Introduction to the Brand Book
Pellissippi State Community College is a fixture of higher education in East Tennessee,
and the College continues to expand its services to a wider and wider audience.
As part of that expansion, the Marketing and Communications Office seeks to ensure a consistent
brand and to develop a familiar College representation through images and written
communications. Accuracy, consistency and clarity help us demonstrate to the public a commitment
to a quality educational experience.
This Brand Book is intended to clarify and help direct all associates of Pellissippi State in using the
College’s brand in appropriate and consistent ways. Through your continuing cooperation, we will
all give Pellissippi State Community College an identity that fosters familiarity and engenders quality
in higher education.
About Our Name
The College’s official name is Pellissippi State Community College. Taken from the
Native American word for the Clinch River, “Pelisipi” means “winding waters.”
In all publications that are likely to reach an external audience, the full name of the College should
be used on first reference. Thereafter, “Pellissippi State” is an acceptable use. In external
references, the name should not be shortened to “Pellissippi” or the acronym “PSCC.”
Pellissippi State has five campuses. The official name of each campus should be used in external
publications. The names of the campuses are Blount County Campus, Division Street Campus,
Hardin Valley Campus, Magnolia Avenue Campus and Strawberry Plains Campus.
Official names of buildings:
Lamar Alexander Arts and Sciences Building
Joe Armstrong Building
Bagwell Center for Media and Art
Randy and Jenny Boyd Building
Clayton Performing Arts Center
Educational Resources Center
J.L. Goins Administration Building
Information Center
Ned R. McWherter Technology Building
Physical Plant
Student Recreation Center
The Joe Armstrong Building is located at the Magnolia Avenue Campus. The Randy and Jenny
Boyd Building is located at the Strawberry Plains Campus. All other named buildings are located at
the Hardin Valley Campus.
In internal publications, using a single-name version of each building is acceptable: Goins 264,
Alexander 101. In external references, use the full name of the building or an appropriately
abbreviated version: Bagwell Center for Media and Art or Bagwell Center, Ned R. McWherter
Technology Building or McWherter Building.
Certain names should never be abbreviated for external publications. Always use Clayton
Performing Arts Center, not CPAC. Use Physical Plant, not PP.
History
Pellissippi State Community College was founded in 1974 as State Technical Institute at Knoxville.
In the years since its founding, the College’s name has changed twice: in 1988, to Pellissippi State
Technical Community College and, in 2009, to Pellissippi State Community College.
That first year, the College enrolled
students in three associate’s degree
programs, all engineering technology, under the direction of a handful of faculty and staff members.
Since that time, Pellissippi State has experienced steady growth: the institution began with 45
students in one location and now enrolls more than 10,000 across five campuses.
The College continues to support and develop career-path associate’s degrees, as well as associate’s
degrees for transfer to four-year institutions, certificates, and continuing education opportunities for the
citizens of Knox, Blount, and surrounding counties. Pellissippi State offers courses for college credit to
high school students as well.
Pellissippi State has four campuses in Knox County—Hardin Valley, Division Street, Magnolia
Avenue, and Strawberry Plains—and one in Blount County, the Blount County Campus. The
College employs more than 660 full-time faculty and staff and more than 630 part-time.
Pellissippi State’s economic impact on East Tennessee as measured by the value of business
volume, jobs and individual income was estimated at about $1.3 billion over the five -year period
from 2008 to 2013. In 2013, Pellissippi State experienced record graduation numbers. The
College awarded 1,265 associate’s degrees that year, more than any other two -year college in
the state, according to the Tennessee Board of Regents.
In partnership with the community, the College sustains the effort toward an ever-improving quality
of life for residents of East Tennessee.
Pellissippi State Community College is one of 46 institutions in the Tennessee Board of Regents
system, one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation. TBR is the governing board
for this system, which includes six state universities, 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of
applied technology, providing programs in 90 of Tennessee’s 95 counties to more than 200,000
students.
Mission
The mission of Pellissippi State Community College is to serve its community by providing collegelevel and non-credit courses and learning support instruction using a variety of delivery methods,
including distance learning. The College provides support for teaching and learning, training and
workforce development, and opportunities for life, civic, and cultural enrichment.
Brand Driver
Success.
Success is not a tagline or a logo but the filter through which Pellissippi State Community
College wants to communicate its message.
Our students are searching for academic development. Our College offers a promise of educational
excellence. Our graduates have training in high-demand, high-wage fields in high-growth industries.
Our faculty is highly motivated and experienced. Our staff is enthusiastic and forward-thinking. Our
College provides an environment that is nurturing and dynamic.
Every day, we are building success.
Mandatory Statements
The Tennessee Board of Regents, Pellissippi State Community College’s governing body,
requires that certain statements be used on all College print and Web publications,
including posters, news releases, brochures, booklets, magazines, catalogs, advertisements,
and other pieces.
Similarly, Tennessee’s Community Colleges, the system of 13 community colleges within TBR,
requires co-branding in external publications, including on correspondence, on posters, on websites
and in press releases.
The required statements and logos for co-branding are available from the Marketing and
Communications Office. For more information, read Marketing and Communications Policy
08:05:00; Publications Policy 08:05:03; College Logo, Trademark, and Copyright Policy 08:05:04;
and Web and Social Media Policy 08:13:04; and Web and Social Media Best Practices.
In addition, TBR requires that a tracking number be assigned to certain publications for audit
purposes.
Because of these requirements and the additional requirements of the College, all
publications and advertisements intended for external audiences must be vetted by
Marketing and Communications.
Official Logos
Pellissippi State Community College’s official logo is the primary identifier, and the most
recognizable element, of the College.
It consists of the College’s emblematic shield arranged to the left of the College’s full name, the text
of which is divided by a horizontal line. The standard, trademarked logo is presented in Pellissippi
State’s school colors, blue and yellow. The shield is blue and yellow, and the name of the College is
blue.
When the logo is used, no other words, designs or additional colors may be added. The proportions
of the logo are not to be manipulated. The logo should not be recreated, redrawn or otherwise
altered in any way. The name of the College is not to be used as a logo mark if it is separated from
the shield. If the shield is used alone as a logo mark, it may not be reshaped, redrawn or altered in
any way.
In most cases, the standard blue and yellow logo can be used. Other official logos are acceptable
for cases in which the standard, two-color logo cannot or should not be used. A black logo, a blue
logo and a white logo also are available. These three variations to the official logo are the only
accepted standard uses. A secondary official use is available for rare instances: the yellow and blue
Pellissippi State shield with all white letters.
Use of all versions of the logo is regulated through the Marketing and Communications Office.
Users should contact our office for the appropriate logo for their publications. Use of the College’s
shield, separate from the official logo, is also regulated through the Marketing and Communications
Office. Appropriate use of the shield alone is very rare. For more information, see College Logo,
Trademark and Copyright Policy 08:05:04.
Pellissippi State has additional official logos, some of which may not be used without the
primary official logo, for the following:
For questions about the College’s logos or shield, visit www.pstcc.edu/mc or call 865.694.6405.
Creation of Other Logos
Building brand name recognition is a long-term goal. Consistency is important not only to
recognition but also to reputation. It is for that reason that Pellissippi State’s logos and marks
are standard and unalterable.
Other logos, marks and names that are not approved by the Marketing and Communications Office
will not be permitted. The creation of new and/or secondary logos is generally discouraged.
Departments, programs and offices that wish to request or develop a unique name or logo, as a
brand extension of Pellissippi State’s existing marks and name, should work with the Marketing and
Communications Office toward a new design. This applies to all new marks and names, whether
they are to be used internally or externally. New marks and logos are developed very infrequently.
The Marketing and Communications Office can assist with branding a unit or organization of the
College in a way that provides a distinctive, creative style while staying within Pellissippi State
branding guidelines.
Official Seal
Pellissippi State Community College’s official seal is the
formal insignia of the College.
Traditionally, a seal is a distinctive, circular design meant to authenticate an official entity. Pellissippi
State’s seal includes the College’s blue and yellow shield, laurel branches to signify education, the
name of the College, and the year the College was founded, 1974. The seal is used for special
publications and by special request only.
The standard official seal uses the same blue and yellow colors found in Pellissippi State’s official
logo, but, like the logo, other variations, including an all-blue, all-black, and grayscale seal, are
available.
The seal may be published only with the approval of the Marketing and Communications Office.
For questions about the seal, visit www.pstcc.edu/mc or call 865.694.6405.
Academic Banners
Pellissippi State has nine academic banners, each in the shape of a shield. The academic banners
carry the traditional colors of the various disciplines, as well as the school colors, blue and yellow.
The primary banner symbolizes Pellissippi State Community College as a whole and is blue and
yellow, the school colors. This banner is incorporated into Pellissippi State’s trademarked logo,
which features the shield with the College’s full name. The shield symbolizes power and strength.
The yellow represents wisdom, and the blue represents technology.
Business and Community Services has at its core education’s light blue and the commerce drab of
accountancy and business, a fitting combination for a school associated with bringing training to
business and industry and lifelong learning to the community. Accents are technology blue and
economics copper.
Business and Computer Technology brings together the skills needed in the world of commerce and
industry. Technology blue is evident in the color set, as is the commerce drab of accountancy and
business.
Engineering and Media Technologies
Engineering is represented by the color orange. The interdisciplinary study of Media
Technologies—which encompasses video production, sound engineering, photography, graphic
design and Web design—is represented simply by the color blue. The colors are
intersected by the Pellissippi State color of yellow, which represents wisdom.
English is a key liberal arts discipline and is represented first and foremost by the traditional white.
Journalism crimson is added to signify the dissemination of ideas and information.
Liberal Arts has long been associated with the color white, yet the discipline is a broad one. It
encompasses languages, humanities, and social sciences (white); philosophy (dark blue); fine arts
(brown); communications (silver gray); and music (pink).
Mathematics—the study of quantity, structure, space, and change—is represented by the color of
science gold, which is intersected by the blue of Pellissippi State.
Natural and Behavioral Sciences combines the colors of sage green and science gold. Sage green
is associated with physical education, while science gold represents both natural and behavioral
science.
Nursing is represented by apricot, a color long associated with the helping profession. The color
sage green represents health and rehabilitation.
Official Colors
Pellissippi State Community College’s official school colors are blue and yellow, Pantone 288 blue
and Pantone 122 yellow. There are no exceptions to the use of these two, official colors.
At Pellissippi State, the yellow symbolizes wisdom and the blue symbolizes the technology that has
been at the core of Pellissippi State’s mission since the College’s foundation in 1974. The use of
these shades of blue and yellow is encouraged for all Pellissippi State publications and branding
efforts, from posters to websites to water bottles. These colors are iconic to Pellissippi State and
represent the College’s core mission and values.
Blue and yellow should always be the dominant colors in published materials.
Typography
Pellissippi State Community College uses Times or Times New Roman as its official font.
On the Web, the preferred font family for navigation, headers and body text is Arial.
Trademarks
Pellissippi State Community College has registered the following trademark
College departments, offices, organizations, students, and other associates, as well as outside
organizations and vendors, must obtain written permission from the Marketing and Communications
Office to use Pellissippi State’s official logo on any and all products.
The College logo is a protected image. No lines, words or artwork may overlap the protected area
of the image. No changes or alterations can be made to the design in any way. For more
information, see College Logo, Trademark and Copyright Policy 08:05:04.
Using the College seal, though it is not trademarked, is prohibited without prior approval from the
Marketing and Communications Office.
Pellissippi State marks may not be used in conjunction with references to alcohol or drugs. No use
of College trademarks that are judged to be in poor taste will be allowed. Pellissippi State reserves
the right to reject delivery of materials containing unauthorized or incorrect usage based on the
guidelines stated here and in College Logo, Trademark and Copyright Policy 08:05:04.
Copyrights
Pellissippi State’s website, www.pstcc.edu, and all of its subpages and affiliated sites, including
official social media sites, are protected by intellectual copyright laws, as stated by the U.S.
Copyright Office and World Intellectual Property Organization.
Users of the website can access Terms of Use and Privacy Policy online.
For more information, see College Logo, Trademark and Copyright Policy 08:05:04.
Guidelines for the Web
The Pellissippi State website often serves as the first introduction to the College. A great college
website leaves a positive first impression with visitors, including current and prospective
students, parents, faculty and staff, institutional partners, and any others seeking information.
The College’s website, www.pstcc.edu, is an official publication of Pellissippi State. It is managed by
the Marketing and Communications Office.
Our print publications use a consistent style and feel, and our website has that same engaging,
welcoming style. To achieve continuity, the Marketing and Communications Office, working with
Information Services, administers and supports a Collegewide content management system. All
Pellissippi State Web pages—for every office, program, department and organization—are
required to adopt the CMS for maintaining and updating.
The CMS provides the latest templates and other elements that are consistent with the College’s
identity standards and branding. For more information, contact the webmaster.
On all pages, the Pellissippi State logo, at 160 pixels wide, must be placed in the upper left corner.
No other mark or logo may appear above or to the left of the Pellissippi State logo. For a copy of
Pellissippi State’s correct Web logo, contact the Marketing and Communications Office,
865.694.6405.
The Pellissippi State home page should not be copied and used for department or other unit
websites.
Commercial advertising is not permitted within the www.pstcc.edu domain or any of its subdomains,
per Computer System Use Policy 08:13:05. All websites and Web pages attached to the
www.pstcc.edu domain must adhere to Web and Social Media Policy 08:13:04.
Web Font Family
The preferred font family for navigation and body text is Arial. The preferred font for headers is also
Arial.
Web Color Palette
The Pellissippi State Web color palette has been created to help link the College’s many Web
pages stylistically into a consistent family of sites. The website, like other College publications, uses
the official school colors, Pantone 288 blue and Pantone 122 yellow.
Web Logos
The standard Pellissippi State logos have been resized and optimized for the Web. Web formats of
Pellissippi State’s logo, shield and other marks are not suitable for print use.
For copies of Web and print logos, contact Marketing and Communications.
All previous Pellissippi State logos on Web pages should be replaced as the Web pages are
updated. For additional information, read Web and Social Media Policy 08:13:04 and Web and
Social Media Best Practices {link approved document}.
Images and Photography
Photographs are a great way to communicate the welcoming and diverse environment of
Pellissippi State. To help you create the best images for your use, follow these
recommendations:
• Use in-focus pictures of students.
• Choose photographs that are engaging and personal and that show the diversity of our student
population.
• Pick photographs that are appropriate to the audience. Casual images, for example, might be more
suited for social media than professional use.
• Subjects can have eye contact with the camera, but that isn’t necessary. Avoid using any
photograph in which the subjects are blinking or have their eyes closed.
• Steer clear of using photos of subjects who are wearing clothing with logos, particularly logos that
depict alcohol- or drug-related messages, other schools, or offensive or objectionable statements
or references.
• Avoid photographs of subjects that look too posed, such as those of subjects standing in a straight
line. Photographs that depict action or movement are often better.
• Refrain from using photos that are low resolution, out of focus, or too darkly lighted, complicated
or busy.
Stationery and Business Cards
The Marketing and Communications Office provides Pellissippi State letterhead, envelopes and
business cards.
Letterhead and business cards are preprinted with the College’s official logo and school
information. Generic letterhead and envelopes can be purchased from Marketing and
Communications. Envelopes can be printed in one or two colors — in all blue or in blue and yellow
— by request.
For personalization, letterhead can include your department name and phone number. Business cards
can include your name, official title, job-related credentials, department, phone and fax number, and
email address. Job titles printed on business cards are official titles, as verified by Human Resources.
To order business cards, contact your division’s primary clerical staff. To order letterhead and
envelopes, call 865.539.7089 or email publications@pstcc.edu.
Advertising
Any advertising, regardless of medium, that will include graphic representation of Pellissippi
State and/or will use Pellissippi State’s logo or name must be designed by the Marketing and
Communications Office to ensure compliance with identity standards and brand messaging.
The official Pellissippi State logo must be used in all ads, as must the Tennessee’s Community
Colleges logo.
As a rule, the Marketing and Communications Office advertises on behalf of the College as a whole,
increasing name recognition and emphasizing our brand. Individual advertisements will be
considered on the basis of budget and named College priorities. Individual ads purchased by a
College office, department or area still must be designed and approved by the Marketing and
Communications Office.
For more information or for assistance, contact the Marketing and Communications Office,
865.694.6405.
Editorial Style Guide
In determining editorial style for print and electronic publications, Pellissippi State uses the
Associated Press Stylebook as its primary reference. Secondarily, the College uses Webster’s New
World College Dictionary, Fifth Edition.
A style guide does not necessarily represent “more correct” choices in using the English language.
The style guide does intend to create a consistent style and voice for the College to use across print
and electronic media. It notes specific rules and usages to be applied by editors and authors in
Marketing and Communications and by other campus communicators.
Since many people don’t have access to an AP Stylebook, this style guide points out several
common AP style rules. Where this style guide conflicts with the AP Stylebook or Webster’s, this
style guide takes precedence. For an excellent and comprehensive reference source to punctuation
and grammar, see “Words into Type, Third Edition” (Prentice Hall), based on studies by M. Skillin,
R. Gay and other authorities.
Questions about editorial style or the style guide can be directed to the publications coordinator,
865.539.7089 or publications@pstcc.edu.
Our Name
The official name of the College is Pellissippi State Community College. In publications on second
reference, Pellissippi State is an acceptable use. In external communications or in publications,
never use Pellissippi or PSCC.
Former names of the College, including Pellissippi State Technical Community College and State
Technical Institute of Knoxville, are not correct in current references. These names should be used
in historical contexts only. The acronym PSTCC should not be used.
Clarifying Terms and Areas of the College
General Biology II is a course. A degree is an Associate of Science, Associate of Applied Science,
Bachelor of Arts, etc. Certificates are not considered degrees.
Pellissippi State offers three types of academic programs: Career, Transfer/University Parallel and
Certificate. Examples of programs: Administrative Professional Technology, Health Sciences.
Concentrations are areas of study within programs. Example: “The student is earning an Associate
of Applied Science degree in the Administrative Professional Technology program with a Business
concentration.”
In terms of organization, Pellissippi State has five campuses in two counties. There are five
divisions of the College: Academic Affairs, Business and Community Services, Business and
Finance, College Advancement, and Student Affairs. Each division consists of offices: Counseling
Services, Human Resources, Marketing and Communications, Records, etc. Departments are
academic: Business and Computer Technology, Natural and Behavioral Sciences.
See Academic Degrees, Career Programs, Certificate Programs, Concentration, Department,
Division, Office, Transfer Programs, Unit Names.
AA/EEO Statement
Required to be included on publications and websites. There are two versions of this statement,
one long and one short, and both are available through Marketing and Communications.
Pellissippi State Community College is an AA/EEO employer and does not discriminate on the basis
of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its programs and activities.
Academic Titles
Capitalize official titles of courses, programs and concentrations at Pellissippi State: General
Biology II, Paralegal Studies (program), Video Production Technology (concentration). Do not
capitalize programs and concentrations offered by other institutions.
Capitalize and spell out formal faculty and staff titles only when they precede a name. Lowercase
elsewhere. College preference is to use the appositive: Rebecca Ashford, vice president of Student
Affairs, was the guest speaker.
Academic Degrees
Uppercase degrees if spelled out: Associate of Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts. Lowercase and use
an apostrophe in the short form: associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s. These uses are preferred over
letter abbreviations: B.A., M.B.A., Ph.D. If using letter abbreviations, do not follow with the word
“degree.”
Degrees are not listed after names except on business cards, upon request. The term “Dr.” is only
used in reference to medical doctors. The exception is on formal publications, such as donor lists
and invitations.
Pellissippi State degree programs and concentrations are to be listed by their official names, as
stated in the latest College Catalog and Handbook.
Acronyms
In general, acronyms are not used on first reference. Tennessee Consortium for International
Studies, not TnCIS. Exceptions are common references: FBI, not Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In AP style, acronyms are not placed in parentheses following first use. Acronyms may be used in
subsequent references. This is the style used in press releases: The Tennessee Consortium for
International Studies is housed at Pellissippi State Community College. TnCIS sends students to
study abroad.
Affect/Effect
“Affect” is a verb, meaning to influence or to change. “Effect” is a noun, meaning an impact or a
result: This change will affect you. One effect might be a salary increase.
African-American
Hyphenate. The term “black,” lowercased, also may be used.
Ages
Use numerals.
American Indian
The term “Native American” also may be used.
Apostrophes
Plurals of a single letter: A’s, B’s.
Do not use apostrophes when referencing a decade as a noun: Unless you like grunge, the 1990s
were not a historical high point in fashion.
Singular and plural possessives that do not end in “s” use an apostrophe and “s”: the student’s
homework, the alumni’s contributions.
Singular and plural possessives that end in “s” use only an apostrophe: the alumnus’ success, the
VIPs’ entrance.
Proper names that end in “s” use only an apostrophe: Jesus’ life, Dickens’ novels.
Asian-American
Hyphenate.
Book Titles
Use quotation marks, not italics or underline. This is also the rule for magazines, articles, albums,
songs, poems and plays.
Bookstore
Uppercase only when referring to Pellissippi State Bookstore or if it is part of the formal name of a
bookstore.
Buildings
First name only is acceptable for internal use: Goins 264. In press releases or other external references, use Goins Building or the full name, J.L. Goins Administration Building.
The official names of Pellissippi State facilities:
Lamar Alexander Arts and Sciences Building
Joe Armstrong Building
Bagwell Center for Media and Art
Randy and Jenny Boyd Building
Clayton Performing Arts Center
Educational Resources Center
J.L. Goins Administration Building
Information Center
Ned R. McWherter Technology Building
Physical Plant
Student Recreation Center
The Joe Armstrong Building is located at the Magnolia Avenue Campus. The Randy and Jenny
Boyd Building is located at the Strawberry Plains Campus. All other named buildings are located at
the Hardin Valley Campus.
Certain names should never be abbreviated for external publications. Always use Clayton
Performing Arts Center, not CPAC. Use Physical Plant, not PP. The Bubble is acceptable in casual
internal use; for external use, refer to the Student Recreation Center.
Campuses
Blount County Campus, Division Street Campus, Hardin Valley Campus, Magnolia Avenue
Campus, Strawberry Plains Campus.
In external communications, use a campus’ physical address only when promoting an activity or
event that requires physical attendance on campus. Don’t use a physical address as a general
identifier. Use the full, official name of each campus as an identifier.
Career Programs
Uppercase and use the full name of Career Programs offerings: Health Care Office Administration,
Mechanical Engineering (concentration within Engineering Technology). See the Career Programs
section of the latest Catalog and Handbook for the most up-to-date list.
Certificate Programs
Uppercase and use the full name of Certificate Programs offerings: Accessible Web Design, PreAllied Health. See the Certificate Programs section of the latest Catalog and Handbook for the most
up-to-date list.
Chair
Preferred title for the presiding officer of a department or committee. Avoid “chairperson.”
College
Uppercase the stand-alone word only when referring to the institution of Pellissippi State
Community College. The uppercase term “College” as a reference to Pellissippi State is used in all
external
communications except news releases. News releases comply with AP style, which uses lowercase
“college” on second reference.
Commas
Do not use a comma before Jr., Sr. or Inc.
In quotes, the comma is always placed within the quotation marks: “That’s great,” he said.
Pellissippi State does not use the serial comma: Students can study in the Educational Resources
Center, Goins Building College Center or Goins Building Cafeteria.
See Dates.
Commencement
Capitalize when referring to the Pellissippi State event. Lowercase general references, as with
graduation. “Commencement” is the preferred term.
Concentration
A student’s area of focus within a specific degree program. Capitalize official titles of Pellissippi
State
concentrations: One of the Business concentrations is Culinary Arts. Do not capitalize
concentrations offered by other institutions. See the Career Programs section of the latest Catalog
and Handbook for the most up-to-date list.
Courtesy Titles
Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. Exception: Courtesy titles are accepted for
formal invitations.
See Dr.
Credit Hours
Use numerals.
Dates
Use Arabic figures, without the st, nd, rd or th. Exceptions are as design elements, occasionally on
formal invitations and in reference to centuries: the 20th century.
When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, commas are required before and after the year:
February 16, 1987, was a day like any other. Commas are not needed in reference to only a month
and year: February 1987.
Department
Capitalize only when using the full, formal name of a Pellissippi State department: Liberal Arts
Department. Do not reverse the names, as in Department of Liberal Arts.
The official names of Pellissippi State academic departments:
Business and Computer Technology
English
Engineering and Media Technologies
Liberal Arts
Mathematics
Natural and Behavioral Sciences
Nursing
Disabled, Disability
Use these terms rather than “handicapped.” Use “people first language” that describes what a
person has, not who a person is: She has autism. Incorrect: She is autistic.
Division
Capitalize when using the full, formal name of a Pellissippi State division: Business and Community
Services Division. Do not reverse the names, as in Division of Business and Community Services.
The official names of Pellissippi State divisions:
Academic Affairs
Business and Community Services
Business and Finance
College Advancement
Student Affairs
Dr.
Use as a title only when referring to a medical doctor, not a Ph.D. Exception: The non-medical title
“Dr.” is acceptable for formal invitations.
Email
Lowercase except at the beginning of a sentence. No hyphen.
Faculty and Staff Titles
Lowercase in a sentence unless used before the faculty or staff member’s name. College
preference is to use the appositive: Rebecca Ashford, vice president of Student Affairs, was the
guest speaker.
Faculty ranks:
Adjunct faculty member
Instructor
Assistant professor
Associate professor
Professor
Fall Semester
Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specific term: fall 2014.
Federal
Lowercase unless part of a proper name: The federal government. Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Fellow
Lowercase: “She is a Guggenheim fellow.”
Fewer/Less
“Fewer” means a small number of individual things. “Less” means a smaller quantity of some entire
thing: The less money John makes, the fewer dollars he spends.
Full-Time, Full Time
Hyphenate only when used as an adjective: She is a full-time employee.
Fundraiser, Fundraising
No hyphen.
Further/Farther
“Further” means in addition or moreover, and “farther” refers to distance: Money goes further than
expected. I will be able to travel farther than I had planned.
GED
Do not use GED or General Educational Development Certificate. Instead, use Tennessee High
School Equivalency Diploma or HSE.
Generational Suffixes
Do not precede with a comma: L. Anthony Wise Jr.
GPA
On first reference, using either GPA or grade point average is acceptable. The College does not
use a hyphen in the term “grade point average.”
Grades
Capitalize, with no quotation marks, letters for course grades (A, B, C, D, F, I) and grade names
such as Incomplete. Use an apostrophe to pluralize: She earned all A’s.
Health Care, Health-Care
Hyphenate only when used as an adjective: He is a health-care professional.
Home Page
Two words.
Hyphens
Do not use hyphens for phrases that contain adverbs ending in “ly,” such as “highly developed.”
Do not use hyphens with most compounds containing the prefixes non, pre, post and sub. Refer to
Webster’s for specific applications.
Use hyphens to link modifiers to the same word: The lesson plan was created for fifth- and
sixth-graders.
Insure, Ensure, Assure
Use “insure” only in reference to insurance. Use “ensure” to mean a guarantee or to make certain.
“Assure” means to give confidence: I assure you, to insure your home with us is a way to ensure
your well-being.
International Student
Use the phrase “students with an international background” to avoid having to clarify whether
students have come to Pellissippi State directly from another country or have lived in the U.S. for
some time. Or be specific and state where a student is from directly.
Internet
Uppercase.
Its, It’s
“Its” is a possessive and does not have an apostrophe: The dog scratched its ear. The contraction
“it’s” means it is: It’s good to see you.
Like/Such As/As
Avoid the word “like” to begin a list or to introduce an example. Use “such as” instead: Pellissipp i
State offers a variety of degree programs, such as Paralegal Studies and Nursing. “Like” shouldn’t
be used in the place of “as”: John tripped over the duck, as anyone would.
“Like” can be used to make comparisons: Jane’s hair is gold, like the sun.
Log In, Login
Use two words as a verb: Log in to the program. Use one word as a noun or adjective: Your login
information is required to access myPellissippi.
Major
A student’s program of study for a degree. Capitalize official titles of Pellissippi State majors:
Engineering Technology. Do not capitalize majors offered by other institutions.
Exception: Some majors are always capitalized, because they include a proper noun, such as with
an
English or Spanish major.
Mascot
Pellissippi State’s official mascot is the panther.
However, the Canada geese (not Canadian geese) and Muscovy ducks that make their home on
the Hardin Valley Campus are often viewed as unofficial mascots.
Military Ranks
Use ordinals when rank is placed before a name: 1st Sgt. David Smith, Petty Officer 2nd Class
Jane Doe.
Spell out and lowercase military ranks when used without a name or after a name: Jane’s goal is to
make first sergeant.
Mission of The College
The mission of Pellissippi State Community College is to serve its community by providing collegelevel and non-credit courses and learning support instruction using a variety of delivery methods,
including distance learning. The College provides support for teaching and learning, training and
workforce development, and opportunities for life, civic, and cultural enrichment.
Names
In general, use only last names on second reference: John Smith, then Smith. When it is necessary
to distinguish between two people with the same last name, use both names on all references: John
Smith and Jane Smith.
Numbers
Per AP style, spell out whole numbers under 10: The students spent five minutes lost in the Goins
Building.
Exceptions: when used as percentages, as military ranks, as dimensions, as dates or exact times,
in addresses, in reference to money or in academic course numbers. English 1010, a 5-by-8 rug, a
$5 bill, 2 a.m.
Spell out all numbers that begin a sentence. Forty years was a long time ago. The only exception is
for years: 1974 was the year Pellissippi State was founded. Recasting the sentence is preferable.
Spell out school grades for first through ninth grades. Use figures for 10 and above.
Arabic figures are used without the st, nd, rd or th, except in references to centuries (20th century)
and military ranks (1st Sgt. David Smith), as design elements, and occasionally on formal
invitations.
See Military Ranks, Dates, Percent and Times.
Office
Refers to non-academic units: Financial Aid, Marketing and Communications. Uppercase when
used with the name of a specific office: Access and Diversity Office. Do not reverse the formal
names of offices. Exceptions: Office of the President, Office of the Vice President of....
Lowercase when referring to a physical location: Come to the Access and Diversity office.
Panther
Pellissippi State’s official mascot is the panther.
Part-Time, Part Time
Hyphenate only as an adjective: She is a part-time employee.
Pellissippi State Community College
Always use the full name on first reference. On second reference, use Pellissippi State. Do not use
Pellissippi or PSCC.
Percent
Spell out the word “percent.” Don’t use the symbol %, except in tables and charts. Use numerals in
expressing percentages: The tuition increase will be between 5 and 10 percent.
President
Lowercase in a sentence unless used before the president’s name: President L. Anthony Wise Jr.
welcomed the students. L. Anthony Wise Jr., president of Pellissippi State, said he was looking
forward to a new school year.
Uppercase “President” as a stand-alone is acceptable on formal invitations.
President’s Name
Use the abbreviated name, Anthony Wise, internally. Use the full name, L. Anthony Wise Jr., in
press releases and other external or formal references.
Program
A student’s major degree or certificate area, not to be confused with a concentration. The term
“program,” lowercase, is sometimes used generically.
See: Career Programs, Certificate Programs, Concentration and Department.
Puncuation
Double space: Do not use double spaces between sentences.
Em dash: Leave one space between an em dash and the surrounding words: The alumnus — who
graduated top of his class — now is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
See: Apostrophes, Commas, Hyphens, Quotations.
Quotations
Commas and periods should always be within the quotation marks: “This is great,” he said.
Use single quotation marks (‘’) in headlines and for quotes within quotes: “Pull from Shakespeare’s
‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ speech when writing your essay on Caesar,” the professor
instructed.
Room
Capitalize only before a room number: Room 264, Goins Building.
Semester
Lowercase: spring semester, fall 2014.
Service-Learning
Hyphenate the Pellissippi State program.
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram. Use blog, not weblog.
Social Security
Uppercase: Social Security number.
Telephone Number
In news releases, use the traditional format with parentheses around the area code: (865) 6946400. Online and in most print publications, use periods in place of dashes and no parentheses:
865.694.6400.
Tennessee Board Of Regents
The Tennessee Board of Regents is Pellissippi State Community College’s governing body. TBR is
an acceptable use on second reference.
The TBR system consists of 46 institutions in the state of Tennessee, including six state
universities, 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology.
Tennesse Community Colleges
Tennessee’s Community Colleges is a system of the 13 community colleges within the Tennessee
Board of Regents system.
Tennessee’s Community Colleges requires co-branding in external marketing pieces, including
posters and brochures, and on websites and in press releases. The required statements and logos
for co-branding are available from the Marketing and Communications Office.
Theatre
Pellissippi State’s Theatre performances and events are referred to using the spelling “theatre,” not
“theater.”
Their/There/They’re
“Their” is a pronoun meaning belonging to them: Their papers are scattered all over the floor.
“There” is an adverb meaning at that place: Go over there and pick up all the papers. “They’re” is a
contraction meaning they are: They’re picking up those papers right now.
Times
Use numerals to designate time. Use lowercase a.m. and p.m., with periods. Avoid the term
“o’clock” and redundancies like 10 a.m. in the morning. To avoid confusion, use the terms “noon”
and “midnight,” not the numeral 12. To avoid redundancy, drop the term “a.m.” when referring to a
span of time that begins in the morning and ends at noon: The event runs 10 to noon.
Transfer Programs
Uppercase Transfer Programs offerings: Economics, Theatre Arts. See the Transfer/University
Parallel Programs section of the latest Catalog and Handbook for an up-to-date list.
Unit Names
Capitalize the names of official areas: Cafeteria, Goins Building College Center, Courtyard,
Manufacturing Tech Lab, West Chevrolet Auditorium.
See: Offices, Departments, Divisions.
Vice President
No hyphen.
Web
Per AP style, uppercase the Web, as in World Wide Web. Lowercase webcam, webmaster,
website, webcast. Capitalize Web page, Web feed.
Web Addresses
As a general rule, when referring to websites, Pellissippi State drops the protocol http:// when it is
followed by www. However, some websites do not use www. In that case, the http:// protocol should
be included. Casually, references often simply begin with the site’s address, dropping both the
http:// and the www. altogether.
Some Pellissippi State Web pages require a secure protocol. On these pages, always use the
protocol https:// even if the protocol is followed by www. For example: https://giving.pstcc.edu.
When a Web address ends a sentence, finish with a period.
Who, Which, That
Use the pronoun “who” or “whom” to refer to humans only: “The student who drew the masterpiece
was gratified to earn a scholarship.”
Use “which” or “that” for inanimate or non-human objects. Use “which” (with a comma) when a
clause is nonrestrictive: The Muscovy duck, which has a damaged foot, has taken up residence
outside of the Goins Building. Use “that” in a restrictive clause: The duck that has a damaged foot is
now living near the pond.
Who’s/Whose/Whom
“Who’s” is a contraction, meaning who is: Who’s going to clean the sidewalk? “Who’s” can occasionally be used as a shortened form of “who has”: Who’s had lunch?
“Whose” is the possessive form of “who”: Whose hat is this?
“Whom” is the objective form of “who”: She is the person to whom you need to speak.