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Is it “theater” or “theatre”? The 1990’s or 1990s? “She said” or “She says”?

Every day – or is it everyday? – the number of writing style questions that we encounter when preparing university documents grows. That’s why we’ve developed a common editorial style guide.

Editorial style is the way we present ourselves to the public through written words, whether in a brochure, magazine, advertisement or website. Having a common style assists us in projecting a cohesive, coordinated image to the public. It also can offer a quick answer to what otherwise might prove a time-consuming dilemma. 

The university's official guide for nonacademic communications, including all recruitment and marketing materials, is the Associated Press Stylebook. Widely used by newspapers and magazines, AP style is familiar to readers, easy to read and makes sense. Although some AP rules stray from those taught in English composition classes (e.g., the final comma in a simple serial listing is eliminated), this is done intentionally with brevity and clear communication in mind. A physical copy or digital subscription of the AP Stylebook can be purchased at apstylebook.com  

Merriam-Webster is our source for spelling.

Despite the scope of editorial knowledge contained in these references, these sources do not address some issues that are unique to UofL or that are encountered frequently by the communications and marketing staff. This style guide (items are arranged alphabetically) is intended to provide an answer fast.

Questions or Suggestions?

Please send them to us at the Office of Communications and Marketing or by calling 502-852-6171.

Basic Guidelines:

1. The UofL Style Guide is the primary reference. Use the AP Stylebook if further clarification is required.
2. No rule overrides good judgment. There are unique cases when cultural shifts in language or artistic license may prevail.

A

A&S

Always use the official name, College of Arts and Sciences, on first reference. On second reference, A&S may be used. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).

a.m., p.m.

Use without 0s to designate hours and lowercase with periods: 8 a.m.; 11 p.m.

abbreviations

For companies, associations, organizations, etc., use the official name on first reference. On second reference, an abbreviation or acronym may be used if the meaning will be clear to readers. If you intend to use an abbreviation or acronym for second reference, let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: She is on staff at the Institute for Cellular Therapeutics (ICT). Part of her work at the ICT involves studying sickle cell anemia.

Avoid acronyms and abbreviations that are used only within a given unit.

For all usages, the University of Louisville may be abbreviated as UofL on second reference, written with no space after the "U" and before the "L."

Never use the university monogram, UofL, as a substitute for UofL in text or headlines.

Abbreviate "company," "corporation," "incorporated" and "limited" when part of a formal name; do not set off with commas: the Coca-Cola Co., Rock Island Line Inc.

Abbreviate "junior" and "senior" as part of a name; do not set off with commas: John Doe Jr.

Note that ampersands (&) are not used in running text, headlines, etc. Only use when it is part of a company’s formal name, composition title or colloquially: House & Garden, Proctor & Gamble, PB&J, R&B

All 50 U.S. states should be spelled out in full in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, etc. Do not use state abbreviations in headlines.

U.S. when in body copy. US when in a headline. USA never has periods.

Either U.S. or United States is acceptable as a noun or adjective in body copy – in headlines it’s US, no periods. Refer to the AP Stylebook for current reference to U.S. entities and their stylization: U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Postal Service, Supreme Court of the United States

See also academic degrees

academic degrees

Lowercase degree names: The department offers a bachelor of science in secondary education and a master of arts in teaching.

Avoid abbreviations in body copy: Jane Smith earned her bachelor's degree in English and then went on to gain a master's in biology and a doctorate of medicine.

Abbreviations (MD, JD, PhD, BA, etc.) can be used in lists. There are no periods in the abbreviations and abbreviations may not be used as part of a person’s title.

Use an apostrophe when writing bachelor's degree, specialist's degree or master's degree but not when naming the full degree: bachelor of arts degree

academic departments/units

Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: sociology department, English department; or when department is part of the official, formal name: University of Louisville Department of Sociology

Capitalize names of colleges when using the full, official name: Brandeis School of Law. Lowercase when using a reference that isn’t the official name or on second reference: law school.

"University," "college" and "department" are never capitalized unless they are part of the official name or the first word of a sentence: see above.

academic disciplines

In text, capitalize only proper nouns and adjectives: members of the chemistry faculty; two English professors.

academic titles

Always use "President Gerry Bradley" – NOT "UofL President Gerry Bradley"

Do NOT use Dr., MD or PhD as titles. Use the individual’s professional or UofL-related title: John Doe, a professor at UofL’s Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center, NOT Dr. John Doe, MD, PhD; Jane Doe, a cardiologist at the Johns Hopkins Hospital

If a person has multiple titles, use only their primary title on first reference: Jane Doe, dean of the Kent School of Social Work – NOT Jane Doe, dean of the Kent School of Social Work, professor of social work and director of the master’s in social work program. If able, use subsequent titles upon future reference within an article.

When using MD, PhD, JD etc. as degree listings, there are no periods or spaces.

Capitalize an individual’s title if it precedes the name: President Gerry Bradley, Professor Smith

Do not capitalize the title when it is used as a descriptor following an individual’s name: Jane Smith, director of human resources

Official chair names are capitalized: Calvin and Helen Lang Distinguished Chair in Asian Studies

See also titles

ACT

Use only the initials for the previously designated American College Testing – ACT, no periods.

Ad Astra

Signature sculpture at the School of Medicine.

ADA

Acronym for the “Americans with Disabilities Act” of 1990. Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, ADA is acceptable. If you intend to use the acronym on second reference, let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

adjunct

Always lowercase: adjunct professor John Thompson.

admissions office

Use Office of Admissions on first reference. Use admissions office thereafter: The Office of Admissions handles undergraduate applications; She is a graduate assistant in the admissions office.

adviser, advisor, advisory

In reference to UofL academic advising and their advisors, use “-or”.

For other uses, use "-er" unless "advisor" is part of an official title: The U.S. Department of Labor's Fair Labor Standards Act Advisor provides employers with information on minimum wage, overtime, child labor and record-keeping requirements; She served as an adviser to the government on this project. However, "advisory" is the correct spelling.

affect, effect

Affect is almost always a verb that means to "influence" or "put on": How this will affect her grade is uncertain at this point; She affected an English accent because she thought it made her seem more sophisticated.

Effect is nearly always a noun that means "result": The effect upon her grade is uncertain at this point. 

Occasionally "effect" is used as a verb in formal writing to mean "to bring about": They wanted to effect some immediate changes in their academic policy. 

"Affect" can be used as a noun in very narrow usage, to denote certain behavior in psychology.

African American

AP style and modern parlance prefer Black. Capitalize Black on all references when used to describe racial, ethnic or cultural references: Black students, Black culture, Black literature, etc. 

African American is not hyphenated.

If quoting or writing about a specific person, always follow their preference.

ages

Generally, avoid referring to a person's age unless it is relevant to your copy. Do not refer to the age of a university faculty or staff member without their permission.

When age is relevant, always use numerals: He was 3 years old. Ages that are expressed as adjectives before a noun or that substitute for a noun use hyphens: The 3-year-old boy wandered off. Police are searching for a 3-year-old who wandered off from his home yesterday.

alma mater

The college one attended (lowercase); "Alma Mater" is the song.

alum, alums (pl.)

Gender-neutral term for a singular graduate of the university if alumnus or alumna won't suffice – or for alumni who identify outside of masculine or feminine on the gender spectrum.

alumna, alumnae (pl.)

Feminine noun for a graduate of the institution.

alumni (pl.)

Masculine or mixed masculine, feminine, nonbinary, etc. plural noun.

alumni codes

NoteWhen referring to alumni, add the year of their graduation to their name as an identifier. Alumni are represented by the last two numbers of their year of graduation. Do not set off the year with parentheses or commas: John Doe ’81. A comma can be used when separating multiple degrees: Sarah Smith ’99, ’02. The apostrophe faces the missing numbers. We do not use degree codes (BA, BS) with alumni names.

When the "19" or "20" is omitted from a written year, an apostrophe is used to indicate the contraction: '87. Be aware that some word-processing programs will incorrectly insert a single open-quotation mark (the tail of the mark will be turned toward the number) rather than an apostrophe (the tail of the mark is turned away from the number), which the writer must then change manually.

alumnus

Masculine singular form of a graduate.

among, between

"Between" is used to show the relationship between two entities; "among" is used when more than two are involved: It was a choice between red and blue. It was a choice among red, blue and yellow. However, "between" is correct when expressing the relationships of three or more items considered one pair at a time: Negotiations on a debate format are under way between the network and the Ford, Carter and McCarthy committees.

ampersand

Ampersands (&) are not used in body copy, running text, headlines, etc. Only use when it is part of a company's formal name, composition title or colloquially: House & Garden, Proctor & Gamble, PB&J, R&B

EXCEPTIONS: 1. In informal use A&S is acceptable as a second reference for the College of Arts and Sciences. 2. In a column header where space is an issue an ampersand is allowed on a case-by-case basis.

and/or

Do not use this construction.

apostrophe

Do not use an apostrophe when forming plurals of dates or abbreviations: 1890s, 1920s, MDs, PhDs

Arts and Sciences, College of

Always use the official name, College of Arts and Sciences, on first reference. On second reference, A&S may be used. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: College of Arts and Sciences (A&S).

Asian American

No hyphen. When possible, refer to a person’s country of origin or follow the person’s preference: Filipino American, Korean American, Indian American

athletic association

Officially the University of Louisville Athletic Association; second reference, athletic association.

Atlantic Coast Conference

Use full name on first reference; use ACC on second reference and after.

athletics director

NOT "athletic" director. Use lowercase except before a name: Josh Heird, athletics director at the university; Athletics Director Josh Heird spoke at the conference.

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B

BAE

Acronym for the Center for Belonging, Access and Engagement. Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, Center for BAE may be used. Avoid BAE on its own. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Center for Belonging, Access and Engagement (BAE)

Belknap Academic Building

Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, BAB may be used. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Belknap Academic Building (BAB).

Belknap Campus

Capitalize Campus when using as a proper noun: The Belknap Academic Building is on Belknap Campus.

between you and me

NOT between you and I.

between, among

"Between" is used to show the relationship between two entities; "among" when more than two are involved: It was a choice between red and blue. It was a choice among red, blue and yellow.

Big Red

A university landmark sculpture by artist Thomas Lear, erected in 1989.

Black

Capitalized in reference to racial identity. See African American entry for more details. For more nuanced information, please refer to the AP Stylebook’s entry on race-related coverage.

Board of Trustees

Capitalize and use full name on first reference. Use "the board," "the trustees" (lowercase) for subsequent references: The UofL Board of Trustees met to discuss the proposal. The board discussed the proposal. The trustees voted on the issue.

brackets vs. parentheses

AP style does not use brackets.

For further details on parentheses usage, see the parentheses entry.

brand names

If using the name of a brand, business, etc., use the stylization the company or institution uses in their own written communication – not the logo stylization: Band-Aid, not BAND-AID. Ensure usage is current: Walmart (current), Wal-Mart (former)

Brandeis School of Law

While the "Louis D. Brandeis School of Law" is the official name, "Brandeis School of Law" is acceptable for all but the most formal usage. On second reference, "Brandeis" (in contexts where the law school cannot be confused with its namesake) or "the law school" is acceptable.

buildings

Capitalize buildings that have a formal name, including the words "Building" or "Center": the Houchens Building. Capitalize only proper nouns in common references: the Interfaith Center building.

Use lowercase for buildings with generic names that reflect the discipline taught or the activity conducted therein: the education building.

Lowercase facilities and rooms within buildings: University Club dining room. However, use figures and capitalize room with used with a figure: Room 211.

bulleted series

Introduce the series with a colon.

Do not use periods or semicolons at the end of each item unless the item is a complete sentence (and be consistent—if one item is a sentence, make them all sentences).

Do not set off the next-to-last item with "and":

She said that several things led to her entrepreneurial success:

• Perseverance
• A sense of humor
• A supportive family

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C

campus

Capitalize when used with the full name of the campus: Belknap Campus, Shelby Campus. Lowercase when it stands alone: The Grawemeyer Award winners visited campus.

NOTE: HSC stands for Health Sciences Center. In copy, with regards to campus, style it as Health Sciences Center, Health Sciences Center campus, HSC or HSC campus.

campuswide

One word.

cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation

Cancellation is the only word that uses the double L.

capitalization

The full, formal names of the university and its colleges, schools and departments are capitalized: the University of Louisville; the School of Music

Use lowercase when not using the full, formal name: the university; the music school.

Capitalize the full, formal names of centers and institutes and use lowercase on second reference or in informal usage: The Center for Safe Urban School Communities helps communities access risk factors for youth violence. The center also promotes the healthy development of young people.

Capitalize the formal names of campus organizations and ongoing programs: Interfraternity Council, University Honors Program.

See also buildings, composition titles

Cardinal(s)

The name given to UofL teams that participate in intercollegiate sports. Always capitalize Cardinal(s) but not the rest of the team name: the Cardinal men's basketball team; the softball Cardinals.

Cardinal Bird, Louie the Cardinal

“Louie the Cardinal” is currently the official name of UofL's athletic mascot. Do not set off in quotation marks: The halftime program featured Louie the Cardinal and the cheerleaders.

Cardinal community, Cardinal family

Only capitalize “Cardinal,” not “community” or “family,” when using these terms. Cardinal community is the preferred term, but either is acceptable.

catalog

Not "catalogue.” Catalog is preferred for American English whereas catalogue is preferred in British English.

Use catalog for both the noun and verb: a catalog of the band’s songs, a mail-order catalog, he cataloged the information into a database.

CEHD

Always use the official name, College of Education and Human Development, on first reference. On second reference, CEHD may be used. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).

center, centre

"Center" is the American spelling; "centre" is British. Always use "center" except when "centre" is part of an official name.

Center for Belonging, Access and Engagement

See entry for BAE

century

Lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10: the first century; the 21st century. Do not hyphenate: This was a 21st century addition to the university.

See also em dash, en dash

chair

Use the full name and capitalize first reference of endowed chairs: William Ray Moore Chair of Family Practice. On second reference the Moore chair is acceptable.

chair, chairman, chairwoman

Chair is preferred: Jane Smith is chair of the biology department. Do not use "chairperson" unless it is the organization's formal office title.

city

Do not capitalize in "city of" constructions: city of Louisville.

Classes, courses

Lowercase when making a general reference to courses: He studies history and political science. Uppercase when referring to a specific class or when the class name includes a proper noun or numeral, and set off in quotations: I took "Psychology 100" and "Spanish 101."

Clock Tower

A campus landmark. Capitalize.

coed

Coed residence halls house students of both sexes, and coed colleges admit students of both sexes. Never use "coed" to refer to a female college student.

collective nouns

The collective nouns "faculty" and "staff" can take singular or plural verbs, depending on whether group members are acting individually or as a group: The French department faculty meets regularly with the Spanish department faculty. The staff sometimes disagree among themselves.

When "data" is used as a collective noun that represents a unit it takes a singular verb: The data is invalid. When it refers to individual items, use a plural verb: The data were collected by a team of biologists.

colleges and schools

The distinction between schools and colleges is, in general, one of breadth: colleges consist of multiple academic units, schools of one or two. Do not call a college a school.

Capitalize the full, formal names of UofL's schools and colleges. If the college is named after someone, include the honoree's last name: Brandeis School of Law. First names and initials need be included only in the most formal settings, such as commencement programs: Louis D. Brandeis School of Law

Where possible, use full names on first reference and informal names thereafter: the College of Arts and Sciences, A&S; the College of Education and Human Development, CEHD.

On first reference for external communications, preface the name of the school or college with "the University of Louisville's" unless the full university name has been used earlier: the University of Louisville's Brandeis School of Law. On second reference, informal names are lowercase: the law school.

Use alphabetical order for formal listings of the university's schools and colleges (dates when units originated are included here, too, for reference purposes):

• Brandeis School of Law (1846)
• College of Arts and Sciences (1907)
• College of Business (1953)
• College of Education and Human Development (1968)
• Graduate School (1915)
• Kent School of Social Work and Family Science (1936)
• School of Dentistry (1887)
• School of Medicine (1846*)
• School of Music (1932)
• School of Nursing (1979)
• School of Public Health and Information Sciences (2002)
• J.B. Speed School of Engineering (1925)

* Date indicates when UofL was chartered by the General Assembly, absorbing LCI (est. 1837) and the Louisville Medical Institute (est. 1833); a law department also was established at this time.

colleges and universities

For colleges and universities other than UofL, use the full formal name on first reference; abbreviations and acronyms may be used in subsequent references. Beware of mixing up athletic nicknames and academic institutions.

commas

Avoid excessive use.

Do not use a comma before the final conjunction in a simple series: The president delivered an address before an audience made up of state legislators, U.S. senators and local government officials.

Do not use a comma to introduce a subordinate clause: She decided to take a class in social deviancy because she thought it would help her understand her teenager's request to officially change his name from John to The Son Who Was Formerly Known as John.

DEPENDENT CLAUSES: If the second half of a compound sentence does not contain its own subject and predicate, do not separate the clauses with a comma: The ticket office is in the Swain Student Activities Center and is open from 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

INDEPENDENT CLAUSES: Use a comma between the two independent clauses of a compound sentence (preceding the conjunctions "and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so" and "yet"). The second half of the sentence must contain its own subject and verb: The ticket office is in the Student Activities Center, and it is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

DATE: Use a comma between a specific date and year: June 10, 1964. A comma should follow the year when a specific date is mentioned mid-sentence: May 11, 1988, was the date of the party. Do not use a comma between month and year or season and year: March 1997, summer 1999.

LOCATIONS: When using a city name with a state or country in a sentence, place a comma afterward: She is a Louisville, Kentucky, native.

See also semicolon

Commencement, commencement

Uppercase the formal ceremony, lowercase for generic usage: Maya Angelou spoke at Commencement; UofL holds commencements in December and May of each year.

Committee

Capitalize the full names of committees that are part of formal organizations. Lowercase shortened and informal versions of committee names.

committees, task forces

Capitalize the official names of specific committees or task forces: The Task Force on Environmental Issues met yesterday. Lowercase second general reference: The task force is developing a proposal on environmental issues on campus.

commonwealth

Do not uppercase in "commonwealth of" constructions: (commonwealth of Kentucky) or in stand-alone use (in the commonwealth)

complement, compliment

"Complement" is something that completes or enhances; "compliment" is an expression of respect or admiration: The black complements the red in UofL's logo. She complimented the university on its red-and-black logo.

composition titles

Do not italicize. Do not use single quotations.

Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.

Capitalize and use quotation marks around titles of books, plays, movies, poems, lectures, speeches, works of art (except sculpture), albums, songs, operas, and television and radio programs: "The Star-Spangled Banner," the "Today" show, "Game of Thrones,” the “Mona Lisa”

Sculptures are capitalized without quotes: The Thinker

Holy books such as the Bible or Quran and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material are capitalized only. This category includes almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks and similar publications.

Translate a foreign title into English unless the work is known to the American public by its foreign name: Mozart’s “The Marriage of Figaro” NOT Mozart’s “Le Nozze di Figaro”

comprise

Avoid using if possible, but when necessary remember that "comprise" means to contain or include. Use in active voice: UofL comprises 12 schools and colleges NOT UofL is comprised of 12 schools and colleges.

course titles

In most cases, a description of subject matter rather than an official title will suffice: He teaches freshman English each fall. She developed the course on contract law.

If an official title is needed, capitalize and surround with quotation marks: “Psychology 101”

courtesy titles

Generally omitted.

See also titles

COVID-19

Referring to simply the coronavirus in acceptable on first reference in stories about the pandemic that began in 2019 and the COVID-19 virus itself. While the phrasing incorrectly implies there is only one coronavirus, the meaning is clear in this context.

Use COVID-19 when referring specifically to the disease: COVID-19 treatments, COVID-19 deaths, recovering from COVID-19

Lowercase the names of variants: the omicron variant, or simply omicron in later references.

cum laude

Lowercase. Means "with distinction."

CV

Acronym for “curriculum vitae.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, CV is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: curriculum vitae (CV).

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D

dash

UofL uses the en dash with spaces for all instances where a dash is necessary: Her research found that this is especially true for women – who have higher color perception than men.

The en dash (–) is shorter than an em dash (—) but longer than a hyphen (-).

Do not pair an en dash with the word "from": 1968–72 or from 1968 to 1972 NOT from 1968–72).

data, datum

Data typically takes singular verbs and pronouns when writing for a general audience. For academic writing, plural verbs and pronouns are preferred. Use datum when you mean a single piece of information.

dates

Spell out months when used alone or with the year only: September 1991. Abbreviate the month – except for March, April, May, June and July – when used with a specific day: Sept. 2.

Do not use a comma between the month and year when no specific day is mentioned: January 1994. The same rule applies to seasons: fall 1996.

When referring to a month, day and year, place a comma between the day and year: Dec. 7, 1945.

Place a comma after the year when a phrase with a month, day and year is used in a sentence: April 18, 2029, was the target date.

Do not use "on" with dates unless its absence would lead to confusion: The program ends Dec. 15 NOT The program ends on Dec. 15.

To indicate sequences or inclusive dates and times, use an en dash instead of "to": Apply here May 7–9, 8 a.m.–4 p.m.

Do not use "st," "rd" or "th" with dates: Oct. 14 NOT Oct. 14th; Feb. 2 NOT Feb. 2nd.

dean

Capitalize only when it precedes a name. Don't combine dean or any administrative title with an academic title before a name: Dean John Doe NOT Dean Dr. John Doe.

See also titles

dean's list

Do not capitalize.

degrees

Lowercase degree names: The department offers a bachelor of science in secondary education and a master of arts in teaching.

Avoid abbreviations in body copy: Jane Smith earned her bachelor's degree in English and then went on to gain a master's in biology and a doctorate of medicine.

Abbreviations (MD, JD, PhD, BA, etc.) can be used in lists. There are no periods in the abbreviations and abbreviations may not be used as part of a person’s title.

Use an apostrophe when writing bachelor's degree, specialist's degree or master's degree but not when naming the full degree: bachelor of arts degree

When referring to alumni, we no longer use degree codes.

See also alumni codes

departments

Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: sociology department, English department … or when department is part of the official and formal name: University of Louisville Department of Sociology

dialogue tags

In most cases, a simple and straightforward “said” is preferred.

Smith said NOT said Smith when using a last name only.

“I love football season,” Smith said; “I love football season,” said Sarah Smith, professor of music theory; “I love football season,” said Professor Sarah Smith.

disabled, handicapped

The terms disabled and disabilities include a broad range of physical, psychological, developmental and intellectual conditions both visible and invisible.

Language about disabilities is wide-ranging and evolving. People with disabilities are not monolithic and refer to themselves in diverse terms. Use care and precision in writing, considering the impact of certain words and terms. When possible, ask people how they want to be described. If not possible, do research to find appropriate language.

Avoid the term handicapped or handicap in reference to a person or persons with disabilities. Usage for terms such as handicapped parking is generally acceptable.

Do not use euphemisms such as handi-capable, differently abled or mentally challenged, other than in direct quotations or in explaining how an individual describes themselves. Do not use handicap for a disability or handicapped for a person.

The term “special needs” is generally considered outdated and potentially offensive – avoid usage and aim for specificity.

doctoral, doctorate

"Doctorate" is a noun; "doctoral" is the adjective. You may have a doctorate or a doctoral degree, but not a doctorate degree: He received his doctoral degree in English; He holds a doctorate in English.

dorms/dormitories

Avoid this old-fashioned and limited term; use “residence hall” instead.

Dr.

Do not use as a title. The university does not use Dr. or academic titles in general external communications because it is assumed that UofL faculty possess the terminal degree in their field.

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E

email

Do not hyphenate.

e.g., i.e

E.g. stands for "for example"; i.e. stands for "that is." The two are not interchangeable but each is always followed by a comma.

ellipsis

Treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, with a space before and after it but none inserted between the three periods: Metropolitan College … provides both employment and a free college education.

emeritus, emerita, emerit, emeriti

This title is not synonymous with "retired"; it is an honor bestowed on a small number of retired faculty and should be included in the title. At UofL this honorary title may be conferred upon a retired faculty member if requested by the dean and unit faculty (or, if permitted in unit personnel documents, by department faculty) and then approved by the president and trustees.

“Emeritus” is masculine. “Emerita” is feminine. “Emerit” is a gender-neutral option if needed. “Emeriti” is plural.

 The word may precede or follow "professor": John Doe is a professor emeritus of art. Jane Doe, emerita professor at UofL

entitled, titled

"Entitle" means having the right to something: She was entitled to the promotion because she met all the qualifications and had the full support of the department.Do not use it to mean "titled".

Title is the name of a publication, musical composition, etc.: Her first book, titled "The Applewhites of Door County," was an enormous success.

everyday, every day

"Everyday" is an adjective; "every day" is an adverb: Missing class was an everyday occurrence for her, while he went to class every day.

everyone, every one, everybody

"Everyone" and "everybody" (one word) refer to all people; "every one" and "every body" (two words) refer to individual items.

"Everyone" and "everybody" are singular pronouns, taking a singular predicate: Everyone here is eligible for the new program. Everybody is ready to go.

When "every" is used as an adjective, the noun it modifies always takes a singular verb: Every one of us is a potential candidate for the job. (This is also true of "each," "either" and "neither.")

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F

faculty

Lowercase unless it is part of a specific name.

Faculty Senate

Uppercase.

Fellowship, fellowship

Use uppercase for a named fellowship and lowercase for generic use: She received a fellowship from the institution. He was awarded the Founders Fellowship in 1999.

FERPA

FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) is a federal law applying to educational agencies and institutions that receive funding under a program administered by the U.S. Department of Education. Under FERPA, schools must generally afford students who are aged 18 or over, or are attending a postsecondary institution, access to their education records, an opportunity to seek to have the records amended and some control over the disclosure of information from the records.

fewer, less

Use "fewer" when referring to items that can be counted: He said that fewer than 10 responses would not provide an adequate sample for his survey. "Less" refers to an uncountable bulk or quantity: Less than half of the blood supply was usable.

financial aid office

The formal name is Office of Financial Aid. Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, financial aid office is acceptable.

foreign words and phrases

Some foreign words, phrases and abbreviations, such as bon voyage, carpe diem, RSVP, etc., have become accepted into English, but if the term is not understood universally, surround it with quotation marks and provide an explanation. He felt a thrilling sense of “schadenfreude,” or pleasure at someone else’s misfortune; “ad astra per aspera,” a Latin phrase meaning “to the stars through difficulty.”

forgo, forego

"Forgo" is the preferred spelling when meaning "to overlook or neglect" or "to do without or give up."

formal vs. occupational titles

Formal titles generally denote a scope of authority, professional activity or academic accomplishment so specific that the designation becomes almost as much an integral part of an individual's identity as a proper name itself. Capitalize when they appear before a name: The session was led by President Barack Obama.

Occupational titles serve as descriptions and are always lowercase: The most important figure in the elementary school was janitor William Johnson.

Founder's Day

Commemorates the drafting of an agreement to establish the university on April 3, 1798. Capitalized. 

fractions

Spell out when used in text; use numerals in charts. For fractions and percentages, the verb should agree with the noun following the "of": Three-fourths of the students were English majors. Three-fourths of the project is completed.

fraternities, sororities

The full, formal name should be used on first reference: Sigma Phi Epsilon.

A member is a member, never a "brother" or "sister."

In reference to a fraternity or sorority's building, the word "house" should be capitalized when it follows the name of the organization: Sigma Phi Epsilon House; fraternity house.

from

In a construction indicating range or extent, do not use an en dash if the word "from" has been used: He served as head of the department from 1995 to 1997. The lecture is scheduled 2:30–5 p.m.

See also range

FTE

Acronym for “full-time equivalency.” Avoid using except in the most casual circumstances, and only if you are certain that your audience is familiar with the term.

Fulbright

Uppercase as shown: Fulbright Scholar Award, Fulbright Scholar Program, Fulbright Scholars, Fulbright Scholar Grant, Fulbright Distinguished Fellow. Lowercase as shown: a Fulbright grant, a Fulbright fellowship, a Fulbright award.

FYI The Fulbright Scholar Program was established in 1946 under congressional legislation introduced by Sen. J. William Fulbright of Arkansas. Grants are awarded to Americans to lecture or conduct research abroad and to foreign scholars to visit the United States. The program is funded and administered by the U.S. Information Agency through the Council for International Exchange of Scholars.

full time, full-time

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: She is a full-time employee of the university. She works full time at the university.

fundraiser, fundraising

One word in all uses.

FY

Acronym for “fiscal year.” Acceptable for use in financial tables and lists; avoid otherwise.

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G

grade point average, GPA

GPA is acceptable in all references

GRE

Acronym for the “Graduate Record Examinations.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, GRE is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Graduate Record Examinations (GRE).

Greek, greek

Lowercase for fraternities and sororities; uppercase when referring to someone from Greece: The Greek student decided to go greek during rush week and try out for a sorority.

ground-breaking, groundbreaking

ground-breaking (adj.), groundbreaking (n.)

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H

headlines, subheadings

Headlines and subheadings for news stories, magazine content and other forms of print-style communication use sentence case, capitalizing only the first word and any proper nouns: UofL receives major distinction from the U.S. News & World Report

health care

AP Stylebook uses two words, except when part of a formal name: Advancing health care is a very important part of the university's Challenge for Excellence agenda; UofL Health Care; Norton Healthcare.

HIPAA

Acronym for the “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.” Avoid. Refer to privacy laws or the federal law restricting release of medical information.

his/her, he/she

Avoid using "his/her" or "he/she," as it presumes a binary view of gender. Instead, use "they/them/their" as a gender-neutral singular pronoun when referring to unspecified or nonbinary individuals, in line with AP style.

Where clarity may suffer, rewrite the sentence to avoid pronouns altogether: “Each student should submit his or her assignment by Friday” becomes “Each student should submit the assignment by Friday.”

Explain pronoun usage if needed: Morales, who uses they/them pronouns, says they enjoyed the film.

Avoid assumptions about pronouns or gender identity and prioritize clarity in your writing.

homepage

One word, per AP Stylebook.

Homecoming, homecoming

Uppercase when referring to the UofL Homecoming event; lowercase for generic usage: He was his high school's homecoming king.

Honors Program

The official name is University Honors Program, but Honors Program also is acceptable. Uppercase. However, "honors classes" and "honors professor" are lowercase.

House Bill 1

Short for the "Kentucky Postsecondary Education Improvement Act of 1997." It is acceptable to use House Bill 1 on first reference as long as it is in a context that clearly explains to readers what the bill is about.

HSC

Acronym for the “Health Sciences Center.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, HSC is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Health Sciences Center (HSC).

hyphen

Use a hyphen to avoid ambiguity: She was a small-business owner. 

Hyphenate modifiers that follow forms of the verb "to be": The cancer program is world-renowned for its innovative treatments.

Hyphenate compound modifiers except when the compound modifier follows the noun: She is a part-time worker. She works part time.

EXCEPTIONS: No hyphen is needed for compound modifiers using the adverb "very" and all adverbs ending in -ly: She was a very qualified candidate. This is not such an easily remembered rule.

However, note that when " family" (which, of course, is not an adverb) is part of a compound modifier, the modifier is hyphenated: family-owned business.

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I

Inc.

Abbreviate when part of a name; do not set off with commas: Rock Island Line Inc.

See also abbreviations, acronyms

inpatient, outpatient

One word.

institutes

Uppercase on first and formal references with complete names. Note that some institutes are in fact academic departments within a school or college, while most are independent of academic affiliation or multidisciplinary.

See also capitalization

internet

Always lowercase.

IT

Jargon abbreviation for "information technology"; do not use in normal text except in informal usage when referring to the various IT departments: He contacted IT for assistance with his email account.

italics

AP doesn’t use italics in copy. Italics are only used in this style guide to highlight examples of correct and incorrect usage.

it's, its

This one is easy – but, nevertheless, often misused. Remember that "its" is the possessive form of the pronoun "it": The group decided that its rules were too strict. "It's" is a contraction for "it is" or "it has": It's easy to make this mistake. It’s been too long since we’ve seen each other.

HINT: A quick way to check if you've used the correct version is to read the sentence back to yourself, inserting "it is" in place of it's or "its" to determine if it still makes sense.

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J

jargon

Avoid at all times.

JCPS

Acronym for the “Jefferson County Public Schools.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, JCPS is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Jefferson County Public Schools (JCPS)

JCTC

Acronym for "Jefferson Community & Technical College." Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, JCTC is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Jefferson Community & Technical College (JCTC)

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K

KCTCS

Acronym for the “Kentucky Community and Technical College System.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, KCTCS is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS)

KEES

Acronym for "Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships." Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, KEES is acceptable, but remember to refer to it as "KEES money". If you intend to use the acronym on second reference, let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships (KEES)

KERA

Acronym for the “Kentucky Education Reform Act Initiatives.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, KERA is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Kentucky Education Reform Act Initiatives (KERA)

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L

Latino, Latina, Latinx

Latino is often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form.

Some prefer the gender-neutral term Latinx, which should be confined to quotations, names of organization or descriptions of individuals who request it and may be accompanied by a short explanation: Hernandez prefers the gender-neutral term Latinx.

For groups of females, use the plural Latinas; for groups of males or of mixed gender, use the plural Latinos. Hispanics is also generally acceptable for those in the U.S. Use a more specific identification that prioritizes the individual or collective whenever possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican or Mexican American.

law school

Second reference both for the Brandeis School of Law and for the building in which it is housed.

lectures

Put the full titles of lectures in quotation marks: The subject of his lecture is "The World of Ambrose Bierce."

Capitalize lecture titles and lecture series titles; do not capitalize preceding adjectives: She delivered the fourth annual Holmes-Hunter Lecture.

libraries

The university library system includes:

• Ekstrom Library (the main unit)
• Kornhauser Health Sciences Library
• Margaret M. Bridwell Art Library
• Laura Kersey Library of Engineering, Physical Sciences and Technology
• Dwight Anderson Memorial Music Library
• University Archives & Special Collections
• Law Library

The system is named UofL Libraries and, therefore, uses a singular verb: UofL Libraries was accepted recently into the Association of College and Research Libraries.

Louisville Alumni

The official name of UofL’s alumni relations office, housed within Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement (formerly the Office of Advancement). It encompasses alumni relations and annual giving.

Use Louisville Alumni on first reference. Use alumni office or alumni relations thereafter: Louisville Alumni handles alumni relations; They are a graduate assistant in the alumni office; She works in alumni relations

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M

magazine names

Capitalize but do not italicize or put in quotes magazine names. Newsweek, Esquire, Vogue, UofL Magazine.

magna cum laude

"With great distinction," lowercase.

majors

Do not capitalize unless it incorporates a proper noun: He was an English major; She was an engineering major.

multi

In general, no hyphen when used as a prefix: multicultural.

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N

newspaper names

Capitalize the definite article if that is the way the publication prefers to be known: The New York Times

However, do not capitalize the definite article in a story that mentions several papers where some papers use "the" as part of their name and others do not: the Cincinnati Enquirer, the Courier Journal (Note: as of 2017, it is The Courier Journal, no hyphen)

Where location is needed but is not part of a newspaper's name, use parentheses: The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer.

NIH

Acronym for the “National Institutes of Health.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal publications, NIH is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: National Institutes of Health (NIH)

non

In general, no hyphen when used as a prefix: nonprofit; nonentity.

EXCEPTIONS: Use a hyphen before proper nouns and in awkward constructions: non-English speaking people; non-nuclear submarine

NSF

Acronym for the “National Science Foundation.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal publications, NSF may be used. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: National Science Foundation (NSF)

numbers

In general, spell out those less than nine; use numerals for 10 and above: She currently worked three jobs; He has lived in 12 U.S. states. EXCEPTION: At the start of a sentence; in casual uses such as one in a million; in literary or special uses such as four score and seven years ago.

Use numerals for 1 through 9 for ages (of people, animals, events and things) or when preceding a unit of measure (inches, pounds, temperature degrees, etc.) except time measurements. For time measurements, spell out one through nine.

Always spell out numbers at the beginning of a sentence, except for calendar years.

Generally, spell out zero: Today’s low is ten below zero; There was a zero percent chance.

Always use numerals for percentages: 7%,13%

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O

OB/GYN

Acceptable in all references for obstetrics and gynecology.

online

One word.

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P

Pan-African studies

Hyphenate “Pan-African” and uppercase.

parentheses

Avoid, if possible, when referencing incidental information within a sentence. Instead, use commas or en dashes to offset that information: The Tiffany lamp – her favorite – had been in her family for generations NOT The Tiffany lamp (her favorite) had been in her family for generations.

Use parentheses instead of brackets when including omitted information or simplifying a quote – and always ensure the meaning of the quote is not altered: “I’ve always loved the (New York) Times Crossword puzzle,” he said; “(Williams) said that the New York Times Crossword was his favorite puzzle.”

percent

Use symbol when paired with numeral and with no space in most cases: 3%, 55%, 0.6%

possessives

For plural nouns not ending in S, add ‘s: the club’s contributions, women’s rights

For plural nouns ending in S, add only an apostrophe: the departments’ needs, the girls’ toys, the United States’ wealth, General Motors’ profits, the Johnsons’ dog

Follow AP style for other instances.

postgraduate

No hyphen; use as an adjective only: She was a postgraduate student in biology. NOT: She was a postgraduate in biology.

president

For UofL’s current president, it’s always “President Gerry Bradley,” not “UofL President Gerry Bradley.”

As with all titles, uppercase only before the name: former UofL President Donald Swain; Ronald Reagan, former president of the United States. When used without the name, always lowercase: The president spoke before Congress.

prices

For tickets, admission, etc., list the price to the general public first, followed by that for students or staff.

principal, principle

“ Principal;” can be either a noun or an adjective: She returned to her old high school last year as its principal. The principal reason she enjoys her job is because she gets to work with the children of her former classmates. “Principle” is a noun only. It can mean a “truth, doctrine or rule of conduct” (It compromised her principles.), a scientific law (the principle of cell division) or an essential element or quality that produces a specific effect (the active principle of a medicine).

professor

Professor should be lowercase, unless it is part of the person’s official title before the name: Associate Professor Jane Smith

EXCEPTION: Full titles of endowed professorships are capitalized: Ben A. Reid Professor of Surgery

program

Capitalize only when program is part of the formal name: the department's visiting scholars program; the University Honors Program

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Q

Quad, Humanities Quad, 2020 Quad

Capitalized. Either reference is acceptable for this popular campus landmark located between Ekstrom Library and the Humanities Building on Belknap Campus.

For the quad located between the Belknap Academic Building and Schneider Hall, use 2020 Quad.

quotation marks

Periods and commas always go within the quotation marks; dashes, semicolons, question marks and exclamation points go within the quotes when they apply to the quoted matter and outside when they apply to the whole sentence: Is this the sentence you refer to as “the gold standard”?; He asked me, “What time do you want to meet?”

For quotes within quotes, alternate between double and single quotation marks; use three marks together (with a space in between) if two quoted elements end at the same time: “It was an atomic absorption spectrometer,” Pierce recalls. “When I said that, the guy looked up from his notepad and went, 'Uh, yeah.' ”

FYI If working in Word, be aware that the program will automatically turn a closing double quotation mark ( “ ) into an opening one ( ” ) when it follows a single ending quote mark. To get around this, type the ending single and double quote marks with no space between them, then go back and insert the space.

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R

REACH

Acronym for “Resources for Academic Achievement,” which is the university's centralized academic support unit for undergraduate students. In contrast to other university-used acronyms, style on first mention as: REACH (Resources for Academic Achievement). REACH can be used alone in secondary mentions.

registrar

Lowercase.

registrar's office

Acceptable on most references.

residence hall

The preferred term for on-campus student living accommodations; do not use “dorm” or “dormitory” unless it is part of the official name.

Rhodes Scholar, Rhodes Scholarship

The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest international fellowships, were established to honor British financier and administrator Cecil Rhodes after his death in 1902. Their purpose is to bring outstanding students from many countries around the world to the University of Oxford. The first American Scholars were elected in 1904.

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S

SAC, Swain Student Activities Center

Acronym for the “Swain Student Activities Center.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal publications, SAC is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Swain Student Activities Center (SAC)

SAT

Although SAT still officially stands for Scholastic Assessment Test, the abbreviation is sufficient even on first reference: SAT, no periods. Score totals are written without a comma: 1300. As with GPAs, federal law prohibits releasing individual student scores without the explicit written permission of the student.

See also FERPA

scholarship

Lowercase except for named awards: He received an athletic scholarship. She received a National Merit Scholarship.

School of Music

An academic unit; “music school” on second reference.

schools and colleges

See colleges and schools

seasons

Always lowercase, even when naming an issue of a publication: the fall 2027 issue of UofL Magazine

semesters

Academic semesters are lowercase with no comma preceding a year: fall 2025, spring 2026 semester

semicolon

Semicolons may be used to separate the elements of a series when the elements themselves include commas. Do not use semicolons in a series if commas will work.

Note Using semicolons in this way does not dictate the use of a colon to introduce the series; conversely, using a colon does not dictate the use of semicolons.

When semicolons are used, include one before the conjunction at the end of the series.

Use a semicolon to connect two closely related sentences, thus avoiding comma splices or run-on sentences: We set some lofty goals when we developed the Challenge for Excellence plan in the latter half of the 1990s; five years later, we've already accomplished many of them.

Shelby Campus, Shelbyhurst

Shelby Campus is UofL's academic campus located in the east end of Louisville.

Shelbyhurst is the commercial office park at Shelby Campus.

spacing

Single space only and always after a period.

Speed School

Acceptable as a second reference for “J.B. Speed School of Engineering.”

state names

The 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base. Always place a comma after the name of the state if within a sentence: She is a Louisville, Kentucky, native.

If the communication piece uses a dateline, such as a press release, use state abbreviations per AP style.

Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are never abbreviated in datelines or text.

Please refer to the AP Stylebook for further usage examples and appropriate state abbreviations.

stereotypes

Avoid racial and sexual references or mention of physical conditions and traits if they are not germane to the story.

See also disabled/handicapped

student-athlete

Follow UofL Athletics style: student-athlete is hyphenated.

student classifications

Either freshman, sophomore, etc. or first-year student, second-year student, etc. constructions may be used when identifying an undergraduate student’s status. For graduate and doctoral students, only use first-year, second-year, etc. constructions.

Terms such as “freshman” are more easily understood by the public, but terms like “first-year student” may be more applicable in stories that cover data and university initiatives. When in doubt, ask your subject how they prefer to be referenced.

FYI Freshman, sophomore, etc. status is denoted by credit hours completed, not years at an institution.

Student Government Association

Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference, SGA is acceptable. Let readers know this by setting it off in parentheses directly after the first official reference: Student Government Association (SGA)

summa cum laude

Lowercase. Means "with greatest distinction"

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T

task force

If a task force has a formal name, capitalize it: The University Task Force on the Environment will discuss several very interesting issues at its next meeting. If the reference is general or generic, do not capitalize: The university will appoint a task force to discuss environmental issues on campus.

telephone numbers

Use figures and separate with hyphens, not periods or parentheses: 502-852-6171

tense

Quote in the past tense for general university publications: “It's a great idea,” he said.

that, which

“That” is used to introduce an essential clause (one that cannot be eliminated without changing the meaning); “which” is used to introduce a nonessential clause: She signed up for the science course that she needed to complete her major. She took biology, which is a course that she needed to complete her major.

An essential clause must not be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas; a nonessential clause must.

that, who

Use “that” when referring to inanimate objects and to animals without a name: She works for the company that pioneered biomedicine. There goes the dog that bit me.

Use “who” when referring to people or to animals with a name: She was the one who started the company. It was Lassie who bit me.

the

Do not capitalize “the” within a sentence unless there are quotation marks around a composition title, or the article is part of a publication’s formal name: He attended the University of Louisville. She requires her students to read “The Lottery” each year.

If “the” is part of the formal company name, use it on first reference.

theater, theatre

Use “-er” unless “theatre” is part of the formal name: Classes in UofL's theater program are often held in the Thrust Theatre.

FYI While this can be confusing (especially as UofL's theater department uses the “–re” spelling for its formal name), it becomes much simpler if you remember that the only time the “–re” spelling should be used is for instances in which “Theatre” is capitalized.

time

Use figures except for “noon” and “midnight.”

Use a colon to separate hours from minutes: 8:45 a.m.

8 a.m. NOT 8:00 a.m.

Avoid redundancies such as 10 a.m. this morning.

Avoid constructions using “o'clock.”

titles

In general, capitalize formal or courtesy titles – president, dean, senator – before names of individuals and lowercase when they follow names. Lowercase descriptive or occupational titles: editor John Doe.

Use full names on first reference. On second and subsequent references, use only last names, without courtesy titles, for all genders regardless of marital status.

EXCEPTION: To distinguish between a husband and wife quoted in the same story, confusion often can be avoided by using first names: John and Jane Smith collaborated on the study. “We reported our findings at the next conference,” Jane said. “It was an interesting session,” John said.

JOB TITLES: Use lowercase for titles unless they are directly before a name and function as part of the name: Dean Joe Jones met with President Brenda Smith to discuss several research issues. Jane Doe, dean of the medical school, also attended.

Do not capitalize titles in generic usage: The deans met with the president.

As a rule, titles containing more than four words should be placed after the name.

TITLES OF EVENTS: Capitalize, in quotation marks, the full, formal titles of workshops, conferences, seminars, speeches and similar events: A workshop titled “The Use of the Library” will be held next week. Use lowercase for subject matter: Ekstrom Library will offer a workshop on library use.

COURTESY TITLES: In a formal list (of participants or donors, for instance) “Mr.,” “Mrs.,” “Miss,” and “Ms.” should be omitted, except when a woman specifically requests to use her husband's name: Mrs. Joseph Doe, Mr. and Mrs. John Doe.

See also academic titles, composition titles

trademarks

UofL is a university trademark. Be aware that all university logos and marks are protected under federal trademark law.

For other products, when possible, use the generic equivalents: facial tissue, bandage. If the trademarked name is necessary, capitalize only the first letter(s): Kleenex, Band-Aid

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U

UK

Acronym for the “University of Kentucky.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal publications, UK may be used if the meaning will be clear to readers.

ULink

Acronym for the “University of Louisville Information Network,” the university’s website portal. No need to use formal name.

underway

One word in all uses.

university names

Spell out on first reference. On subsequent references, can abbreviate or drop the full formal name. She enrolled at Northern Kentucky University. The NKU student is a history major. Bellarmine University is participating in the consortium. The Bellarmine senior was the first to volunteer.

University of Louisville

On first reference, use the University of Louisville. After first reference, you may alternate between UofL and the university. There is no need to designate the UofL acronym on first reference within parentheses.

See also capitalization

UofL

Acceptable as a second reference for the University of Louisville, both as an adjective and noun: They will be going to UofL. He is attending UofL's Speed School.

There are no spaces in UofL.

Proper nouns like UofL typically do not require an article (the). “She graduated from UofL.” NOT “She graduated from the UofL.”

UofL Magazine

The name of the university’s magazine for alumni and friends.

URL

All UofL URLs are listed as louisville.edu/entity name (note: no https: or www. prefix).

Never allow a web address to break over two lines with a hyphen; if necessary, break using a required soft return following a slash or other mark of punctuation that is part of the address.

See also web, World Wide Web

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V

vice president

Do not hyphenate. Do not capitalize in text unless the title precedes the name

Visitors Center

No apostrophe. Capitalized.

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W

web, World Wide Web

Do not use “www” as an abbreviation within a sentence; instead, use “the web.”

When writing out web addresses, https:// is not necessary, nor is www. Periods may be used at the end of the web address: His favorite website was Louisville.edu.

On advertising materials, the use of http:// or https:// as well as www. before a URL is antiquated and unnecessary.

Avoid breaking web addresses at the end of a line.

white

When used to denote race, lowercase.

who, whom

In formal English “who” functions as a subject: Who was that? “Whom” functions as an object: To whom was the package sent? (object of to).

who's, whose

“Who's” is a contraction: Who's there?

“Whose” is possessive: Whose book is that?

work-study

Of or relating to any of various programs that enable students to engage in part-time employment while continuing their studies.

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