Writing Style Guide

WritingStyleGuide2SUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuide3SUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuideCollegeCommunityMembers:TheSUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuideprovidesguidelinesforgeneralwritingstyleandanswerstoCollege-specificstylequestionssuchasofficiallongandshortnamesforroomsandbuildingsandthepreferredspellingsforcomputer-relatedterms.TheseguidelinesareintendedforuseinallpublishedmaterialsthatrepresenttheCollege.TheguidefollowstheAssociatedPressStylebook(APStylebook)butdoesnotattempttoduplicateit.TheAPStylebookisusedbytheDivisionofInstitutionalAdvancementforallofficialCollegepublicationssuchastheCollegecatalogs,TheBulletin,Columns,Moments,newsreleasesandbrochures.InformationsubmittedtotheDivisionofInstitutionalAdvancementmustobservetheAPStylebookandthisWritingStyleGuide.UpdatedbytheDivisionofInstitutionalAdvancementOctober20104SUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuideacademicdegreesCapitalizethenameofthefieldordegreeprogramonlywhenthefulldegreenameisspelledoutandthedisciplineisincluded.Ifabbreviatingadegree,thedisciplineshouldbelowercase:Useperiodswhenabbreviatingdegrees.HehasaBachelorofScienceinPsychology.ShewillreceiveaB.S.inpsychology.Heearnedabachelor’sdegreeinphysics.Seventypeopleholdbachelor’sdegrees.HehasaMasterofArtsinHistory.ShewillreceiveanM.S.inrecreation.Heearnedamaster’sdegreeinmathematics.Fortypeopleholdmaster’sdegrees.SheisenrollinginaMasterofArtsinTeachingprogram.MaryhasamasterofartsfromSUNYCortland.ShehasaPh.D.inchemistry.Hereceivedhisdoctorateinchemistry.Theword“degree”shouldnotfollowadegreeabbreviation:Correct:HehasaB.A.inhistory.Incorrect:HehasaB.A.degreeinhistory.Alsoseeentriesunderalumni.addressestheCollegeaddressTheCollegeaddressshouldappearasfollows:SUNYCortlandP.O.Box2000Cortland,NY13045-0900orStateUniversityofNewYorkCollegeatCortlandP.O.Box2000Cortland,NY13045-0900Whenincludingthenameofthedepartmentandbuilding,usethefollowingstyles:FacilitiesManagementOfficeSUNYCortlandStudioWest,Room137P.O.Box2000Cortland,NY13045-0900orFacilitiesManagementOfficeStateUniversityofNewYorkCollegeatCortlandStudioWest,Room137P.O.Box2000Cortland,NY13045-0900Whenusingareturnaddressonaform,includedepartmentandbuildingnamessotheformmaybedeliveredtothecorrectoffice.Seeroomlistingsandnumbersonhowtowriteofficelocations.WritingStyle5SUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuidee-mailaddressesE-mailaddressesforallfacultyandstaffarewritten“[e-mail]@cortland.eduWebaddressesDonotitalicize,bold,underline,capitalizeoruseallcapitalletterstoemphasizeWebaddresses.Trytoavoidputtingaperiodattheendoftheaddress;recastyoursentenceifpossible.Itisnotnecessarytoinclude’sCabinetmeetseachweek.ThecabinetmetonTuesdaylastweek.Provost’sCouncilisheldeveryotherweek.Herresignationleftavacancyonthecouncil.TheFacultySenatemeetseverytwoweeks.ThenextmeetingoftheCortlandCollegeFoundationBoardofDirectorswillbeinNovember.AfricanAmericanPeopleofAfricandescentlivingintheUnitedStates.SeeBlack.ALANAStandsforAfrican,LatinAmerican,NativeandAsian.ThetermisinclusiveofethnicminoritygroupslivingintheUnitedStatesallrightwrittenastwowordsalmamaterTheonlyinstanceinwhichalmamatershouldbecapitalizedisinreferencetoacollege’ssong.HesangtheAlmaMaterathisalmamater.alumniClassyearsshouldappearafteragraduate’snameinallcorrespondencewithSUNYCortlandalumni,allalumnipublicationsandformalpublicationssuchastheCommencementprogram.Collegebuildingsnamedafteralumniwillcontaintheclassyearofthealumnionofficialplaquescommemoratingthebuildingandincorrespondencewithalumni.IdentifySUNYCortlandalumnibytheirclassyear(s)withanapostrophebeforetheyear.Theapostropheshouldslanttotheright.Correct:TomHubbell’57isamemberoftheteam.Incorrect:TomHubbell‘57isamemberoftheteam.Ifapersonhasmorethanonebachelor’sdegreefromtheCollege,placeacommabetweentheclassyears:SallySmith’75,’78,willspeakattheevent.IfapersonhasmorethanonedegreefromtheCollege,listthemasfollows:AviJavitz’78,M.A.’80,wontheprize.6SUNYCortlandWritingStyleGuideDegreesandcertificatesotherthanbachelor’sshouldbelistedasfollows:SusanMarshallM.S.Ed.’87wasnamedTeacheroftheYear.MehtaPatelC.A.S.’82istheschoolsuperintendent.InColumnsandinMomentsitisacceptabletouseonlytheletter“M”whenreferringtoamaster’sdegree.AshleighMiner’00,M’02,earnedadoctorateinpoliticalsciencefromMarquetteUniversity.Identifyalumniinthefollowingmanner:•Alumna:femininesingular•Alumnae:feminineplural•Alumnus:masculinesingular•Alumni:masculinepluralormasculineandfemininepluralSheisanalumnaofSUNYCortland.AlumnusRalphMurphyorganizedthebesttailgateeventoftheseason.NuSigmaChialumnaedonatedtotheAlumniHousefund.ThealumnigatheredinCortlandtocelebrate.AlumniAssociationThecommonlyusednameisSUNYCortl