2024-5_style_guide_final by Greenville University

ABOUT THIS STYLE GUIDE

This guide is a product of collaboration between Greenville University’s marketing, publications, and communications teams. It defines a unified writing style for a broad range of communications, both internal and external. It is intended for general use. Those who write for a scientific or technical publication, or for an academic discipline that follows specific conventions, may want to consult a different guide.

Different publications and audiences require different approaches. The wording you use on an invitation or event schedule will differ from the wording you use for a magazine feature. This guide draws from two sources used widely by writers and publishers: The Associated Press Stylebook and the Chicago Manual of Style. The AP Stylebook represents a journalistic approach; the CMS represents a more traditional approach. Either style is acceptable if you maintain consistency and clarity. Some listings in this guide recommend a news-style and some recommend a non- news-style so writers and editors can determine which style works best for their purposes.

Send questions or comments to GU’s marketing department: marketing@greenville.edu.

Aacademic degrees – Use lower case when spelled out. When using the full name of the degree (e.g., bachelor of arts, master of education), do not follow the name of the degree with the word “degree.” When using the shortened form (e.g., bachelor’s, master’s), use an apostrophe. If desired, you may use the word “degree” with the shortened form. Avoid abbreviations, but if you do abbreviate, use no periods.

Wrong: Mary is working on a bachelor of arts degree in education.

Right: Mary is working on a bachelor of arts in education.

Right: Mary is working on her bachelor’s degree.

Right: Johnson received his master of divinity (MDiv) last June.

Right: A record number of students enrolled in this year’s MAE program.

Do not follow persons’ names with degrees.

Wrong: Dr. Saunders, PhD, from the Bastian School published a paper.

Right: Professor Saunders presented bachelor’s degrees to ten theology majors.

When writing about GU’s Master of Arts in Education program, you may provide clarity for your audience by adding a specialty: MAE-Curriculum and Instruction, MAE-Special Education, MAE-Coaching, etc.

When writing for non-GU media, use periods in all degree abbreviations except the MBA.

academic departments – Capitalize only when using the full, formal name. At GU, the full formal name begins with “Department of ________.” These are all correct:

• The Department of History and Political Science sponsored the event.

• Blake Thomas teaches in the digital media department.

• Johnson teaches math.

academic titles – Capitalize and spell out formal titles when they immediately precede a name. Use lower case elsewhere. Use lowercase if the title before a name serves as an adjective. In most cases, use “Dr.” only for medical doctors. You may use the casual title of “professor” instead of the full formal title “assistant professor of social work.” These are all correct:

• Professor Alex Martinez led the class.

• Alex Martinez, professor of social work, led the class.

• Assistant Professor of Social Work Alex Martinez led the class.

• The students presented their research to social work professors Alex Martinez and Pat Wilson.

Exception 1: Capitalize named and endowed chairs and professorships.

• Professor Terry Jacobs, GU’s Shapiro Chair of Jewish-Christian Studies, introduced the speaker.

Exception 2: Use “Dr.” to emphasize a professor’s credentials without listing them (as in advertising), but only if the professor holds a doctorate.

If a faculty member holds several academic titles, use the one that has a direct bearing on the story.

Use “of” when referencing chairperson of ________, director of ________, and professor of ________. Use “in” for instructor in ________ and lecturer in ________.

academic year – In running text, use four digits for each year.

• Record enrollments occurred in the 2009-2010 academic year.

See also graduation year.

acreage – Estimated acreage of GU’s main campus is 50 acres.

addresses – News Style: Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues. Spell out similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.). Always use figures for an address number: 9 Morningside Circle. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures with two digits for 10th and above: 7 Fifth Ave., 110 21st Ave. N.

Non-news Style: Do not abbreviate parts of an address in running text. Spell out words like avenue, boulevard, and street. Spell out numbered street names of one hundred or less: Thirty-sixth Street. 1212 Fifth Avenue. U.S. Route 41. However, do use the abbreviations NW, NE, SE, and SW in city addresses after the street name.

Exception: Use abbreviations and no punctuation when listing alum addresses in the “Alumni News” section of GU’s alumni magazine The RECORD: 2151 N Forestview Dr, Itasca, IL 60143

Administrative offices – The full formal name of most administrative offices at GU begins with “Office of ______.” Capitalize the full formal name and use lowercase elsewhere.

Wrong: Harris heads the Admissions Office.

Right: Harris heads GU’s Office of Admissions.

Wrong: She dropped off a check at the Advancement Office.

Right: She dropped off a check at the advancement office.

Right: She dropped off a check at the Office of Advancement.

adviser – Not advisor.

affect, effect – Affect, as a noun, is best avoided. Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings. Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect was overwhelming. It was a law of little effect.

African American – Preferred term. Do not hyphenate as a noun or an adjective. Correct: African American students. Do not use “African American” for people of African descent living in other countries (Canada, Caribbean nations, etc.).

Ages – News Style: Use figures. When used as a modifier or a noun, use hyphens:

• A 5-year-old boy received the award.

• The camp is for 3-year-olds.

• The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.

Applies also to inanimate objects, animals, etc. Example: The 8-year-old building is scheduled for demolition this week.

Non-news Style: Spell out ages.

• The property is held by a fifty-nine-year-old man.

• The boy is five years old.

all right – Not alright.

ALL CAPS – In general, use all caps only for acronyms. Three historical exceptions at GU are its alumni magazine, The RECORD; the student organization MOSAIC; and the SMART Center, and related SMART Initiatives.

alumni – GU regards persons who attended Greenville University (graduates and non-graduates) as alumni. Alumnus refers to a man; plural is alumni. Alumna refers to a woman; plural is alumnae. Use alumni or the more informal alums when referring to a group of men and women. These are all correct:

• Deb Summers, a GU alumna, mentors students through Community Circles.

• Chris and Pat, both GU alums, will attend Commencement.

• GU’s Alumni Association presented its Distinguished Alumna Award to Mary Stockton.

• Alumnus Gary Pickett bought Panther sweatshirts for his three kids.

You can also refer to non-graduate alums as “former” students or attendees.

Right: Former GU student Amy Trevario works at Ar-tastic Designs along with her college roommate

Sarah Brighton, GU Class of 2018.

Right: Phil Gordon, who attended GU, is married to Linda, an alum.

a.m., p.m. – Lowercase, with periods. Use figures to designate time using a.m. and p.m. Correct: 4 p.m. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12. Avoid redundancy such as 10 a.m. this morning.

annual – Do not use the phrase first annual. An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held at least two successive years. In the first year of an event, describe it as the first, not first annual. Alternatively, you may describe the first year of an event as inaugural. Do not capitalize designation of an event’s year (second annual, etc.) as part of its title in running text.

Wrong: The first annual Panther Alumni Cheerleading Reunion will be held this summer.

Right: The first Panther Alumni Cheerleading Reunion will take place this summer.

Right: The inaugural Panther Alumni Cheerleading Reunion will take place this summer.

Wrong: A record number of merchants participated in the Seventh Annual “Show Your Panther Pride” contest.

Right: A record number of merchants participated in the seventh annual “Show Your Panther Pride” contest.

app – Short for application when referencing a program that runs inside another service. Use “application” on first reference and “app” on subsequent references. Capitalize names of apps. Do not use quotation marks or italics.

archaeology – This is the preferred spelling.

Arts and Sciences, College of – On second reference, use Arts and Sciences or “the College” (if only one college is mentioned). Do not use the ampersand. See also college.

Asian American – Preferred term. Do not hyphenate as a noun or an adjective.

• Twelve Asian American students attended the meeting.

award – Capitalize when part of the official name of the award.

• John Schurch, professor of digital media, received the prestigious Henry R. Goldsmith Award. Schurch is the third GU professor to win the award.

BBible, biblical – Uppercase Bible when referring to the religious text. Use lowercase when conveying a figure of speech. Lowercase biblical in all instances.

• The Harvard Medical Encyclopedia is the hypochondriac’s bible.

• The course will discuss the Bible as literature.

• The group documented the biblical references in all of Shakespeare’s works.

Black – Capitalize to describe (1) a race, ethnicity, or culture, and (2) an essential and shared sense of history, identity, and community among people who identify as Black. These include persons in the African diaspora and within Africa. Use lowercase “black” to describe a color, not a person.

blog – (v. and n.) Lowercase. Italicize the title of a named blog. Place titles of blog posts within quotation marks.

Board of Trustees – Use uppercase when referring to Greenville’s Board of Trustees or the full name of any other named board. On second reference, lowercase “the board.” Also lowercase when referring to it as “the Greenville board.”

• GU’s president will deliver the financial report at next week’s Board of Trustees meeting. The board meets on Tuesday.

book titles – Italicize the title, followed by parentheses containing the publisher and year published.

• Students will purchase Campbell Biology (Pearson, 2015).

bulleted lists – Use bullets when the listed items are all on par with one another. Use numbers when explaining sequence or ordering the listed items by value. You may choose to use terminal punctuation or not, just be consistent. If every item in a list is a complete sentence, use a period after each item.

Mary listed several reasons for the change:

• Paul and Liza were tired of the format.

• Jimmy was confused by the format.

• Tim was ambivalent about the format.

If commas or semicolons follow each listed item, the penultimate item should conclude with “, and” or “; and” or a similar conjunction. A period should follow the last item only if the list has been punctuated throughout and it ends the sentence.

Mary considered changing the format because it:

• confused readers,

• appeared cluttered, and

• proved ineffective.

Mary changed the format for several reasons:

• boredom

• confusion

• ambivalence

Ccampus – Lowercase: The meeting takes place in Joy Hall on the Greenville campus.

campuswide – One word, no hyphen. Compounds ending in wide are not hyphenated unless they are long and cumbersome.

• statewide referendum

• worldwide pandemic

• countywide office

• university-wide institute

century – Lowercase: the first century

chair – Preferred title for the presiding officer of a department or committee. Avoid chairperson.

• Professor Kelly chairs the committee.

• Alumni will meet with Morgan Hill, chair of the math department.

class – Capitalize when referring to a specific class: the Class of ’94. Note: Use an apostrophe, not a single quotation mark. Apostrophes designating class year stroke down from upper right to lower left: ’

co- – Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives, and verbs that indicate occupation or status: cochair, co-author, co-sponsor, co-founder, co-captain. Use no hyphen in other combinations: coeducation, coexist. Note: cooperate, coordinate, and related words are exceptions to the rule that a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel, and the word that follows begins with the same vowel.

coach, head coach – Generally, follow the rule for academic titles. Capitalize and spell out title when it precedes a name. Lowercase elsewhere:

• Coach Alex Webber later explained the play at a press conference.

• Alex Webber, head football coach, spoke at the dinner.

Use lowercase when the phrase is used as an adjective rather than a title.

• According to football coach Alex Webber, the team is ready for Saturday’s game.

• The Greenville coach, Alex Webber, recruited the running back in 2021.

College – Capitalize when used as an abbreviated form of Greenville College or one of GU’s three current colleges. Lowercase elsewhere.

• The College first opened its doors in the fall of 1892.

• High school graduates bound for college arrived on campus to preview the school’s offerings.

Greenville University comprises three colleges: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Social Sciences and Education, and College of Professional Studies. Use the full name of each on first reference and use shorter versions on subsequent references. Use “the College” on subsequent references only when speaking about one college. If preceding a name with the article “the,” retain lowercase for “the.”

• The Briner School of Business, part of GU’s College of Professional Studies, is located on the north side campus.

• The College also includes programs of study in digital media, exercise science, and sports management.

comma (,) – Use the serial (Oxford) comma when separating elements in a series of three or more, including a comma before the conjunction.

• GU athletic teams include football, baseball, and volleyball.

In writing for non-GU media, use AP style or no comma before the conjunction unless directed otherwise by the target editor.

Commencement – Capitalize when referring to the Greenville event. Lowercase general references.

• Graduates’ families will each receive four tickets for Commencement, to take place on Hogue Lawn.

• A university’s commencement presents special opportunities for celebration.

comprise – Means to contain, to include all, to consist of. The whole comprises the parts. Do not say “is comprised of.” Do say, “is composed of.”

Wrong: GU is comprised of 15 residence halls.

Right: GU comprises 15 residence halls.

Right: The United States comprises 50 states.

Contemporary Music Center (CMC) – Use full name on first reference and abbreviate on subsequent references.

continual, continuous – Continual means habitual, frequently recurring. Continuous means ongoing, without interruption.

Council for Christian Colleges & Universities – GU is a member school of this organization. Use full name on first reference and abbreviate on subsequent references. Note the use of “&” instead of “and.”

• The Council for Christian Colleges & Universities is a higher education association of more than 185 Christian institutions around the world.

• Since 1976, the CCCU has served as the leading national voice of Christian higher education.

Convocation – Capitalize when referring to the GU event. Lowercase general references.

Right: Faculty will assemble on the steps of LaDue Auditorium for a Convocation photo.

Right: On many college campuses, convocation marks the beginning of the school year.

course titles – Capitalize official course titles in running text. No italics or quotation marks are necessary:

• Frank hoped to take a new management course, Online Consumer Behavior

When listing a course number with the departmental abbreviation, put a space between the abbreviation, the course number, and the course name: ME 190 Dynamics. If listing the department name with the course number, capitalize the department name: Mechanical Engineering 190 Dynamics.

course work – Two words.

courtesy titles – Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. In most cases, use Dr. only when the person is a medical doctor and only on first reference.

credit hours – Use numerals to refer to credit hours and no hyphens.

• She is enrolled in a 3 credit hour course.

cum laude – No italic.

curriculum vitae – No italic; the plural is curricula vitae. Also referred to as CV; plural: CVs.

• They requested a curriculum vitae from each applicant and within a week had received three curricula vitae via email.

• Pat marked each CV with the appropriate code and put them all in a file labeled CVs.

cyber – Lowercase: cybercast, cyberspace. When used as an adjective, do not hyphenate: cyber etiquette.

Ddates – Use Arabic figures, without st, nd, rd or th. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, use commas before and after the year: He was born May 25, 1950, in Wichita When including a day of the week with the date, use a comma after the day and after the date: The reception will be Thursday, Sept. 10, at 5 p.m. When a phrase refers to a date but not a year, do not use a comma with the date: The exhibit will open Feb. 15 at the Fine Arts Gallery. When referring to just the month and year, do not use a comma: The program began in May 1999 with 10 participants. When writing a span of dates, do not combine a preposition with a hyphen.

Wrong: Spring break will be from March 7-14.

Right: Spring break will be March 7-14.

For more formal uses, and for Non-news Style, do not abbreviate months. See also months and days.

days – Do not abbreviate days of the week unless in tabular format. When writing a day and date, use a comma after the day and after the date: The reception will be held Tuesday, Oct. 18, at the Fine Arts Gallery. Do not set off days or dates with commas when they stand alone: The reception will be held Oct. 18 at the Fine Arts Gallery.

For publication on a website, include the date, not just the day, so that the information remains timely and clear.

Wrong: John Smith died on Monday.

Right: John Smith died on Monday, Jan. 26.

dean – Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name. Lowercase in other uses.

• During the ceremony, Dean Carolyn Dever will present the award.

• Carolyn Dever, dean of the College of Arts and Science, will attend the conference.

• The dean has published many books on the subject.

decades – Use figures to indicate decades of history. When abbreviating, precede with an apostrophe, not a single quotation mark. (The apostrophe resembles a 9; the single quote resembles a 6.) Form the plural by adding the letter s, no apostrophe.

Wrong: 20’s or 1960’s

Right: ’20s, ’60s, 1960s

decision maker – The nouns decision maker and decision making require no hyphens. Hyphenate “decision-making” when used as an adjective.

Right: Decision makers reviewed the plan.

Right: Decision making requires critical thinking skills.

Right: The decision-making process spanned three weeks.

degrees – See academic degrees.

departments –Greenville University uses “department” to designate academic areas and “office” to designate most administrative areas. Also see academic departments and administrative offices.

dimensions – News Style: Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc. Example: He is 5 feet 6 inches tall; the 5-foot-6-inch man; the 9-by-12 rug. Non-news Style: In dimensions, spell out whole numbers as well as designations of inches, feet, etc. Example, Non-news Style: He is five feet six inches tall; the five-foot-six-inch man; the nine-by-twelve rug.

directions and regions – In general, lowercase north, south, southeast, etc. when they indicate directions. Capitalize when referring to regions: When the St. Louis recruit moved east to enroll at GU, he vowed to become the best player in the Midwest.

disabled, disability – Preferred terms, rather than handicapped. Use “people first language” that describes what a person has, not who the person is.

Wrong: “She is autistic.”

Right: “She has autism.”

Avoid: victim of, suffers with, afflicted by, wheelchair-bound, etc. Instead, use: persons with disabilities, persons without disabilities, person with a brain injury, people with mental illness, accessible seating, accessible parking, the disabled community. Use “separate” instead of “special” in such phrases as separate bathroom, separate bus.

disc, disk – Use the disc spelling for phonograph records and related terms (disc jockey), optical and laser-based devices (a Blu-ray disc or compact disc) and for disc brake. Use disk for computer-related references and medical references, such as a slipped disk.

division – Capitalize when using the full, formal name of a university division: The Division of Math and Sciences sponsored the event. Capitalize on second reference when the name is shortened: Students recruited through Math and Sciences received commemorative t-shirts. Use lowercase in other instances: The local paper announced the event sponsored by the math and sciences division.

doctoral, doctorate – Also see academic degrees. To describe the doctor of philosophy degree, use doctoral degree or doctorate. Use the adjective doctoral for doctoral program and doctoral candidates.

• She will receive her second honorary doctorate during the ceremony.

• The doctoral program is world renowned.

• He received a doctoral degree in 1985.

dorm – Use residence hall instead of dorm when referring to Greenville living quarters.

download – One word.

. – Use as a title before the name of a medical doctor on first reference only. Do not continue to use the title with subsequent references. In most cases avoid using “Dr.” as a title before the name of an individual who holds a doctorate.

Eeach – Takes singular verb.

• Each of the six residence halls houses upperclass students.

• Each of the students is invited to the dinner.

Earth/earth – Capitalize and do not precede with “the” if used as the proper name of the planet, especially in context with other planets. Lowercase in more general, nontechnical uses and idioms. These are all correct:

• Martian meteorites may have carried microbial life from Mars to Earth.

• She is down to earth.

• Paul Conkin’s book explores how Americans can craft policies that may preserve a healthy earth.

either – Takes singular verb: Either of the two rooms has sufficient lighting.

email – (n. and v.) Lowercase, no hyphen.

emeritus, emerita, emeriti – Emeritus is a special status granted to long-serving individuals in GU’s community and not to be confused with retired. “Emeritus” or “Emerita” appears after another title: Professor Emeritus, President Emerita, Staff Emeritus. See usage guidelines for alumnus, alumna, and alumni. Capitalize when immediately preceding a name. Lowercase elsewhere. These are all correct:

• Professor Emerita Jane Stevens delivered the address.

• Professor of Education Emerita Stevens received the award.

• President Emeritus Richard Stephens presented the award.

• Richard Stephens, GU president emeritus, and Robert Smith, former GU president, greeted participants.

Encounter – Capitalize when referring to the GU event: Encounter, a Monday morning chapel service, starts at 9:30.

ensure, insure, assure – Use ensure to mean guarantee or making certain: Lab assistants reviewed procedures to ensure safety. Use “insure” in the commercial sense, to protect against risk as in auto, life and health insurance: He insured the lab equipment. Use “assure” to promise or say with confidence: The supplier assured customers they would receive replacements for the recalled item.

Esports – No hyphen, always use the plural, and capitalize it when specifically naming GU’s team.

• Larry enjoys esports.

• Melba, the GU Esports captain, said the team enjoyed hosting the tournament.

Experience First – Capitalize when referencing GU’s semester-long program. Use its full name for internal and external audiences. Do not capitalize “program.”

• The Experience First program just concluded its sixth year connecting students with business partners to solve marketplace problems.

• Most Experience First business partners this year represented enterprises not local to Greenville.

• Experience First represents a novel approach to learning that students and employers value.

Experience Hub – Use full name on first reference and shorter version (the Hub) on subsequent references:

• Students arranged to meet their project sponsor in the Experience Hub on the main floor of Ruby E. Dare Library.

• Available resources in the Hub include a conference room and space for presentations.

Experience Institute – When referencing this campus office and staff, use its full name for internal and external audiences.

• Experience Institute staff helped Professor Jacobs turn a typical field trip into a memorable and impactful learning experience for students.

Experience Institute LLCs – When referencing these off-campus entities, use full name on first reference and abbreviated form in subsequent references.

• GU’s Healthcare Experience Institute (HEI) in Dallas, Texas, gives students experience in healthcare, social work, chaplaincy, and non-profit organization management.

experiential learning – Do not capitalize or abbreviate reference to this 4-step process where the learner (1) experiences something new, (2) reflects on the experience, (3) assesses it and draws conclusions, and (4) tries out the new knowledge and skills learned.

• The grant funded off-campus experiential learning for ministry majors. Internships qualify.

• Science students participating in GU’s Summer Research Experience fill paid positions as researchers and at the same time engage in experiential learning.

Ffall break, fall semester – Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specific term, for example, fall 2011.

• The application deadline for fall 2022 was January 3.

• He spent the fall semester studying in Germany.

• The first lecture of the fall 2020 semester addressed sustainability

farther/further – Farther refers to physical difference: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: They decided to research the issue further before making a decision.

federal – Lowercase unless part of a proper name: Federal Aviation Administration; federal taxes; federal loan program; federal government.

fellow – Lowercase.

• She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

• He is a Guggenheim fellow.

fellowship – Capitalize if part of the proper name of the fellowship: She received a Guggenheim Fellowship last year.

fewer, less – Generally, use fewer when the number of things is countable (e.g., fewer problems). Use less when the number is measured (e.g., less trouble, less time).

Wrong: There were less student complaints this year.

Right: There were fewer student complaints this year

Wrong: Of the 500 offers sent out, less than 200 were returned.

Right Of the 500 offers sent out, fewer than 200 were returned.

Right: She has fewer classes to take, but less time to take them.

first-year/freshman (adj.) – First-year is often preferred over freshman. Hyphenate first-year when using it as an adjective.

• All first-year students are required to take certain placement tests.

• All first-year residence halls hosted open houses.

fiscal year – The University’s fiscal year runs June 1 through May 31, and carries the numerical designation of the latter year, e.g., June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022, constituted FY22. If desired, abbreviate with FY on subsequent references.

floor – Use “floor” to describe spaces in residence halls and most buildings. Use “level” when talking about the SMART Center.

• Alumni will meet in the conference room on the second level of the SMART Center.

• Level-3 accommodations in the SMART Center include a commercial kitchen.

foreign students – Use international instead.

foreign words and phrases – Italicize unfamiliar foreign words and phrases. A word that is listed in a standard English dictionary (such as Webster’s Third New International) is probably familiar enough to not require italics.

fractions – Spell out amounts less than one, using hyphens: two-thirds, four-fifths, etc. Use figures for precise amounts more than one, converting to decimals whenever practical: 1.5 miles, not 1 1/2 miles.

freelance (v. and adj.) freelancer (n.) – One word.

Free Methodist – Greenville University is affiliated with the Free Methodist Church U.S.A. Use the full name or Free Methodist Church in the first reference and abbreviate (FM Church) in subsequent references. GU belongs to the Association of Free Methodist Educational Institutions. Use the association’s full name on first reference and abbreviate (AFMEI) on subsequent references.

freshman – Use this singular form (not plural freshmen) as the adjective. Example: the freshman representative, all the freshman residence halls.

full-time, full time – Hyphenate as an adjective: She is a full-time employee. Otherwise, two words, no hyphen: He works full time.

fundraiser, fundraising – One word, no hyphen.

• A veteran development executive accepted the position of major gift officer and fundraiser

• GU’s telethon is one of several annual fundraising efforts.

• For information about fundraising, please email the director.

G-H

GPA – No periods and all capitals. It is acceptable on first reference to either use GPA or to spell out grade point average (lowercase).

grades – Capitalize letters used for course grades (A, B, C, D, F, I) and grade names such as Incomplete and Pass. Do not put quotation marks around grades. Form the plural by adding apostrophe-s: He received three B’s last semester.

groundbreaking – No hyphen.

handheld (n.) hand-held (adj.)

handicap parking – Use accessible parking instead.

graduation year – Place the apostrophe before the two-digit year and ensure it leans to the upper right, not the upper left (it resembles the curve of a “6”). If the alum attended GU under a different name, reflect that in parentheses and include the graduation year with their student name.

Wrong: Gerry Brenting ‘79

Right: Gerry Benting ’79)

Right: Marsha (Watanabe ’81) Johnson contributed to the fund.

Right: Samantha (Harris ’06) Harris-Peterson ran in the 5k.

In cases where persons obtained two undergraduate degrees in separate years, include both years: Tywon Hayes ’10, ’18. In cases where persons obtained undergraduate and graduate degrees from GU, add a comma after the undergraduate year, followed by the graduate degree and associated year of achievement: Dana Peters ’14, MAE ’20 .

handicapped – See disabled.

health care – Two words in all uses: A health care provider, Davis holds advanced degrees in nursing.

height – See dimensions.

high-tech – Not hi-tech.

his/her – Current practice requires that masculine pronouns not be used for generic references to nongender-specific persons. Avoid the problem by pluralizing the reference or eliminating the pronoun whenever possible.

Wrong: A patient should fill his prescription immediately after his appointment.

Wrong: A patient should fill his or her prescription following his or her appointment.

Right: Patients should fill their prescriptions immediately after appointments.

In some cases, the subject provides its own solution: An ob/gyn patient should see her doctor regularly.

hispanic – Hispanic generally refers to people who originated in Spanish-speaking countries (including Spain). It does not include people from Brazil. “Hispanic” is capitalized unless it is at the beginning of a sentence.

historic, historical – A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history. Any occurrence in the past is a historical event.

historical periods and events – Capitalize the names of widely recognized epochs in anthropology, archaeology, geology and history: the Bronze Age, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Pliocene Epoch. Capitalize also widely recognized popular names for periods and events: the Atomic Age, the Great Depression, Prohibition. Lowercase century. Capitalize only the proper nouns or proper adjectives in general descriptions of a period: ancient Greece, classical Rome, the Victorian era, the fall of Rome, the fall of Saigon.

Homecoming – Capitalize when referring to the GU event. Lowercases elsewhere.

• GU Homecoming is October 17-20.

• This year’s recipient of GU’s Distinguished Alumnus Award will join us for Homecoming festivities.

• Yale University invited us to their homecoming.

homepage – One word.

I-J

ID – Short for identification. Do not use periods: Students will sit for ID photos prior to the start of classes.

initials – News Style: No space between initials in personal names: T.S. Eliot. Non-news Style: Insert a space after the periods of initials in personal names: T. S. Eliot.

insure – See “ensure.”

interface – Avoid using interface as a verb. Preferred: The students interact with their teachers.

international students – Preferred phrase, instead of foreign students.

Internet – Use lowercase for internet and web.

intranet – Always lowercase.

it’s, its – The contraction it’s = it is: It’s good to see you. “Its” (without the apostrophe) indicates possession: The cat batted its toy behind the couch. Note that pronouns do not form the possessive with apostrophes: his, hers, its, ours, yours.

K-L

Latina - feminine; Latino - masculine – to refer to people of Latin American descent who live in the U.S. Add: Latin American - those living in Latin America. Latin America includes Mexico, Central America, and South America; it also includes Brazil. Latino and Latina are always capitalized.

library – Ruby E. Dare Library

• Use your D2L username to log in.

• If your login is unsuccessful, contact ITS.

log on (v.), logon (n. and adj.) – “Log on” is a verb: “I need to log on to my computer.” Note, use “log on to”, not “log onto.” “Logon” is a noun and adjective, describing the procedure used to access an operating system.

• Log on to the conference call at noon.

• To execute a logon, use the logon command.

• The logon procedure requires a password.

listserv – Lowercase. Note that there is no “e” at the end.

M

majors, minors – In general, do not capitalize academic majors or minors unless they include a proper noun.

• She earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

• He majored in English literature.

• She has a minor in chemistry.

MBA – No periods. Note that the correct article to use before MBA is “an.” She received an MBA from the Briner School of Business.

M.D. – See academic degrees.

Mexican American – (or “Cuban American,” “Peruvian American,” etc.) can be used to refer to people from specific countries. These terms are not hyphenated when used as modifiers.

midnight – Do not put a 12 in front of “midnight.” The celebration will begin at midnight.

• The celebration will begin at midnight.

minuscule – So spelled, not miniscule. Means “very small.”

months – News Style: Do not abbreviate months with fewer than six letters in their names.

Abbreviate the following: Jan. Feb. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec. Do not abbreviate the following: March, April, May, June, July. Spell out months when used alone or with the year only. Do not separate the month and year with a comma: January 1993. Non-news Style: Do not abbreviate months in running text.

more than/over – The Associated Press now regards “more than” and “over” as interchangeable. Traditionalists may still use “over” to describe spatial relationships and “more than” to describe things you can count.

multi – In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with this prefix: multifaceted, multipurpose, multicultural.

multitasking – One word used to describe two or more tasks being done simultaneously—don’t hyphenate.

myself, me – Use “me” as an object.

• Contact me with any questions.

• He raised the issue with me.

• Registering is easy; just sign up with Noah or me.

Nnames – News Style: On first reference, use the person’s full first name and last name and title. Do not use a courtesy title (such as Mr. or Ms.), except for medical doctors and then use Dr. only on first reference. On second reference, use only the last name, without title and without courtesy title.

• With the recently announced NSF funding, Associate Professor Rae Taistinen will continue her groundbreaking research on next-generation design. Taistinen said that the next phase will engage student researchers here on campus.

nationwide – No hyphen.

Native American – One of the descendants of the indigenous peoples of North America. Do not hyphenate as noun or adjective: Native American students voiced their approval.

neither – Takes a singular verb: Neither of the students is available.

newspaper and periodical names – Italicize names of newspapers and periodicals.

News Style: Capitalize “the” in a newspaper’s name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known. In cases where the paper’s location is needed for clarity but is not part of the official name, use parentheses to indicate location.

non- – In general, do not use a hyphen when forming a compound: nonprofit, nonexistent, nonessential. Use a hyphen, however, before proper nouns or in awkward combinations: non-nuclear, non-Englishspeaking.

noon – Do not put a 12 in front of it: The meeting begins at noon.

numbers – Spell out whole numbers below 10 unless you are comparing two quantities of the same thing; use figures for 10 and above. Spell out numbers that come at the beginning of a sentence.

Exception: for percentages, dimensions and ages, use figures, even for 1-9. The nature of the publication will determine whether you spell out “percent” or use %. Consistently use one or the other. For ordinals, spell out first through ninth; starting with 10th, use figures. Use an en-dash to indicate a range: 10 a.m.–5 p.m., April 5–11. To type an en-dash on PCs, type alt + - (hyphen). On Macs, type option + - (hyphen). When writing a span of numbers, do not combine a preposition with a hyphen or en-dash.

Right: The classroom could accommodate 15-25 people.

Right: The classroom could hold from 15 to 25 people.

Wrong: The classroom could hold from 15-25 people.

O-P

office – Capitalize only when using the full formal name. At GU, the full formal name begins with “Office of _____.”

• Staff from the Office of Admissions have begun the process of reviewing applications.

• Submit your information to the admissions office.

online – One word.

over/more than – The Associated Press now regards “more than” and “over” as interchangeable. Traditionalists may still use “over” to describe spatial relationships and “more than” to describe things you can count.

part-time, part time – Hyphenate as an adjective: She is a part-time employee. Otherwise, use two words, no hyphen: He works part time.

PDF – Abbreviation for portable document format. Use all uppercase unless you designate the type of file extension on a file name.

• His assistant emailed a PDF of the schedule.

• The file name is schedule.pdf.

Ph.D. – See academic degrees.

phone numbers – Separate the parts of a phone number with dashes (no parentheses): Call Mary at 618664-2036.

p.m., a.m. – Lowercase, with periods. Use figures to designate time using a.m. and p.m. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12. Avoid redundancy: not 10 a.m. this morning.

• The lecture begins at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at 1 p.m. The committee meets at noon.

post- – Words beginning with the prefix post- are usually closed, no hyphen, unless the root word is a proper noun: postdoctoral, postgraduate, post-Reagan.

pre- – Words beginning with the prefix pre- are usually closed, no hyphen, unless the root word is a proper noun: preadmission, premed, prelaw, pre-Columbian.

prefixes – Generally, do not use a hyphen when using a prefix with a word starting with a consonant. Except for cooperate and coordinate, use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Do use a hyphen before capitalized words or numerals, or in awkward constructions that might be misleading or difficult to read (e.g., non-nuclear). Examples: multistory building, nonprofit organization, non-nuclear plant, postdoctoral research, antiwar movement, antebellum, reestablish, pretrial hearing, pre-election debate, pre-Columbian, pre-1914.

president – Capitalize only as a formal title immediately before one or more names: President Obama, Presidents Ford and Carter. Lowercase in all other uses: the president; George Washington, first president of the United States.

preventive – Avoid using preventative.

professor – Capitalize when this appears as a title immediately before a person’s name. Lowercase elsewhere. Identify faculty by their academic rank and department in published materials. See also academic titles.

program – In general, uppercase formal names of academic programs, but do not capitalize the word program. Programs have directors, not chairs. When referring to the program as a major or minor, do not capitalize (except for proper nouns).

• GU’s Summer Research Experience program offers students paid research positions.

• The Mug Club program is designed with young alumni in mind.

Q-R

RAM – Acronym for random access memory.

real time – No hyphen unless used as an adjective.

• The webcast will take place in real time.

• The real-time webcast drew 250 viewers.

regions – In general, capitalize North, South, East, West, Northeast, etc., when they designate regions; lowercase when they indicate compass direction.

• He drove west.

• The cold front is moving in from the east. The North was victorious.

• She has a Southern accent.

R.N. – If used, follows name and is set off by commas: Jane Smith, R.N., coordinates the program.

room – Capitalize before a room number, but do not capitalize specific room/space names such as lobby, lab, studio.

• The class is in Room 242.

• The breakfast will take place in the dining commons in Armington Center.

• The students will gather in the upper union.

• The meeting was held in the conference room on the fourth floor in Ruby E. Dare Library.

R.S.V.P. – Use uppercase letters with periods for this abbreviation of the French phrase repondez s’il vous plait ( = respond if you please, please reply).

Sschools – On first reference, capitalize the full formal names of GU’s schools: School of Education and Bastian School of Theology, Philosophy, and Ministry. Use shortened versions on subsequent references: School of Ed, Bastian School, or “the School.” In general, avoid acronyms such as SOE or BSTPM.

Right: The Bastian School hosted a reception for retired pastors.

Right: Students graduating from the School of Education gathered on the library steps for a group photo. Professors from the School joined them.

Wrong: This spring, the SOE recognized five alums who received “Teacher of the Year” recognition from their school districts.

seasons – Do not capitalize winter, spring, summer or fall, unless part of a formal name: Winter Olympics. Do not capitalize seasons as part of an academic period: spring semester, spring break, spring 2022.

semester – Lowercase: spring semester, fall semester, fall 2020, spring 2023.

sign-up (n. and adj.) sign up (v.)

smartphone – One word, no hyphens when referring to an advanced cell phone that allows for email, Web browsing and downloadable applications.

spring break, spring semester – Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specific term: spring 2012.

states —Spell out the names of states when they stand alone in a sentence: GU recruits many football players from California. When using a city and state in a sentence, set off the state with commas: Jane Smith plans to return to Cleveland, Ohio, to launch the new program this fall.

Abbreviating state names—News Style: Abbreviate the following when they are used with a city: Ala. Ariz. Ark. Calif. Colo. Conn. Del. Fla. Ga. Ill. Ind. Kan. Ky. La. Md. Mass. Mich. Minn. Miss. Mo. Mont. Neb. Nev. N.H. N.J. N.M. N.Y. N.C. N.D. Okla. Ore. Pa. R.I. S.C. S.D. Tenn. Vt. Va. Wash. W. Va.Wis. Wyo.

Also News Style: Do not abbreviate the names of these eight states in running text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

Do not use postal abbreviations unless giving a mailing address.

Abbreviating state names—Non-news Style: Spell out state names when they follow the name of a city as well as when they stand alone. Abbreviations may be used in such instances as lists and tables, and postal abbreviations may be used for mailing addresses.

statewide – One word, no hyphen.

Summer Research Experience – Use full name on first reference and abbreviate if desired on subsequent references.

• Many students participating in GU’s Summer Research Experience (SRE) work with advanced instruments in labs.

• Alumni and friends of the sciences at GU support SRE by giving to Catalyst Fund.

Tteaching assistant, graduate assistant – Capitalize when it appears immediately preceding the person’s name as a title. Lowercase elsewhere. It’s preferred that you spell this out rather than use TA or GA, even on second reference.

• Next year, she will serve as a graduate assistant for Panther soccer.

• Graduate Assistant Becca Warner will register camp participants in the gymnasium.

telephone numbers – Complete telephone numbers should be provided in any written copy. Copy for external distribution (e.g. news releases) should always include the area code in parentheses and seven-digit number separated by hyphens: (618) 664-6500.

theater, theatre – Use theatre in reference to GU’s Factory Theatre. For general purposes, use theater. In proper names of programs and buildings, maintain the spelling used by that entity. GU’s Factory Theatre will present “All My Sons” May 1-5.

The Wednesday Experience (TWE) – Capitalize the full name on first mention and use the abbreviation TWE in subsequent mentions.

• The Wednesday Experience (TWE) begins at 9:30 am on Wednesdays.

• Many students pronounce the acronym TWE as “twee.”

time – Use figures: 11 a.m.; 3:30 p.m., except for noon and midnight. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12. News Style requires omitting :00 following the hour (Use 11 a.m., not 11:00 a.m.). Do not use o’clock.

When indicating a span of time, use a hyphen (or en-dash in non-news-style) if not using prepositions. If using “from” use “to” instead of a hyphen (or en-dash).

Wrong: The open house is from 5-7 p.m.

Right: The open house is from 5 to 7 p.m. A reception honoring the artist will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Right: The meeting will be Thursday, April 13, 3-4 p.m.

U-Z

United States – Although the abbreviation U.S. is acceptable as both noun and adjective, it is often preferable to spell out the name of the country as a noun: The United States continues to experience economic growth.

university – Capitalize when used as an abbreviated form of Greenville University. Lowercase elsewhere.

• The University first opened its doors in the fall of 1892.

• Several universities collaborated on the event.

• Current university students at GU attend The Wednesday Experience every week.

university-wide – Hyphenate as an adjective before a noun. If used after the noun, then use two words, no hyphen.

• The university-wide survey sought opinions from all Greenville staff. The survey was university wide.

upload – One word.

upperclass student – Use instead of upperclassman.

Vespers – Capitalize when it refers to the GU event, use lowercase when it does not.

• The Greenville Student Government Association will host Vespers this evening,

• Several universities collaborated on ecumenical vespers.