Editorial Style Guide

Undergraduate & 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

Spell 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.

Endicott College Television (ECTV) is a student-managed television channel. ECTV also serves as a bulletin board for the latest happenings at the College.

The 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 Letters

Capitalize a major field within a school:

Bachelor of Arts in History
Bachelor of Arts in English
Bachelor of Arts in English with a photography minor

When to use periods with degree abbreviations:

Formal 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	B.F.A.
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

Use 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 Endicott:

  Tom Smith A’16

Preferred styles for persons who earned undergraduate degrees at Endicott:

Elizabeth Jones ’56 (or Elizabeth Jones, Class of 1956)

Preferred style for persons who earned master’s degrees at Endicott:

Karen Brown M’06

Preferred style for persons who earned undergraduate and graduate degrees at Endicott:

Kyle Blake ’09 M’13

Preferred style for persons who earned doctoral degree at Endicott:

  Sarah Jones D’20

Preferred style for persons who earned undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees at Endicott:

  John Whitehouse ’10 M’12 D’20

In 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 form

Professional & 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.

  Endicott College President Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D.
  Dean of the School of Science & Technology Gene Wong
  Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D., Endicott College President
  Gene Wong, Dean of the School of Science & Technology

Departments & 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 department

  Office of the Dean
  dean’s office

  the Office of Admission
  the admission office
  the office

  Office of Communications & Marketing
  communications & marketing

Majors & 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 major

Course 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 Endicott College, even when the word “Endicott” 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 Endicott College 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 & Technology 

Board 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

Use 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.

Avoid 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.

When 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.

Ampersand
Use ampersand to replace “and” in College programs, departments, and schools.

School of Visual & Performing Arts
Office of Communications & Marketing
Autism & Applied Behavior Analysis

Do 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-long

Bullet 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.
• Endicott’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.

Italicize 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 art

Use 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
Speeches

Use neither quotation marks nor italics for titles of:

Apps
Courses
Forms
Lecture series
Websites
Unpublished works, such as thesis

Do not underline for emphasis; underline implies a live link in any digital documents.

URLs
The www prefix should always be eliminated.

endicott.edu
vanloan.endicott.edu

Hashtag Usage

#ThisIsEndicott is the official hashtag for the College.

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.

Gulls

Official College mascot
Always capitalize the G in Gull.
It’s a Great Day to be a Gull.
Go Gulls

 

Nest

  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.
“Says” rather than “said” and have says precede the name of the person/pronoun.
Use last name on second and further references.

“At Endicott, we strive to always do what’s best for our students and this recognition brings such efforts to light,” says Endicott College President Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D. 

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.

  Use 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 Theater

  Do 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

  Spelling of Dr. DiSalvo’s name
  Steven R. DiSalvo

  References in letters or emails:
  Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D.
  President

  References in copy:
  President Steven R. DiSalvo, Ph.D. (first reference)
  -or-
  President DiSalvo (second reference)

  Spelling of Dr. Quay's name
  Sara Quay

  References in formal letters:
  Sara Quay, Ph.D.
  Provost

  References in internal campus communications:
  Sara Quay, Ph.D.
  Provost

  References in editorial pieces (news story, magazine, blog, etc.):
  Sara Quay, Ph.D.
  Provost
  Endicott College