Style Guide -- General Points
UC Style Guide
General Points of Style
Decades
Though you should use numerals when referring to a decade as a single period of time, do not use an apostrophe to form the plural:
- That was in the 1930s.
- She was born in the '80s.
Abbreviation of Junior
When using Jr. following a name, do not set off the abbreviation with commas:
- John C. Gazak Jr. is an adjunct professor of mathematics.
In the case of an alumnus, use the following convention:
- Frank Jones Jr. '02 is planning a reunion.
- Horace Wallinger Jr. '84, M.D. runs a clinic in Denver.
Telephone Numbers
Always include the area code, set in parentheses:
- (315) 792-3047
When providing campus extension numbers in conjunction with the Rome telephone line, use this convention:
- (315) 339-3880, ext. 3047
Zip Codes
The College uses the U. S. Postal Service's ZIP + 4 program. In practice, the only ZIP + 4 code most people in the UC community are likely to use is the one in the College's mailing address:
Utica College
1600 Burrstone Road
Utica, NY 13502-4892
A listing of special ZIP + 4 numbers and information on procedures for Business Reply Mail is available from the Office of Marketing and Communications.
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Optional Spellings
The following optional spellings have been adopted as part of UC's style:
-
adviser (not advisor)
-
aesthetics (not esthetics)
-
catalog (not catalogue)
-
coordinate (not co-ordinate)
-
coeducational (not co-educational)
-
cooperative (not co-operative)
-
percent (not per cent)
-
theatre (not theater)
Italics vs. Quotes
Italicize the names of:
- books
- newspapers
- journals
- films
- full-length plays
- symphonies
- operas
- ships
- airplanes
Place quotation marks around:
- articles
- poems
- papers
- lectures
- titles
- songs
- one-act plays
- television programs
- series of books
- sculptures
Times of Day
Basic style points:
- Use a colon and two zeros when designating the top of the hour: 8:00 a.m.; not 8 a.m.
- Morning and afternooon are designated by lower case initials: a.m. and p.m.
- Do not employ redundant language such as "8:00 p.m. this evening" or "8:00 o'clock".
Month / Year
When referring to a month in a specific year, do not use a comma:
- She graduated in May 2005.
Numerals
Spell out numbers from one to nine; use numerals for 10 and above:
- Sheila has 10 dogs, six cats, and 97 hamsters.
Money
Do not use ciphers when referring to monetary amounts:
- $6 (not $6.00)
Multiple References to a Person
In written materials, when referring to a person for the second time, use only his/her last name (or the title "professor", when applicable):
- Frances Jones becomes Jones
- Professor John H. Johnsen becomes Professor Johnsen
- Emily J. Franklin, M.D. becomes Dr. Franklin
Placement of Modifiers
As a general rule, the modifiers "also" and "currently" should precede the verb rather than follow it.
- He currently is a UC student (not: He is currently a UC student)
Ampersand
Use the ampersand (&) in place of "and" only when it is an integral part of a corporate name:
- Ernst & Young
Faculty
Depending upon the context, faculty may be treated as a collective singular or a plural. When referring to the group as a whole, use the collective singular:
- The biology faculty has grown in number.
- Teaching is the faculty's first priority.
However, when drawing attention to individual members of the group, treat faculty as a plural:
- The faculty were discussing the issue amongst themselves.
Use "faculty member" when referring to an individual.
Utica College / UC
It is permissable to refer to Utica College by its initials UC. No periods should be used in this abbreviation.
Health Care
In normal usage, "health care" is two words. However, it may be expressed as one word within the formal name of an organization.
- Many Americans do not have adequate health care coverage.
- She is a doctor at Onedia Healthcare Center.
