TUCSON, Ariz. — The University of Arizona is again revising how it refers to itself to the public.
As of July 1, the Tucson-based university was retiring the "UArizona" name it had begun using in press releases a few years ago. The university will simply refer to itself as "Arizona" or "U of A" on secondary references in communications and marketing materials, according to the university's updated style guidelines.
Headlines on the university's website have already begun to use "U of A" instead of "UArizona."
When asked why the U of A was making the style change, a university spokesperson released the following statement:
"The University of Arizona was never rebranded. In 2019, UArizona was added as a second reference to our written style guide for communications purposes and to optimize online searches for the university. We’re best known to students, alums, and fans as Arizona and the U of A.
UArizona will continue to be used in social media handles, including Instagram and X (formerly Twitter)."
The name change comes as the university has been subjected to months of scrutiny following the death of a professor on campus, the university's financial problems and the announcement of President Robert Robbins' resignation.
In 2019, the university courted some controversy after announcing the adoption of "UArizona" in order to help distinguish the university in online searches from several other entities that use the "UA" abbreviation. The change wasn't intended to affect the university's licensed merchandise or athletic teams.
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