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The 顶级国产视频 Editorial Style Guide is a resource for frequently asked questions and is based on the Associated Press Stylebook, with minor alterations for 顶级国产视频-specific usage. If you have any questions, or would like to add an entry, please contact Melissa Lynch, senior writer and content editor (x7440).

A few basics:

  • Headlines or titles of news articles should be written in sentence case, with only the first word and proper nouns capitalized.
  • Leave only one space after a period (or question mark, exclamation point, quotation mark 鈥 whatever punctuation ends your sentence). Two spaces between words used to be necessary to delineate the beginning of a new sentence because the spacing between words was uneven on a typewriter. That is no longer the case.
  • 顶级国产视频’s style is to use the serial (or Oxford) comma, included after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before 鈥榓nd鈥 or 鈥榦r.鈥 This decision was made to ensure clarity in all cases.
    • He will major in English, philosophy, or psychology. She dedicated the book to her parents, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens.

And a note on gender-neutral language:

  • They, their, and they鈥檙e are generally plural, but are acceptable for use as a singular and gender-neutral pronoun. In fact, we prefer that you use 鈥渢hey鈥 in place of the outdated 鈥渉e/she鈥 or 鈥渉e or she.鈥
    • 鈥淭hey鈥 always takes a plural verb, even when used in a singular context.
    • 鈥淭he student wants to live on campus; they are planning to live in Wright Hall.鈥 Do not use 鈥渢hemself.鈥 When in doubt, rewrite the sentence.
  • 补诲惫颈蝉辞谤听鈥 Changed from 鈥渁dviser鈥 as of February 2023.
  • alumni/a/ae/us
    • For more inclusive language, unless referring to a single person whose pronouns you know, we recommend “alum(s)” or “顶级国产视频 graduate(s)”
    • alumna = female singular
    • alumnae = female plural
    • alumnus = male singular
    • alumni = male plural OR mixed-gender group
  • Board of Trustees
    • The 顶级国产视频 Board of Trustees comprises 26 members, including six alumni-elected Trustees. Each elected member serves a six-year term; officers are elected each year, and new terms begin July 1. The full board typically meets in October, February, and May each year.
    • Current board members and officers 禄
    • Use 顶级国产视频 Board of Trustees on the first reference; lowercase 鈥渢he board鈥 in subsequent references.
    • When referring to individual trustees, uppercase Trustee before the name, and lowercase after: 顶级国产视频 Trustee Ron Shaich; Lee Plave, 顶级国产视频 trustee; Lee Plave, member of the 顶级国产视频 Board of Trustees; Ross Gillman, chair of the 顶级国产视频 Board of Trustees; Board of Trustees Chair Ross Gillman
  • Center for Media Arts, Computing, and Design
  • cocurricular 鈥 Never hyphenated.
  • Division of Student Success
  • Emerita/Emeritae/Emeritus/Emeriti
    • Denotes professors who have retired but retain their rank or title. Not all retired individuals have emeriti status.
    • Emerita = female singular
    • Emeritae = female plural
    • Emeritus = male singular
    • Emeriti = male plural OR mixed-gender group
  • faculty
    • Faculty is a collective noun taking a singular verb when referring to faculty as a group: The faculty is researching the topic.
    • When referring to faculty as a group, use 鈥渨ho,鈥 not 鈥渢hat”: The faculty, who presented at the meeting, discussed goals for the year.
    • The plural can be expressed by using 鈥渇aculty members鈥: Faculty members are gathering.
  • First-Year Intensive聽鈥 A specific type of course that all 顶级国产视频 first-year students take; always hyphenated and capitalized.
  • first-year student 鈥 Always hyphenated.
  • grade-point average 鈥 Not grade-point-average or grade point average; GPA is acceptable in all references.
  • Higgins University Center 鈥斅Home to the Higgins Caf茅, the University鈥檚 dining hall.
  • liberal arts 鈥 Plural noun; hyphenate when used as an adjective if it precedes the noun it modifies: a liberal-arts education.
  • nonmajors
  • postgraduate, postdoctoral 鈥 One word; never hyphenated.
  • Presidents of 顶级国产视频
    • G. Stanley Hall 鈥 1888鈥1920
    • Caroll D. Wright 鈥 1902鈥1909 (顶级国产视频 College, undergraduate)
    • Edmund D. Sanford 鈥 1909鈥1920 (顶级国产视频 College, undergraduate)
    • Wallace W. Atwood 鈥 1920鈥1946
    • Howard B. Jefferson 鈥 1946鈥1967
    • Frederick H. Jackson 鈥 1967鈥1970
    • Glenn W. Ferguson 鈥 1970鈥1973
    • Mortimer H. Appley 鈥 1974鈥1984
    • Richard P. Traina 鈥 1984鈥2000
    • John E. Bassett 鈥 2000鈥2009
    • David P. Angel 2009鈥2020
    • David B. Fithian 鈥87 2020鈥
  • Professor 鈥 Not 鈥淧rof.鈥
  • Sackler Sciences Center 鈥 Not 鈥淪cience.鈥
  • Shaich Family Alumni and Student Engagement Center
  • University 鈥 Capitalize when referring specifically to 顶级国产视频.
    • All alumni of the University are invited to Reunion Weekend.
  • When referring to degrees in general, lowercase the first letter of the degree and use 鈥渄egrees.”
    • They all had master鈥檚 degrees in engineering. He earned a doctorate. She received a Master of Public Administration. More than six hundred students received bachelor’s degrees. Did you earn a Bachelor of Arts or a Master of Science?
  • Use an apostrophe in bachelor鈥檚 or master鈥檚 degree, but no 鈥檚 in Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, or Master of Business Administration (note capitalization of formal degree names).
  • 鈥淒octorate鈥 or 鈥渄octoral degree鈥欌 can be used in place of Ph.D. 鈥 but 鈥淧h.D.鈥 cannot always be used in place of 鈥渄octorate.鈥
    • She earned a doctorate in education (D.Ed.). His doctoral degree is in music (D.M.).
  • Use periods for two-letter acronyms (M.A., B.A.); no periods for three or more (MBA, MSIT, MSF) except Ph.D., M.A.Ed.
  • In writing, all acronyms beginning with a consonant sound (el, em, en), such as M.A., MBA, MSF, etc., are preceded by 鈥渁n.鈥

顶级国产视频 offers the following degrees:

  • Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
  • Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
  • Master of Arts (M.A.)
  • Master of Science (M.S.)
  • Master of Business Administration (MBA)
  • Master of Science in Finance (MSF)
  • Master of Public Administration (MPA)
  • Master of Science in Communication (MSC; formerly Master of Science in Professional Communication [MSPC])
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)

Race-related terms

  • Black (adj.)鈥擴se the capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black colleges. Use of the capitalized Black recognizes that language has evolved, along with the common understanding that especially in the United States, the term reflects a shared identity and culture rather than a skin color alone. Note that African American is also acceptable for those in the U.S. The terms Black and African American are not necessarily interchangeable; Americans of Caribbean heritage, for example, generally refer to themselves as Caribbean American.
  • Indigenous (adj.)鈥擟apitalize this term used to refer to original inhabitants of a place.
  • brown (adj.)鈥擜void this broad and imprecise term in racial, ethnic, or cultural references unless it鈥檚 part of a direct quotation. Interpretations of what the term includes vary widely.
  • white (adj.)鈥擴se lowercase.
  • BIPOC鈥擜void using this abbreviation for historically underrepresented groups, except for direct quotations; explain the term if it鈥檚 used.

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as president, dean, provost, chair, professor, etc., only when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere.

  • Dean of the College Betsy Huang is a member of English Department faculty. Betsy Huang, dean of the college, was present at the meeting. The dean approved the measure.
  • Professor Karen Frey studies Arctic sea ice. Karen Frey, professor of geography, traveled to Siberia.
  • 顶级国产视频 President David Fithian gave the keynote speech. David Fithian, president of 顶级国产视频, spoke at the event.

Academic subjects are not capitalized unless referring to a language.

  • She teaches chemistry. Her research is in screen studies. The student majors in environmental science. He teaches English. The students majored in Spanish.

顶级国产视频’s academic departments are part of six schools. They are:

  • Undergraduate Arts and Sciences
  • Graduate Arts and Sciences
  • School of Management
  • Becker School of Design & Technology
  • School of Professional Studies

Academic department names are capitalized.

  • This event is sponsored by the Visual and Performing Arts Department.
  • The English Department hosted the lecture.

The academic departments at 顶级国产视频 are:

  • Biology
  • Gustaf H. Carlson School of Chemistry
  • Economics
  • Education
  • English
  • Graduate School of Geography
  • History
  • Language, Literature, and Culture
  • Mathematics and Computer Science
  • Philosophy
  • Physics
  • Political Science
  • Frances L. Hiatt School of Psychology
  • Sociology
  • Sustainability and Social Justice
  • Visual and Performing Arts

Preprofessional advising programs at 顶级国产视频:

  • Pre-health (pre-med, pre-veterinary)
  • Pre-law

 

  • Abbreviate Ave., Blvd., and St. only with a numbered address.
    • 顶级国产视频 is on Main Street. 顶级国产视频鈥檚 address is 950 Main St.
  • Use figures in address numbers.
    • The family lives at 5 Hawthorne St.
  • Spell out First through Ninth when used as street names. Use ordinal numbers (figures with two letters) for 10th and above (e.g., 7 Fifth Ave., 100 21st St.).
  • Only use postal abbreviations for states (e.g., MA, NH, CA) when used with a mailing address that includes a zip code. In postal addresses, leave one space between the city and state, and two spaces between the state and zip code (per USPS guidance).
    • 顶级国产视频
      950 Main St.
      Worcester MA聽 01610
  • Within text, spell out the state name; if necessary for space, abbreviate as follows (but never abbreviate Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, or Utah; also note Washington, D.C.):
Ala. Fla. Md. Neb. N.D. Tenn.
Ariz. Ga. Mass. Nev. Okla. Vt.
Ark. Ill. Mich. N.H. Ore. Va.
Calif. Ind. Minn. N.J. Pa. Wash.
Colo. Kan. Miss. N.M. R.I. W. Va.
Conn. Ky. Mo. N.Y. S.C. Wis.
Del. La. Mont. N.C. S.D. Wyo.
  • affect/effect 鈥 Affect is a verb, meaning 鈥渢o influence鈥 (as a noun, it is predominantly used in psychology). Effect is usually the noun, meaning “result,” but can also be used as a verb meaning 鈥渢o cause.”
    • The game will affect the standings. He will effect many changes in the company. The effect was overwhelming. He miscalculated the effect of his actions.
  • afterward, backward, toward 鈥 No s.
  • cancel, canceled, canceling, cancellation聽鈥 Not “cancelled.”
  • coursework
  • currently/presently 鈥 Currently means now; presently means in the near future.
  • email, e-newsletter, e-book
  • farther, further 鈥 While generally interchangeable, farther refers to physical distance, while further is an extension of time or degree.
    • He ran farther than he had before. The doctor said he would investigate further.
  • fewer, less than, under鈥 Use “fewer” for individual items (items that can be counted); use less than for bulk, time, or quantity; use “under” for spatial relationships.
    • Fewer than 100 students attended the meeting. I will be there in less than 10 minutes. The box is under the desk.
  • 颈苍迟别谤苍别迟听鈥 Never capitalized.
  • login, logon, logoff (nouns); log in, log on, log off (verbs)
    • Enter your login details.
    • Please use your 顶级国产视频 credentials to log in.
  • over, more than 鈥 Use 鈥渙ver鈥 for spatial relationships. Use 鈥渕ore than鈥 for amounts that can be counted.
    • More than $100,000 was raised. I saw more than 10 students at the diner. The poster hangs over that desk.
  • startup (noun and adjective); start up (verb)
  • web, website, webmaster, webcast 鈥 But web page is two words.

View a list of the official holidays at 顶级国产视频 禄

  • Presidents Day 鈥 Observed the third Monday of February. No apostrophe; the official name of this holiday is Washington鈥檚 Birthday.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. Day 鈥 Celebrated the third Monday in January. Note: no comma
  • St. Patrick鈥檚 Day 鈥斅Celebrated every March 17. Never use “St. Patty’s Day”; the correct informal use is “St. Paddy’s Day” (abbreviating the Irish name Padraig), but that .
  • Memorial Day聽鈥 Celebrated the last Monday in May to honor those who died in active military service. It is a day of remembrance; do not write “Happy Memorial Day” under any circumstances.
  • Juneteenth 鈥 June 19 is the traditional commemoration date of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States; if it does not fall on a Monday, the holiday is observed on the Monday after.
  • Independence Day聽鈥 “July Fourth” and “Fourth of July” are also acceptable.
  • Indigenous Peoples鈥 Day 鈥 Celebrated on the second Monday of October to honor Native Americans; first in the U.S. 聽in 2021. Note: apostrophe after Peoples.
  • Veterans Day聽 鈥 Observed every November 11, this day honors all veterans of the armed forces. Note: no apostrophe.

The use of hyphens is far from standardized. 顶级国产视频 is guided by and , 5th edition.

These words are never hyphenated:

  • campuswide
  • cocurricular
  • dual heritage terms 鈥 African American, Asian American, Caribbean American, Pacific Islander, Native American, etc., are not hyphenated when used as nouns or adjectives.
  • email
  • nonprofit
  • online 鈥 Not to be confused with how to describe people waiting in a queue: They are in line.
  • peacemaker, peacemaking
  • policymaker, policymaking
  • postdoctoral, postgraduate
  • website

But these always are:

  • decision-making, decision-maker
  • e-book, e-newsletter
  • student-athlete
  • work-study

In general:

  • Compound modifiers before a noun should be hyphenated: first-quarter touchdown; bluish-green dress; full-time job; tuition-free year; liberal-arts college; high-school teacher; know-it-all attitude; fifth-year-free program.
  • No hyphen after very or adverbs ending in ly: very pretty girl; easily remembered rule.
  • Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they occur after a noun: She works full time. She is well aware of the consequences. The children are soft spoken. The play is second rate.

Spell out numbers one through nine.

  • Times: Use a.m. and p.m., lowercase, with periods.
    • To avoid confusion, always use “noon” and “midnight” instead of 12 p.m. and 12 a.m. (And never, ever write “12 noon” or “12 midnight.”)
    • 8 p.m., not 8:00 p.m.;聽11 a.m., not 11:00 a.m.
    • If using a.m. or p.m., do not also use “this morning” or “this evening.”
  • Dollars: Use a 鈥$鈥 followed by a numeral. Do not include the cents (.00) if the figure is zero.
    • Admission is $5. The shirt cost $17.98. The goal is $100 million.
    • Use figures with million or billion in all except casual cases (I鈥檇 like to make a billion dollars).
  • Percent: Use a number with %.
  • Ages: Always use figures.
    • A 5-year-old boy; the boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. The race is for 3-year-olds. The woman is in her 30s.
  • Phone numbers: Use hyphens only.
    • 508-793-7441, not (508) 793-7441, and not 508.793.7441.
  • Centuries: Do not spell out, except for the first through the ninth, unless it starts a sentence.
    • 21st century; 19th century (do not use superscript for st, th, rd). Eighteenth-century women were restricted in their behavior.
    • Hyphenate when used as a modifier (19th-century writer; 17th- and 18th-century fashion)
  • Dates: Always use Arabic figures without st, nd, rd, or th. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Spell out months when using alone, or with a year alone.
    • He joined the company in February 2016.
    • That event usually happens in November.
    • The event is planned for May 8.
    • Join us on Sept. 15, 2019.
  • Weights: Use figures.
    • The baby weighed 6 pounds, 7 ounces.
    • She had a 6-pound, 7-ounce boy.
    • The employee must be able to lift 50 pounds.

Ampersand

  • At 顶级国产视频, we generally do not use ampersands, particularly in text and in the names of offices, departments, and programs,聽except in the case of the Becker School of Design & Technology at 顶级国产视频). Otherwise, only use the & symbol if it is part of a company’s or a non-顶级国产视频 organization’s official, branded name; spell out the word and. Note: ampersands are acceptable for artistic use in graphics or in extreme cases where space is an issue (e.g., labels, website menu items, tweets).

础辫辞蝉迟谤辞辫丑别听

  • Use to make nouns possessive.聽Never use an apostrophe to pluralize a noun (including names).
  • Singular nouns not ending in s: Add 鈥檚 (the church鈥檚 needs, the girl鈥檚 toys, the VIP鈥檚 seat)
  • Singular common nouns ending in s: Add 鈥檚 (the hostess鈥檚 invitation, the witness鈥檚 story, the bus鈥檚 engine)
  • Singular proper nouns ending in s: Use only an apostrophe (Achilles鈥 heel, Agnes鈥 book, Dickens鈥 novels, Jesus鈥 life, Kansas鈥 schools)
  • Plural nouns not ending in s: Add 鈥檚 (the alumni鈥檚 contributions, the women鈥檚 march, the children鈥檚 books)
  • Plural nouns ending in s: Add only an apostrophe (the girls鈥 toys, the horses鈥 food, the ships鈥 wake, states鈥 rights)

Comma

  • Always use the serial comma (aka 鈥淥xford comma鈥) after the penultimate item in a list of three or more items, before 鈥榓nd鈥 or 鈥榦r鈥 (He will major in English, philosophy, or psychology). This is a departure from AP style, which mandates the use of a serial comma only when needed for clarity.
  • In quotes, commas聽always go inside the second quotation mark 鈥 no exceptions.
  • Use a comma in numbers greater than 999: 顶级国产视频 has more than 2,000 students.

Dash

The en dash (鈥) and em dash (鈥) have specific uses and are not interchangeable with the hyphen. Put a space on both sides of the em dash, but not the en dash. (The use of the en dash is an exception to AP Style.)

  • Use the en dash to indicate a range: 2009鈥2020; 4鈥6 p.m.; May鈥揓uly 2019. But if the range is introduced with 鈥渇rom,鈥 do not use a dash: from 2009 to 2020.
  • Use the em dash to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause, or in place of parentheses: Through her long reign, the royal family has adapted 鈥 usually skillfully 鈥 to the changing taste of the time.
  • Use the em dash in place of commas to set apart a list in a sentence: He noted the qualities 鈥 intelligence, humor, independence 鈥 he liked in an intern.

Quotation marks

  • The period and the comma go within the quotation marks 鈥 always.
  • Use single quotation marks inside double quotation marks for a quote-within-a-quote. For a quote-within-a-quote-within-a-quote, use double quotation marks again. (Although rewriting the sentence is advisable to avoid confusion.)
    • 鈥淭om told Karen, 鈥業 heard our classmate say, 鈥淵ou don’t have to do that assignment until next week,鈥 but I don鈥檛 think that’s right,鈥 so Karen went to the professor to ask.鈥
  • The dash, the semicolon, the question mark, and the exclamation point go within the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They go outside when they apply to the whole sentence. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe it!鈥 she said. Is Robert Goddard the 鈥渇ather of modern rocketry鈥?

 

Contact Information

University Marketing and Communications

Office Location
  • 138 Woodland Street
    Main Office, Room 207
    Worcester, MA 01610

  • 1-508-793-7441
  • 1-508-793-7565 FAX