MOUNT MARY
EDITORIAL STYLE GUIDELINES
(Last Updated 2/4/13)
The Mount Mary University Office of Communication recommends the
use of the AP Style Guide for all general college communications
including the website.
Academic areas may recommend alternate specific style guides (MLA,
APA, Chicago Manual of Style).
This set of Editorial Style Guidelines serves to inform writing that
represents Mount Mary University and to provide uniformity for items
unique to the University and/or not addressed in the above style guides.
Word Usage List
For items not on this list, please refer to AP style and confirm usage with information listed on www.mtmary.edu.
A
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (formerly American
Dietetics Association)
accelerated degree programs
Accessibility Services Office
Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and
Dietetics
Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy
Education (ACOTE)
admission counselor
Admission Office
adviser (preferred over advisor, per AP style)
Advising and Career Development Office
alumna (singular)
alumnae (plural)
Alumnae Dining Room
a.m.
American Art Therapy Association (AATA)
American Association of College Registrars and
Admission Officers (AACRAO)
American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA)
arches (use when talking about archways on campus)
Arches (student newspaper title)
Archdiocesan Teacher Resource Center
Arts and Design Division
associate degree (no apostrophe, per AP style)
Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities
Association of Fundraising Professionals
Association of Governing Boards of Universities and
Colleges
Columbia College of Nursing (CCON)
ConnectEd
Corporate Board
commuter students
coursework
the college
circle drive
Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education
Programs
Council for Advancement and Support of Education
(CASE)
Council for Graduate Schools
Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly
FIDER)
Council of Independent Colleges
Council on Social Work Education
creative campus
CREO (not creo or Creo)
CREO event
Cyber Café
B
B.A.
Bachelor of Arts degree
Bachelor of Science degree
bachelor’s degree
Barnes and Noble Bookstore
Bergstrom Hall
Bergstrom Meeting Room
Bloechl Recreation Center
Blue Angels
bookstore (general reference to this store)
Board of Trustees
B.S.
Business Office
E
e-mail
C
campus-wide
Caroline Hall
Caroline Scholar
Caroline Scholars Program
CashNet
centennial (general reference)
Central Pacific Province
chair (instead of chairperson, chairman or chairwoman)
chapel
child care
Child Care Center
college-wide
D
Development Office
Director of Graduate Admissions
Director of Undergraduate Admissions
disc (audio or video)
disk (computer)
Doctor of Art Therapy (for use when talking about
degree earned only)
Dominic Hall
F
fall semester
FAFSA
FAQ
Federal Work-Study Program
Fidelis Hall
Financial Aid Early Estimator Service
Financial Aid Office
first-generation student
fitness center
Fitzpatrick Level (lower level of Haggerty Library)
flier (preferred to flyer)
Friends of Fashion
full-time (adj.: full-time student)
fundraiser
fundraising
G
Gerhardinger Center
GPA (no hyphens, no periods)
Grace Scholar
Grace Scholars Program (formerly Midtown Scholarship)
grade point average (see also GPA)
graduation arch
H
Haggerty Library (or Patrick and Beatrice Haggerty
Library)
healthcare industry (adj.)
health care (noun)
Helfaer Hall
Higher Learning Commission of the North Central
Association of Colleges and Schools
Historic Costume Collection
homepage
I-J-K
Information Technology (IT)
Internet
Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiology
Technology
keynote address
Kostka Hall
Kostka Theater
L
Layton Art Scholarship (or Frederick R. Layton Art
Scholarship)
Learning Commons (new space in Haggerty Library)
Legacy Award (scholarship for daughters, etc.)
the library
Library Learning Commons Starbucks Café Counter
M
mailroom
Marian Art Gallery
Mass
Master of Arts degree
Master of Arts in English
Master of Business Administration
Master of Science in Counseling
Master of Science in Occupational Therapy
master’s degree
MBA (no periods)
Menomonee River Parkway
Metropolitan
Mount Mary College President
(The) Mount Mary Leader
Mount Mary Magazine
M.S.
MyMountMary
N
National Association of College and University Business
Officers
National Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities (NAICU)
National Association of Student Financial Aid
Administrators (NASFAA)
National League for Nursing Accreditation Committee
nationwide
NCCA Division III (do not use D3)
net price calculator (not True Cost Calculator)
news feed
nonprofit
North Dining Room
Notre Dame Hall
O
Office of College Communications
Office for Graduate Education
Office for Student Engagement
online (no hyphen)
Operations Team (term for Admission back office staff)
Our Lady Chapel
P
Parkway Place
part time (She worked part time)
part-time (adj.; part-time student)
Ph.D.
Planned Giving Council of Eastern Wisconsin
p.m.
podcast
post-baccalaureate certificate
pre-baccalaureate certificate
President’s Office
Professional Doctorate of Art Therapy (use when talking
about program only)
Promise Program
Public Safety Office
Q-R
Registrar’s Office
resident assistant (RA)
residence hall
Residential Grant
RN (no periods)
S
School Sisters of Notre Dame (SSND)
semester
semester break
spring break
spring semester
Starving Artists’ Show
statewide
Stiemke Hall
student-athlete
Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC)
student designer fashion show
Student Government Association
Student Success Center
study abroad
Summer Bridge Program
summer semester
sustainability
switchboard
T
teaching assistant (TA)
theater (not theatre)
TRiO program
Trustee Award
U
United States (noun only)
university-wide
University Dining Room
Urban Education Fellows Program
U.S. (adjective only)
V
Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs
Vice President for Communications and Community
Engagement
Vice President for Enrollment Services
Vice President for External Relations
Vice President for Finance and Administration
Vice President of Mission and Identity
Visitor Services Team
W
the Web
webcam
webcast
webmaster
Web page
website
Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and
Universities (WAICU)
Wisconsin State Board of Nursing
Women’s College Coalition
women’s leadership
Women’s Leadership Institute
workforce
workplace
work-study
worldwide
X-Y-Z
Youth Options
Special Phrasing
Location:
 Mount Mary College is located in a metropolitan area.
 Mount Mary College is located in a residential neighborhood in the Milwaukee metropolitan area.
Scholarships:
 Every full-time, first-year student receives an academic scholarship
 All full-time undergraduate students entering directly from high school receive an academic scholarship
 Accelerated students receive a tuition discount.
 Every full-time, transfer student receives an academic scholarship
Majors/programs:
 More than 30 undergraduate majors and eight graduate degree programs
 More than 30 undergraduate majors, seven master’s degree programs and one doctoral degree program.
Enrollment:
 More than 1600 undergraduate and graduate students
Course formats/enrollment options:
 daytime, evening, Saturday
 traditional or accelerated
See a list of approved majors on the Admissions drive at :\Recruitment Marketing\References\Mount Mary Data\2012-13
Editorial Tone and Style
Abbreviations and acronyms
For the most part, avoid in running text (Professor Jones, not Prof. Jones). Use only where clear to readers. Normally
spell out at first occurrence, unless it is almost never used in spelled out form (such as DNA, GOP, VIP, NASA, SAT,
ACT).
Academic and administrative titles
Capitalize titles when they precede names and are used as part of the names. Lowercase if they follow names or are
used to further identify people. In lists such as those used in programs, titles are usually capitalized even when following
names. Examples: 1) Professor Mary Wagner; 2) Eileen Schwalbach, president of the college; 3) Well-known professor
of art therapy, Bruce Moon
Academic majors/program names
Do not capitalize majors, programs or concentrations of study, except for proper nouns. (NOTE: See annually approved
Majors list on Admissions drive at P:\Recruitment Marketing\References\Mount Mary Data).
Ampersands
Avoid whenever possible.
Bible
Always capitalize in reference to the collected scriptures of the Judeo-Christian tradition. Except in casual use, avoid
references to other books or guides as someone's “bible.”
Building and room names
Use full name of building or room on first reference, capitalizing Building, Hall, Center and such (i.e. Helfaer Hall, Notre
Dame Hall, Caroline Hall, Haggerty Library, Bloechl Recreation Center). Shortened versions are acceptable in subsequent
references (i.e. Helfaer, Bloechl Center, the library). Avoid using abbreviations (i.e. GC).
Bulleted lists formatting
Generally instead the bulleted list (do not align bullets to left side of main copy.)
College name
When writing about Mount Mary, use Mount Mary College in the first reference, then follow with Mount Mary. Avoid using
MMC if at all possible. Do not abbreviate Mount.
College-wide/university-wide
It's university-wide, but statewide, campuswide, nationwide, worldwide (-wide words are normally closed, but hyphenated
after proper nouns and after most words of three or more syllables).
Conference, lecture series, symposia
Capitalize formal names of these events. Enclose in quotation marks.
Course names
Capitalize official course titles. Do not use quotation marks. Lowercase when making a general reference to courses,
unless the subject includes a proper noun or adjective.
Dates
Refer to AP style.
Degree abbreviations
Use periods in degree abbreviations for degrees, except for MBA: Ph.D., M.S., M.A., B.S., B.A.
Do not use periods for professional credentials such as MD, DO, RN
Degree/graduate year information
List graduate’s name first followed by the abbreviated graduation year set off by commas.
“Jane R. Doe, '87, received an award for...."
OR to include program/major "Jane R. Doe, English, '87..."
In text, the graduation year and program are only included on the first mention of an individual.
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Department/Division names
Capitalize when used as a formal name (ex. the Fine Art Department); lowercase for informal usage (the interior design
and fine arts departments). Here is a list of official department names:
 Art Therapy Department
 Behavioral Science Department
 Business Administration Department
 Communication Department
 Dietetics Department
 Education Department
 English Department
 Fashion Department
 Fine Art Department
 Graphic Design Department
 History Department (NOT History and Political Science)
 Interior Design Department
 World Languages Department
 Mathematics Department
 Music Department
 Philosophy Department
 Physical Education and Dance Department
 Occupational Therapy Department
 Sciences Department
 Social Work Department
 Theology Department
Disabled/handicapped
Do not use references to a person's physical capacity unless it is relevant to the subject matter. If it is necessary, try to
use terms that put the “person” first, i.e., “Mary, who uses a wheelchair, was a key member of the group discussing
building access.”
Events
Capitalize full names of events such as Alumnae Reunion, CREO, New Student Orientation, Fall Forum and Career
Showcase. Lowercase in general references (the reunion, the orientation schedule).
Letter formatting
For Admission Office letters, always left justify paragraphs and have a blank line between paragraphs. Always left-justify
signature and salutation.
Maiden name
Used only at the direction of the individual who is being referenced or in cases of alumnae communications. Name is
listed as “FIRST NAME MAIDEN LAST NAME” without hyphen unless legally required. On a second mention, the maiden
name is dropped and the individual is only referred to by last name, unless the two names are hyphenated.
Mailing addresses
In text, use postal abbreviations for state names when used as part of a complete mailing address. Use street name and
directional abbreviations per AP style.
Off-campus/on-campus
Hyphenate when used as an adjective, but not as an adverb.
Registered trademarks
Registered trademarks must be capitalized or replaced with generic terms (Band-Aid or bandage; Coke or soft drink;
Xerox or photocopier). The symbols TM and R in a circle are used with product names on packaging and promotional
items, but are not required in text and should be omitted whenever possible.
Scholastic grades
When referring to a grade, use a capital letter; don’t use quotation marks around letter grades. Capital letters do not
require an apostrophe in the plural (e.g. She got three BCs this semester.)
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Spacing between sentences
Use a single space between sentences.
Student classifications
Lowercase freshman, sophomore, junior and senior, but capitalize as a class designation (e.g. Susie is a junior in biology.
The Senior Class sponsored the event.)
Student organization names
Capitalize the official student organization name (ex. Student Government Association), but lowercase general references
to groups (ex. Mount Mary’s student government).
Telephone numbers
Hyphenate between digits. Generally, do not use the numeral 1 before area codes.
Examples: 414-256-1219 or 414-458-4810, ext. 399
URLs and e-mail addresses
It is preferable to avoid breaks in URL and e-mail addresses. If it is necessary to break at the end of a line, no hyphen
should be used. The break should be made between elements such as a colon, a slash or the symbol @. Never break
after a period, slash or hyphen. Do not underline Web or e-mail addresses in text. Do not use http:// when followed by
www. Do not end a URL with a slash.
United States/U.S.
The abbreviation U.S. is acceptable as an adjective, but spell out United States when used as a noun. Use of periods are
preferred in the abbreviation, but US also can be used.
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