The Office of Marketing & Communications has developed this writing style guide for Sewanee faculty and staff, especially those who write for external audiences. This includes writing for University websites, as well. The guide addresses issues of grammar and style that are likely to be encountered while writing for Sewanee.
Our goal is to present a consistent and high-quality standard of writing. We encourage University faculty and staff to become familiar with these guidelines and to use them whenever possible. However, this guide is not intended to replace other writing style guides used for specific purposes, or for publications such as scholarly journals.
If you have questions or need further assistance, please contact our office. To submit a piece for proofreading or identity review, please use this form.
For any style questions not addressed in the guide, please refer to the .
Use a bachelor of arts, a bachelor’s degree, a B.A.; a master of fine arts, a master’s, an M.F.A. (Note: The possessive pronoun—her doctorate—is not used.) Examples: She has a bachelor (or master) of arts degree in English literature. He is getting a master’s in dance. (Note: Not “his” master’s) She has nearly completed an M.S. in mechanical engineering.
Correct spelling and punctuation are:
Do not abbreviate names of buildings in formal text. (Example: Walsh-Ellett, room 109, not 109 WE.)
Capitalize titles only when they appear immediately before a proper name: Professor Bran Potter taught the class. Nancy Berner, acting vice-chancellor of the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, addressed the nervous parents. The provost met with committee members. Courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss) are generally not used.
Departments, offices, and programs are capitalized only when full name is used: Chemistry Department, Alumni Office, Education Program, but psychology, economics, advancement.
Use the appropriate letter for the school/college (“C” for College, “T” for School of Theology, “L” for School of Letters), and then the last two digits of the year in which the degree was awarded, set off by commas, following the name. Examples: Jon Meacham, C’91, won a Pulitzer Prize. John Smith, T’89, is a priest in Virginia.
Definition: There are three formal ceremonies that make up the University’s Commencement Weekend:
Refer to men and women by first and last name, without courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Dr.), on first reference (Susan Smith). Refer to both by last name only, without courtesy titles, on subsequent references. Use courtesy titles only in direct quotations or after first reference if specifically requested.
Abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec., and write out March, April, May, June, and July. Do not abbreviate months when they stand alone, or with a year alone but no date. Examples: She gave her first performance on Aug. 3, but her next will not be until February 2017. (Note: not Aug. 3rd.)
When announcing upcoming events, include the day of the week: The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Guerry Hall. (Use the order time, day, date, place)
Use figures for times (except use noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. or a.m.), inserting one space after the number but no further spaces: 9 a.m., 10:30 p.m. Do not add :00 (e.g., 10 a.m., not 10:00 a.m.).
Abbreviate CST or CDT without periods.
The first three words of the University motto, from Psalm 133:1. The Latin version of the original Hebrew is “Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum!” The University uses the English paraphrase, based on the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, “Behold how good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” The motto describes the University’s aspiration for living in community. For all campus uses, the motto is shortened to Ecce Quam Bonum, or just EQB, with or without the full English paraphrase. Avoid using the full motto in Latin.
Italicize titles of books, plays, newspapers, magazines, ships, movies, television program titles, exhibits, record and CD titles, works of art, and long musical compositions. Italicize foreign words if they don’t appear in the regular part of the dictionary. Do not use all caps for titles.
Use quotation marks for titles of poems, short stories, lectures, short musical compositions, song titles, titles of articles within magazines and newspapers, book chapter titles, and dance titles.
Use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence.
In running text, do not capitalize the "the" in names, including:
The proper name for the institution that consists of the seminary and the Beecken Center is “the School of Theology.”
The University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ is the official and legal name of the institution. Use “the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ” on first reference. Both “the University” and “Sewanee” can be used in subsequent references. When using “Sewanee,” be sure the meaning is clear--the school or the town. It is often preferable to use “the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, familiarly known as Sewanee …” When the name appears in running text, do not capitalize the “t” in either “the.”
The correct spelling is "yea," (pronounced YAY), never "yeah."
Use a bachelor of arts, a bachelor’s degree, a B.A.; a master of fine arts, a master’s, an M.F.A. (Note: The possessive pronoun—her doctorate—is not used.) Examples: She has a bachelor (or master) of arts degree in English literature. He is getting a master’s in dance. (Note: Not “his” master’s) She has nearly completed an M.S. in mechanical engineering.
Class year of alumni: Use the appropriate letter for the school/college (“C” for College, “T” for School of Theology, “L” for School of Letters), and then the last two digits of the year in which the degree was awarded, set off by commas, following the name. Examples: Jon Meacham, C’91, won a Pulitzer Prize. John Smith, T’89, is a priest in Virginia.
Honorary degree recipients: nonalumni: Gilbert Kalish, H’36; alumni: indicate first the earned degree, then the honorary degree: Eugene Lang, C’38, H’81.
Lowercase general references to a major (e.g., biology major).
Spell out for first citation and follow with acronym in parentheses: The Council on Educational Policy (CEP) adopted new procedures. The CEP paved the way for improved policies.
The University's term for the fall semester (lowercase “s”).
(not advisor), but translator, supervisor
Do not hyphenate, neither as noun nor adjective; similarly Korean American, Mexican American, etc. (See also hyphens.)
Apostrophe follows the s. (See campus and buildings)
alumnus (male, singular), alumna (female, singular), alumnae (female, plural), alumni (male or male and female, plural) (Example: Associated Alumni, alumni trip)
lowercase, no spaces. (See time)
prefix; do not hyphenate except when followed by a vowel, e.g., antitrust, antiwar, but anti-aircraft.
Use with possessives: five years’ worth, Joan’s book. Use apostrophe alone following proper names ending with an s: Agnes’ home. Use before class years: C’87.
Italicize, e.g., Bill Bryson’s A Walk in the Woods
Correct spelling and punctuation are:
Do not abbreviate names of buildings in formal text. (Example: Walsh-Ellett, room 109, not 109 WE.)
Always follow a city name with the state in which it is located, unless it is a state capital and the state has already been named, or for very well-known cities (Los Angeles, New York City, Boston).
Generally lowercase: class dinner, class officers, the class, class reunion. Exception: specific class, e.g., the Class of ’24. Do not capitalize class years: freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior.
Capitalize when part of a name; otherwise lowercase. Examples: the 50th Reunion Committee will hold its final meeting next month. I’ve forgotten the name of that new committee, whose first meeting I attended last week.
Should be capitalized, not in quotes or italics: Poetry of the Italian Renaissance.
Refer to men and women by first and last name, without courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Dr.), on first reference (Susan Smith). Refer to both by last name only, without courtesy titles, on subsequent references. Use courtesy titles only in direct quotations or after first reference if specifically requested.
Do not use courtesy titles in combination with any other title or with abbreviations indicating scholastic or academic degrees: Dr. Jerry Smith or Jerry Smith, Ph.D.
An en-dash is used: between numbers or dates (2019–2020), in university names where there is more than one campus (UC–Berkeley). An em-dash is used when a dash is desired (e.g., for an abrupt shift in a sentence) with no spaces on either side: “The frozen turkey was the murder weapon—but you know that, don't you?”
Abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec., and write out March, April, May, June, and July. Do not abbreviate months when they stand alone or with a year alone but no date. Examples: She gave her first performance on Aug. 3, but her next will not be until February 2017. (Note: not Aug. 3rd.) In formal text, months may be written out even with a specific date.
When announcing upcoming events, include the day of the week: The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Guerry Hall. (Use the order time, day, date, place)
Departments, offices, and programs are capitalized only when full name is used: Chemistry Department, Alumni Office, Education Program, but psychology, economics, advancement.
In general, use lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc. when they indicate compass direction: Drive east on I-80 until you cross the Mississippi. Capitalize when they designate regions: A storm system that developed in the Midwest is heading eastward.
The University's term for the spring semester (lowercase “s”).
The first three words of the University motto, from Psalm 133:1. The Latin version of the original Hebrew is “Ecce quam bonum et quam iucundum habitare fratres in unum!” The University uses the English paraphrase, based on the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, “Behold how good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity!” The motto describes the University’s aspiration for living in community. For all campus uses, the motto is shortened to Ecce Quam Bonum, or just EQB, with or without the full English paraphrase. Avoid using the full motto in Latin.
A three-point ellipsis, with a space before and after but not between points, is used midsentence to indicate deleted text. A period and three-point ellipsis is used to denote the end of a complete sentence. Examples: The weather forecasters predicted rain tomorrow ... and a warm and sunny weekend. “Good morning. ... Our first item is a sales report,” read the director’s memo.
Lowercase and no hyphen
Professor Emeritus of English Willie Cocke but Willie Cocke, professor emeritus of English
In running text, do not capitalize the word "the" before "Episcopal Church." Please note: In an exception to University style, all communications from the School of Theology do capitalize the "t" in "The" before "Episcopal Church" in all instances.
Italicize
Use faculty members and staff members to avoid awkward singular constructions.
No hyphen.
Use in caps without periods
Not grey.
The Beatles, with no quotes.
Uppercase “H” and “C” when referring specifically to the University’s Honor Code. Lowercase for generic references: many schools assert they have an honor code.
The Hon. William Caldwell
Hyphenate compound modifiers except those including adverbs ending in “ly” and an adjective: the newly elected president. Do not hyphenate (when used as nouns or adjectives): African American, Korean American, Mexican American.
Preceded by a comma. Example: My gem collection, including sapphires, emeralds, and rubies
No space between initials, e.g., B.J. Smith.
Italicize titles of books, plays, newspapers, magazines, ships, movies, television program titles, exhibits, record and CD titles, works of art, and long musical compositions. Italicize foreign words if they don’t appear in the regular part of the dictionary. Do not use all caps for titles.
Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr., and do not precede with a comma, e.g., Edward Borer Jr.
Lowercase unless part of an official school name: My cousin is in law school. He's at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
Lowercase unless part of an official school name
Italicize, e.g. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
Quotation marks for short pieces, italics for long compositions, e.g. Paul McCartney’s “Yesterday,” but Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. Do not use quotes and italics together.
Follow the style of the exact title (check whether “the” is part of actual title for each one).
Refer to dictionary. No hyphen with words with which prefix non could be replaced by word not: nonacademic, nonprofit. Hyphenate with proper nouns: non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; or awkward combinations: non-nuclear.
(not “okay”)
Do not hyphenate.
If a phrase appears in parentheses at the end of a sentence, place the period after the closing parenthesis. If a complete sentence is in parentheses, the period should be inside the closing parenthesis.
Use hyphen for an adjective when it precedes a noun but not when it follows the noun. Examples: Following his retirement, he couldn’t resist taking a part-time job. Because the job was part time, he was able to spend more time with his grandchildren.
Spell out (except in scientific, technical, or statistical copy, use the symbol %).
Use periods 610.399.4752
Italicize. Do not use all caps.
No hyphen (postgraduate, postwar).
Do not hyphenate as prefix (premed, preseason), unless followed by a word beginning with e: pre-eminent, pre-empt.
Use lowercase in general references but uppercase in a formal title preceding a name.
Use uppercase when part of an official title, e.g., the American Studies Program; but lowercase in general references.
The student newspaper.
A prefix used with no hyphen unless followed by a vowel or if the sense of the word is changed. Examples: re-elect, re-enlist; re-cover (to cover again) and recover (to get better); re-sign (to sign again) and resign (to step down from a position).
Lowercase reunion: the reunion, class reunion, reunion dinner, reunion plans, 50th reunion.
Use before name of an Episcopal priest. “Reverend” is an adjective.
Lowercase spring, summer, fall, and winter.
Prefix, no hyphen.
The familiar name of the University. See University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ. It is often preferable to use “the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, familiarly known as Sewanee,…” rather than the colon construction.
It is acceptable to shorten the name in subsequent references, but in these cases "lab" or "laboratory" should not be capitalized. These are all accepted names for subsequent reference:
Campus movie theater, can abbreviate as SUT on second use. Example: The movie will be shown at the Sewanee Union Theatre (SUT). Check the Messenger for the SUT schedule.
Use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence.
In running text, do not capitalize the "the" in names, including:
The proper name for the institution that consists of the seminary and the Beecken Center is “the School of Theology.”
unless referring to a specific name or the University’s Theatre Department or the Sewanee Union Theatre
Use figures (except use noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. or a.m.), inserting one space after the number but no further spaces: 9 a.m., 10:30 p.m. Do not add :00, e.g., 10 a.m., not 10:00 a.m. Abbreviate CST or CDT without periods.
When announcing upcoming events, include the day of the week: The lecture will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 23, in Guerry Hall. (Use the order time, day, date, place)
Capitalize titles only when they appear immediately before a proper name: Professor Bran Potter taught the class. Nancy Berner, acting vice-chancellor of the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, addressed the nervous parents. The provost met with committee members. Courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss) are generally not used.
Not towards.
Not t-shirt or tee-shirt.
Uppercase when referring to the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, even in shortened form, “He gave $1 million to the University.” Lowercase when referring to other universities, without full name: “University of Tennessee,” but “He gave $1 million to the university in Knoxville.”
See Ecce Quam Bonum
The University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ is the official and legal name of the institution. Use “the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ” on first reference. Both “the University” and “Sewanee” can be used in subsequent references. When using “Sewanee,” be sure the meaning is clear--the school or the town. It is often preferable to use “the University of the ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ, familiarly known as Sewanee …” When the name appears in running text, do not capitalize the “t” in either “the.”
not utilize
Hyphenate. Use lowercase except when the title precedes a name. “Acting Vice-²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Nancy Berner” but “Nancy Berner, acting vice-chancellor of the University.”
Hyphenated.
(also nationwide, campuswide, citywide)
The correct spelling is "yea," (pronounced YAY), never "yeah."
No hyphen.
Hyphenate.
Separate the beginning and end of time spans by an en-dash in schedules, calendars, lists, reports, etc., but separate with “to” in articles or stories. Examples: the budget report for fiscal year 2019–2020; from 2019 to 2020, the college graduate worked as a writer.