Rules of Style A-to-Z

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25 Year Club (no hyphen)鈥擜 club recognizing faculty and staff who have at least 25 years of service to 澳门六合彩官网直播.

abbreviations

academic degrees

actor鈥扩蝉别 for both men and women. You may also use actress(es) for women, but use actors (not actors and actresses) when referring to both men and women.

addresses, how to list.

advisor鈥扩蝉别 the -or spelling in all 澳门六合彩官网直播 references (academic advisor, faculty advisor, residence advisor) and for all general references. When referring to the job titles of specific people outside the University, use their preferred spelling.

affect/effect鈥擜ffect, as a verb, means to influence. (His illness will affect his attendance.) Effect is infrequently used as a verb and means to cause. (We will effect a major reorganization of the office.)

Affect is very rarely used as a noun, and its correct use as a noun relates to psychological emotional states. Effect, as a noun, has a variety of meanings and uses, including consequence or result (The effect of the budget cuts will affect us all.); becoming operative (The policy goes into effect immediately); media technology (The special effects won an Academy Award.); creation of a desired result (Nearly everything Lincoln did was calculated for effect.); and the stuff in your purse, always used in the plural (Your personal effects.).

afterward is preferred in American English over afterwards. Use afterward.

  • afterward, not afterwards
  • anyway, not anyways
  • backward, not backwards
  • forward, not forwards
  • toward, not towards

alumni, alumna, alumnus

alumni association鈥擟apitalized only when referring to the 澳门六合彩官网直播 Alumni Association. Do not capitalize association when it appears alone (see capitalization).

ampersand鈥擠o not use ampersands (&) in text (tuition and fees), titles (provost and vice president for academic affairs) or names (College of Health and Human Services), except when it is part of a company's legal name (Procter & Gamble).

and/or鈥擠o not use the phrase 鈥渁nd/or,鈥 when simply 鈥渁nd鈥 or 鈥渙r鈥 would suffice. See punctuation: slash.

apostrophes

  • Use 's with bachelor's and master's, but not associate degrees.
  • Do not use 's with decades. Use 1980s or use '80s.
  • Placement of apostrophes for possession with compound nouns depends on whether the nouns are acting collectively or separately.
    • Jim's and Mary's weddings were both in Kalamazoo. (They are not married to each other.)
    • Jim and Mary's weddings were both in Kalamazoo. (They have been married twice to each other.)

artwork (one word, no hyphen).

assure/ensure/insure鈥擜ll mean to make secure or certain, but only assure is used in the sense of putting a person's mind at ease and only insure is used in references to financial guarantee against risk. Use ensure in all other cases. (We strive to ensure the success of each student.)

at鈥擡xcept for email addresses, never use the symbol @ in text.

athletics鈥掷别别 sports.

athletic department鈥擳he term athletic department (not capitalized) may be used as a reference to the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (capitalized).

audiovisual (noun), audio-visual (adjective)鈥擭ever use A/V.

产补肠丑别濒辞谤鈥檚 or 产补肠丑别濒辞谤鈥檚 degree, but Bachelor of Arts.

biannual versus biennial鈥擝iannual and semiannual mean twice a year; biennial means every two years.

biology department鈥擳here is no biology department at 澳门六合彩官网直播. As with all units of the University, the Department of Biological Sciences should be referred to by its full name on first reference and may be referred to as 鈥渂iological sciences鈥 or 鈥渢he department鈥 on subsequent references. Use biology to refer to the discipline and major, not the department.

Board of Trustees鈥擟apitalized only when referring to the 澳门六合彩官网直播 Board of Trustees. Do not capitalize board or trustees when they appear alone. See capitalization.

book titles鈥掷别别 composition titles.

breakUse recess, not break, for periods when there are no classes (Thanksgiving recess, holiday recess).

Bronco/Broncos鈥擟apitalized when referring to the 澳门六合彩官网直播 nickname or mascot. Do not use Bronco(s) as a general reference to the University, such as "Bronco course offerings" or "Bronco commencement." In an appropriate context, referring to 澳门六合彩官网直播 students or alumni as Broncos is acceptable, even recommended.

Bronco Card鈥擭ot Bronco ID or Bronco ID Card.

Bronco NetID (exactly as shown)鈥擜 username for 澳门六合彩官网直播 computer services.

brown and gold鈥擳he school colors are brown and gold (not capitalized). Do not refer to 澳门六合彩官网直播 as "the brown and gold."

Brown Auditorium in Schneider Hall should always be referred to by name and not by room number.

bulleted lists鈥掷别别 lists.

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campus community鈥擳he campus community includes all students, faculty and staff and is a part of the much larger University community, which also includes alumni, emeriti, parents and families of students, and friends of 澳门六合彩官网直播.

Campus Flagpoles is located between Kanley Chapel and the Lee Honors College.

Campus Fountain is located in Fountain Plaza next to Miller Auditorium.

campuswide (one word)鈥擜lso: worldwide, nationwide and statewide.

canceled (not cancelled)鈥擜lso: cancel, canceling, cancellation.

capitalization

catalog (not catalogue), cataloged, cataloging, cataloger.

cellphone

cities, how to list.

chair (not chairman, not chairwoman, not chairperson)鈥擡xcept for people outside 澳门六合彩官网直播, whose titles should not be changed to conform to 澳门六合彩官网直播 style.

check-in (noun and adjective), check in (verb)鈥擜lso checkout (noun and adjective) check out (verb).

Christmas break鈥扩蝉别 holiday recess, not Christmas break, for the period from the end of fall semester to the start of spring semester.

ciphers鈥擠o not use ciphers (double zeros) for times of day or whole dollar amounts. ("Shows start at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15," not "Shows start at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are $15.00.") See numerals.

Class of 20__鈥擟apitalize when referring to a 澳门六合彩官网直播 graduating class. (She is a member of the Class of 2014.) Do not capitalize "class" when it appears alone.

coed and coeducation (not hyphenated)鈥擟oed may be used, even in formal writing, in references such as "coed residence halls," and "coed softball teams." Do not refer to women as coeds.

comedian鈥扩蝉别 for both men and women.

commencement鈥擭ot capitalized except when preceded by the name of the University (澳门六合彩官网直播 Commencement) or used as part of the name of a specific commencement (Spring 2011 Commencement).

CommUniverCity (exactly as shown)鈥擜ny of several 澳门六合彩官网直播-sponsored community events or activities, notably CommUniverCity Night Football, typically the first home football game of the season.

company names

  • Use the full, formal name on first reference. Avoid the use of acronyms, even on second and subsequent references.
  • Do not use a comma before Inc. or Ltd., even if it is included in the formal name. The same rule applies for Co., P.C., LLP and etc.
  • Generally, follow the spelling and capitalization preferred by the company: eBay. But capitalize the first letter if it begins a sentence.
  • Do not use all-capital-letter names unless the letters are individually pronounced: BMW. Others should be uppercase and lowercase. Ikea, not IKEA; USA Today, not USA TODAY.
  • Do not use symbols such as exclamation points, plus signs or asterisks that form contrived spellings that might distract or confuse a reader. Use Yahoo, not Yahoo!; Toys R Us, not Toys "R" Us; E-Trade, not E*Trade.
  • Use an ampersand only if it is part of the company's formal name, but not otherwise in place of "and."
  • Lowercase "the" unless it is part of the company's formal name.

composition titles鈥擜pply the guidelines listed here to titles of books, computer games, movies, operas, plays, poems, albums and songs, radio and television programs, lectures and speeches, and works of art.

  • Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters.
  • Capitalize an article鈥攖he, a, an鈥攐r words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in a title.
  • Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except magazines, newspapers, the Bible or books that are used primarily as reference materials (almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, journals, textbooks and similar publications). Do not use quotation marks around such software titles as WordPerfect or Windows or website names. Most app names are capitalized without quotes. An exception to this is computer game apps such as "FarmVille," which are placed in quotes.
  • Translate a foreign title into English unless a work is generally known by its foreign name.

coursework鈥擣or consistency in 澳门六合彩官网直播 writing, use coursework (one word).

courtesy titles鈥擠o not use the courtesy titles Ms., Miss, Mrs. or Mr. in general writing. They may be used in personal correspondence, direct quotations and other special situations. If you use Ms., Miss or Mrs., use the title preferred by the individual to whom you are referring.

COVID-19鈥擬ust capitalize and include the numeral for all uses. Use of "covid" or "COVID" is inaccurate if referring to coronavirus disease 2019.

current and currently (presently and at present) are overused and are frequently unnecessary. Instead of, "We currently have 200 students in the program," write, "We have 200 students in the program."

Dalton Center Recital Hall, not Dalton Recital Hall.

dates, days, months, and years.

  • Use 1, 2, 3, 4, not 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th. Write "Reservations are due July 27," not "Reservations are due July 27th."
  • For academic and fiscal years, use 2011-12, not 2011-2012. Only exception: 1999-2000.
  • Do not abbreviate days of the week in text.
  • Do not abbreviate months of the year when they appear by themselves or with a year (December 2010). March, April, May, June and July are never abbreviated in text, but the remaining months are when they are followed by a date (Jan. 27), and are correctly abbreviated Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec.

daylight saving time (not capitalized)鈥攕aving, not savings.

decades鈥扩蝉别 1960s, 1990s or use '60s, '90s (no apostrophe before the s).

dimensions鈥扩蝉别 figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc., to indicate depth, height, length and width. Hyphenate adjectival forms before nouns. Examples (all correct):

  • He is 6 feet 3 inches tall, the 6-foot-3-inch man, the 6-foot man, the basketball team signed a 7-footer.
  • The car is 20 feet long, 6 feet wide and 5 feet high. The rug is 3 feet by 4 feet, the 3-by-4 rug.
  • The storm left 10 inches of snow.
  • The building has 25,000 square feet of floor space.

directions and regions鈥擨n general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Capitalize these words when they designate regions. Examples (all correct):

  • Compass directions: He drove north. Turn west.
  • Regions: 澳门六合彩官网直播 has one of the only fully accredited programs in the Midwest.

dollar amounts鈥擠o not use ciphers (double zeros) for times of day or whole dollar amounts. ("Shows start at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15." not "Shows start at 7:00 p.m. and tickets are $15.00.") See numerals.

drop-off (noun and adjective), drop off (verb).

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each鈥擬ay be abbreviated (ea.) in tables, but never in text. Avoid unnecessary use. Instead of "Tickets are $12 each," write "Tickets are $12."

e.g. and i.e.鈥擳he abbreviations 'e.g.' (meaning "for example") and 'i.e.' (meaning "that is") are always lowercase and always followed by a comma. Example: The University completed a number of construction projects in 2012 (e.g., the new Sangren Hall, resurfacing of Kanley Track). These constructions are awkward, however, and in most cases can be easily avoided. Example: The University completed a number of construction projects in 2012, including the new Sangren Hall and the resurfacing of Kanley Track.

Elearning (capitalized) is 澳门六合彩官网直播's online learning system. The generic term e-learning is hyphenated and not captialized. See e-references.

email鈥擭ot hyphenated, not capitalized. Similar terms such as e-book and e-commerce are hyphenated. See e-references.

email addresses鈥扩蝉别 all lowercase for email addresses and use official wmich.edu individual and office email addresses for all University communication. See e-references.

emeriti, emerita, emeritus

ensure/insure鈥掷别别 assure/ensure/insure.

entitled/titled鈥擝ooks, plays, movies, songs and lectures have titles and are titled. (William Shakespeare wrote a play titled, 鈥淥thello.鈥) Entitled refers to guarantees, rights and entitlements. (Each coupon entitles you to one free admission.)

e-references

everyone/every one鈥扩蝉别 two words when referring to each individual item. Use one word when used as a pronoun meaning all persons.

farther/further鈥擣arther refers to physical distance. (She ran farther than anyone else.) Further refers to an extension of time or degree. (He wants to further his studies.)

federal (not capitalized)鈥擶hen used as an adjective (federal regulations, federal assistance) to distinguish something from state, city, county, and other government entities, federal is always lowercase. Capitalize only when part of a proper name (Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Trade Commission).

fewer versus less鈥擫ess means "not as much," and fewer means "not as many." Use fewer for things you can count, and less for things you cannot. "I should eat less chocolate." "I should eat fewer chocolate chip cookies."

field house鈥擳wo words, except in the name Read Fieldhouse.

first come, first served (not first serve)鈥擜dd hyphens when used as a compound modifier, "Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis."

First-Year Experience programs (exactly as shown)鈥擜n office at 澳门六合彩官网直播 geared toward new, or first-year, students. "First-Year" should be hyphenated, and "programs" should not be capitalized.

flagpole (one word)鈥擳he name for the cluster of flags at the center of West Campus is Campus Flagpoles.

flier, flyer鈥擣lyer is the preferred spelling for a person flying in an aircraft, and for handbills.

formal names should not be used in general writing for buildings or other entities named for people. Use Waldo Library, not Dwight B. Waldo Library.

Fountain Plaza is located next to Miller Auditorium, Brown Hall, Sprau Tower, and the Dalton and Richmond centers. Campus Fountain is located in Fountain Plaza.

freshman, sophomore, junior, senior (not capitalized)鈥擳he term "first-year students" is preferred over freshman.

freshman class (not freshmen class).

fundraising/fundraiser鈥擮ne word in all cases.

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gender bias, avoid in writing.

geology department鈥擳here is no geology department at 澳门六合彩官网直播. As with all units of the University, the Department of Geosciences should be referred to by its full name on first reference and may be referred to as 鈥済eosciences鈥 or 鈥渢he department鈥 on subsequent references. Use geology to refer to the discipline and major, not the department.

go澳门六合彩官网直播鈥擶estern's secure intranet portal launching in summer 2022. Do not refer to go澳门六合彩官网直播 as "the portal" or "go澳门六合彩官网直播 portal." Use go澳门六合彩官网直播. See e-references.

Go澳门六合彩官网直播鈥敯拿帕喜使偻辈モ檚 former secure intranet portal. Do not refer to Go澳门六合彩官网直播 as "the portal" or "Go澳门六合彩官网直播 portal." Use Go澳门六合彩官网直播. See e-references.

GPA鈥擜cceptable on second and subsequent references. On first reference, use "grade point average."

grades鈥擫etter grades don't require quotation marks. (She received an A.) Use 's to form the plural of a letter grade. (He received all A鈥檚 and B鈥檚.)

headlines鈥擶hen writing news article headlines, only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized. The following rules apply only to headlines.

  • Use numerals for all numbers.
  • Use single quotes for quotation marks.
  • Use US, UK and UN (no periods).
  • For US states use traditional abbreviations, but do not use periods for those abbreviated with two capital letters: NY, NJ, NH, NM, NC, SC, ND, SD and RI. Also DC. Other states retain periods: Ind., Ill., Minn., Wis.

health care鈥擳wo words in all cases.

Heinig Emeriti Lounge is located in Walwood Hall.

history鈥擱eferring to past history, previous history or prior history is redundant. All history is past, previous and prior; there is no other kind. Use "history."

holiday recess鈥擳he period between fall and spring semesters when no classes are held and some University offices are closed is the "holiday recess." It should not be referred to as  "Christmas break," "winter break" or "holiday closure." See recess.

holidays鈥扩蝉别 of apostrophes in holidays.

Apostrophe before the s
  • New Year's Day
  • Valentine's Day
  • St. Patrick's Day
  • Mother's Day
  • Father's Day
Apostrophe after the s
  • Presidents' Day
  • April Fools' Day
No apostrophe
  • Veterans Day
  • Teachers Day
  • Secretaries Day

homepage鈥擨nternet term referring to the main page in a website. One word, not capitalized. See e-references.

home schooling (noun)鈥擜lso, home-schooler (noun), home-school (verb) and home-schooled (adjective).

homecoming鈥擭ot capitalized except when preceded by the name of the University (澳门六合彩官网直播 Homecoming) or used as part of the name of a specific homecoming (Homecoming 2008).

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imply versus infer鈥擳he writer implies; the reader infers.

in, into鈥擨n indicates location: He was in the room. Into indicates motion: She walked into the room.

incorporated鈥擜bbreviate and capitalize as Inc. when used as a part of a corporate name. Do not set off with commas: "Program participants include Bright Financial Advisors Inc."

in order鈥擴nnecessary in constructions such as, "In order to save money, we reduced our spending." Simply write, "To save money, we reduced our spending."

internet鈥擭ot capitalized. See e-references.

intranet鈥擜 communication network within an organization or group. Not capitalized. See e-references.

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kickoff (noun and adjective), kick off (verb)鈥擭ever use kick-off.

Kirsch Auditorium in the Fetzer Center should always be referred to by name and not by room number.

last and next鈥擜void using last or next.

less versus fewer鈥擫ess means "not as much," and fewer means "not as many." Use fewer for things you can count, and less for things you cannot. "I should eat less chocolate." "I should eat fewer chocolate chip cookies."

letter grades鈥掷别别 grades.

lists鈥擶hen constructing bulleted lists on the web, the following rules apply whether or not each list item is a complete sentence.

  • Each list item is treated as a separate sentence or phrase starting with a capitalized letter and ending with a period.
  • Do not capitalize every word鈥攐nly the first word in each list item and any proper nouns.

An exception may be made for directories and other resource-type lists when each item contains only a few words. In these cases, you may omit the periods and capitalize each key word of four or more letters, but the items should be presented in alphabetical order to make it easier for the user to find what they need quickly. Example:

Directory of services

  • Academic Advising
  • Academic Affairs
  • Academic Calendars

login, logon, logout, logoff鈥擜s a noun or adjective: one word, no hyphen, not capitalized. Example: Enter your login information. As a verb: two words, no hyphen, not capitalized. Example: Log in to Go澳门六合彩官网直播. If you use login, use logout; if you use logon, use logoff.

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尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 or 尘补蝉迟别谤鈥檚 degree, but Master of Science. See academic degrees.

me, myself or I, which is correct?

Midwest鈥擟apitalize Midwest when referring to the geographic region of the United States.

million, billion, trillion See numerals.

more than/over鈥擬ore than is used with numbers. (More than 30 graduates attended.) Over refers to spatial relationships. (The flag flew over the building.)

move in, move out (noun and verb); move-in, move-out (adjective)鈥擡xamples (all correct): Fall move in starts in August. Move-in dates are now available. The move-out schedule is online. Move out takes place in April.

Ms., Miss, Mrs.鈥掷别别 courtesy titles.

multi鈥擬ost words beginning with multi (multicultural, multimedia, multinational, multitasking) are not hyphenated. That includes names of campus facilities, such as the Multicultural Center and Dalton Center Multimedia Room.

(the) Multicultural Center is located in the Trimpe Building.

named buildings and programs鈥擨n general writing, do not use the full, formal names of buildings or other entities that are named for people. Use Miller Auditorium, not James W. Miller Auditorium. Use Waldo Library, Sangren Hall, Bernhard Center, Haenicke Institute, Brown Auditorium, Lee Honors College.

names (companies)鈥掷别别 company names.

names (people)鈥擨n general writing, use an individual's full name, including Dr. if applicable, on first reference (Dr. John M. Dunn). On subsequent references, use only a last name (Dunn, not Dr. Dunn). Never use the courtesy titles Ms., Miss, Mrs. or Mr. Abbreviate Jr. and Sr. only with a person鈥檚 full name, and do not precede by a comma: Martin Luther King Jr.

names (programs, events, departments, offices and other units at 澳门六合彩官网直播)鈥擣ollow the guidelines for company names.

news article headlines鈥掷别别 headlines.

none鈥擶hen used to mean "no single one," none always takes a singular verb and pronoun. "None of the 12 students is (not are) taking the exam."

nonprofit (one word, no hyphen).

number鈥擠o not use the symbol "#" in text. Depending on the meaning, use "pound" or "number" or the abbreviation "No." (capitalized). Use "No." only if it is followed by a numeral, especially when indicating rank or priority. "We are the No. 2 seed in the tournament." "Creating an environment for student success is our No. 1 priority."

numerals

  • In general, spell out zero and whole numbers one through nine. Use figures for 10 or greater.
  • Numbers beginning a sentence should always be spelled out, unless they represent a calendar year: 1983 was the worst year. Try to avoid constructions that begin sentences with numbers.
  • Always use figures (even for single numerals) for the following:
    • Academic course numbers: History 6, Communication 3500.
    • Addresses: 1 Main St. Spell out numbered streets nine and under: 5 Sixth Ave., 3012 10th St.
    • Ages: His son, age 3, was rescued. She was 9.
    • Court decisions: The Supreme Court ruled 5-4. They made a 5-4 decision.
    • Dimensions, to indicate depth, height, length and width: He is 5 feet 6 inches tall.
    • Distances: He walked 4 miles.
    • Headlines: 9 澳门六合彩官网直播 students earn coveted scholarships.
    • Mathematical usage: Multiply by 4, divide by 6.
    • Military ranks, used as titles with names, military terms and weapons: 1st Sgt. David Smith, M16 rifle, 9 mm pistol, 6th Fleet. In military ranks, spell out the figure when it is used after the name or without a name: Smith was a second lieutenant.
    • Millions, billions and trillions (use a figure-word combination): 1 million people, $2 billion.
    • Monetary units: 5 cents, $5 bill.
    • Numbers involving decimals and fractions: 1 1/2 months, 7.2 magnitude quake.
    • Page numbers and other sequential designations: Page 1, Page 20A; sizes 4 and 5; Rooms 3 and 4; Chapter 2; line 1, but first line.
    • Percentages: 5%.
    • Rank: 澳门六合彩官网直播 was my No. 1 choice. Note the abbreviation for "Number."
    • Speeds: 7 mph, winds of 5 to 10 mph.
    • Sports scores: They secured a 6-0 victory.
    • Examples of other less-frequently used exceptions include: Act II, Scene 3; 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals; Article IV, Section 5; Interstate 5; 8 degrees below zero.
  • Generally use the words million, billion and trillion for numbers of one million or greater, unless precise figures are critical: Building costs were set at $24.8 million. He won the election by a vote of 1,892,056 to 1,852,876.
  • Do not use ciphers (double zeros) for times of day or whole dollar amounts: Shows start at 7 p.m. (not 7:00 p.m.) and tickets are $15 (not $15.00). See times for exceptions.
  • Use commas for figures greater than 999: The program had 1,000 students. It cost $25,000. She received $1,500.

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online鈥擮ne word, no hyphen, not capitalized. See e-references.

out is unnecessary in phrases such as "print out" and "separate out." Write "print the form," not "print out the form."

over is not an acceptable substitute for 鈥渕ore than.鈥 More than is used with numbers. (More than 30 graduates attended.) Over refers to spatial relationships. (The flag flew over the building.)

palate/pallet/palette鈥擸our palate is the roof of your mouth or your sense of taste; a pallet is a bed or type of shipping platform; and a palette is a set of colors or the board an artist uses to hold paint.

people is almost always preferred over "persons" or "individuals." (Only people registered for the workshop can win a prize.)

percent鈥擜lways use the symbol (%) in text. (There was a 12% increase.) Always use numerals for percentages, even for single numerals (5%). See numerals.

phone and fax numbers鈥擳he format for phone and fax numbers is (269) 387-8400. Use parentheses around the area code. Use a hyphen between the exchange and number. The format for toll-free numbers is the same. Use (800) 555-1212. Do not use 1-800-555-1212.

pickup (noun and adjective), pick up (verb).

play titles鈥掷别别 composition titles.

political titles鈥擟apitalize and abbreviate governor when used as a formal title before a name: Gov. Rick Snyder.

presently and at present (also current and currently)鈥擮verused and are frequently unnecessary. Instead of, "We presently have 200 students in the program," write, "We have 200 students in the program."

punctuation鈥擱ules for using the 14 standard punctuation marks in American English.

Putney Auditorium in the Fetzer Center should always be referred to by name and not by room number. It's Putney Auditorium, not Putney Lecture Hall.

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Read Fieldhouse鈥擣ield house is two words, except in the 澳门六合彩官网直播 name Read Fieldhouse.

readability, making what you write easier to read.

recess refers to a period when no classes are held and some University offices are closed, such as Thanksgiving recess and holiday recess.

regards is correct in the phrase "as regards," but incorrect in the phrases "in regards to" and "with regards to." Use "In regard to..." or better, "Regarding..."

regional locations鈥擯reviously known as branch campuses and regional sites.

room numbers鈥擟apitalize "Room" if used. Always use numerals and the formal name of the building.

  • Correct: Room 3014 of the Student Recreation Center
  • Correct: 3014 Student Recreation Center
  • Incorrect: room 3014 of the Student Recreation Center, room 3014 Student Recreation Center, Room 3014 Student Recreation Center, Student Recreation Center Room 3014

RSVP (no periods) is an abbreviation for the French, "r茅pondez s'il vous plait," which means "please respond." "Please RSVP" is redundant. Just use RSVP.

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salutations for form letters.

schoolwork鈥擣or consistency in 澳门六合彩官网直播 writing, use schoolwork (one word).

seal鈥擱eferring to the official seal of the University (or any organization鈥檚 seal or logo), use lowercase even in constructions such as "澳门六合彩官网直播 seal."

seasons鈥擫owercase summer, fall, winter, spring, including "fall semester" and "summer I session." In text, "first summer session" is generally preferred over "summer I session."

semester/session are not capitalized. Correct: fall semester, spring semester, summer I session, summer II session. In text, "first summer session" is generally preferred over "summer I session."

service learning鈥擜s a compound modifier, use service-learning (hyphenated): service-learning courses, service-learning experiences, service-learning volunteer opportunities, service-learning students, service-learning events, service-learning awards. In all other cases, use service learning (no hyphen): service learning at 澳门六合彩官网直播, the office promotes service learning, benefits of service learning, research on service learning, book about service learning, the concept of service learning. The office at 澳门六合彩官网直播 is the Office of Service Learning (no hyphen).

Shaw Theatre is located in the Gilmore Theatre Complex.

sign-up (noun and adjective), sign up (verb)鈥擡xamples (all correct): Sign-up for fall housing begins Feb 4. Sign up now. Apartment sign-up began last week.

Social Security is capitalized, but words following, such as "number," "system," "card," and "benefits" are not capitalized. Never include your Social Security number in an email message. The abbreviation for Social Security number is SSN. "SSN number" is redundant. Use SSN. Plural: SSNs.

song titles鈥掷别别 composition titles.

southwest Michigan (do not capitalize southwest), but West Michigan.

sports

  • Do not capitalize the names of sports such as football and volleyball, even if the sport is preceded by the name of the school or the school nickname (澳门六合彩官网直播 volleyball, Bronco football).
  • For sports in which both men and women compete, the gender of the team must always be specified on first reference (men's basketball, women's soccer).
  • When referring to varsity teams, do not identify gender when 澳门六合彩官网直播 has only one gender represented in that varsity sport. Do not use women's golf, men's hockey. Use golf, hockey.
  • Never use girls or ladies to refer to women's teams. Use women. Never use boys to refer to men's teams. Use men.

spring recess鈥攏ot spring break鈥攊s a one-week period in spring semester when no classes are held, typically the first week in March. See recess.

startup鈥擮ne word (noun and adjective) to describe a new business venture. An exception to Webster's New World College Dictionary preference.

states (U.S.), how to list.

Stewart Tower is located between Waldo Library and the University Computing Center. Do not use clock tower or library tower.

summer I session (not capitalized)鈥擨n text, "first summer session" is generally preferred over "summer I session." See semester/session.

summer recess鈥攏ot summer break鈥攊s the period from the end of summer II session to the start of fall semester. See recess.

telephone鈥掷别别 phone.

Thanksgiving recess鈥攏ot Thanksgiving break鈥攊s the period around Thanksgiving when no classes are held, typically beginning at noon the day before Thanksgiving and continuing until 8 a.m. the Monday after. See recess.

the鈥擭ot capitalized unless it begins a sentence.

theatre (not theater) for all 澳门六合彩官网直播 references.

time, hours, a.m., p.m., how to list.

time frame (two words).

timeline (one word).

titles, books, songs, movies, plays, magazines, newspapers and other compositions. See composition titles.

titles, when to capitalize.

25 Year Club (no hyphen)鈥擜 club recognizing faculty and staff who have at least 25 years of service to 澳门六合彩官网直播.

typography, basic rules. See readability.

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unique鈥擴nique is an absolute, meaning "one of a kind." Something is either unique, or it is not. It can be less distinctive, more unusual or truly extraordinary, but it cannot be less unique, more unique, somewhat unique or very unique.

University鈥擟apitalize only when it refers exclusively to 澳门六合彩官网直播. See capitalization.

University Arena is located in Read Fieldhouse. Basketball, gymnasic and volleyball contests are held in University Arena, but offices for the athletic director, athletic marketing and media relations, and several varsity coaches are in Read Fieldhouse, not University Arena.

University community鈥擳he campus community includes all students, faculty and staff and is a part of the much larger University community, which also includes alumni, emeriti and friends of 澳门六合彩官网直播.

Upjohn Rotunda is the atrium inside the entrance to Waldo Library.

URL鈥擴niform Resource Locator, a web address. "Web address" is preferred over URL in all University communication. See e-references.

versus鈥擲pell it out in ordinary speech and writing. In some short expressions, however, the abbreviation vs. is permitted. For court cases, use v: Roe v. Wade.

voicemail鈥攐ne word.

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web鈥擶hen referring to the World Wide Web, web is not capitalized. See e-references.

web addresses鈥擜lso known as URLs. "Web address" is preferred over URL in all University communication. The prefix http:// should not be included when listing a web address in a correspondence, publication or other printed material, and for pages at www.wmich.edu, do not include www. In print and spoken communication use wmich.edu, not http://www.wmich.edu. See e-references.

webpage鈥擮ne word, not capitalized. See e-references.

webcam鈥擮ne word, not capitalized. See e-references.

website鈥擮ne word, not capitalized. See e-references.

weeklong, weekslong鈥擮ne word, no hyphen when used as an adjective.

Western鈥擟apitalize when it refers to 澳门六合彩官网直播. The preferred abbreviation after the full name of the University has been introduced. See abbreviations.

Western Michigan鈥擟apitalize when it refers to 澳门六合彩官网直播. An acceptable abbreviation after the full name of the University has been introduced. When using "Western Michigan," be certain that it refers clearly to either the University or the region. See abbreviations.

West Michigan (capitalize West), but southwest Michigan.

Wi-Fi (not Wifi or WiFi).

Williams Theatre is located in the Gilmore Theatre Complex.

WIN is an abbreviation for Western identification number. "WIN number" is redundant. Use WIN. Plural: WINs. What is your WIN? What are their WINs?

winter break鈥扩蝉别 holiday recess, not winter break, for the period from the end of fall semester to the start of spring semester.

worldwide

work-study鈥扩蝉别 work-study (with hyphen) to refer to the financial aid program through which students are paid in the form of a regular paycheck.

澳门六合彩官网直播鈥擜n abbreviation that can be used after the full name of the University has been introduced. Do not use periods. "Western" is preferred over "澳门六合彩官网直播." See abbreviations.

yearlong

year-round (hyphenated in all cases).

years鈥擣or academic and fiscal years, use 2006-07, not 2006-2007.

York Arena Theatre is located in the Gilmore Theatre Complex.

ZIP code鈥擹IP (all caps) is an acronym for Zoning Improvement Plan.