MANCHESTER, N.H. – A “bias free language” guide posted to the University of New Hampshire website is drawing criticism for “taking political correctness to farcical levels.”

Perhaps the most egregious politically correct suggestion in the guide centers on the word “American,” which apparently might offend certain people, the New Hampshire Union Leader reports.

“The problem with using the word ‘American,’ according to the guide, is that it ‘assumes the U.S. is the only country in North and South America.’ It suggests using ‘U.S. citizen or resident of the U.S.’ as alternatives,” according to Business Insider.

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School officials told the media the Bias Free Language Guide posted on the university’s website was put together by “a small group of community members” in 2013 with inspiration from the “Guide to Non-Sexist Language” developed by the Women’s Commission in the 1990s.

The UNH website contends the guide was developed in coordination with Mobility International, the American Psychological Association, GLAAD and the National Center for Transgender Equality, according to the Union Leader.

UNH President Mark Huddleston made it clear this week the guide isn’t official university policy, and school officials were not consulted in its creation. Students and faculty have no obligation to follow the guide, he said.

“I am troubled by many things in the language guide, especially the suggestion that the use of the term ‘American’ is misplaced or offensive,” Huddleston said, according to the Union Leader. “The only UNH policy on speech is that it is free and unfettered on our campuses.

“It is ironic that what was probably a well-meaning effort to be ‘sensitive’ proves offensive to many people, myself included,” he said.

The language guide was criticized this week by bloggers who view it as political correctness run amok in American universities.

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“Sounds like a starting point for wasting taxpayer money,” blogger Steve MacDonald posted to the website Granite Grok. He called the guide a “politically correct starter kit,” Business Insider reports.

Aside from the American reference, the guide also advises against using the terms “healthy,” “rich,” “older people,” “opposite sex,” and “blind people.”

“It’s OK to say ‘people of advanced age’ or ‘old people,’ but not ‘older people, elders, seniors, senior citizen,’” the Union Leader reports. “Don’t use ‘rich,’ use ‘people of material wealth.’ ‘Being rich gets conflated with a sort of omnipotence; hence, immunity from customs and the law. People without material wealth could be wealthy or rich of spirit, kindness, etc.’”

The news site also pointed out conflicts within the guide itself.

“Its example of a micro-assault — saying ‘”dogs smell funny” to a blind person using a guide dog’ — is a violation of its rule on how to refer to the visually impaired: ‘person who is blind or visually impaired,” according to the Union Leader.

A disclaimer recently posted to the UNH website warns readers that “the views expressed in this guide are NOT the policy of the University of New Hampshire,” but some state lawmakers think the guide is not worth posting at all.

“The University System of New Hampshire should concentrate on educating students to compete in the 21st century economy rather than taking political correctness to farcical levels,” Senate Majority Leader Jeb Bradley wrote in a statement.