University Marketing and Communications (UMAC) uses the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook as the primary guide for writing public-facing university communications, such as magazine articles, editorials, news copy, e-news articles or publications for or about the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).
Based on the unique character of UCA, exceptions to established guidelines are included in this Editorial Style Guide (ESG) to provide guidance and answer questions. These guidelines are intended to help achieve consistency in the writing style of material published from UCA. For user convenience, some common style and usage entries from the AP Stylebook are included within the UCA ESG.
For specific style questions not included with this guide, contact Tiffany L. Head, director of media relations, or Mark Heffington, executive director of UMAC.
A
abbreviations
Abbreviate the following titles when used before a full name:
Dr.
Gov.
Lt. Gov.
Rep.
Rev.
Sen.
Abbreviate Jr. and Sr. only with full names of persons. Do not precede by a comma: Martin Luther King Jr.
Professor is never abbreviated. See more at professor entry.
President is never abbreviated. President Houston Davis not Pres. Houston Davis
acronyms
An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words: Summer Orientation + Academic Registration (SOAR)
Spell out names on first reference, use abbreviation or acronym on second reference: He received a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is one of the world’s foremost research centers.
academic degrees
If mention of degrees is necessary to establish credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s and master’s degrees, but there is no apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science or Doctor of Philosophy.
A master’s degree or a master’s is acceptable.
Also: an associate degree (no possessive).
When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke.
Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree in the same reference. Incorrect: Dr. John Snow, Ph.D.
The following are degrees and certificates offered at the University of Central Arkansas:
Certificate of Proficiency (CP)
Technical Certificate (TC)
Associate of Science (AS)
Associate of Arts (AA)
Associate of Business Administration (ABA)
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
Bachelor of General Studies (BGS)
Bachelor of Music (BM)
Bachelor of Music Education (BME)
Bachelor of Professional Studies (BPS)
Bachelor of Public Administration (BPA)
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Bachelor of Science in Education (BSE)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Graduate Certificate (GC)
Master of Accountancy (MAcc)
Master of Arts (MA)
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Master of Geographic Information Systems (MGIS)
Master of Music (MM)
Master of Science (MS)
Master of Science in Education (MSE)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Post-Master’s Certificate (PMC)
Educational Specialist (EdS)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Doctor of Occupational Therapy (ODT)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)
academic colleges and departments
Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: the department of history, the history department, the department of English, the English department. Capitalize when the department is part of the official and formal name: University of Central Arkansas Department of Biology.
Below is a listing of the departments and schools for each of UCA’s academic colleges.
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
Department of Art and Design
School of Communication
Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing
Department of Government, Public Service, and International Studies
Department of History
School of Language and Literature
School of Music
Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies
Department of Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology
College of Business
Department of Accounting
Department of Computer Information Systems and Analytics
Department of Economics, Finance, and Insurance and Risk Management
Department of Marketing and Management
College of Education
Department of Elementary, Literacy, and Special Education
Department of Student Transitions
Department of Teaching and Learning
College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
Department of Exercise and Sport Science
Department of Health Sciences
Department of Military Science and Leadership
School of Nursing
Department of Nurtition and Family Sciences
Department of Occupational Therapy
Department of Physical Therapy
Department of Psychology and Counseling
College of Science and Engineering
Department of Biology
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
Department of Computer Science and Engineering
Department of Geography
Department of Mathematics
Department of Physics, Astronomy, and Engineering
academic majors
Lowercase academic majors except for proper nouns: history, East Asian studies, English, international relations. She earned a Master of Science degree in biology.
academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as president, chairman, dean, etc. when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere. Lowercase modifiers such as department in department Chairman John Doe
See titles of people.
ACT
Use only the initials in referring to the previously designated American College Testing.
acting, former, interim
Do not capitalize in a formal name. She said acting Dean John Doe would be there. He introduced former UCA President John Doe. The program included interim President Jack Conway.
adviser
Not advisor.
African American
No hyphen (a change in 2019 for this and other dual heritage terms). Acceptable for an American black person of African descent.
ages
Always use figures. The girl is 15 years old. The law is 8 years old. The 101-year-old house. When the context does not require years or years old, the figure is presumed to be years.
Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun. Examples: A 5-year-old boy, but the boy is 5 years old.
alumna, alumnae, alumni, alumnus
alumna – singular, female
alumnae – plural, female only
alumni – plural, men only or men and women
alumnus – singular, male
alum – singular, male or female; appropriate only in informal contexts
alumni association
Lowercase unless preceded by the school/organization’s name: UCA Alumni Association; University of Central Arkansas Alumni Association, the alumni association.
Using only association after first reference is acceptable: The alumni association recently began recruiting new members. The association’s goal is to increase membership.
Do not abbreviate association.
a.m., p.m.
Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 a.m. this morning.
ampersand (&)
Avoid usage in formal language.
annual
Do not use unless it refers to an event that has happened at least two years in a row. Never use the term first annual. Instead, you may note that sponsors plan to hold an event annually.
artist-in-residence
Do not hyphenate when referring to the name of the Artist in Residence program (AiR). Hyphenate when using the term in front of a person’s name.
Arkansas
To show possession, use apostrophe s: Arkansas’s literacy rate; Arkansas’s students
Arkansas Coding Academy
Established in 2016, the Arkansas Coding Academy strives to create a talent pipeline from the classroom to the workforce for individuals seeking careers in programming, information technology or software development. It seeks to equip students with the skills needed to gain employment and succeed.
Use ArCA on second reference.
association
Do not abbreviate.
athletic director
Lowercase unless the title comes before a name. The athletic director held a press conference. During the luncheon Athletic Director Matt Whiting gave the keynote address.
award, fellowship, scholarship
Capitalize when used with a formal name. Lowercase when referring to more than one formally named award, scholarship or fellowship.
B
baccalaureate
A bachelor’s degree. Lowercase in general references. In most university communications, use the more familiar term bachelor’s degree unless baccalaureate is part of an official name or title.
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
A bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s is acceptable.
backward
Not backwards.
Bears
Capitalize when referring to University of Central Arkansas athletics teams: The Bears won the conference championship.
biannual
Refers to twice each year. Semiannual may also be used.
biennial
Refers to once every two years.
Black
Use the capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black studies, Black colleges. African American is also acceptable for those in the U.S. The terms are not necessarily interchangeable.
board of trustees
UCA Board of Trustees. Use board after first reference.
Example: The Board of Trustees met Wednesday. The board decided not to meet next Thursday.
building and location names
All Wars Memorial
Amphitheater
Arkansas Center for Research in Economics
Arkansas Hall
Athletic Indoor Facility
Baridon Hall
Baum Gallery
Bear Baseball Stadium
Bear Hall
Bear Village
Bernard Hall
Bill Stephens Complex
Burdick Hall
Brewer-Hegeman Conference Center
Buffalo Alumni Hall
Carmichael Hall
Center for Alumni Engagement and Philanthropy
Child Study Center
Christian Cafeteria
College of Business Building
College of Business Auditorium
College Square
Conway Corporation Center for Sciences
Conway Hall
Crafton Alumni Pavilion
Donaghey Hall (additional info at Donaghey Hall entry)
Doyne Health Sciences Center
Erbach Apartments
Estes Stadium
Farris Center
Farris Honors Hall
Farris Field
Farris Softball Complex
Ferguson Memorial Chapel
Fireplace Room
Georgetown Apartments
Greek Village (additional info at Greek Village entry)
Griffin Planetarium
Harding Centennial Plaza
Harrin Hall
Hughes Hall
Ida Waldran Auditorium
Innovation Campus
Integrated Health Sciences Building
Interprofessional Teaching Center
Irby Hall
Jewel Moore Nature Reserve
Manion Hall
Lewis Science Center
Mashburn Hall
Math-Computer Science Technology Building
McAlister Hall
McCastlain Hall
McCastlain Ballroom
Meadors Hall
Mirror Room
New Hall
Norbert O. Schedler Honors College
Oak Tree Apartments
Old Main (not Main Hall. See additional info in the Old Main entry)
Physical Plant
Physical Therapy Center
President’s House
Prince Center
Reynolds Performance Hall
Ronnie Williams Student Center
Schichtl Studio Arts Building
Snow Fine Arts Center
Stadium Park Apartments
Stanley Russ Hall
State Hall
STEM Institute
Student Center Courtyard
Dr. Randy Pastor Student Health Clinic
Veterans and Military Resource Center
Tennis Courts
Thomas C. Courtway Student Recreation Center
Win Thompson Hall
Torreyson Library
Torreyson West
Torreyson Apartments
UCA Police Department
Veterans and Military Resource Center
Wingo Hall
Windgate Center for Fine and Performing Arts
World War II Memorial
C
capitalization
Do not capitalize “department” if not used as part of the full formal name, as in Department of Chemistry.
The chemistry department is not capitalized.
When writing out a degree, capitalize the degree but not the major i.e., Bachelor of Science in Nursing and Bachelor of Science in chemistry.
When referring to these UCA bodies, use the formal title and formal capitalization.
Board of Trustees
Staff Senate
Faculty Senate
Central Arkansas
Capitalize when referring to the region of the state. The university is located in Central Arkansas. Regions are capitalized in denoting widely known sections.
Capitalize when referring to UCA athletics.
chair
The formal title of the presiding Board of Trustees member and should be capitalized when preceding a full name: Board of Trustees Chair Elizabeth Farris
class identification of graduates
Follow this example:
John Doe ’71, ’73
CLAWS
CLAWS does not have periods in between letters.
CLAWS, an acronym for Celebrating the Lofty Achievements of our Wonderful Students, is given to one or more exceptional students or recognized student organizations during regularly scheduled board meetings.
classification of students
freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate student
A student’s classification should be lowercase unless used at the beginning of a sentence.
college
Capitalize when part of a proper name: College of Education, UCA College of Business. When college is used alone on the second reference, it should be lowercase.
college titles
The titles of University of Central Arkansas colleges are capitalized.
College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences
College of Business
College of Education
College of Health and Behavioral Sciences
College of Science and Engineering
comma
Do not use the Oxford comma unless it is needed for clarification purposes. Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series.
Example: UCA is surrounded by trees, flowers and buildings.
Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction.
Example: The cafeteria serves orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.
composition titles
Apply the guidelines listed here to book titles, magazine titles, movie titles, newspaper titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, song titles, television program titles and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art:
- Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.
- Capitalize prepositions of four or more letters (above, after, down, inside, over, with, etc.) and conjunctions of four or more letters (because, while, since, though, etc.)
- Capitalize both parts of a phrasal verb: “What To Look For in a Mate”; “Turn Off the Lights in Silence.” But: “A Life of Eating Chocolate for Stamina”; “Living With Both Feet off the Ground.” (Note the different uses of for and off, and thus the different capitalization, in those examples.)
- Capitalize “to” in infinitives: “What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.”
- Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except the Bible, the Quran and other holy books, and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material. In addition to catalogs, this category includes almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks and similar publications.
- Do not use quotation marks around such software titles as WordPerfect or Windows; apps; or around names of video, online or analog versions of games: FarmVille, Pokemon Go, The Legend of Zelda, Monopoly.
- Do not use quotation marks around the names of magazines or newspapers.
- Translate a foreign title into English unless a work is generally known by its foreign name. An exception to this is reviews of musical performances. In those instances, generally refer to the work in the language it was sung in, so as to differentiate for the reader. However, musical compositions in Slavic languages are always referred to in their English translations.
courtesy titles
In general, do not use courtesy titles except in direct quotations. Refer to individuals by first and last name, without courtesy titles: Susan Smith or Robert Smith.
Refer to individuals by last name, without courtesy titles, in subsequent references.
Use the first and last name, without courtesy title, to distinguish among individuals in the same story who use the same last name.
cyber-
Follow the general rule for prefixes and do not use a hyphen: cyberattack, cyberbullying, cybersafe, cybersecurity. Exceptions: Cyber Monday (n.) and cyber (adj.) as a separate modifier: e.g., cyber shopping, cyber liability insurance.
UCA offers a Bachelor of Science in cybersecurity.
A cyber range is housed in the College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics. A $500,000 grant from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education helped support UCA’s implementation of a fully functional dedicated cyber range for educational training.
D
dates
Use commas to set off the year when using full dates:
She was born on Sept. 15, 1985, in Los Angeles.
Also, not Sept. 15th, 1985.
Do not use commas when using only month and year constructions:
Planning began in September 1985.
dean
Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name: Dean John Jones, Deans John Jones and Susan Smith.
Lowercase in other uses: John Jones, dean of the college; the dean.
Dean’s List, Presidential Scholar
Uppercase in all uses: She is on the Dean’s List. He is a Presidential Scholar.
Dean’s List and Presidential Scholar honors are based on grades earned during each semester of the regular academic year (fall, spring).
decades
Use numbers to indicate decades of history. Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out; show plural by adding the letter s: the 1990s, the ’90s, the mid-1980s.
degrees
department
See academic departments.
directions and regions
In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions.
Some examples:
COMPASS DIRECTIONS: He drove west. The cold front is moving east.
REGIONS: A storm system that developed in the Midwest is spreading eastward. It will bring showers to the East Coast by morning and to the entire Northeast by late in the day. Showers and thunderstorms were forecast in the Texas Panhandle. High temperatures will prevail throughout the Western states.
The North was victorious. The South will rise again. Settlers from the East went to the West in search of new lives. The customs of the East are different from those of the West. The Northeast depends on the Midwest for its food supply.
She has a Southern accent. He is a Northerner. Asian nations are opening doors to Western businessmen. The candidate developed a Southern strategy.
The storm developed in the South Pacific. European leaders met to talk about supplies of oil from Southeast Asia.
WITH NAMES OF NATIONS: Lowercase unless they are part of a proper name or are used to designate a politically divided nation: northern France, eastern Canada, the western United States.
But: Northern Ireland, South Korea.
WITH STATES AND CITIES: The preferred form is to lowercase directional or area descriptions when referring to a section of a state or city: western Montana, southern Atlanta.
But capitalize compass points:
–When part of a proper name: North Dakota, West Virginia.
–When used in denoting widely known sections: Southern California, West Texas, the South Side of Chicago, the Lower East Side of New York. If in doubt, use lowercase. (Northwest Arkansas, Central Arkansas)
IN FORMING PROPER NAMES: When combining with another common noun to form the name for a region or location: the North Woods, the South Pole, the Far East, the Middle East, the West Coast (the entire region, not the coastline itself), the Eastern Shore (see separate entry), the Western Hemisphere.
Donaghey Hall
Donaghey Hall is a four-story, mixed-use building. The top three floors are residential halls for upperclassmen. The first floor houses businesses such as Marble Slab Creamery/Great American Cookies, 1907 Bread Company and Twisted Taco, as well as the Office of Admissions Welcome Center and the UCA Makerspace.
dorm, dormitory
Residence hall is the preferred language at UCA.
Dr.
Use Dr. preceding the name of anyone with a medical degree, but only on first reference. Not for use with other doctoral degrees. See academic degrees.
E
Abbreviated term for electronic mail.
events
Capitalize university events: Family Day, Bear Facts Day, Homecoming, Homecoming Week, Homecoming Weekend, Welcome Week, etc.
F
Faculty Senate
Faculty Senate is the representative body for faculty at UCA. Capitalize in all uses. For more information, see https://uca.edu/facultysenate/.
fall
See seasons.
fellowship
See award, fellowship, scholarship entry.
first generation
Hyphenate when used as a modifier. She is a first-generation college student.
first year
A person’s initial year of study at the university, whether as a freshman, transfer or nontraditional student.
first lady
Capitalize only when appearing before Jenny Davis’ name. First Lady Jenny Davis attended the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre fundraiser. Jenny Davis is UCA’s first lady.
former, acting
See acting, former.
fraternities, sororities
The full, formal name should be used on first reference: Tau Kappa Epsilon. Abbreviations are acceptable on second reference, but avoid nicknames such as TriDeltas.
Four councils serve as the governing bodies of the sorority and fraternity chapters at UCA: the Interfraternity Council, National Pan-Hellenic Council, Panhellenic Council and United Greek Council.
When referencing a sorority or fraternity chapter, lowercase “chapter.”
The Upsilon chapter of Alpha Sigma Tau
To see a listing of the current fraternities and sororities at UCA, visit https://uca.edu/gogreek/
freshman, freshmen
Freshman is a singular noun or adjective: a college freshman, the freshman class.
Freshmen is a plural noun: The freshmen assembled quietly.
full time, full-time
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.
She attends UCA full time.
He is a full-time student.
fundraising, fundraiser
One word in all cases. Follow the examples:
Fundraising is difficult.
They planned a fundraising campaign.
A fundraiser was hired.
G
GPA
Acceptable in all references for grade-point average.
Greek Village
Greek Village is a community of residential and community spaces for members of the Greek community on UCA campus from the Panhellenic Conference (PHC), National Pan-Hellenic Council (NPHC), and the Interfraternity Council (IFC). Greek Village is acceptable in all references.
When referring to PHC sorority homes in Greek Village use the organization name: Delta Zeta Sorority House, Alpha Sigma Tau Sorority House, Alpha Sigma Alpha Sorority House and Sigma Kappa Sorority House.
The residential housing for three IFC fraternities are: Sigma Tau Gamma House, Sigma Nu House and Pi Kappa Alpha House.
Greek Village also includes the National Pan-Hellenic Council Sorority Complex or NPHC Sorority Complex on second reference. This structure houses a common area and chapter rooms for the four NPHC sororities: Alpha Kappa Alpha Chapter Room, Delta Sigma Theta Chapter Room, Zeta Phi Beta Chapter Room and Sigma Gamma Rho Chapter Room.
Also included in Greek Village is the National Pan-Hellenic Council Fraternity Complex or NPHC Fraternity Complex on second reference. This complex includes the Alpha Phi Alpha Chapter Room, Kappa Alpha Psi Chapter Room, Omega Psi Phi Chapter Room and Phi Beta Sigma Chapter Room.
More information is available at https://uca.edu/gogreek/greek-village/
H
healthcare
This term is one word, unless stylized otherwise as part of an official name.
Homecoming
Capitalize in all uses referring to UCA’s celebration. Also capitalize Homecoming Week, Homecoming Weekend, Homecoming Game and Homecoming Parade.
home schooling (n.) home-schooler (n.) home-school (v.) home-schooled (adj.)
hometown
Use a comma to set off an individual’s hometown whether “of” is used or not
John Doe, of Conway
John Doe, Conway
honorary degree
All references to honorary degrees should specify the degree is honorary. Do not use “Dr.” before the name of an individual whose degree from UCA is honorary.
Honors College
Norbert O. Schedler Honors College is the full name of UCA’s Honors College. Schedler Honors College is acceptable on first reference, and Honors College is acceptable on second reference. No apostrophe in Honors.
The Schedler Honors College includes the University Scholars Program, which immerses students in a learning experience where they can strengthen their social responsibility, expertise and leadership skills.
I
Ida Waldran Auditorium
Waldran not Waldron. The auditorium is located inside Old Main.
initials
Use periods after each initial, but no space: A.E. Burdick
interim
Lowercase in all cases. An interim job title in academia is a position to which a person is appointed between the times an incumbent of a position steps down until a new person is hired to fill that position permanently.
it’s, its
It’s is only a contraction for it is or it has.
Its is a possessive form of the pronoun it: The university raised its enrollment requirements.
J
junior, senior
Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. only with full names of persons or animals. Do not precede by a comma: Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.
The notation of II or 2nd may be used if it is the individual’s preference. Note, however, that II and 2nd are not necessarily the equivalent of junior – they often are used by a grandchild or niece or nephew.
If necessary to distinguish between two individuals on second reference, use the elder Smith or the younger Smith.
K
kickoff (n.), kick-off (adj.), kick off (v.)
The kickoff will be at 6 p.m.
The kick-off party was set for late afternoon.
The crowd was ready to kick off the celebration.
L
Laurels & Stripes
Laurels & Stripes is the university’s annual scholarship gala. Its name should always appear capitalized and with an ampersand. Prior to 2018, this event was known as Night of Distinction.
lecturer
Never abbreviate. Like professor, lecturer is lowercase before a name. (see also: academic titles)
M
Main Hall
See Old Main.
months
Names of months are spelled out in text when they are not accompanied by a specific date. They are spelled out when accompanied by a year.
Examples:
The fall semester begins in August.
In December 2000 Arkansas had a terrible ice storm.
The following months are abbreviated in text when accompanied by a date: Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
Examples:
The next club meeting is Monday, Nov. 12, 2001.
Graduation will be held on May 18, 2002.
more than, over
Use more than to discuss numbers: The United Way raised more than $50,000.
Use over to discuss spatial relationships: A plane flew over the building.
N
nonprofit
May also use not-for-profit.
nontraditional
No hyphen
numbers
Spell out zero through nine.
Use numerals for 10 and greater.
Use a comma with numerals of 1,000 and above (except dates): 5,000, 42,000.
Exceptions to the rules:
Use numerals when referring to academic credit: The student earned 2.5 hours of credit.
Use numerals when referring to a page number: The passage begins on page 5.
Use numerals for ages. Hyphenate only when age is used as an adjective before a noun or as a replacement for a noun: John Doe,6, was found in the park. That book is 4 years old. The 3-year-old girl. The competition is for 10-year-olds.
See ages.
O
off-campus (adj.), off campus (adv.)
Hyphenate when used as an adjective: The university is looking at off-campus housing as an option.
Write two words, without hyphenation when used as an adverb: The student moved off campus.
Guidelines are the same for on-campus and on campus.
office
Capitalize when part of an official name: She submitted her story to the Office of Communications
Use lowercase in all other uses: He visited the dean’s office.
offline, online
One word when discussing computer connections.
Old Main
Old Main was approved by the Board of Trustees in 2010 as the official name of the oldest building on campus. http://uca.edu/board/files/2010/11/100820botminutes.pdf
over, more than
See more than, over.
P
part time, part-time
Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier
She works part time.
He has a part-time job.
percent, percentage, percentage points
Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases. Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote. Use figures: 1%, 4 percentage points.
For amounts less than 1%, precede the decimal with a zero: The cost of living rose 0.6%.
In casual uses, use words rather than figures and numbers: She said he has a zero percent chance of winning.
At the start of a sentence: Try to avoid this construction. If it’s necessary to start a sentence with a percentage, spell out both: Eighty-nine percent of sentences don’t have to begin with a number.
Constructions with the % sign take a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an of construction: The teacher said 60% was a failing grade. He said 50% of the membership was there.
It takes a plural verb when a plural word follows an of construction: He said 50% of the members were there.
Use decimals, not fractions, in percentages: Her mortgage rate is 4.5%.
For a range, 12% to 15%, 12%-15% and between 12% and 15% are all acceptable.
Use percentage, rather than percent, when not paired with a number: The percentage of people agreeing is small.
Be careful not to confuse percent with percentage point. A change from 10% to 13% is a rise of 3 percentage points. This is not equal to a 3% change; rather, it’s a 30% increase.
Usage: Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage point tax cut. Not: Republicans passed a 0.25 percentage points tax cut or Republicans passed a tax cut of 0.25 of a percentage point.
periods
Do not double space after periods.
phone numbers
Use figures. The form: 212-621-1500. For international numbers use 011 (from the United States), the country code, the city code and the telephone number: 011-44-20-7535-1515. Use hyphens, not periods.
The form for toll-free numbers: 800-111-1000.
If extension numbers are needed, use a comma to separate the main number from the extension: 212-621-1500, ext. 2.
p.m., a.m.
Lowercase, with periods. Avoid the redundant 10 p.m. tonight.
presenter
Not presentor.
president
Capitalize president only as a formal title before a name: President Jefferson D. Farris Jr.
Use lowercase in all other cases: The president is listed as one of the speakers. See titles of people.
professor
Never abbreviate. Lowercase before a name, but capitalize Professor Emeritus as a conferred title before a name: Professor Emeritus Susan Johnson. Do not continue in second reference unless part of a quotation.
Q
quotation marks (“ ”)
The basic guidelines for open-quote marks (“) and close-quote marks (”):
For Direct Quotations: To surround the exact words of a speaker or writer when reported in a story:
“I have no intention of staying,” he replied.
“I do not object,” he said, “to the tone of the report.”
“I need to go to the store,” she said. “I have to pick up some groceries.”
Franklin said, “A penny saved is a penny earned.”
A spectator said the practice is “too conservative for inflationary times.”
R
report card
Two words, no hyphen.
residence hall
Preferred language at UCA over dormitory.
RSO
Recognized Student Organization
https://uca.edu/rso/
S
seasons
Lowercase spring, summer, fall and winter unless part of a formal name: UCA Fall Festival
semesters
Lowercase: spring semester, fall semester
service-learning
The term service-learning is hyphenated when referring to the UCA initiatives that exist through various departments combining education with service.
sororities
spring
See seasons.
Staff Senate
Staff Senate is the representative body for faculty at UCA. Capitalize in all uses. For more information, see https://uca.edu/staffsenate/
state names
The names of the 50 U.S. states should be spelled out when used in the body of a story, whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, village or military base.
Place one comma between the city and the state name, and another comma after the state name, unless ending a sentence or indicating a dateline: He was traveling from Nashville, Tennessee, to Austin, Texas, en route to his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. She said Cook County, Illinois, was Mayor Daley’s stronghold.
student government association
Lowercase unless part of formal name: University of Central Arkansas Student Government Association. May use abbreviation, SGA, after first reference.
Sugar Bears
The official name for UCA’s women’s basketball and volleyball teams. Capitalize both words. Do not use Sugar Bears when referring to other UCA women’s athletic teams. Do not use Lady Bears.
summer
See seasons.
student-athlete.
Hyphenate the term student-athlete.
T
that, which
That is the restrictive pronoun; it serves to identify the noun preceding it: The road that he took was narrow and rocky.
Which is used with nonrestrictive clauses, which add information rather than define or limit what has gone before: The back road, which was straight and narrow, was the better choice.
The Stripes
The nickname for the distinctive purple-and-gray striped football field at Estes Stadium. Capitalize both words, including The.
Example: The Bears return to The Stripes on Saturday.
theater, theatre
Use the spelling “theater” unless the proper name is Theatre: Shubert Theatre or unless it is in reference to UCA’s Department of Film, Theatre, and Creative Writing, the theatre program or a theatre major.
UCA is home to the Arkansas Shakespeare Theatre.
It is a celebrated theater company.
time
Use figures except for noon and midnight. Never write 12 noon or 12 midnight – this is redundant.
Only use a colon when separating hours from minutes: 3 p.m., 7:30 a.m. Never write 3:00 p.m.
Always include a.m. or p.m. with the time.
Avoid using o’clock when referring to time.
titles of events
Capitalize, in quotation marks, the full, formal titles of workshops, conferences, seminars, speeches, art exhibitions and similar events: A workshop titled “Technology in the Classroom” will be held on Wednesday.
Do not capitalize articles – a, an, the – or words fewer than four letters unless it is the first or last word in the title.
titles of people
In general, confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name.
The basic guidelines:
LOWERCASE: Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name: The president issued a statement. The pope gave his blessing.
Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas: The vice president, Mike Pence, was elected in 2016. Pope Francis, the current pope, was born in Argentina.
FORMAL TITLES: Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: Pope Francis, President Donald Trump, Vice Presidents Yukari Nakamura and Vanessa Smith.
A formal title generally is one that denotes a scope of authority, professional activity or academic activity: Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, Dr. Benjamin Spock, retired Gen. Colin Powell.
(also see academic titles.)
titles of works
trustees
Do not capitalize even if used before a name: A motion to approve the resolution came from trustee John Doe.
U
United States (n.), U.S. (adj.)
University of Central Arkansas
Capitalize only as part of a formal name. University of Central Arkansas
Lowercase when referring to UCA as “the university.”
When making a reference to the school for clarity, use “University of Central Arkansas” as first reference and “UCA” is acceptable in subsequent references.
Example: The University of Central Arkansas is located in Conway, Arkansas. UCA has a very beautiful campus.
V
voice mail
Two words, no hyphen.
W
web
An abbreviated name for the World Wide Web, which is a global system of linking documents, images, sounds and other files across the Internet. The following should be lowercase and joined together: website, webpage, webmaster.
webpage
See web.
website
See web.
which, that
See that, which.
winter
See seasons.
X
Bear eXperience
Y
years
Use figures, without commas: 1975. Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the 1990s, the 1900s.
Years are the lone exception to the general rule that a figure is not used to start a sentence: 1976 was a very good year.