Style Guide - General Points

Utica University 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.

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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 University uses the U. S. Postal Service's ZIP + 4 program. In practice, the only ZIP + 4 code most people in the Utica University community are likely to use is the one in the University's mailing address:


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 Utica'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)

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Italics vs. Quotes

Italicize the names of:

• books
• newspapers
• journals
• films
• full-length plays
• symphonies
• operas
• ships 
• airplanes

Place quotation marks around the titles of:

• articles
• poems
• papers
• lectures
• titles
• songs
• one-act plays
• television programs
• series of books
• sculptures

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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 afternoon 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".

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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.
   

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Money

Do not use ciphers when referring to monetary amounts:

• $6 (not $6.00)

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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
• Provost John H. Johnsen becomes Provost Johnsen
• Emily J. Franklin, M.D. becomes Dr. Franklin

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Placement of Modifiers

As a general rule, the modifiers "also" and "currently" should precede the verb rather than follow it.

• He currently is a Utica student (not: He is currently a Utica student) 

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Ampersand

Use the ampersand (&) in place of "and" only when it is an integral part of a corporate name:

• Ernst & Young  

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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.  

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Utica University / Utica (abbreviations)

The standard abbreviation to employ when referring to Utica University is simply Utica. Since earning our University designation in 2022, referring to the institution by its initials is no longer acceptable. 

 

Health Care and Headcount

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 Oneida Healthcare Center.  

On the other hand, Utica style treats "headcount" as one word, not two:

• Franklin did a headcount at the start of the meeting. 

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