Topic |
Rule |
Example |
| 24/7 |
Refers to 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. References
should be 24/7, not 24x7. |
|
| academic degrees |
Do not use academic degrees after names unless they
are relevant/important to the text. Use: BA, BS, MS, MBA, PhD.,
etc. Do not capitalize doctorate, doctor's, bachelor's, master's,
master of science, etc. |
|
| academic years |
Do not abbreviate. Use lower case unless starting
a sentence. |
freshman, sophomore, junior and senior |
| acronyms |
Spell out what the acronym stands for on first reference
on a page. Follow it with the acronym in parenthesis. On following
references on the same page, simply use the acronym. |
|
| active voice |
Use active voice whenever possible. Active voice
means, in general, avoiding forms of "to be." |
|
| addresses |
Addresses should be centered in Web copy, with separate
lines for name; street address; and city, state and ZIP. |
|
| adviser |
Not advisor, per AP Style. |
|
| affect/effect |
Don't use "effect" as a verb. "Effect" is
more commonly used as a noun. "Affect" is the verb meaning
to modify or take on. |
|
| alum |
Do not use in copy. Okay to use in Web headlines. |
|
| Alumni Association |
On first reference use: Mott Community College Alumni
Association. Following references can be MCCAA. |
|
| alumni, alumna, alumnae, alumnus, |
Use the correct word for the gender: Alumna is feminine
singular. Alumnae is feminine plural. Alumnus is masculine and
non-gender singular. Alumni is masculine and non-gender plural. |
|
| ampersand (&) |
Spell out "and" unless the ampersand is
officially part of a name or title. On the Web, it is acceptable
to use the ampersand on buttons. |
AT&T |
| and/or |
Avoid this construction. |
|
| annual |
Do not use the term "first annual." Instead,
note that sponsors plan to hold the event annually. An event cannot
be described as annual until it has been held at least two successive
years. |
|
| associate's degree |
Lower case unless it begins a sentence. However,
specific degrees should be capitalized. |
He received his associate's degree from Mott Community
College. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Michigan
State University. |
| building names |
Capitalize name, use approved building code abbreviations. |
View Building
abbreviations list. |
| bullet points |
You need not use the word "including" or
the phrase "as follows" before a bulleted list. The text
that follows the bullet should be in lower case if it is part of
the sentence at the beginning of the list. The text that follows
should start with a capital letter only if the bullet point is
a complete sentence. |
|
| calendar items |
All items should include: date, time, location and
event title or description. If applicable, items should include
contact name and number, and cost. List events on the same day
in time order. |
|
| capitalization |
The standard rules for capitalization should be
followed. Each sentence should begin with an initial cap. All proper
names should be capitalized. |
|
| capitalization, all caps |
Never use all caps—unless the word is an acronym
or the proper/legal name is all cap. Legal documents posted on
the Web site are an exception. |
|
| capitalization; college |
Capitalize college only when it is part of a proper
name or at the beginning of a sentence. |
|
| click here (and other Web directional
instructions) |
Do not use. Integrate hyperlink into appropriate
text. Including "click here" and other phrases is redundant |
|
| comma usage |
Do place a comma before the concluding conjunction
in a simple series (a listing of three or more items.) Do place
a comma before the concluding conjunction if the series contains
a conjunction. |
Do: coffee, tea, and juice. Do: coffee, tea, milk,
and a peanut butter and jelly sandwich |
| contractions |
Use of contractions is encouraged to make text friendlier
to the reader/visitor. Be careful not to overuse. |
|
| co-op |
Hyphenate. |
|
| course names |
Full titles of an academic course should be capitalized.
No quotation marks should be used. |
He teaches the popular course, 20th Century American
History. |
| credit/credit hours |
Use term credit. Credit hours is redundant. |
|
| dashes |
Used sparingly, the dash can provide emphasis or
suspense. Use a dash for: irony, emphasis, breaks in thought, explanatory
comments. |
|
| dates/months |
Follow AP style: Spell out month and include year
without separating by a comma. Abbreviate month when used with
a specific date. When referring to month, date and year, offset
year with commas. For Web copy and calendars, include the day of
the week when previewing an event. |
January 1972 was very cold. Jan. 29 was the coldest
day. Jan. 29, 1972, hit historic lows. |
| days of the week |
Include days of the week with dates in Web copy and calendar items when previewing an event. Offset dates with commas. Days of the week should be spelled in full. Standard days of the week abbreviations (not single letters) is acceptable in Contact Boxes. |
Monday, April 23, 2001
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, not M, W, R
Contact Box: Monday – Mon. Wednesday – Wed. Thursday – Thu. |
| Disability Statement |
People with special needs who need assistance to
participate in this program should contact (insert department name
and phone number). |
|
| double negatives |
Do not use. |
|
| e-commerce |
Hyphenate and lowercase unless it begins a sentence.
When it begins a sentence, capitalize the "E." |
|
| EEO Statement |
Mott Community College is an equal opportunity and
affirmative action institution. |
|
| EEO/Disability statements |
The EEO and disability statements should appear
on most materials used for publicity, recruitment (of students
or staff) or information to the public. |
|
| e-mail |
Hyphenate, lowercase. Always include with contact
information. |
|
| ensure/insure |
Insure: To cover with insurance. Ensure: To make
sure or certain. |
|
| exclamation point |
Use with discretion and avoid using in formal communication. |
|
| FAQ |
Acronym for frequently asked questions. Okay to
use as acronym on Internet. Spell out in copy. |
|
| fax |
Lower case, unless it begins a sentence. |
|
| freshman |
Lower case, unless it begins a sentence. There are
no acceptable abbreviations. |
|
| full time, full-time |
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier. |
She works full time. He has a full-time job. |
| his/her, she/he |
Do not use. Use the plural instead. |
Use: They |
| homepage |
One word, lower case unless starting a sentence. |
|
| Internet |
Initial cap. |
|
| intranet |
Lower case unless it begins a sentence. |
|
| legal documents |
Legal documents posted to the Web should be posted
as approved and distributed by the legal department. |
|
| login, logon, logoff |
One word, lower case. |
|
| mid |
Do not hyphen unless a capitalized word follows. |
Midterm, midsemester, Mid-Continent Conference |
| money |
Use figures with the dollar sign in copy. For even
dollar amounts do not add decimal followed by double zero. Spell
out the word cents in lowercase, using numerals for amounts less
than a dollar: 5 cents. Use the $ sign and decimal system for larger
amounts ($1.05). |
The fee for activities is $25. The exact amount
of the bill is $19.48. |
| monthlong |
One word. |
|
| months/dates |
Follow AP style: Spell out month and include year
without separating by a comma. Abbreviate month when used with
a specific date. When referring to month, date and year, offset
year with commas. For Web copy and calendars, include the day of
the week when previewing an event. |
January 1972 was very cold. Jan. 29 was the coldest
day. Jan. 29, 1972, hit historic lows. |
| more than |
Follow AP style: "More than" should be
used when relating to numerals. When you refer to spatial relationships,
use "over." |
Numerals: Salaries increased more than 10%. Spatial:
The plane flew over the city. |
| Mott Community College |
Do not use “Mott” by itself. There are
too many other institutions in the community named “Mott.” Acceptable
forms are Mott Community College, Mott College or MCC. |
Mott Community College was founded in 1923. Mott
College serves more than 10,000 students. MCC has a branch campus
in Fenton. |
| names |
Individuals should be referenced by their full name
on first reference of each (Web) page. Following references should
be last name only. Do not include courtesy titles in the first
or following references. |
|
| names; junior, senior, II |
Use Jr., II, etc. only on first reference with the
individual's full name. The abbreviations are not set off with
commas. |
|
| names; middle initials |
Use middle initials in full name reference only
if the person uses it regularly. |
|
| names; second reference |
On second and subsequent references on the same
page, refer to individuals by last name only. |
|
| noon, midnight |
Use noon or midnight. Do not use 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. |
|
| numbers |
Units of measurement and percents should be indicated
in numerals. Spell out numbers nine and under. Use numerals for
numbers 10 and higher. |
|
| offices, departments, divisions |
Capitalize office, department, division, program,
institute, center, etc., when they are part of official titles.
Otherwise, use lowercase. |
The Office of the Dean. The dean's office. |
| online |
One word in all cases for the computer connection
term (per AP style). |
|
| over |
Follow AP style: "More than" should be
used when relating to numerals. When you refer to spatial relationships,
use "over." |
Numerals: Salaries increased more than 10%. Spatial:
The plane flew over the city. |
| parenthesis |
In general, parenthesis create clutter. If your
copy has parenthesis, review the material and consider omitting
the information in parenthesis or reorganizing the material. |
|
| part time, part-time |
Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier. |
She works part time. She has a part-time job. |
| passive voice |
Avoid it. Limited usage may be okay when it is used
to achieve a special effect—that should be rare. |
|
| percent |
When spelled out, it is one word. |
|
| percent sign |
Use the % symbol in Web copy with the numeral when
in copy. Use the sign with numerals in table. Spell out in all
other cases. |
The survey received a 73% response. There was a
five percent increase in enrollment. |
| phone numbers |
All phone numbers should include ten digits. Use parentheses for the area code with a single space separating area code from basic number, and a hyphen after the first three numbers of the basic number. |
(248) 370-2100 not 248.370.2100 or 248-370-2100 |
| room numbers |
Use building code and figures. Capitalize specific
rooms with names. |
The seminar will be in MMB 1045. Lunch will follow
in the Applewood Café. |
| rooms |
Capitalize the names of specifically designated
rooms. |
We will meet in the Genesee Room. |
| seasons |
Do not capitalize seasons unless they designate
an issue of a periodical. |
The winter of 1978 was the coldest on record. Have
you seen the Fall issue of College Clamor? |
| semesters |
References to semesters should be uppercase. |
The Spring 2004 semester. |
| sentence length |
Use short, direct sentences instead of long, complex
ones. |
|
| state names |
When standing alone in copy, spell out the name
of the state. |
|
| state names, abbreviations |
Use AP accepted state abbreviations in copy. Use
two-letter postal abbreviations with full address and ZIP code. |
AP state abbreviations:
Ala., Ariz., Ark., Calif., Colo., Conn., Del., Fla., Ga., Ill., Ind., Kan.,
Ky., Md., Mass., Mich., Minn., Miss., Mo., Mont., Neb., Nev., N.H., N.J.,
N.M., N.Y., N.D., Okla., Ore., Pa., R.I., S.C., S.D., Tenn., Vt., Va.,
Wash., W. Va., Wis., La., N.C., Wyo. Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine,
Ohio, Texas and Utah are not abbreviated. |
| time |
Use am and pm to designate day or evening times. Do not capitalize am and pm or use periods. Maintain a space between the hour:minutes and the am or pm designation. Use midnight or noon instead of 12:00 am or 12:00 pm. For full hour times use the colon and zeros. |
8:00 am not 8 am |
| time reference/days |
Do not use in copy: today, tonight, tomorrow or
yesterday. |
|
| titles, books, publications, TV
shows, movies, magazines, etc. |
Enclose the title in quotation marks in the Web
copy. |
|
| titles; academic |
Like other professional titles, formal academic
titles should be capitalized when they immediately precede an individual's
name. Lower case titles when they are used after a name; offset
with commas. Shortened versions of titles are acceptable in Web
copy. |
Vice President of Administration and Student Services
Scott Jenkins. Michael Kelly, executive director of Public Information. |
| titles; college president |
On first reference use full name and title. On subsequent
references use last name only. |
|
| today |
Do not use in copy. |
|
| tomorrow |
Do not use in copy. |
|
| tonight |
Do not use in copy. |
|
| U.S. |
Use as an adjective, but not as a noun. Spell out
United States when used as a noun. |
|
| under way |
Two words in almost all cases. |
|
| underline |
Do not underline text in Web copy unless indicating
hyperlink. |
|
| Web |
Use upper case W when referring to the World Wide
Web. Use upper case W for all references. |
|
| Web page |
Two words. Upper case W, all other letters lower
case. |
|
| Website |
One word. Lower case unless starting a sentence. |
|
| webcast |
Online broadcast. One word, lower case (per AP style). |
|
| webmaster |
One word, all lower case (per AP style). |
|
| weeklong |
One word. |
|
| Wheelchair |
Use terms like wheelchair access or wheelchair use.
Avoid using limiting terms such as bound, handicapped, impaired,
etc.
|
|
| World Wide Web |
All initial caps, no hyphens. Can be shortened and
referred to as "the Web." |
|
| year |
Do not use the year in copy when referring to a
recent date—especially if date is in headline (for news releases)
or title. |
The competition is Monday, April 23. |
| yearlong |
One word. |
|
| yesterday |
Do not use in copy. |
|
