Policy Author:
Institutional Advancement
Responsible Office-Department:
Marketing & Communications
Effective Date of Policy:
October 1, 2021
Policy Narrative
The Daemen University Editorial Style Guide provides a set of college-wide standards for editorial style for Daemen’s print and electronic communications. The guide is intended to help communicate clearly and consistently about Daemen to present a cohesive image of the university and to strengthen Daemen’s brand in official written communications.
Daemen uses the “Associated Press (AP) Stylebook” as its primary style reference with some variations that are specific to the college and it is supplemented by the “Merriam-Webster Dictionary.” Based on AP style, the Daemen Editorial Style Guide addresses common style questions and college-specific references. These standards apply to written communications, communications/public relations efforts, and materials that represent the college, including brochures, advertisements, magazines, and other publications, marketing projects, and the university website. It is not intended for use in academic or scholarly papers.
Feel free to contact Daniel Robison, director of institutional communication, at drobison@daemen.edu with any questions related to the style guide.
A
a.m., p.m.
Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning.
See times.
academic degrees
Lowercase the degree name and major in all references.
• bachelor’s degree in health promotion, master’s degree in athletic training
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
• bachelor-level program
Use doctorate or doctor but not Ph.D.
• He received a doctor of physical therapy degree.
• She earned a doctorate in child psychology.
Lowercase doctoral.
• doctoral program
academic programs
Capitalized when referring to a Daemen program, i.e. “Daemen’s Leadership and Entrepreneurship in the Arts program”; proper names of all program names are listed below:
Accounting BS/MS
Animation
Art
Graphic Design
Illustration
Leadership and Entrepreneurship in the Arts
Painting
Sculpture
Visual Arts Education K–12
Athletic Training BS/MS
Biochemistry
Biology
Environmental Studies
Biology/Cytotechnology BS/MS
Business Administration
Human Resource Management
Marketing
Operations and Supply Chain Management Social Entrepreneurship
Sport Management
Education
Adolescence Education 7–12
Biology
English
Social Studies
Mathematics
Spanish
Visual Arts Education (K-12)
Adolescence Special Education 7–12 Childhood Education 1–6
Childhood/Special Ed 1–6
Early Childhood/Special Ed B–2
English
Professional Writing and Rhetoric French
Adolescence Education 7–12
Health Promotion
Community Health
Health and Fitness
Health Promotion/Public Health BS/MS
History
History and Political Science
Environmental Studies
Mathematics
Data Science
Natural Sciences
Environmental Studies
Forensic Science
Health Science
Nursing
Paralegal Studies
Physical Therapy BS/DPT
Physician Assistant BS/MS
Political Science
Psychology
Religious Studies
Social Work
Spanish
Sustainability (Global & Local)
Pre-Professional Studies
Pre-Dentistry
Pre-Law
Pre-Medicine
Pre-Pharmacy
Pre-Veterinary
Graduate programs
Applied Behavior Analysis
Athletic Training
Business Administration (MBA)
Special Education 1–6
Leadership & Innovation
Nursing
Physician Assistant
Physical Therapy (DPT)
Public Health (MPH)
Social Work (MSW)
academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere. • Associate Professor of Art History Jane Smith
• Dr. John Smith, professor of English
academic year
2018-19, not 2018-2019.
accreditation
Lowercase.
• Daemen College has earned accreditation.
Capitalize the accrediting organization.
• Middle States Commission on Higher Education
acronyms
Use an acronym only after first using the full name, followed by the acronym in parentheses. • Commission on Independent Colleges and Universities (CICU)
If no subsequent reference is used, the acronym is not needed on first reference.
addresses
Abbreviate Ave., Blvd., St. only with a numbered address.
• 4380 Main St.
Spell out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a numbered address. • Main Street
Always spell out Alley, Drive, Road, and Terrace.
advisor
Not adviser.
• academic advisor
African-American
Hyphenate (same for other ethnic groups, such as Asian-American). However, no hyphen is used in Native American.
ages
Always use figures. Hyphenate ages when expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.
• a 5-year-old boy
• The boy is 5 years old.
• The boy, 7, has a sister, 10.
An age range does not require an apostrophe.
• He is in his 50s.
Allegany County
Capitalize.
alma mater
Lowercase.
alumna, , alumnae, alumnus, alumni
• Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) when referring to a woman who has graduated from Daemen.
• Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) for references to a man who has graduated from Daemen.
• Use alumni when referring to a group of women and men graduates.
ampersand (&)
Do not use except in part of a company’s formal name.
• M&T Bank
annual
Do not use first annual. An event cannot be annual unless it has occurred two or more times. See numbers.
annual fund
Use Daemen Fund when referring to the college’s annual fund campaign. Lowercase in informal references.
• The annual fund was a success.
association
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize as part of a proper name.
• American Medical Association
Lowercase in informal references.
• She is a member of the association.
athletics, athletics teams
Capitalize.
• Daemen Athletics
Lowercase in informal references and when referring to teams.
• athletics program
• women’s basketball team
B
baccalaureate degree
Preference is to use bachelor’s degree.
See academic degrees.
bachelor’s degree
See academic degrees and baccalaureate degree.
board of trustees
Capitalize formal name.
• Daemen College Board of Trustees
Lowercase in informal references.
• The board of trustees met this week.
Buffalo Niagara region
Capitalize Buffalo Niagara, lowercase region.
• Daemen is located in the Buffalo Niagara region.
building names
Capitalize on first reference.
• Academic and Wellness Center (AWC)
• Alumni House
• Business Building
• Campus Village Apartments
• Canavan Hall
• Curtis Hall
• Duns Scotus Hall
• Haberman Gacioch Center for Visual and Performing Arts • Honors House
• Lumsden Gymnasium
• Research and Information Commons (RIC)
• Rosary Hall
• Schenck Hall
• Thomas Reynolds Center for Special Education and After-School Programs • Wick Campus Center
Lowercase on informal references.
• the building, the center, the facility
C
campus, campus-wide
Lowercase.
• Daemen’s campus
• The campus-wide event will include many activities.
Cattaraugus County
Capitalize.
century
Lowercase, spelling out numbers less than 10.
• the first century, 21st century
cities
Unless used as part of a full mailing address, the following cities can stand alone (without a state).
• Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington
chair (department)
Lowercase.
• Jane Smith, associate professor and chair of accounting
Chautauqua County
Capitalize.
Class of
Capitalize the “C” when referring to a particular class with the year.
• The Class of 1968 celebrated its reunion.
classwork
One word.
class year
Use the name followed by the last two digits of the graduation year. Use no comma between the name and year.
• Jane Smith ’76
• Jane Smith, who graduated in 1976
clubs
Capitalize the names of Daemen clubs and organizations.
• Social Work Alliance
co-chair, co-editor, co-founder
Use a hyphen.
college
Capitalize only if used as part of a proper name.
• Daemen College
Lowercase in other references.
• The college is located in Amherst, N.Y.
college-level, college-wide
Hyphenate as in college-level learning, college-wide initiative.
commas
Use a serial comma before a conjunction in a series of three or more elements and in a simple series.
• The professor teaches courses in political science, world history, and American history.
Include a comma when connecting independent clauses.
• Julie planned to study in the lounge, but she instead reviewed the material in the library.
Insert a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction.
• I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast before classes today.
Commas go inside quotation marks.
• “Our college is the best in the country,” he said.
committee
Capitalize only if used as part of a proper name.
• Commencement Committee
Lowercase in informal references.
• The committee will meet next week.
company, companies
Use Co. or Cos. when a business uses the word at the end of its proper name. • General Electric Co.
• Estee Lauder Cos.
Spell out company if used in the official name of a business or in the name of a theatrical organization.
• Uniland Development Company
• Irish Classical Theatre Company
Spell out company or companies if it is informally used in a second reference. • The company has reported an increase in sales.
counties
Lowercase in plural combinations.
• Erie and Niagara counties
Capitalize in singular reference.
• Erie County
course titles
Capitalize and use quotes when referred to in a sentence.
• She registered for “Introduction to Psychology.”
coursework
One word.
courtesy titles
Refer to individuals by their first and last name on first reference. Reserve use of Mr., Mrs., Miss, etc. for salutations in letters or in direct quotes.
• Jane Hill received the award.
• “Mr. Jones is a very capable teacher,” said John Smith.
credit hours
Use figures.
• 3 credit hours
cum laude
Lowercase.
D
dates, months
Dates should not include th, nd, or rd after the day of the month.
• The lecture was held on May 5. (not May 5th)
Use “th” when referring to an anniversary or century.
• The college celebrated its 75th anniversary.
• She studied 19th century history.
Capitalize months in all uses. When a month is used with a date, abbreviate all but March, April, May, June, and July. Abbreviate: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.
• Oct. 30, April 19
When listing only a month and year, do not separate the year with a
comma. • January 2018
For a period spanning more than one year, do not repeat the first two numbers unless it spans two centuries.
• 2010-18
• 1997-2002
When referring to a period of time, do not repeat the month.
• March 2 to 8
When a phrase refers to a month, day, and year, set off the year with a
comma. • The target date is Aug. 23, 2019.
Daemen College
Use Daemen College on first reference. Use Daemen or the college on second reference.
Daemen Today
Italicize. Name of Daemen’s alumni magazine.
Dean’s List
Capitalize.
dimensions
Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc., to indicate depth, height, length, and width. Hyphenate if used as an adjective.
• He is 5 feet 10 inches tall.
• The 5-foot-6-inch athlete had a great season.
• The storm left 6 inches of snow.
distance learning, distance-learning
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
• Classes are available through distance learning.
• distance-learning classroom
Distinguished Alumni Awards
Capitalize.
• The Distinguished Alumni Awards will be presented next week.
doctor, Dr.
Use the title Dr. on first reference for a medical doctor or a faculty member with a doctorate degree. Do not use both a title and a degree.
• Dr. Jane Smith (Incorrect: Dr. Jane Smith, Ph.D.)
E
No hyphen: email
Use a hyphen with e-book, e-business and e-commerce.
emerita, emeritus
Use emerita (emeritae in the plural) when referring to a female, and emeritus (emeriti in the plural) for similar references to a man who retains an honorary title. Use emeriti when referring to a group of women and men.
Erie County
Capitalize.
etc.
Abbreviate.
exam
Spell out examination on first reference.
extracurricular
One word.
F
faculty
Lowercase.
Founders Bell, Founders Celebration
Capitalize. Use no apostrophe in Founders.
four-year degree, four-year program
Hyphenate and lowercase. Spell out the number.
first-year student
First-year student is preferred. Hyphenate and lowercase. Avoid using freshman or freshmen.
full time, full-time
Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier.
• He works full time.
• She is a full-time student.
fundraising
One word.
• fundraising event
• fundraiser
G
Genesee County
Capitalize.
grade point average (GPA)
GPA is acceptable in all references.
• She earned a 3.5 GPA.
graduate-level
Hyphenate with no apostrophe when used as a compound modifier.
• graduate-level courses
H
historic
Use “a” before a consonant sound.
• a historic event
• a historic occasion
homepage
One word. Lowercase.
Honors Program
Capitalize.
honorary degrees
All references to honorary degrees should specify that the degree is honorary. Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary.
I
Inc.
Abbreviate and capitalize as Inc. when used as part of a corporate name. Use a comma before Inc.
• Gannett Co., Inc.
Internet
Capitalize.
it’s and its
It’s is a contraction for it is.
• It’s on the table.
Its is the possessive pronoun.
• The company changed its name.
J
journal titles
Capitalize. Do not italicize.
• Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy
junior, senior
Abbreviate as Jr. or Sr. Precede with a comma.
• James Smith, Jr.
L
liberal arts, liberal studies
Lowercase.
• liberal studies major
M
magna cum laude
Lowercase.
major
Lowercase.
• business administration major
master of public health (MPH), master of social work (MSW) Lowercase. Not master in.
• master of public health
• master of social work
May use acronym MPH or MSW on second reference.
master’s degree
See academic degrees.
money
Use figures and the $ sign without the decimal point and 00 if cents are not included. • The textbook cost $40. (not $40.00)
Use a comma for amounts higher than $999.
• $1,500 (not $1500)
Spell out the word cents and lowercase for amounts less than a dollar. • 25 cents
months
See dates, months.
N
newspapers
Italicize. Capitalize the in a newspaper’s name only if that is the publication’s formal name. • The Buffalo News
Lowercase the if not part of a newspaper’s name.
• the West Seneca Bee
New York State
Capitalize and spell out New York State on first reference. Use NYS on second reference. New York State Department of Education
Capitalize. Use state education department on second reference.
Niagara County
Capitalize.
noon
Only use noon. It is redundant to refer to it as 12 noon.
numbers
Use numerals for numbers 10 and higher. Spell out numbers less than
10. • He has two classes this morning.
Spell out numbers in the beginning of a sentence or rewrite the sentence so the number is not at the beginning.
• Three hundred first-year students entered the college last year.
• Change to: Last year 300 first-year students entered the college.
Spell out first through ninth when they indicate sequence in time or location. Starting with 10th use figures.
• 25th anniversary
• The workshop will be held on the second floor.
Avoid redundancies such as first annual.
Additional punctuation and usage examples:
• Act 1, Scene 2
• 5-4 court decision
• the 1990s, the ‘90s (not the 90’s)
• $2.45 million, $650,000
• 6.5 percent
• 60 degrees
• a ratio of 2-to-1
See ages, percentages and credit hours.
O
offices
Capitalize on first reference and cite the formal name after Office.
• Office of Academic Affairs (not Academic Affairs Office on first reference) Lowercase on second and informal references.
• The office oversees academic matters.
• The academic affairs office is located in Duns Scotus Hall.
on campus, on-campus
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier
• The lecture was held on campus.
• He’s enrolled in the on-campus program.
online
One word. No hyphen.
P
part time, part-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
• She’s attending college part time.
• He is a part-time student.
percent
Do not use % except in charts and graphs. Always use figures, even if the numbers are less than 10.
• 18 percent
For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a zero.
• fewer than 0.8 percent
phone numbers
Use figures with hyphens, without parentheses.
• 716-839-3600
professor and other academic titles
Do not abbreviate. Lowercase when the title does not precede the name. • Dr. Jane Smith, associate professor of business administration
programs
Use program(s) when referring to general degree program(s) or program information. • Daemen is offering a new degree program.
• The program offers hands-on training.
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
• bachelor’s-degree program
Q
quotations
Periods and commas are always placed inside closed quotation marks. • “We are pleased to welcome students back to campus,” said Jane Smith.
Running quotations: If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph that continues the quotation, do not put close-quote marks at the end of the first paragraph. However, put open-quote marks at the start of the second paragraph.
• She said, “The number of new students has increased, but we would like see the numbers increase even more next semester.
“To address this, more efforts are in place to retain our current students.” Quotes within quotes: Alternate between double quotation marks and single marks.
• “The college president wrote in his letter that ‘we are proud of our tradition of academic excellence.’ This has been key to our long-term success,” she said.
Use three quotation marks together if two quoted elements end at the same time. • He said, “The president wrote in her letter that ‘the program is a cut above other similar
programs.’”
Avoid unnecessary fragments: Do not use quotation marks to report a few ordinary words that a speaker or writer has used.
• Wrong: The professor said he would “reschedule the test” if the college was closed because of bad weather.
• Right: The professor said he would reschedule the test if the college was closed because of bad weather.
R
RA
Acronym for resident assistant. No periods. Plural use: RAs or resident assistants. residence hall
Lowercase. Do not use dormitory or dorm.
room numbers
Use figures and capitalize Room when used with a figure.
• Research and Information Commons Room 121
S
saints
Abbreviate as St. in names of saints, cities, and other places.
• St. Francis
• St. Joseph Hospital
• St. Paul, Minn.
scholarship
Lowercase unless if it is part of a formal name of a scholarship.
• The first scholarship was awarded.
• Jane Smith received a Trustee Scholarship.
seasons
Lowercase winter, spring, summer, and fall, unless part of a formal name. • spring semester
• spring break
• spring 2019 (not spring of 2019)
• Summer Olympics
semester
Lowercase.
• fall semester
• spring semester
Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity
Capitalize and spell out on first reference. Use Sisters of St. Francis on second reference.
sports teams
Lowercase.
• The Daemen College men’s basketball team won last night’s game.
spring break
Lowercase.
state names
Spell out when the state name stands alone.
• Pennsylvania
Use state abbreviations (not postal abbreviations) if used with a city, town, or village name. • Amherst, N.Y.
State abbreviations for when used in prose/text:
• Ala.
• Ariz.
• Ark.
• Calif.
• Colo.
• Conn.
• Del.
• Fla.
• Ga.
• Ill.
• Ind.
• Kan.
• Ky.
• La.
• Md.
• Mass.
• Mich.
• Minn.
• Miss.
• Mo.
• Mont.
• N.C.
• N.D.
• Neb.
• Nev.
• N.H.
• N.J.
• N.M.
• N.Y.
• Okla.
• Ore.
• Pa.
• R.I.
• S.C.
• S.D.
• Tenn.
• Va.
• Vt.
• Wash.
• W. Va.
• Wis.
• Wyo.
States never abbreviated within text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Mai ne, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.
Use postal abbreviations only when a complete address is used.
• 590 N. Mill St., Aspen, CO 81611
See addresses and New York State.
student(s)
Lowercase.
• Daemen students
student-athlete
Hyphenate.
study abroad (adv.), study-abroad (adj.)
• He will study abroad.
• She is participating in a study-abroad program.
Student Association (SA)
Use Student Association (SA) on first reference. SA on second reference.
summa cum laude
Lowercase.
T
titles
After a name: Lowercase after an individual’s name and set off by
commas. • Jane Smith, assistant professor of psychology, presented a lecture.
Before a name: The only time an individual’s title is capitalized is when it precedes his or her name.
• Director of Career Services John Smith
titles of books, movies, plays, TV shows, radio shows, and poems
Use quotation marks.
• “Star Wars”
• “Law and Order”
titles of magazines
Italicize.
• Daemen Today
times
Use figures except for noon and midnight. Do not use 12 in front of noon.
Insert periods in a.m. and p.m. and use without 0s.
• 8 a.m., 11 p.m.
Use a colon to separate hours from minutes.
• 3:30 p.m.
Avoid such redundancies as 10 a.m. this morning.
Trustee Scholars
Capitalize.
U
United States
Spell out United States on first reference. Use U.S. on second reference.
upper-level
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
• upper-level courses
W
website
One word. Lowercase.
• Daemen’s website address is www.daemen.edu.
website address
No need to include http:// in a website address. Use a period at the end of a sentence that ends with a web address.
• For more information, visit www.daemen.edu.
Western New York
Spell out Western New York on first reference. Use WNY on second reference.
Wildcats
Name of Daemen’s sports teams.
work-study
Lowercase and hyphenate.
Wyoming County
Capitalize.
Y
years
Use figures.
• 2018
Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades. • 1990s
Other Commonly Used Words/Phrases and Troublesome Words
a, an
Use the article a before consonant sounds.
• a historic event
• a united stand (sounds like you)
Use the article an before vowel sounds.
• an energy crisis, an honorable mention (h is silent)
accept, except
Accept means to receive. Except means to exclude. accommodate
accreditation
acknowledgment
affect, effect
Affect is a verb, means to influence.
• The game will affect the standings.
Effect, as a verb, means to cause.
• The change will have a negative effect on the local workforce.
afterward
Not afterwards.
all right
Never alright.
B, C
backward
Not backwards.
benefit, benefited, benefiting
biannual, biennial
Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for semiannual.
Biennial means every two years.
bimonthly, biweekly
co-author, co-authored
cut back (v.), cutback (n. and adj.)
• He cut back spending.
• The budget cutback helped the college remain strong.
D, E
database
daylong, daytime
desktop
each other, one another
Two people look at each other. More than two look at one another. Either phrase may be used when the number is indefinite.
• We help each other.
• We help one another.
effect
See affect, effect.
F, G
farther, further
Farther refers to physical distance.
• He walked farther into the woods.
Further refers to an extension of time or degree.
• She will look further into this.
fax
Lowercase, except when starting a sentence.
fewer, less
Use fewer for individual items, less for bulk or quantity.
• Fewer than 10 applicants called. (individuals)
• I have less than $10 in my wallet. (amount)
• I had fewer than five $1 bills in my pocket. (individual items)
first-hand
get-together
Greater
Capitalize Greater when used to define a community and its surrounding region. • Greater Buffalo
H, I
health care (n.), health-care (adj.)
• The program will focus on understanding health care and its impact on consumers. • health-care costs
high-tech
holidays and holy days
Capitalize Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Hanukkah, etc.
irregardless, regardless
Regardless is correct. Do not use irregardless.
J, K
judgment
Not judgement.
kindergarten
know-how
L, M
manageable
monthlong
multicultural
multimedia
N, O
nationwide
nonprofit
nontraditional
on-site, off-site
overall
P, Q
permissible
policy-maker (n.), policy-making (n., adj.)
premier, premiere
Premier means first in position, rank, or importance. It is also a title for a government official.
Premiere means a first performance.
• The play will premiere on Friday.
principal, principle
Principal is a noun and adjective meaning someone or something in first rank, authority, importance or degree.
• She is the school principal.
Principle is a noun that means rule, truth, or law.
• The company uses basic management principles.
privilege
questionnaire
R, S
re-elect
RSVP
Use all cap. No periods.
small business, small-business owner
statewide
study abroad
subcommittee
T, U
theater
Use theater. Use theatre only if part of a proper
name. • Theatre of Youth
total, totaled, totaling
toward
Not towards.
travel, traveled, traveling
upward
Not upwards.
V, W
versus
Abbreviate as vs. in all uses.
voicemail
well-being
wherever
workforce, workforce
training worldwide
worthwhile
X, Y, Z
X-ray
year-end (adj.), yearlong
zero, zeros, zero-based budgeting