Editorial - Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia

Marymount University
Editorial Style Guide (updated September 2006)
In an effort to achieve consistency in Marymount’s written information, please use this guide that
outlines the editorial style used by the University. This style guide is specific to Marymount, and
is based on the Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary and the Associated Press Stylebook. In some
cases, this guide supersedes these sources. All copy (brochures, flyers, Web text, etc.) should follow
this style guide. For matters not addressed in this guide, consult the Editorial Director in the
Office of University Communications, (703) 284-1662. Your cooperation is appreciated. Thank
you.
academic degrees
Capitalize official Marymount University degree names and the field of study, but do not capitalize
informal references to the degrees themselves:
Bachelor of Science in Computer Science; bachelor’s degree in Computer Science
Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Do not use an apostrophe in associate
degree.
When used after a name, an academic degree abbreviation is set off by commas; do not precede a
name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree
in the same reference.
Jane Doe, Ph.D., spoke at the conference; Dr. Jane Doe spoke at the conference.
See the Marymount University catalog for current degrees and academic programs.
academic titles (see titles)
academic years
Do not uppercase freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior.
addresses
Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd., St. only with a numbered address. Spell them out when part of a
formal street name without a number. Also abbreviate north, south, east, and west when used in a
numbered street address, but spell them out when part of a formal street name without a number.
Similar words (Drive, Road, Lane) are always spelled out.
Marymount University is located at 2807 N. Glebe Road.
Marymount University is on North Glebe Road.
advisor
not adviser
affect, effect
Affect, as a verb, means to influence. Effect, as a verb, means to cause. Effect, as a noun, means
result.

afterward
not afterwards
ages
Always use figures. Ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun should be
hyphenated.
A 5-year-old boy.
The girl is 5 years old.
alphabetical order
Alphabetize lists if there is no hierarchical or other significance to the order.
alumnus, alumni; alumna, alumnae
Use alumnus when referring to a man who attended a school; use alumni when referring to a group
of men who attended a school. Use alumna for similar references to a woman; use alumnae when
referring to a group of women who attended a school. Use alumni when referring to a group of men
and women.
a.m., p.m. (see also “time”)
Lowercase and use periods.
and
Use a comma before the word and in a series.
Women’s teams are basketball, cross-country, lacrosse, soccer, swimming, and volleyball.
backward
not backwards
biannual, biennial
Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for the word semiannual. Biennial means every two
years.
bimonthly
Means every other month. Semimonthly means twice a month.
biweekly
Means every other week. Semiweekly means twice a week.
board of trustees and board of visitors
Uppercase only when the formal name is used; always use the formal name in first reference.
The Marymount University Board of Visitors will meet this week.
The board of visitors will discuss three main issues.
buildings
Avoid abbreviating. Capitalize the proper names of buildings, including the word building if it is an
integral part of the proper name.
The following are the proper names of buildings on Marymount’s Main Campus (abbreviated
building names as noted in parentheses are also acceptable):
Butler Hall
Emerson G. Reinsch Library (Reinsch Library)

Gailhac Hall
Gerard Phelan Hall (Gerard Hall)
Ireton Hall
Main House
Majella Berg Hall (Berg Hall)
Rose Benté Lee Center (Lee Center)
Rowley Academic Center
Rowley Hall
Sacred Heart of Mary Chapel (the Chapel)
St. Joseph Hall (note: it is NOT St. Joseph’s Hall)
Security Station
The Lodge
cannot (one word)
campuses/academic center
The following are the names of Marymount’s two official sites:
Main Campus
Ballston Center
capital, capitol
The city where a seat of government is located is the capital. Do not capitalize. Capitalize
U.S. Capitol and the Capitol when referring to the building in Washington or a state capitol
building: The Texas Capitol building is in Austin. The capital of Texas is Austin.
capitalization
In general, avoid unnecessary capitalization. Capitalize nouns that constitute the unique
identification for a specific person, place, or thing.
Lowercase the common noun elements of names in all plural uses.
Gailhac, Ireton, and Rowley halls
Capitalize common nouns such as university, school, and department when they are an integral part
of the full name for a person, place, or thing.
Marymount University, School of Business Administration, Department of Interior Design
Capitalize the common nouns school and university when they stand alone and refer to Marymount
University or its four Schools.
The University has four Schools. The School is one of four at Marymount University.
Use the proper name for offices and departments. Capitalize the words office and department.
The Office of University Communications is located in Rowley Hall.
The Department of Computer Science is located in Ireton Hall.
Capitalize the names of academic fields of study and administrative offices at Marymount University.
Marymount offers a bachelor’s degree in Biology. Marymount offers a Physical Therapy
program. Marymount has an Admissions Office.
However when referring to the field of work related to an academic discipline, use the lowercase.
A student seeking a career in physical therapy should be physically and mentally prepared for
the profession.
She really wanted to get a job in accounting.

century
Lowercase the word, spell out numbers less than 10; use a hyphen if it is used as an adjective.
the first century, the 21 st century, 17 th -century literature
chair
Use chair, not use chairperson, chairman, or chairwoman unless it is an organization's formal
title for an office; all such offices at Marymount University are called chair, except for the
position of chairman of the Marymount Board of Trustees. Capitalize as a formal title before
a name; lowercase if it follows a name.
company Chair Sue Smith;
Faculty Development Committee Chair John Jones; Sue Smith, company chair;
John Jones, Faculty Development Committee chair
cities, towns
Capitalize cities and towns in all uses. Do not capitalize the word city when it is not used as a proper
noun (city government, the city of Chicago).
Follow the Associated Press designations for datelines to determine when cities should be followed
by a state name in text. No state is necessary with the following cities, unless it seems warranted (e.g.:
Miami, OH; Dallas, PA):
Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit,
Honolulu, Houston, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Miami, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, New
Orleans, New York, Oklahoma City, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San
Diego, San Francisco, Seattle
class year
There are three accepted usages when including the year of graduation in text; be sure to use
apostrophes in front of abbreviated class years. Do not place a comma between the name and
abbreviated class year when the degree is not used.
Jane Smith ’96; Jane Smith, who graduated in 1996; Jane Smith, B.B.A. ’96
comma
In a series, use commas to separate elements, including the serial comma before the conjunction.
The flag is red, white, and blue.
commonwealth
Capitalize only when used as part of a formal name.
the Commonwealth of Virginia, residents of the commonwealth
courtesy titles
In general, do not use courtesy titles such as Dr., Miss, Mr., Mrs., or Ms. There are certain situations
(formal invitations, MUtoday magazine and InsideMU text, references to donors or patrons, or when
referring to a husband and wife in text) when it is appropriate.
Dr. and Mrs. John Nelson attended the banquet. Mrs. Nelson received an award.
Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the
abbreviation for the degree in the same reference.
Pam Jones, Ph.D. (correct); Dr. Pam Jones, Ph.D. (incorrect)
Dr. Pam Jones, a chemist

Spell out religious titles such as Father and Sister.
Sister Mary Smith, RSHM
coursework (one word)
database (one word)
dates
Do not abbreviate days of the week in text. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate
only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. When using only a month and a year, do not
abbreviate the month or use a comma to separate the month from the year; when using the month,
day, and year, set off the year with commas.
We first met in April 1995.
The committee will meet again on June 25, 2000, for further debate.
dean
See titles.
department
See capitalization.
District of Columbia
Abbreviate as DC when used in conjunction with Washington and don’t use periods after the letters
D and C: Washington, DC
dormitories
Use the words residence halls, not dormitories.
electronic addresses
E-mail and World Wide Web addresses are generally all lowercase; however, there are exceptions
where capitals are required for the address to work. Verify all addresses before putting them into
print. When referring to World Wide Web addresses in text, it is not necessary to use the
protocol before an address unless it is necessary because the address does not begin with www.
www.marymount.edu
http://e2e.marymount.edu
e-mail
This word is hyphenated.
He sent the document by e-mail.
emerita (female), emeritus (male)
Often added to formal titles to denote that individuals who have retired retain their rank or title by
action of the Marymount University Board of Visitors. Capitalize when used as part of a person’s
official title.
Professor Emeritus John Jones; Dean Emerita Jane Smith
ensure, insure
Use ensure to mean guarantee. Use insure for references to insurance.
Steps were taken to ensure accuracy. The policy insures his life.

faculty
Faculty is a collective noun, referring to all professors of a university, college, department, school,
program, etc. Faculty should not be used as a plural noun; use faculty members.
The Marymount faculty accepted the proposal. All Marymount faculty members voted on
the proposal.
fax (n.)
Acceptable as shortened version of facsimile or facsimile machine. Do not use as a verb; do not use
all caps.
fractions
Spell out amounts less than one in text, using hyphens between the words.
two-thirds, four-fifths, seven-sixteenths
Use figures for “precise” amounts greater than one, converting to decimals whenever practical.
1 1/2, 2.5
full time, full-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
She goes to school full time.
He is a full-time student.
fund raising (n.), fund-raising (adj.), fund-raiser (n.)
grade point average
Spell out on first reference; GPA is acceptable thereafter.
Honors scholars are expected to maintain a 3.25 grade point average. Her GPA was 3.5.
her, his
Do not presume gender in sentence construction. When possible, revise the sentence to be plural.
Students submitted their papers, instead of Each student submitted his or her paper.
home page (two words, lowercase)
it’s, its
It’s is a contraction for it is or it has; its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun.
it, their
Use it as the possessive pronoun for inanimate objects. Use their as the possessive pronoun for
groups of people.
One of the University’s goals is to help its students advance in their careers.
like, as
Use like as a preposition to compare nouns and pronouns. It requires an object. Use the conjunction
as to introduce clauses.
Marymount University
Use the full name of the institution on first reference. On second reference use Marymount, MU, or
the University.
money

Spell out and lowercase the words cents, using figures for amounts less than a dollar; use figures for
amounts over a dollar. Drop the decimal and zeros if there are no cents.
5 cents, 15 cents, 99 cents, $1, $5.01, $10
Use the $ sign and numerals up to two decimals place for amounts of more than $1 million.
It is worth $4.35 million.
It is worth exactly $4,351,242.75.
He proposed a $300 billion budget.
months
See dates.
non
Words preceded by non generally are not hyphenated. See Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
for guidance.
nondegree
nonacademic
nondiscrimination statement
The following is Marymount’s official statement:
Marymount University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex,
age, religion, or disability in any of its educational programs or activities. For inquiries
regarding nondiscrimination policies, contact the Frank Rizzo, the 504 coordinator, at (703)
284-1615, or Chris Domes, the Title IX coordinator, at (703) 284-1511.
nonprofit, (n. and adj.)
numbers
Spell out numbers less than 10; use figures for 10 and up, ages, and percentages.
zero, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, etc.
1-year-old, 20-year-old
1 percent, 75 percent
on campus, on-campus
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
We went to a theater workshop on campus.
We went to an on-campus theater workshop.
online (adj. and adv.)
part time, part-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
She goes to school part time. He is a part-time student.
percentages
Use figures. Use decimals, not fractions. For amounts less than 1 percent, precede the decimal with a
zero. Do not use the percent symbol in text. Use the symbol only in list or grid formats.
1 percent; 2.5 percent; 0.06 percent
pre

Words preceded by pre generally are not hyphenated. See Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
for guidance.
prerequisite
preregistration
Exception – Marymount’s pre-professional studies: Education, pre-law, pre-medicine, and pre-Physical
Therapy (Note hyphenation. See “programs of study” under “titles” for rules on capitalization.)
professor
See titles.
Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary
The religious order that founded Marymount. Use the abbreviation RSHM on second reference and
with individual’s titles.
Sister Mary Smith, RSHM
resident assistant
Use RA on second reference.
residence halls
Not dormitories.
room numbers
Use figures and capitalize room when used with a figure.
Rowley Hall, Room 79
school, Schools
See capitalization.
The four Schools at Marymount University are the Schools of Arts and Sciences, Business
Administration, Education and Human Services, and Health Professions.
The School of Health Professions is offering a seminar on the health care job market.
self-
Words preceded by self generally are hyphenated. See Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for
guidance.
self-employed
self-mailer
semiannual
Twice a year, a synonym for biannual
state names
Spell out the names of the 50 U.S. states when they stand alone in text. Abbreviate when used with
the name of a city, county, town, village, or military base in text. Place one comma between the city
and the state name, and another comma after the state name unless ending a sentence.
Marymount is located in Virginia. Arlington, VA, is the home of Marymount University.
Proper state abbreviations for use in text are listed below for reference.
Alabama AL; Alaska AK; Arizona AZ; Arkansas AR; California CA; Colorado CO;
Connecticut CT; Delaware DE; Florida FL; Georgia GA; HI Hawaii; ID Idaho; Illinois IL;
Indiana IN; Iowa IA; Kansas KS; Kentucky KY; Louisiana LA; Maine ME; Massachusetts
MA; Maryland MD; Michigan MI; Minnesota MN; Mississippi MS; Missouri MO;

Montana MT; Nebraska NE; Nevada NV; North Carolina NC; North Dakota ND; New
Hampshire NH; New Jersey NJ; New Mexico NM; New York NY; Ohio OH; Oklahoma
OK; Oregon OR; Pennsylvania PA; Rhode Island RI; South Carolina SC; South Dakota SD;
Tennessee TN; Texas TX; Utah UT; Virginia VA; Vermont VT; Washington WA;
Wisconsin WI; West Virginia WV; Wyoming WY.
TBA
to be announced
time
Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, however
drop the colon and indication of minutes when there are no minutes to reference.
The program will begin at 11 a.m. The game will begin at 7:30 p.m. The dance will end at
midnight. The luncheon begins at noon.
titles
chair
Capitalize as a formal title before a name; lowercase if it follows a name. Do not use
chairperson, chairman, or chairwoman unless it is an organization's formal title for an office;
all such offices at Marymount University are called chair, except for the position of chairman
of the Marymount Board of Trustees.
company Chair Sue Smith;
Faculty Development Committee Chair John Jones; Sue Smith, company chair;
John Jones, Faculty Development Committee chair
clinical instructor
Capitalize clinical instructor (title of some Marymount adjunct faculty members) only when
used immediately before a name.
Clinical Instructor Jane Doe
Jane Doe, clinical instructor in Nursing
Jane Doe, the clinical instructor
the clinical instructor
dean
Capitalize dean and associate dean only when used immediately before a name.
Associate Dean Liane Summerfield
Rosemary Hubbard, dean of the School of Arts and Sciences
Rosemary Hubbard, the dean of the School
the associate dean
director
Capitalize director only when used immediately before a name.
Director of Campus Safety Eric Hols
Eric Hols, director of Campus Safety
lecturer
Capitalize lecturer (title of some Marymount adjunct faculty members) only when used
immediately before a name.
Lecturer Mary Rogers
John Jones, lecturer in Psychology
Mary Rogers, the lecturer

toward
not towards
the lecturer
president
Capitalize only when used immediately before a name or when used to identify the
president’s physical office.
President James E. Bundschuh
James Bundschuh, president of Marymount University
the Office of the President
professor
Capitalize professor, associate professor, and assistant professor only when used immediately
before a name.
Assistant Professor Sue Smith
Mary Rogers, professor of Computer Science
Sue Smith, the professor
the associate professor
programs of study
Capitalize any program of study that is a formal department at Marymount University; use
lowercase for those that do not represent a formal department.
Marymount offers a variety of degrees in Nursing.
All Interior Design students must have a laptop computer.
vice president
Capitalize only when used immediately before a name or when used to identify the vice
president’s physical office.
Vice President Loretta Seigley
Loretta Seigley, vice president for Academic Affairs
the Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
university
Capitalize when part of a formal name and when used alone in reference to Marymount University.
Marymount University has a Biology program. The University offers a bachelor’s degree in
Biology.
universitywide
not university-wide
videotape (n. and v.)
workday (one word)
worldwide (one word)
World Wide Web
Capitalize in all references. Use and capitalize “Web” for second references.

Web site
Web is always capitalized, site is not, and it is treated at two words.
Xerox
A trademark for a brand of photocopy machine. Never use as a verb. Use a generic term such as
photocopy.
years
Use figures without commas; use an “s” without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or
centuries.
1975, the 1970s, the 1900s
Years are the lone exception to the general rule that a figure is not used to start a sentence.
1976 was a very good year.
ZIP code
Use all-caps ZIP for Zone Improvement Plan; the word code should be lowercase.