In July 2016, the University of Colorado Boulder Strategic Marketing Alliance, in consultation with campus communicators and the CU System Brand Identity Standards Board, began removing the hyphen in the second reference to our university name ("CU Boulder").

Why the Change?

  • Greater consistency with the established CU system nomenclature. We were the last CU campus to carry the hyphen, which led to some confusion and inconsistency in the use of our name by the news media, faculty, staff, students and others. 
  • Consistency with University of Colorado Boulder logos/trademarks (which do not use a hyphen). 
  • Better digital accessibility with screen reader technology, which will now read "CU Boulder" correctly.

What Does the Change Entail?

  • We ask that campus communicators use "CU Boulder" in all communications channels (print, web, social media, news content, etc.).
  • The new "CU Boulder" second reference should be phased in as communication materials are replaced (please do not incur incremental costs to replace existing materials that have the hyphen). 
  • The campus brand website and campus style guide have been updated to reflect the removal of the hyphen.
  • We will update internal and external stakeholders as appropriate regarding the update to our formal name.