use em dashes to set off the full phrase. 

e.g., The educational tour  — a partnership of the CMU Alumni Association, the Museum of Western Colorado and Chevron  — provided a unique opportunity for students.

WITH SPACES:

Put a space on both sides of a dash in all uses except with numbers.

periods

Use only one space after a period.

semicolons

In general, use the semicolon to indicate a greater separation of thought and information than a comma can convey but less than the separation that a period implies.

TO CLARIFY A SERIES:

Use semicolons to separate elements of a series when the items in the series are long or when individual segments contain material that also must be set off by commas.

e.g., He is survived by a son, John Smith, of Chicago; three daughters, Jane Smith, of Wichita, Kan., Mary Smith, of Denver, and Susan, of Boston; and a sister, Martha, of Omaha, Neb.

Note that the semicolon is used before the final “and” in such a series.

TO LINK INDEPENDENT CLAUSES:

Use semicolon when a coordinating conjunction such as and, but or for is not present.

e.g., The package was due last week; it arrived today.

 

Inclusive Language

authenticity

For the purpose of staying authentic in our brand communications, avoid overusing buzzwords like “inclusive”. Instead, focus on conveying a sense of belonging and community. Rather than relying solely on the term 'inclusive,' strive to demonstrate our commitment to diversity and belonging through concrete actions, thoughtful language, and genuine engagement with our audience.

gender-neutral language

As a general rule, use non-gendered pronouns and terms such as 'they/them' or 'person/people' instead of gendered pronouns ('he/him,' 'she/her') if the gender of the subject is unknown.

Use gender-neutral terms when referring to roles or occupations.

e.g., Firefighter' instead of 'fireman,' 'police officer' instead of 'policeman', ‘first-year student’ instead of ‘freshman’.

Prefer the use of ‘one’ in sentences for gender-neutrality

e.g., 'A committed student is more likely to succeed than one who skips class’ instead of ‘A committed student is more likely to succeed than if he has been skipping class.’

Be mindful of gendered language in descriptions or examples and strive to use language that is inclusive of all identities.

Respect individuals' chosen names and pronouns, and use them consistently in all communications when referring to them.

LGBTQ+

Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer. 

In quotations and the formal names of organizations and events, other forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are also acceptable with the other letters explained. ‘I’ generally stands for intersex, and ‘A’ can stand for asexual (a person who doesn't experience sexual attraction), ally (some activists decry this use of the abbreviation for a person who is not LGBTQ+ but who actively supports LGBTQ+ communities) or both. Queer is an umbrella term covering people who are not heterosexual or cisgender and is acceptable for people and organizations that use the term to identify themselves.

 

Capitalization & Spelling

academic degrees

Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc. There is no possessive when the full degree is spelled out, as in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Note that the full name of the degree is capitalized.

There is no apostrophe in associate degree.

Use such abbreviations as BA, MA, PhD and MD only after a full name — never after the last name alone. Use on first reference of the name and then subsequent references are just the individual's last name.

Do not use periods in abbreviations of degrees.

When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas.

e.g., John Doe, PhD, spoke at the E Day keynote luncheon.

In the case of doctorates, CMU does not use the abbreviation “Dr.” before a name. Use the academic abbreviation after the name, set off by commas.

e.g., John Doe, PhD, touched the lives of thousands of students during his tenure as professor of history.

When listing the degrees of alumni, write the name, then the major, then the abbreviated year of attendance or graduation.

e.g., Jane Doe, mass communication, ‘12 or Jane Doe, mass communication, ‘12, BA; ‘14, MBA;

John Doe, Spanish, attended ‘89-’91. Jane Doe, ‘12 & ‘15.

academic departments

The formal title of academic departments is styled Department of _______, with capitalization.

e.g., Department of Kinesiology, Department of Health Sciences.

On second reference, department names may be expressed informally without caps.

The kinesiology department, the health sciences department.

The Department of Business is the only exception as it was renamed Davis School of Business in October 2020.

academic programs

The formal titles of academic programs are capitalized including the word Program.

e.g., Mathematics Program, Accounting Program

On second reference, program names may be expressed informally without caps or inclusion of the word program.

annual

An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held in at least two successive years.

Do not use the term first annual. Instead, note that sponsors plan to hold an event annually.

athletic associations and conferences

On first reference, spell out Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

athletic divisions

Division should be capitalized and unabbreviated. Use roman numerals.

e.g., CMU is home to # NCAA Division II teams.

alumna, alumnus, alumni

Alumni is not capitalized unless it’s part of the phrase “the CMU Alumni Association”.

Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended CMU.

Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman.

Use alumni when referring to a group of both men and women.

beach volleyball

We use beach volleyball and not sand volleyball.

campus

The main campus is capitalized only in phrases like “Colorado Mesa University’s Main Campus”.

The Montrose Campus is always capitalized.

CMU Tech is on the Bishop Campus, which is also always capitalized.

CMU Tech programs

CMU Tech programs are capitalized.

e.g., Agricultural Sciences Program, Electric Lineworker Program

cybersecurity

One word.

doctor, doctoral, doctorate

Doctoral is an adjective, doctor and doctorate are nouns.

e.g., CMU offers a Doctor of Nursing Practitioner program. Students in this doctoral program may obtain their doctorate after several years of study.

email

The word email is not hyphenated.

email subject lines

Sentence case and all style rules apply to email subject lines. 

emeritus

The correct spelling is the following:

Professor Emeritus of Biology John Doe.

Professor Emerita of Biology Jane Doe.

Late John Doe, professor emeritus of biology,

eSports, esports

When referring to esport(s) in general the ‘s’ is lowercase, when referring to CMU’s eSports club the ‘S’ is capitalized.

ethnicities

Use the following terms: Asian; Pacific Islander; Black; Hispanic; American Indian; Alaska Native; White, non-Hispanic.

Capitalize each ethnicity.

freshman, freshmen

Freshman is the singular noun.

e.g., Luke is a freshman at CMU. 

Freshmen is the plural

e.g., Luke and Jack are freshmen at CMU.

The adjective is always singular.

e.g., Luke had an interesting freshman seminar at CMU.

healthcare

Healthcare is one word, not two.

login, logon, logoff

These are each one word when used as a noun.

e.g., This is your MAVzone login.

Used as two words in verb form.

e.g., I will log in to MAVzone.

offices

In almost all cases, CMU’s various offices are styled ______ Office.

e.g., Admissions Office, Financial Aid Office, Registrar’s Office

The only exceptions are the Office of Academic Affairs, the Office of Student Success, the Office of the President and the Office of Student Accounts. 

semesters

Capitalize the name of the season when referring to a specific semester, i.e. Spring 2024 or Fall 2024.

Student Life

Both words are capitalized in the context of the campus department.

student-athlete

This phrase is always hyphenated.

student-veteran

This phrase is always hyphenated, except in the case of the Student Veterans Association.

theatre

CMU spells theatre with an “-re” ending.

e.g., CMU’s Department of Theatre Arts. 

e.g., The concert will be in Robinson Theatre.

university

The word university when referencing Colorado Mesa University is not capitalized when used on its own.

University of Colorado system

Per CU’s publications: 

University of Colorado Boulder or CU Boulder. Please note that there is no hyphen.

University of Colorado Colorado Springs or UCCS.

University of Colorado Denver or CU Denver. Please note that there is no hyphen.

website

One word. 

West Slope

West Slope, western Colorado. Note the capitalization.

 

Locations

state names

The names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base.

towns in Colorado

Include Colorado after all town names except Grand Junction, Montrose and Denver.

e.g., Delta, Colorado, was named because of its location on the delta, where the Gunnison River and the Uncompahgre River intersect.

 

Titles

faculty titles

Use faculty titles found in the CMU directory.

formal titles

In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual's name.

Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names. 

e.g., President John Marshall.

e.g., Vice President for Student Services Jody Diers.

Capitalize and abbreviate titles when used before a name both inside and outside quotations

e.g., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., Sen.

A formal title generally is one that denotes a scope of authority, professional activity or academic activity.

e.g., Sen. Cory Gardner

LOWERCASE:

Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual's name.

e.g., The president issued a statement. The pope gave his blessing.

Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas.

e.g., Joe Biden, vice president, was re-elected in 2012. 

e.g., Pope Francis, the current pope, was born in Argentina.

titles of CMUnow stories and CMUnow podcast

Use title case i.e. every word is capitalized other than words with fewer than four letters

titles of compositions

Apply the following guidelines to book titles, computer game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, radio and television program titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art.

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.

Capitalize an article – the, a, an – or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.

Translate a foreign title into English unless a work is generally known by its foreign name. An exception to this is reviews of musical performances. In those instances, generally refer to the work in the language it was sung in, so as to differentiate for the reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations. 

Italicize the title. If it is not possible to italicize it, put it in quotation marks.

e.g., The Colorado Mesa University Fight Song

e.g., Author Carroll Multz’s book Deadly Deception is selling well.

e.g., The Pirates of Penzance was one of the theatre department’s mainstage shows.

Titles of articles or stories are not capitalized or italicized. They are put in quotations.

titles of documents and headings

Capitalize each word.

e.g., Risks Related to Covid-19.

titles of periodicals

Italicize the titles of periodicals.

The Maverick is CMU’s magazine.

The Daily Sentinel is italicized with a capital T. 

CMU’s newspaper is the Criterion — only Criterion is capitalized and italicized.

 

Use of University Names

Colorado Mesa University

Spell Colorado Mesa University out on the first reference.

When referring to “the university”, university is not capitalized.

Colorado Mesa University Tech

CMU Tech offers the career and technical programs at Colorado Mesa University. Use CMU Tech in most instances unless clarification is needed, then use Colorado Mesa University Tech.

Do not use CMU Tech is a division of CMU.

Colorado Mesa University Foundation

Foundation is only capitalized when it’s a part of the phrase “the Colorado Mesa University Foundation” or “the CMU Foundation”.

When the word “foundation” stands alone, it is not capitalized.

 

CMU Word List

CMU Alumni Association

The CMU Alumni Association is only capitalized when both words appear together. If the word “association” stands alone, it is not capitalized.

book cliffs

Book cliffs, not bookcliffs.

Business Office

The correct name to use for CMU is Accounting and Financial Services, not Business Office.

Entrepreneurship Day

Abbreviated as E Day, without a hyphen.

Maverick

Maverick can be used for both members of the student body and alumni, and members of a CMU athletic team.

Female athletes are also Mavericks. CMU does not use the phrase “lady Mavericks”.

Maverick is capitalized.

Alternatively, the Mavily is an acceptable and interchangeable term.

Mav Club

Two words, uppercase M and C.

Shorthand for Maverick Club.

Mav Pav

Two words, uppercase M and P.

Shorthand for Maverick Pavilion.

MavScholar

One word, uppercase M and S.

MAVzone, MAVcard, MAVrides, MAVjobs, MAVworks

All are one word, “Mav” is all caps in these words.

themed communities

Residence Life offers themed communities in several of the campus residence halls. These are no longer called “living learning communities.”

websites (CMU)

Note the capitalization.

coloradomesa.edu

SupportingCMU.org

CMUmavericks.com

coloradomesa.edu/future

tech.coloradomesa.edu

 

Campuses, Buildings & Centers

ballroom

The ballroom in the University Center is the Meyer Ballroom. When indicating a particular part of the ballroom, put the cardinal direction at the end and capitalize it.

e.g., The Aspinall Lecture is in the Meyer Ballroom South.

Center for Reflection

Note capitalization and the use of for.

Chamberlin Cycling Center

Use the full name on first reference.

CMU/CU Boulder Engineering Partnership Program

Proper name and capitalization for this program.

Cybersecurity Center

Proper name and capitalization for this center.

Davis School of Business

The Department of Business was renamed Davis School of Business in October 2020.

DegreeWorks

A web-based degree audit tool that gives students the ability to see where they are in their academic program and what requirements are remaining to finish their degree.

D2L (Desire2Learn)

This is an integrated learning platform designed to create a single place online for instructors and students to interact, either for a completely online course or as a supplement to a face-to-face course.

Forensic Investigation Research Station

Use the full name of the facility on first reference, followed by FIRS in parentheses.

Jac Kephart Fine Arts Building

In recognition of alumnus and artist Jac and his wife, Pat, Kephart’s philanthropic support, Colorado Mesa University established the Jac Kephart Fine Arts Building in 2021.

Maverick Innovation Center

Proper name and capitalization for the innovation center.

IRIS (Integrated Resources for Information and Solutions)

This is our one-stop shop that assists our students with financial aid, registering for courses, advising, student accounts, on-campus jobs, etc. See coloradomesa.edu/iris

recital hall

The name of the recital hall in the Moss Performing Arts Center is the Carolyn D. Love Recital Hall, or the Love Recital Hall for short.

residence halls

CMU’s halls are Lucero (suites & apartments), Grand Mesa, Bunting, Monument, Rait, Garfield, Tolman, Walnut Ridge, Piñon, Orchard and Wingate Hall. To make the ñ in Piñon on a PC, hit Alt + 164. On a Mac, hit Option + n and then n again. "Board" should be referred to as "food", "room" should be referred to as "housing" and "housing + food" should be referred to as "living expenses".

Saccomanno Higher Education Foundation

Created to promote the educational pursuits of students in need of financial aid in Mesa County, Colorado, and Carbon County, Utah. Please note the correct spelling.

St. Mary's Medical Education Center at Colorado Mesa University

When referring to the building it is ok to use just St. Mary's Medical Education Center.

Sturm-ANB Bank Mobile Learning Lab

On first reference use Sturm-ANB Bank Mobile Learning Lab (always capitalized).

On second reference use Mobile Learning Lab (always capitalize). 

Warren Winiarski, Gerlad Ivancie Institute of Viticulture and Enology

Established in October 2020.

As of June 2024, these are the numbers to be used by Colorado Mesa University in publicly presented materials. The numbers are based on the 2023-2024 academic year unless otherwise noted.

 

Institution

Founded: 1925
Official colors:  Maroon and white
Mascot: The Maverick
Continually accredited by The Higher Learning Commission since 1957

 

Select Awards/Honors/Accolades

• 17 Total Fulbright Scholars 
• 3rd lowest tuition and fees in the state of Colorado
• USA Today's #1 place to live in Colorado in 2024 
• One of the New York Times' 52 Places to Go Worldwide in 2023
• CMU is ranked #5 in the Top Public Schools in the Regional Colleges West (U.S. News & World Report 2024)
• CMU is ranked #20 in the Best Regional Colleges West Rankings (U.S. News & World Report 2024)
• CMU earned 2022 Tree Campus USA recognition, marking its tenth year of recognition. Tree Campus USA, a national program launched in 2008 by the Arbor Day Foundation, honors colleges and universities and their leaders for promoting healthy trees and engaging students and staff in the spirit of conservation. To obtain this distinction, CMU met the five core standards for effective campus forest management: a tree advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan, dedicated annual expenditures for its campus tree program, an Arbor Day observance and student service-learning project.

 

Recently Updated Facilities

The addition of the Hotel Maverick and Aspen Apartments brings CMU’s total acres to 125.

Foster Field House (opened May 2023)

On March 5, 2023 CMU celebrated the completion of its newest building on campus, the Foster Field House. Located north of Escalante Hall and south of the Maverick Center, the facility serves as a multidisciplinary space that provides more recreational opportunities for the community, expands the university’s capacity to host regional athletic events and houses additional academic classrooms for kinesiology majors. The building is named after President Emeritus Tim Foster, his wife Lisa and the entire Foster family following his tenure as CMU president which spanned 17 years.

Bus Bergman Sports Complex (opened May 2022) The Bus Bergman Sports Complex includes CMU's Track and Field Facility, the Softball Field, Football Practice Field as well as the new Baseball Stadium. The new on-campus Baseball Stadium includes 1,500 seats as well as a clubhouse and concessions. There is also room for future expansions.

St. Mary’s Medical Education Center (opened January 2022) This 24,202-square-foot facility will serve to educate and train students to be qualified physician assistants (PAs), occupational therapists (OTs) and physical therapists (PTs) who will meet the healthcare needs of the region. The center is made up of 12 classrooms and labs, including a cadaver lab, group study areas and office space for staff. The colocation of these programs will create synergy between the disciplines and enable interdisciplinary collaboration.

Center for Reflection (opened March 2021) The Center for Reflection is a nondenominational, interfaith sanctuary on campus. It seats around 40 people. The floor-to-ceiling stained glass windows in the front of the room provide unique light spectrum that will illuminate the space while a water feature in the back of the sanctuary provides serene, ambient companionship to those using the sanctuary for solitary reflection, prayer or meditation. 

Hotel Maverick (opened June 2020) Hotel Maverick is Grand Junction's premier destination for travelers who seek an upscale, boutique — and at the same time uniquely down-to-earth — "New West" experience. Located on the Colorado Mesa University campus, we offer an unparalleled location that serves as your base camp for interacting with the university and/or exploring the natural beauty and outdoor recreation that surrounds us. Every stay supports the teaching mission of one of the nation's fastest growing universities.

Confluence Hall (opened Jan. 2018)  Confluence Hall, the new engineering building, is CMU’s first building to front Seventh Street. The 68,700 square-foot building houses CMU’s engineering programs, including the civil and mechanical engineering programs delivered at CMU through a partnership with the University of Colorado Boulder. At the grand opening CMU and CU Boulder announced a third partnership program Electrical and Computer Engineering, which will start fall 2018. The $26.4 million building includes 22 classrooms/labs/shops, rooms for student club projects, a 15-foot wind tunnel and leading edge equipment and tools including hydraulic ironworker, CNC plasma table, tensile machine, optical comparator and much more. The building will also be the newest home for Eureka! McConnell Science Museum.

 

Key dates and historical information

• Founded April 20, 1925 as Grand Junction Junior College with 39 students
• Name changed to Grand Junction State Junior College in 1932
• Enrollment exceeds 200 for the first time in 1933
• Name changed to Mesa College in 1937
• Enrollment exceeds 1,000 in 1961
• Authorized to offer baccalaureate degree programs in 1974
• Name changed to Mesa State College in 1988
• Authorized to offer Master of Business Administration in 1996
• Formally created two-year division--Western Colorado Community College--in 2005
• Authorized to offer Master of Arts in Education in 2006
• Name Changed to Colorado Mesa University in 2011
• Western Colorado Community College name changed to CMU Tech in 2023

 

Students

• 10,157 students in 2023-2024 academic year (unduplicated headcount)
• Faculty to student ratio: 1:18
• Male to Female Ratio: 4,183 vs 4,812 (EOT Fall) 
• Percentage of students from Mesa County: 38.2% (EOT Fall)
• Percentage of students from 14-county service region: 53.5% (EOT Fall)
• Percentage of students from outside Colorado: 14.2% (EOT Fall)
• Total number of international students: 99
• Percentage of students from underrepresented groups: 29.1%
• Percentage of students who are first generation: 43.8%
• Percentage of students who are low income: 27.8%
• Percentage of students ages 18-24: 72% (EOT Fall)
• Percentage of entering undergraduates that were transfers: 19%
• Percentage of all undergraduates that were entering transfers: 4.9%
• Percentage of students enrolled full-time: 74.5% (EOT Fall)
• Students from 48 states (including Colo.) and 47 countries (including the US); may also be phrased, “CMU has students from 47 countries and 48 states.”
• For-credit internship placements: 678
• Students in for-credit research experiences: 619
• 150+ universities in 50+ countries at which students can study abroad via ISEP (International Student Exchange Program) 
• 173 universities at which students can study via NSE (National Student Exchange)

 

Academics

• 120 majors at the certificate, associate, baccalaureate, master’s and doctoral level with 79 areas of concentration or emphasis.
• 53 minors
• 13 academic departments
• 89% of class sections have fewer than 40 students
• 56.5% of class sections have fewer than 20 students
• The average GPA, ACT, and SAT for a baccalaureate-seeking student are 3.18, 22,1070
• 771 students participated in the annual Student Showcase with 370 projects, which includes scholarly and/or creative activities ranging from artistic exhibits, paper presentations, posters, readings, demonstrations and performances.
• Holdings in Tomlinson Library:  Books 206,516; e-books 168,809; government documents 544,224; journal databases 66; more than 30 million items through Prospector and more than 27 million items through Mobius 
• 3,464 students attended 180 instruction sessions provided by librarians
• 2,348 individual research help consultations
• $9,223,622.92 annual amount of externally funded sponsored awards 
• 42 grants submitted to federal, state and private funding agencies
• 52% of total sponsored research and programs funding is federal
• 38% of total sponsored research and programs funding is state
• 10% of total sponsored research and programs funding is private

 

Faculty

• 597 full-time and part-time faculty 
  • 205 full-time, tenured and tenure-track
  • 137 full-time, non-tenure track

Financial Aid

• Financial Aid Awarded: $77 million
• 68% of student body receiving financial aid
• 39.4% of student body received merit aid
• 58.1% of first-time students received merit aid 
• $4 million scholarship dollars awarded by the CMU Foundation to 1,360 students (2022-2023)

 

2023-2024 Tuition and Fees

• Full-time undergraduate in-state tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester, after COF): $10,405
• Full-time CMU Tech in-state tuition and fees (based on 15 credit hours each semester): $6,192 
• Full-time undergraduate special programs (WUE and M&P) tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester): $15,639
• Full-time undergraduate out-of-state tuition and fees (15 credit hours per semester): $26,049
• Number of states included in Mountains and Plains tuition program: 18
• Number of states included in Western Undergraduate Exchange tuition program: 14
• 3^rd lowest tuition and fees in the state of Colorado

 

Student Life

• Student Clubs and Organizations: 144 clubs, 15 organizations
• Cultural alliances that make up the Cultural Inclusion Council: 7
• Number of sororities: 2
• Number of fraternities: 2
• 1,000+ student life activities per year (70+ annual cultural events each year, included in the total)
• Outdoor Program: 59 free weekly outdoor activities, 48 weekend trips and 2,231 items available to rent

 

Technology

• 1,428 computer workstations in 78 computer labs
• 1,236 wireless access points
• 247 technology-enhanced classrooms

 

Athletics

• Number of varsity student-athletes: 806
• All-Time Conference Titles won: 117
• Number of RMAC Championships for the year: 7
• Total number of National Championship qualifying teams: 15
• Number of National Champions: 125
• All-Americans: 67
• Academic All-Americans: 28
• All-RMAC Selections: 271
• Academic All-RMAC Recipients: 285 

Notable Accomplishments: 2023-2024

• RMAC All-Sports Cup Champion
• 13 of our 28 Academic All-Americans were first team selections which led all of NCAA Division II
• Top 10 finish in the Learfield Cup Standings 

26 NCAA Division II teams and 2 additional varsity teams comprised of 800+ total varsity student-athletes:

Men’s triathlon and cheerleading are not NCAA-sanctioned sports

All men's and women's teams are counted separate except for cheerleading

Men’s: Baseball, basketball, cheerleading, cross-country, football, golf, lacrosse, soccer, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, wrestling 

Women’s: Basketball, beach volleyball, cheerleading, cross-country, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming* and diving, tennis, track and field (indoor and outdoor), triathlon, volleyball, wrestling 

*Women’s Swimming was the 2023-2024 NCAA National Runner-up 

50 club sport programs

• 500+ participants
• Co-ed club sports: 3
• Men’s club sports: 12
• Women’s club sports: 11

11 intramural sport leagues and tournaments

• 1,800 participants 
• 240 teams 

 

Arts

• Main stage theatre and dance performances in the Robinson Theatre: 13
• Mesa Experimental Theatre (MET) productions: 4
• Theatre/dance productions: 7
• Number of dance concerts: 6
• Concert/recital performances: 39
• Performing arts events: 46
• 860 seats in Asteria Theatre, 586 seats in Robinson Theatre, 288 seats in Love Recital Hall

 

Alumni

• 50,544 from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries 
• 5 alumni chapters

 

Residence Life

• Residence Halls: 14 (Aspen Apartments, Bunting, Garfield, Grand Mesa, Monument, Lucero Apartments, Lucero Suites, Orchard Avenue, Piñon, Rait, Tolman, Walnut, Wingate, Wingate Apartments)
• Beds on campus: 2,845
• Resident Assistants: 87
• Large-scale programming events for all halls per year: 23
• Small-scale programming events within each hall per year: 160
• Minutes from on-campus food options: 5

 

Grand Junction

• Days of sunshine per year: 300
• Population of Grand Junction: 69,412
• Mesa County Population: 159,681
• Average annual rainfall: 8.46 inches
• Average annual snowfall: 11.5 inches
• Average low and high temperatures, January: 18-35 degrees Fahrenheit
• Average low and high temperatures, July: 60-87 degrees Fahrenheit
• Elevation: 4,586 feet
• Distance from Denver: 4 hours, 250 miles
• Distance from Salt Lake City, Utah: 4.5 hours, 275 miles

 

250 words:
A comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University provides exceptional educational opportunities on a state-of-the-art campus. As western Colorado’s largest university, CMU serves students on its main campus in Grand Junction, its satellite campus in Montrose, its career and technical programs at CMU Tech, and via online offerings.
 
Colorado Mesa University serves as the primary intellectual and cultural center of western Colorado and promotes the exchange of ideas that are of regional, national and international importance. Founded in 1925, it’s a dynamic university enrolling more than 11,000 students at the associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels.
 
At the heart of the CMU experience is an integrative and experiential approach to higher education that encourages students to think differently and empowers them to challenge assumptions. CMU brings students together with expert scholars and thinkers from different disciplines to make connections between ideas and gain the skills to solve the unstructured, complex problems they’ll encounter in life.
 
With low student-to-teacher ratios, students have the opportunity to build one-on-one relationships with professors dedicated to providing tools to succeed in today's interconnected world. An education at CMU offers value through more than 100 programs that enable students to discover and pursue their dreams.
 
Our dedication to providing the highest quality education in a student-centered environment will guide the university into the future.

 

200 words:
A comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University provides exceptional educational opportunities on a state-of-the-art campus. As western Colorado’s largest university, CMU serves students on its main campus in Grand Junction, its satellite campus in Montrose, its career and technical programs at CMU Tech, and via online offerings.
 
Colorado Mesa University serves as the primary intellectual and cultural center of western Colorado and promotes the exchange of ideas that are of regional, national and international importance. Founded in 1925, it’s a dynamic university enrolling more than 11,000 students at the associate, baccalaureate and graduate levels.
 
With low student-to-teacher ratios, students have the opportunity to build one-on-one relationships with professors dedicated to providing tools to succeed in today's interconnected world. An education at CMU offers value through more than 100 programs that enable students to discover and pursue their dreams.
 
Our dedication to providing the highest quality education in a student-centered environment will guide the university into the future.

 

100 words:
A comprehensive university in Grand Junction, Colorado Mesa University provides rigorous educational opportunities through small class sizes and a high level of student/faculty interaction.
 
Students have the opportunity to build one-on-one relationships with professors dedicated to providing the tools to succeed. An education at CMU offers value through more than 100 undergraduate and graduate programs that enable students to discover and pursue their dreams.
 
Since the institution was founded in 1925, it has been guided by a commitment to providing the highest quality education in a student-centered environment. This principle continues to lead the university into the future.

50 words:
Colorado Mesa University provides exceptional educational opportunities through small classes and dedicated faculty. One of the most affordable universities in Colorado, CMU offers professional and technical programs at the undergraduate and graduate level. The institution is committed to providing the highest quality education in a student-centered environment.

25 words:
Among the most affordable universities in Colorado, Colorado Mesa University offers an exceptional educational experience featuring small, student-centered classes and high levels of student-faculty interaction.