Dates

Graduation Dates
Inclusive Dates
Punctuation with Dates

Graduation Dates In running text, when referring to a graduation year, use all four digits. When you need to abbreviate the year, use the final two digits of the graduation year, or expected graduation year, preceded by an apostrophe, and enclose the year in parentheses. Be sure that the apostrophe is headed in the correct direction.

Grace Note, who graduated in 1987 with a double major in dance and music, was the guest performer.

Art Alex (`99) won the department's award for most creative undergraduate project.

Tip If you use a Macintosh system, you can trick the word processor into giving you the correct apostrophe by first typing any character, then the apostrophe, and then the digits. Then, just delete the character in front of the properly oriented apostrophe. (This assumes that you have selected "smart quotes" from the Preferences menu of Microsoft Word or have chosen a similar option in another program. Because HTML doesn't like real apostrophes, we are not using them on this web version of the CU-Boulder Style Guide.)

Inclusive Dates Use an en dash (or a hyphen, if an en dash is unavailable) for continuing or inclusive numbers, but do not use a hyphen as a substitute for the word to.

She taught in the chemistry department from 1995 to 1999.

NOT She taught in the chemistry department from 1995–1999.

The 1999–2000 academic year concluded with fair-weather graduation ceremonies.
(Note: use 2000 instead of '00 for this academic year only, then 2000–01.)

Punctuation with Dates No comma is needed between a month and a year. Commas are required before and after a year when month, date, and year are used.

She began her studies in September 1979 and completed them in May 1983.

She began her studies on September 1, 1979, and completed them on May 12, 1983.