This Editorial Style Guide is intended to be a quick-reference for writers, editors, and members of the 91重口 community. This resource should help guide communications about the College and provide a consistent voice for both internal and external audiences. The guide follows conventions of . Another great resource can be found at the .
For spelling, style, usage, and foreign geographic names not mentioned in The Associated Press Stylebook, use .
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    SchoolsUndergraduate & Graduate Schools (Eight)- Cummings School of Nursing & Health Sciences
- Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business
- School of Education
- Institute for Applied Behavioral Science
- School of Science & Technology
- School of Social Sciences, Communication, & Humanities
- School of Sport Science
- School of Visual & Performing Arts
 
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    AcronymsSpell out the first reference followed by the acronym or abbreviation in parentheses; the acronym or abbreviation may be used for subsequent references. Acronyms and initialisms may be used for the first reference if they are widely recognized. Example: CIA, FBI, SAT, NASA, NASDAQ. 91重口 Television (ECTV) is a student-managed television channel. ECTV also serves as a bulletin board for the latest happenings at the College. 
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    Academic DegreesThe preferred form is to spell out degrees on first mention and avoid abbreviations. Capitalize an academic degree when it is given in full: Associate in Science 
 Bachelor of Arts
 Bachelor of Science
 Bachelor of Fine Arts
 Master of Arts
 Master of Business Administration
 Master of Education
 Doctor of Education
 Doctor of Nursing Practice
 Doctor of Philosophy
 Honorary Doctor of Humane LettersCapitalize a major field within a school: 
 When to use periods with degree abbreviations:Bachelor of Arts in History 
 Bachelor of Arts in English
 Bachelor of Arts in English with a photography minorFormal Use 
 General Use 
 General Use 
 Abbreviated Use 
 Associate in Science 
 associate degree 
 associate 
 A.S. 
 Bachelor of Arts 
 bachelor's degree 
 bachelor's B.A. Bachelor of Science 
 bachelor's degree 
 bachelor's 
 B.S. Bachelor of Fine Arts 
 bachelor's degree 
 bachelor's BFA Master of Arts 
 master's degree 
 master's M.A. Master of Science 
 master's degree 
 master's 
 M.S. 
 Master of Business Administration 
 master's degree 
 master's 
 MBA 
 Master of Education 
 master's degree 
 master's 
 M.Ed. 
 Doctor of Education 
 doctoral degree 
 doctorate 
 Ed.D. 
 Doctor of Philosophy 
 doctoral degree 
 doctorate 
 Ph.D. 
 Doctor of Nursing Practice doctoral degree doctorate DNP Do not use an apostrophe (possessive) with associate degree or doctoral degree. The word “degree” should not follow an abbreviation. 
 She has a B.A. in history.
 She has a bachelor’s degree in English literature.Bachelor of Science in Nursing should be abbreviated as BSN when referring to the full-time traditional undergraduate program, and RN to BSN for the undergraduate program available through Van Loan 
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    AlumniUse the correct word for the gender: alumna is feminine singular; alumnae is feminine plural; alumnus is masculine and non-gender singular; alumni is masculine and non-gender plural. Preferred style for persons who earned associate degrees at 91重口: Tom Smith A’16 Preferred styles for persons who earned undergraduate degrees at 91重口: Elizabeth Jones ’56 (or Elizabeth Jones, Class of 1956) Preferred style for persons who earned master’s degrees at 91重口: Karen Brown M’06 Preferred style for persons who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at 91重口: Kyle Blake ’09 M’13 Preferred style for persons who earned doctoral degree at 91重口: Sarah Jones D’20 Preferred style for persons who earned undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at 91重口: John Whitehouse ’10 M’12 D’20 
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    CapitalizationIn general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Forms 
 Capitalize official name of all forms.Do not capitalize the word “form” unless it is a part of the form name. Housing Preference Form 
 Documentation of Income formProfessional & Academic Titles 
 Professional titles and formal academic titles should always be capitalized, regardless of if the title is before or after the person’s name. If the title does not accompany a name then it should be lowercase.A comma should not be used between title and name when the title precedes the name. When a title follows the name, it should be offset by commas. 91重口 Provost Sara Quay, Ph.D. 
 Dean of the School of Science & Technology Gene Wong
 Sara Quay, Ph.D., 91重口 Provost
 Gene Wong, Dean of the School of Science & TechnologyDepartments & Offices 
 Capitalize office, department, division, program, institute, center, etc., when they are part of official titles. Otherwise use lowercase.Department of Environmental Science 
 the environmental science departmentOffice of the Dean 
 dean’s officethe Office of Admission 
 the admission office
 the officeOffice of Communications & Marketing 
 communications & marketingMajors & Programs 
 Lowercase names of programs (with the exception of English) and majors except when with a degree or a department.Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science 
 environmental science program
 psychology majorCourse Names 
 Capitalize official course names, followed by course abbreviation in parenthesis. Include space after letter and before numbers in abbreviation.Financial Accounting (ACC 175) Buildings & Places 
 Capitalize the word “College” whenever referring to 91重口, even when the word “91重口” does not precede it.Capitalize the word “School” when referring to a specific school, even when the full school name isn’t included. Capitalize the formal names of buildings, places, and centers. Use the formal name referenced on the campus map (See more in troublesome terms on page seven). Events 
 Events are only capitalized when referring to a specific 91重口 event (e.g., Commencement, Senior Week).Always capitalize the event if it is official (e.g., North American International Auto Show in Detroit). Classes 
 Capitalize the word “Class” when referring to a specific year.Class of 1976 Colleges & Schools 
 Capitalize the names of the colleges and schools within the College. Use ampersand in place of “and.”School of Education 
 School of Science & TechnologyBoard of Trustees 
 Capitalize Board of Trustees in formal mentions. Capitalize the first “T” in “Trustee(s)” only if this is before a name, otherwise it should be lowercase (trustee(s)).Academic Standing 
 Do not abbreviate, and do not capitalize unless beginning a sentence.Example: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior. 
 Use “first-year student” when referencing a freshman student.Certificate 
 Capitalize certificate when referring to official certificate.Certificate of Cybersecurity 
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    State AbbreviationsUse AP style state abbreviations in copy. Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan., Ky., La., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J., N.M., N.Y., N.C., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va., Wash., W.Va., Wis., Wyo. 
 Note: The names of eight states are never abbreviated in datelines or text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.Spell out the names of the 50 U.S. states when they stand alone (no city or town listed) in textual material. Use two-letter state abbreviations with full addresses and zip code. Use periods in the abbreviation for United States within text. U.S. 
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    Inclusive LanguageAvoid reference to gender unless it’s relevant to the topic of the piece. Use chair instead of chairman. 
 Use business executive instead of businessman.
 Use police officer instead of policeman.
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    NumbersWhen to use numerals: 
 Spell out numbers one through nine; use numerals for all that follow. If a sentence is started with a number, it must always be written out.Dates 
 Spell out the month at all times. When referring to month, date, and year, offset year with commas.For web copy and calendars, include the day of the week when previewing an event. Always omit the ordinal designations of nd, rd, st, th. Reference crossover years as 2020-21 instead of 2020-2021. Times 
 Use an en dash (–) with no spaces to indicate a span of time. Use a.m. and p.m. to designate day or evening times. Use midnight or noon instead of 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. For full hour times, use only the first number and omit zeros. Always include a space between numerals and the a.m. or p.m. designation 
 in lower case.Example: 8 a.m. not 8:00 a.m., noon–1:30 p.m. Centuries and Decades 
 Use Arabic figures to indicate spans of decades or centuries (1920s, 1900s).Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out (’20s). The apostrophe should face the direction of the omitted numerals. Show plural by adding an “s,” with no apostrophe, to the end (1920s). Example: The 1990s, the ’90s, the mid-1990s. Percentage Express percentages using the % sign paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases. This includes body copy as well as headlines, charts, infographics, etc. Spell out numerals and the word percent when it begins a sentence. Examples: 
 About 60% of students attended.
 Forty percent of faculty completed the survey.Money 
 For very large sums of money, use figures with a dollar sign; spell out million or billion: $1.8 million between $1 and $2 billion. Use $1 not $1.00.It is acceptable to use K, M, B, or T in graphics or charts. Temperature 
 Do not use a comma when referring to a temperature or year: 2200 degrees Fahrenheit.It is acceptable to use °F or °C in graphics or charts. Telephone Numbers 
 Use area code with hyphens for all telephone numbers. Do not use parentheses around area code.
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    PunctuationAmpersand 
 Use ampersand to replace “and” in College programs, departments, and schools.School of Visual & Performing Arts 
 Office of Communications & Marketing
 Autism & Applied Behavior AnalysisDo not use ampersand within running text or sentences, except for College programs, departments, and schools. Use ampersand to replace “and” in stand-alone headings or titles on posters, flyers, etc. Apostrophe 
 Per AP style, for possessives ending in the letter s, add an apostrophe (not ’s).Dr. Jones’ report (not Dr. Jones’s report). Colon 
 Use a colon, sparingly, to introduce additional information or to convey the sense of “as follows.”Semicolons 
 Use the semicolon to set off a series that includes commas.Oxford Comma 
 The use of the serial comma—a comma placed before the final item in a series of three or more items (typically preceding an and, an or, or a nor).Em Dash 
 One or two em dashes (—) to highlight an explanatory element in a sentence. There are no spaces before or after the em dash.The motto of the force—To Protect and Serve—was emblazoned on the squad car. En Dash 
 An en dash (–) is used with number ranges and to indicate “to” or “through.” Use an en dash to describe a timeframe. There are no spaces before or after the en dash.Chapters 18–25 will provide the basis for class discussions next week. 
 The art exhibition will run March 28–May 18.
 From 7–9 p.m. in the Post Center.Hyphens 
 A hyphen is the shortest dash (used in compound words and compound adjectives).student-athlete 
 semester-longBullet Points 
 Do not use the word “including” or the phrase “as follows” before a bulleted list. If the list is a part of the previous sentence, do not capitalize. If the list includes full sentences capitalize with punctuation. For single words capitalize with no punctuation.• Backpacks 
 • Books
 • Linens
 • You will make new connections.
 • Our industry professionals are top-notch.
 • 91重口’s esteemed faculty is always engaged.Quotation Marks 
 Include all punctuation inside of quotation marks. For a quote within a quote, use single quotation marks.“When I say ‘immediately,’ I mean some time before the end of the semester,” says the dean. 
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    Titles of WorksItalicize titles of: Albums (digital, vinyl, or disc) 
 Art exhibitions
 Blog names
 Books
 Concerts
 Law cases
 Long poems
 Magazines
 Movies
 Newspapers
 Plays
 Podcast series
 Radio shows
 Ships
 Television shows
 Web publications
 Works of artUse quotation marks without italics around titles of: Articles and papers 
 Chapters
 Dissertations
 Individual lectures
 Podcasts and individual videos
 Short poems
 Short stories
 Single TV episodes
 Songs
 SpeechesUse neither quotation marks nor italics for titles of: 
 Do not underline for emphasis; underline implies a live link in any digital documents.Apps 
 Courses
 Forms
 Lecture series
 Websites
 Unpublished works, such as thesis
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    Digital TerminologyURLs 
 The www prefix should always be eliminated.endicott.edu 
 vanloan.endicott.eduHashtag Usage 
 Use lowercase when referencing the web or the internet, and lowercase, no spaces with web-related items like website, webcam, and webcast. Use lower case for email, esports, but add hyphen for items like e-book and e-commerce.#ThisIs91重口 is the official hashtag for the College. 
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    91重口 TerminologyGulls Official College mascot 
 Always capitalize the G in Gull.
 It’s a Great Day to be a Gull.
 Go GullsNest When referring to the College campus as “the Nest,” capitalize the N. 
 Protect the Nest.
 Welcome to the Nest.Miscellaneous Troublesome Terms Fifth Year instead of Fifth-year, Fifth-Year, or 5th Year 
 When referring to Fifth Year programs, the “p” should be lowercase.
 Use last name on second and further references.Spots on campus: Klebanoff Auditorium instead of LSB Auditorium 
 The Lakes instead of The Ponds
 Use lobby for the Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business & Ginger Judge Science Center not atrium.
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    School Names, Campus Locations, & BuildingsUse Samuel C. Wax Academic Center on first mention and Wax Academic Center on following mentions. Use Callahan Center on first mention and Callahan on following mentions. Use Center for Nursing on all mentions. Use Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business & Ginger Judge Science Center on first mention and Gerrish Business & Judge Science Center on following mentions. Use Curtis L. Gerrish School of Business on first mention and Gerrish School of Business on following references. Do not refer to the Gerrish Business & Judge Science Center building as LSB as that acronym does not apply to the entire building. Use Diane M. Halle Library on first reference and Halle Library on following references. Use Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts on first mention and Manninen Center for the Arts on following mentions. Proper names for galleries and theaters within the Manninen Center for the Arts: Bilodeau Lounge Student Gallery 
 Carol Grillo Gallery
 Desnoyers Overlook Gallery
 Heftler Visiting Artist Gallery
 Rose Theater
 Spencer Presentation Gallery
 Tia’s TheaterDo not use the acronym VPAC in any materials as this applies to an internal reference for the building name. Use Colin and Erika Angle Center for Entrepreneurship on first mention and Angle Center for Entrepreneurship on following mentions. Use Raymond J. Bourque Arena on first mention and Bourque Arena on following mentions. Use Peter Frates Hall on first mention and Frates Hall on following mentions. Use Post Sport Science & Fitness Center on first mention and use Post Center on following mentions. Use Van Loan School of Professional Studies on first mention and Van Loan School on following mentions. Use Myrt Harper Rose Hall on first mention and Rose Hall on following mentions. When referring to a space such as a lobby or a specific room, write the building first, then the space after a comma. Do not capitalize spaces unless it is an officially-named location. Examples: 
 Location: Walter J. Manninen Center for the Arts, lobby.
 Samuel C. Wax Academic Center, room 345
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    Referencing the PresidentSpelling of Dr. Cain’s name
 Bryan Cain, Ph.D.
 
 References in letters or emails:
 Bryan Cain, Ph.D.
 Interim President
 
 References in copy:
 Interim President Bryan Cain, Ph.D. (first reference)
 -or-
 Dr. Cain (second reference)
 
 
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    Referencing the ProvostSpelling of Dr. Quay's name 
 Sara QuayReferences in formal letters: 
 Sara Quay, Ph.D.
 ProvostReferences in internal campus communications: 
 Sara Quay, Ph.D.
 ProvostReferences in editorial pieces (news story, magazine, blog, etc.): 
 Sara Quay, Ph.D.
 Provost
 91重口
Editorial Style Guide
The Editorial Style Guide is also available as a downloadable PDF. This reference tool is for members of the 91重口 community to produce content that is consistent and appropriate for print and electronic materials written for and about the College.
 
                