alumni graduation year
When including the graduation years of alumni in sentences, the preferred style is to place commas after the person’s name and after the year (Jane Doe, ’99, now owns her own company.) For multiple graduation years use an & (Jane Doe, ’99 & ’02, said she is glad... or Jane Doe, ’99, ’00 & ’02, said she is glad...).
It is also acceptable to not use the comma after the name and year, based on the user's discretion and personal preference. (Jane Doe ’99 now owns her own company.)
When including the graduation years of alumni in lists, pull quotes, or internal email signatures, use Name ’XX. For example:
Jane Doe ’99
John Doe ’00 & ’01
"I love Grand Valley with all my heart."
- Jane Doe '17
John Doe '16
Manager
ABC Department
A closing apostrophe (’), not an opening apostrophe (‘), appears in front of the date. You may need to copy and paste a closing apostrophe from another place in your document to ensure the proper usage.
When using a class year for a current student, use the term "Class of XXXX." For example:
Jane Doe, Class of 2020, is a math major from Allendale, Michigan.
The class year can be established by checking Banner and then confirming with the student.
