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 questions that we encounter when preparing university documents grows. That’s why it is important to develop a common editorial style guide.

Editorial style is the way we present ourselves to the public through written words, whether in a brochure, magazine, newspaper ad 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 and Libel Manual. Widely used by newspapers and magazines, the 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.

For the few exceptions that AP style does not address we use A Manual of Style, while Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition is our source for spelling issues.

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.

For questions or to suggest future revisions, contact the Office of Communications and Marketing at 852-6171.

Copies of the AP Stylebook and Libel Manual can be obtained through AP Newsfeatures, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020. A Manual of Style can be purchased in area bookstores. Those who are interested in other fast and easily read references dealing with everyday writing issues should check out “When Words Collide,” by Lauren Kessler and Duncan McDonald, and “The Writer’s Handbook,” by John B. Karls and Ronald Szymanski.

Suggestions?

If you have any suggestions for the Editorial Styleguide, please send them to us.

Basic Guidelines:

Use AP Stylebook as a first reference when UofL Style Guide does not override.
No rule overrides good judgment. There are cases when artistic license may prevail.

A

A&S

Acronym for the “College of Arts and Sciences.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal publications, A&S may be used if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

a.m., p.m.

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

AAUP

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

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 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.

Beginning with the 2014 edition, the AP Stylebook has changed its rule for abbreviating state names. All states are now spelled out in full. The only exception is the two-letter postal code abbreviations used in conjunction with a full address (e.g., KY, IN).

United States is spelled out when standing alone: She traveled throughout the United States. The abbreviation is appropriate when used as an adjective: U.S. government.

U.S. – the abbreviation is acceptable as an adjective (e.g., U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Supreme Court); spell out United States as a noun.

USA does not have periods.

See also academic degrees

academic degrees

Lowercase degree names: The department offers a master of arts 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 part of the official name or the first word of a sentence.

Academic disciplines

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

Academic titles

Do NOT use Dr., MD or PhD as titles. Use the individual’s UofL-related title. (e.g., Susan Harkema, a professor at UofL’s Kentucky Spinal Cord Injury Research Center NOT Dr. Susan Harkema, MD, PhD)

If a person has multiple titles, use only their primary title on first reference: David Jenkins, dean of the Kent School of Social Work NOT David Jenkins, dean of the Kent School of Social Work, professor of social work and director of the master’s in social work program.

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 (e.g., "President Kim Schatzel," "Professor Smith")

Do not capitalize the title when it is used as a descriptor following an individual’s name (e.g., "Joe Smith, a professor of history…")

Always use "President Kim Schatzel" — NOT "UofL President Kim Schatzel"

Official chair names are capped (e.g., “Calvin and Helen Lang Distinguished Chair in Asian Studies”)

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell

B

Belknap Academic Building

Can be referred to as BAB on second reference.

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, white

Capitalize Black and lowercase white as adjectives when referring to people, according to a 2020 AP style change on race references.

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.

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

Back to the top

C

campus

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

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 – the vast majority of welfare recipients

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: Feb. 18, 1987, 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.

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.

EEOC

Acronym for the “Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, EEOC is acceptable if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

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, emeriti

The title of "emeritus" 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.

"Emerita" is feminine; "emeriti" is plural. The word may precede or follow "professor": John Doe is a professor emeritus of art. Jane Doe, professor emerita 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.")

Back to the top

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.

foreign words and phrases

Some words or phrases, such as bon voyage, have become accepted into English, but if the term is not understood universally, surround it with quotation marks and provide an explanation.

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 George Bush.

Founder's Day

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

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.

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 if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.
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; he didn't make it.
ground-breaking, groundbreaking: ground-breaking (adj.), groundbreaking (n.)

Back to the top

H

health care

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

Don’t presume construction. Try to reword to avoid gender. If essential, the pronoun "they" can be used as singular with plural verb.

home page

Two words. The front page of a particular website.

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 Campus.” Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, HSC is acceptable if the meaning will be clear to readers.

hyphen

Use a hyphen to avoid ambiguity: He was a small-business man.

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.

Back to the top

I

Inc.

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

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 if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.
JCTC: Acronym for "Jefferson Community & Technical College." Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, JCTC is acceptable if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

Back to the top

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 if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.
KEA: Acronym for the “Kentucky Education Assocation.”; Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, KEA is acceptable if the meaning will be clear to readers. “The association” is also acceptable as a second reference. 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.
KEES: Acronym for "Kentucky Educational Excellence Scholarships." Always use the official name on first reference. On second reference in informal usage, KEES is acceptable (refer to it as "KEES money") if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.
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 if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

Back to the top

L

Latino, Latina

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 recently coined 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. EX: 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 when 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 and Records Center
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. One way around this somewhat awkward-sounding construction is, when possible, to refer to it as "the UofL library system."

listserv

Avoid using this as a term for an e-mail discussion group as it is the name of a particular software program designed for automating e-mail discussions.

Louisville Alumni

The official name of UofL’s alumni office.

Back to the top

M

magazine names: Capitalize but do not italicize or put in quotes magazine names. Newsweek
magna cum laude: "With great distinction," lowercase.
majors: Do not capitalize.
multi: In general, no hyphen when used as a prefix: multicultural.

Back to the top

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 and the New York Times.

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 may be used if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

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 if the meaning will be clear to readers. 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.

numbers

Spell out those less than nine; use numerals for 10 and above.

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

Always use numerals for percentages: 7%,13%>

Back to the top

O

OB/GYN: Acceptable in all references for obstetrics and gynecology.
online: One word.

Back to the top

P

Pan-African studies

Hyphenate “Pan-African” and uppercase.

peer institutions

Q

Quad, Quadrangle

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

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.

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.

Back to the top

R

REACH: Acronym for “Resources for Academic Achievement,” which is the university's centralized academic support unit for undergraduate students.
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.

Back to the top

S

SAC

Acronym for the “Swain Student Activities Center.”

See also Swain Student Activities Center

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.

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 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 more simple 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.

Use 8 a.m. rather than 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 both men and women 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 general 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

trademark

UofL is a university trademark. Be aware that all university logos and marks are protected under federal trademark law. See the Guide to Graphic Identity for more information.

For other products, when possible use the generic equivalents: facial tissue. If the trademarked name is necessary, capitalize the first letter only: Kleenex NOT KLEENEX

Back to the top

U

UBM

Acronym for “unit business manager.”

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.

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.

V

vice president: Do not hyphenate. Do not capitalize in text unless the title precedes the name
Visitors Center: No apostrophe; capitalized.

Back to the top

W

Web, World Wide Web

It’s acceptable to use “web” as a shorter substitute for World Wide Web.

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

When writing out web addresses, http:// is not necessary, nor is www. Periods may be used at the end of the web address.

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 white.

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.

Back to the top

Style Guide

Suggestions?

Basic Guidelines:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

I

J

K

L

M

N

O

P

Q

R

S

T

U

V

W

Learn More

Additional Resources