Brand standards 2.1

October 2017 I

II A letter from the president

1.01 Our brand

2.01 Graphic elements

3.01 Spirit mark

4.01 Identity guidelines

5.01 Design system

6.01 Patterns and textures

7.01 Stationery and templates

8.01 Digital standards

9.01 Social media

10.01 School-level branding

11.01 VCU Health endorsement

12.01 Editorial style II Preface

A letter from the president 1.01 Our brand Our

Our brand 1.02 Our brand Our

Our brand Brand pillars These are the claims and reasons to believe in a brand.

A uthentically Intimately A cademically diverse urban rigorous Health driven

Ideas One with the Premier public Expansive community research university regional system Culture Dynamism of RVA 225 programs Hospitals, specialty Background clinics and medical Stimulating Faculty awards services Experience creativity and grants Only Level I trauma Global Service learning Experiential center for adults and education children in region Accessible Volunteerism Committed to Population inclusive, innovation and innovative and entrepreneurship pioneering 1.03 Our brand Our

Our brand B rand positioning The distinctive position that a brand adopts in its competitive environment to ensure it is differentiated and preferred.

To: Anyone who wants to make their passions a reality, VCU

Is a: premier urban research university

That: delivers a real-world learning experience

Because: we’re diverse, creative and one with our community

So that: p eople with unique perspectives and who are ready for a challenge, can make an impact today while preparing for tomorrow 1.04 Our brand Our

Our brand Brand essence Captures the brand’s heart and soul, its fundamental nature.

At VCU, we’re connected with the world around us and are uniquely integrated within our city’s urban culture. The work we do makes a difference because we’re out there on the ground, a part of the community, actively involved in improving lives any way we can. That’s how we make it real.

Brand promise An external statement identifying what our audience should expect from our people, products, services and organization. Make it real. 1.05 Our brand Our

• The university’s identifying marks may not be • VCU will not approve the use of its name or altered in any fashion. identifying marks to promote tobacco, illegal General or controlled substances, sexually oriented • The marks should not be used in association products, alcohol, religious products or games with a private business or used in a manner of chance. rules that might associate or imply endorsement by the university with an outside business • VCU will not approve the use of its name or or product. Partnerships can be approved identifying marks with text or graphics that by University Relations. are sexually suggestive, denigrating, profane or racist. Nor can the university marks be used • Schools, centers, departments, offices, etc., with items that infringe on the markets of other should adhere to the brand standards set forth in trademark owners. this document and should not create their own logos or other graphic identifiers outside of the • Email signatures should not include slogans, prescribed VCU brand construction. However, quotes, or religious or philosophical statements there may be certain valid business reasons for as they may be misinterpreted as the university’s a unit to desire its own visual identity outside viewpoint. (See Section 7.08 for more detail.) of the normal VCU brand mark design. In those cases, please contact University Relations • The university reserves the right to prohibit other to begin a discussion regarding a possible uses that it deems inappropriate or inconsistent exception. with the image and mission of this institution.

• The marks may not be used in any manner that • Any university department may use university suggests or implies support or endorsement identifiers without being licensed. However, any of any movement, candidate for public office, company that produces merchandise with VCU organization, activity or program not officially identifiers must be licensed by IMG College endorsed by Commonwealth University. Licensing. Students may not use VCU official brand marks, trademarks, templates and other branding assets without prior written permis- sion from University Relations. 2.01 elements HI Gra p c Graphic elements

2.02 Master mark history 2.10 Wordmarks

2.04 Master mark 2.11 Other branding configurations

2.06 Brand hierarchy 2.13 Alternate brand marks

2.07 Primary marks 2.15 Simple seal

2.08 Secondary marks 2.16 Apparel

2.09 Tertiary marks 2.17 Student organization guidelines 2.02 elements HI Gra p c

Master 1969-2012 1994-2001 mark history

2001-2012 2001-2012

2012-2016 Present 2.03 elements HI Gra p c

Master T his is the horizontal mark (preferred): mark

When using the master mark, adhere to the following rules: • Components are never to be utilized separately.

• The VCU horizontal master mark is the T his is the stacked mark and should only be used in extreme vertical spaces: preferred brand mark. • The seal must accompany the VCU logotype and may NOT be used as an independent element unless on diplomas, regalia or official business from President’s Office or Board of Visitors. • Please note: The “Virginia C ommonwealth University” text bar has been omitted in this new version of the master mark.

• Master marks are available for download from identity.vcu.edu/downloads.

N ever use the seal alone unless for official business from President’s Office/Board of Visitors, diplomas or regalia. 2.04 elements HI Gra p c

Master mark

• The lockup is the area containing the master mark, and it may not be altered or manipulated. • The clear zone around the master mark is at least equivalent to half the size of the seal in the lockup. • The master mark should be at least 0.325” high, as long as seal is still legible.

lockup

clear zone

minimum height 0.325” 2.05 elements HI Gra

X p

X c

Do not use the seal alone, unless for official business or diplomas. Do not flip or reverse. Master X X mark Do not use incomplete marks. Do not use unapproved color combinations. Improper usages X X

Do not alter or manipulate the seal. Do not use a low-quality graphic. X X

Do not stretch, squash or otherwise distort the mark. Do not alter the typeface.

School of Business X X VCU Do not outline the mark. Do not add unit names outside of the brand architecture. X X

Do not resize individual elements. Do not use within text. 2.06 elements HI Gra p c

Brand MASTER BRAND: VCU hierarchy P RIMarY UNIT (example): College of Humanities and Sciences SEC ONdarY UNIT (example): Department of Psychology Classification The brand standards guide comprises three TERT IARY UNIT (example): Center for Psychological Services and Development classifications into which all constituents fall: Master brand – All VCU entities Co-brand – VCU Health Master mark Level I position Level II position Remote position Wordmark Sub-brand – Special services, programs and/ or initiatives that have a need for marketability to the VCU community (subject to approval by Enterprise University Relations)

L evel Primary unit Applied nomenclature based on organizational hierarchy Secondary unit Enterprise – All VCU entities Primary unit – Schools, divisions, depart- Tertiary unit ments, offices and programs Secondary unit – The second level within schools, divisions, departments, offices and programs Tertiary unit – Sub-level of a secondary unit 2.07 elements HI Gra p c

Horizontal Primary College of Humanities unit marks and Sciences

Only approved primary units are eligible for these marks. S tacked M inimum stack heights Units (or vendors) should not create their own brand marks. University Relations will supply all One line brand marks. 0.54” NOTE: The stacked master mark is not used in unit marks. Also, the “block” unit mark is available upon request for narrow widths. College of Humanities Primary unit marks are available for download and Sciences Two lines from identity.vcu.edu/downloads. 0.7”

Three lines S pecial block version on request 0.89”

College of Humanities and Sciences

College of Humanities and Sciences 2.08 elements HI Gra p c

Primary with secondary (#RF1) Secondary College of Humanities unit marks and Sciences College of Humanities Psychology

Only approved secondary units are eligible and Sciences for these marks. These are typically depart- Psychology ments or sub-units that hierarchically fall directly under major business units.

Units (and vendors) should not create their S econdary with primary (inverted mark #RF2) own brand marks. University Relations will supply all secondary brand marks on request that fall within standards. Tertiary units cannot appear within a brand Psychology mark or alone. Psychology College of Humanities and Sciences Depending on context and priority, the College of Humanities and Sciences primary and secondary units are inter- changeable. The primary unit is not always required.

Options S econdary alone (at primary unit’s discretion) The secondary unit can take the primary unit’s position in the brand mark while the primary unit remains as the anchor Psychology in the mark. Psychology Secondary unit marks can be requested College of Humanities and Sciences at identity.vcu.edu/requests.

NOTE: While University Relations recommends omitting “Department of”, “Office of” and “Division of”, it is optional nomenclature that can be used at the discretion of the secondary unit. 2.09 elements HI Gra p c

Tertiary unit, E xamples remote

Center for Psychological position Services and Development

While tertiary units do not receive their own brand marks, they can still be named in Center for Psychological headlines and titles and staged remotely from a brand mark lockup. Services and Development 2.10 elements HI Gra p c

Wordmarks E xamples

The wordmark is set in Univers LT Std 45 Light. M aster Wordmarks are to be used when the production process limits the use of the standard mark. VCU “VU C ” must always precede the name of the unit. Primary If space is an issue, the wordmark may be stacked in two lines. VCU College of Humanities and Sciences

Secondary VCU Psychology

T ertiary VCU Center for Psychological Services and Development 2.11 elements HI Gra p c

Alternate Full names vs. shortened names branding configurations E xamples:

Certain schools, centers, etc., have the option of using a shortened version of their name for certain applications at their discretion and when approved by their dean, VP or donor(s). However, the full name should always be used on formal invitations, business and legal documents, co-branding, and building signage.

Please note: This option does not include use of acronyms or abbreviations in place of the full name (e.g. ISB3D vs. Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery and Development).

Units eligible for shortened names are: • L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Public Affairs (Wilder School) • Johnson Center for Critical Care and Pulmonary Research (Johnson Center) • C. Kenneth and Dianne Wright Center for Clinical and Translational Research (Wright Center) • Weil Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Research (Weil Institute) • Langston Center for Quality, Safety and Innovation (Langston Center) • Richard T. Robertson School of Media and Culture (Robertson School) 2.12 elements HI Gra p

M ultiple unit branding c

Co-sponsored by: Other branding configurations

Dual branding configuration is used primarily for co-hosted events. The marks must be sized equally. When creating materials for co-hosted events, it is recommended that the angle container not be used. Never place more than one brand mark inside an angle container. Limit brand placement in a single context to two marks. If more are required, resort to a list format of wordmarks to avoid cluttering the page.

S pecial thanks: S pecial thanks:

VCU Office of the President VCU Office of the Provost VCU Student Affairs VCU Division for Inclusive Excellence VCU Alumni VCU Libraries VCU Equity and Access Services VCU Strategic Enrollment Management 2.13 elements HI Gra p c

Other branding Recommended sub-brand graphic zone configurations

S ub-brands Safe zone Used for services, programs and initiatives that have a need for continued marketability to the VCU community. Approval by University Relations is required. NE OT : S chools, departments, offices and divisions are not sub-brands. Max graphic height Sub-brands use the secondary color palette; colors outside of the palette require approval from University Relations. safe zone

Recommended sub-brand graphic zone

T he following questions will help determine if you are eligible for VCU sub-branding:

• Are you a chartered academic center or institute?

• Are you an administrative office, department or division?

• Are you affiliated with a regional or national organization?

• Do you offer services that require marketing or advertising support in a competitive market? Do you charge a fee for those services?

Please send your answers, a written description of your organization and a sample of any existing logos to [email protected]. 2.14 elements HI Gra p c

Alternate brand marks

Make it real. This mark may be used as a substitute for the master brand mark at all institutional levels and fulfills our brand promise. Do not mix this alternative mark with unit or department names as a lockup. Do not substitute words in the mark to create a different phrase. Other brand promises or taglines are not allowed to lock up with the master mark. 2.15 elements HI Gra p c

Alternate brand marks Badge

C omprehensive campaign These marks (and the polygon pattern) are restricted to usage on materials promoting the Comprehensive Campaign and should never be used in any other materials not specific to the campaign. Banner Refer to the Make It Real Campaign User Guide at identity.vcu.edu for more details.

M ark

Polygon pattern 2.16 elements HI Gra p c

Simple seal

• When the full seal will not reproduce properly due to size or production technique, the simple seal should be used. • The simple seal should be used at a maximum .625” height (unless embroidered). • The simple seal is not to be used on printed collateral or web (unless designing for responsive or mobile).

maximum height Never use the simple seal alone. 0.625” 2.17

E mbroidery with simple seal + unit name elements HI Gra

Embroidery with simple seal in Arial Regular p c

Apparel and promotional School of Education items

In compliance with the VCU Office of Trademarks and Licensing, the ® or TM needs to be on all merchandise utilizing official brand marks, whether retail or non-retail (meaning for internal purposes, ordered by internal Whenever possible, use the full seal rather departments). Licensed vendors should be than the simple seal. able to handle this. E xamples of simple seal master mark and unit wordmark TM appears on all athletic marks; ® marks on all institutional marks.

Wordmarks Virginia Commonwealth University® VCU® VCU Rams™ Rams™ Havoc® The full seal is always preferred, but if vendor techniques or overall logo size cause the full seal to become illegible, the simple seal is permitted. ® If vendor embroidery techniques do not allow for Univers 45 Light in the When cost is a concern unit name, Univers 55 or Arial Regular when imprinting fabric, the are alternate typefaces. master mark can be printed in 1-color (VCU Gold) on black. 2.18 elements HI Gra p c

VCU® VCU® ENGINEERING MEDICINE Merchandise options

While use of the official brand mark or wordmark is preferred on merchandise for schools, colleges, etc., we recognize the occasional need to do something a bit differ- ent for student fundraisers and retail sales. PHARMACY For these instances, it is permissible to omit “School of”, “College of”, etc. (i.e., VCU Pharmacy, VCU Engineering) and stylize the artwork as long as it does not infringe on the typographical standards set forth in this guide OK: different typestyling and omitting “School of” for brand marks or wordmarks. In all cases, merchandise should be produced via licensed vendors and the ® mark must be included after VCU. Faculty and staff should continue to use their approved unit brand marks or wordmarks for all merchandise, collateral, promotion, etc.

®

® MEDICINE

D o not use partial university brand assets OK: official school mark (in this case, VCU logotype). 2.19 elements HI Gra p c

Student organization guidelines

Student organizations may not represent them- Acceptable: Acceptable: selves as agents of the university and are not Uses the correct “at VCU” (or “@VCU”) after Does not use official VCU identifiers allowed to use official VCU logos and symbols organization name, but not in official logotype. and stays away from brand guidelines. of the university, unless a registered athletic Approval not required if following this format. club. Please contact the trademarks and licensing office for correct usage and approval. Students are not permitted to use the university’s logo or spirit mark for personal use. University symbols should not be displayed on personal web pages, nor should personal pages use the name of the university in such a way that the reader would perceive the page to be an official university Not acceptable: website. Personal use of university While correctly using “at VCU,” symbols on merchandise is prohib- should not use typography that is similar ited without approval by University to the official VCU font. Relations.

NOTE: In all cases, VCU affiliation should be designated as at VCU, not VCU to avoid confusion with official unit identifiers. 3.01 brand Spi r i t i n g Spirit mark

3.02 Spirit mark

3.03 Misuses

3.05 Applications 3.02 brand Spi r i t i n g Spirit mark

The VCU RamCrest is sanctioned for use by uni- versity units, departments and students strictly for school spirit and campus and alumni activities on merchandise, apparel, decals, signs, banners, posters, fundraising, student recruitment, etc. The spirit mark is not to be used for institutional or academic-related programs, should never be locked up with the VCU brand mark or primary and secondary unit wordmarks, and is not meant to replace the unit brand mark. It is always recommended that VCU be identified along with the spirit mark. The VCU brand mark can be used as long as the two logos are separated. T he spirit mark must always have the registered trademark symbol. Spirit marks can be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu.

Never use the spirit mark to replace the seal, and never lock up the spirit mark with the VCU typography. 3.03 brand Spi r i t i n g Improper uses

Do not remove background crest. Do not add additional elements.

Do not change colors. Do not flip orientation.

Do not rotate. Do not distort. 3.04 brand Spi r i t i n g Improper uses

The only approved spirit mark for usage by institutional and academic units is the Ram Crest. The VCU Ram Horn logo, the Charging Ram and all VCU Rams word and combination marks are NOT to be used as spirit marks or replacements for the academic mark; they are reserved for VCU Athletics use ONLY.

This VCU Rams logo is outdated and should not be used. 3.05 brand Spi r i t i n g

Support our Applications VCU Rams!

The spirit mark may be used by academic units WE’RE RAM PROUD when promoting support for the VCU Rams, as long as the mark is separated from the master or Special Watch Party unit brand mark. Saturday, March 1 2:00 pm

School of Business The spirit mark is never a replacement for Come cheer our Rams to victory! the seal.

Never use the spirit mark in association with The spirit mark may be used by academic-oriented activities or programs. academic units when promoting support for the VCU Rams, as long as the mark is separated from the master brand mark.

School of Business ENROLL TODAY! Principles of

Project Management Use the spirit mark and the VCU brand mark separately. Lecture Never use the spirit mark and VCU typography together. The spirit mark is never a replacement for the seal.

Even though the marks are separated, never use the spirit mark in association with academic-oriented activities or programs. 4.01 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es Identity guidelines

4.02 Primary palette

4.03 Secondary palette

4.04 School-level palettes

4.05 Typography 4.02 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es Color VCU GOLD* – PANTONE 130 Acceptable tints: CMK: Y 00/30/100/00** RGB: 255/179/0 Primary palette 80% 60% 40% 20% Hex: FFB 300 * Spot color for uncoated paper: A custom “VCU Gold Mix” should be used consisting of 1.1% Warm Red, 2.2% Rubine Red and 96.7% BLACK Process Yellow. This custom ink should be made by a certified ink vendor and purchased by your offset printer. It is essentially a custom PMS color made just for printing on uncoated paper. It cannot be specified in a layout program comprising a CMYK build. (NOTE: If cost is a consideration, Pantone 109U may be used in place of the custom mix on uncoated stock. University Relations can supply 109U versions WHITE of the brand mark on request.) ** Four-color process for VCU Gold ink: This is made up of a CMYK build and should only be used for offset printing on coated paper: 0% cyan, 30% magenta, 100% yellow and 0% black. It should be monitored on press to ensure it matches to PMS 130. For in-house printing on a VCU GRAY – PANTONE COOL GREY 10 standard/generic desktop printer (inkjet or laser), please use the four-color process (CMYK) versions of the logo. CMK: Y 62/53/48/19 Acceptable tints: Do not substitute other colors for Grayscale: 0/0/0/80 these primary colors. R GB: 99/101/106 Hex: 63656A 60% 40% 20% 4.03 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es Color PANTONE 152 CMK: Y 0/66/100/0 S econdary palette R GB: 229/114/0 Hex: e57200 Our secondary color palette was chosen from the cultural landscape of the Richmond community. It’s inspired by the street culture PANTONE 116 and creativity you see every day as you walk through campus. The secondary color palette is to be used for CMK: Y 0/13/100/0 accents only and should never exceed more RGB: 255/206/0 than 25% of page color use. Hex: ffce00

PANTONE 7466 PANTONE 572

CMK: Y 82/0/30/1 CMK: Y 32/0/16/0 R GB: 0/179/190 R GB: 178/224/214 Hex: 00B3BE Hex: b2E0D6

PANTONE 1265 PANTONE 726

CMK: Y 0/29/82/51 CMK: Y 0/13/43/13 R GB: 133/104/34 R GB: 229/203/177 Hex: 856822 Hex: e5CBB1

PANTONE 7483 PANTONE 580

CMK: Y 80/30/100/40 CMK: Y 13/0/40/8 RGB: 39/94/55 RGB: 204/219/174 Hex: 275E37 Hex: ccdbae 4.04 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es Color

S chool-level palettes A number of schools, departments and divisions use a complementary palette. This is acceptable practice for marketing and advertising purposes but must be approved by University Relations and fall in line with the university’s brand guidelines. The school-level palette should never exceed more than 25 percent of page color use. 4.05 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es

PRIMARY FONT Typography Univers LT Std 45 Light F or print ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ The primary sans serif font for VCU marketing materials and brand marks is U nivers LT Std abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 45 Light. If not available, then Arial is the acceptable alternative. 1234567890 The secondary sans serif fonts for VCU marketing materials are U nivers 57 SECONDARY FONTS C ondensed and Univers 67 Bold C ondensed. If these typefaces are not Univers LT Std 57 Condensed Univers LT Std 67 Bold Condensed available, Arial Narrow is the acceptable ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ alternative. U nivers 65 Bold is an option for headlines (Arial Bold is an acceptable abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz alternative). 1234567890 1234567890 U nivers LT Std 65 Bold NOTE: VCU does not have a site-wide license for the Univers fonts. It is the responsibility of ABCDEF GHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ each unit to purchase the font(s) as needed. abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890

ALTERNATE PRIMARY FONT

ALTERNATE SECONDARY FONTS 4.06 Ident i t y

g u i d el i n es Typography PRIMARY SERIF FONT

F or print The primary serif font for VCU marketing materials body copy is A dobe Garamond Pro Regular. If Garamond is not available, Times New Roman is the acceptable alternative.

NOTE: VCU does not have a site-wide license for the Adobe Garamond Pro font. It is the responsi- bility of each unit to purchase the font as needed. ALTERNATE SERIF FONT 5.01 s G D es i n y st em Design system

5.02 The VCU angle

5.05 Layout

5.12 Size and spacing 5.02 s G D es i n y st em

The rule is the first component. Our 152-degree angle was aligned to a four-column grid (a 1:3 ratio) The VCU in which the apex aligns to the center of the first column. angle

Origin Our angles were developed with the inspiration of the Golden Angle. With its relevancy to math, science, art and nature, we modified it to create a composition for our design system that speaks to the spirit of VCU — pushing Next, we wanted to add that creative distinctiveness that sets VCU apart. By duplicating and enlarging the boundaries and challenging the norm. first angle, the second component becomes offset and its apex aligns with the first column gutter.

A fill was then applied and the shape extended downward to create the brand mark container. 5.03 s G D es i The primary and preferred proportion is 1:3. The peak of the rule aligns with the middle of n y column one, and the peak of the second aligns with the first column gutter. st em 1: 3 The VCU angle There are three alternate proportions — 1:2, 1:4 and 1:5 — each with specific uses. Proportions The angles can be used in four proportions: 1:2,1:3,1:4 and 1:5. The 1:2 proportion should only be used The 1:4 proportion should only be used on As size increases, different sizes are necessary on extremely vertical pieces or when the horizontal pieces or when the brand mark to accommodate shifting in alignment. brand mark doesn’t fit in the 1:3 proportion. doesn’t fit in the 1:3 proportion. 1: 2 1: 4 Angle elements can be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu/downloads/vcu/ for-designers.aspx.

The 1:2 element has a small and medium size. The 1:4 element has small, medium and large S mall fits 5-7” spaces, medium fits 7-9”. sizes. S mall fits 9-11” spaces, medium fits 11-14” and large fits 14” and up.

The 1:5 proportion should only be used on large format pieces like posters and banners.

1: 5

The 1:5 element has small and large sizes. S mall fits 17” widths and large fits 36” and up. 5.04 s G D es i n y st em The VCU Never modify the degree of the angles. They should remain 152 degrees. angle 152°

Usage The angles should always be used as demonstrated in these standards. You can flip the angles vertically.

Do not tilt the angles or flip them horizontally.

The angle rule is either 80 percent black or VCU gold. Do not delete or change the rule weight or color. It should be a minimum weight of 0.5 pt. 5.05 s G D es i n y st em Layout

Elements The VCU design system is comprised of three elements: T he field 1. The field 2. The angles 3. The brand mark container

T he angles

T he brand mark container 5.06 s G D es i n y st em Layout

E lements: The field The field can hold images, textures, patterns, color and text. 5.07 s G D es i n y st em

Introducing the Introducing the Introducing the Layout VCU small brochure VCU small brochure VCU small brochure

E lements: The brand mark container The main purpose of the container is to hold the 1 2 3 VCU brand mark, but it can also hold text. When using the container, please adhere to the following rules: 1. The container should always be white. 2. Never use more than one container on the page. 3. Never center the apex of the container. 4. If the container has no image, pattern, texture or solid behind it, you may use a drop shadow at 25 percent transparency. Introducing Make It Real at VCU the VCU 5. The container can be used vertically The VCU School of Social Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life small Sciences, a research field station in Charles Work was founded by a small City County. group of Richmond citizens brochure or horizontally. The VCU School of Social Work was founded interested in improving the by a small group of Richmond citizens social conditions of Virginia’s interested in improving the social conditions 5 of Virginia’s urban and rural poor. Their efforts urban and rural poor. Their led to a training school for social workers, the efforts led to a training school first of its kind in the South. for social workers, the first of Over the past 70 yrs, VCU Health physicians its kind in the South. performed the commonwealth’s first liver, kidney and heart transplants, as well as the The VCU School of Social Work was founded East Coast’s first artificial heart transplant. by a small group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions VCU was the 1st in the U.S. to operate a of Virginia’s urban and rural poor. Their efforts campus in Qatar, which now boasts programs led to a training school for social workers, the from 5 other American universities, including 4 first of its kind in the South. Georgetown and Northwestern. Over the past 70 yrs, VCU Health physicians VCU built the first Platinum-level LEED performed the commonwealth’s first liver, structure in Virginia, located at the Inger and kidney and heart transplants, as well as the Walter Rice Center for Environmental Life East Coast’s first artificial heart transplant. Sciences, a research field station in Charles City County. VCU was the 1st in the U.S. to operate a campus in Qatar, which now boasts programs from 5 other American universities, including Georgetown and Northwestern.

VCU built the first Platinum-level LEED structure in Virginia, located at the Inger and 5.08 s G D es i n y st em

E lements: The brand mark 6 7 8 container (continued) 6. If the container is only holding a single VCU logo, the apex cannot go any higher 3/4 than one-fourth of the height of the page. 7. If the container is holding the VCU logo and text, the apex cannot go any higher than 1/2

three-fourths of the height of the page. The VCU School of Social Work was founded by a small group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia’s urban and rural poor. Their 8. When using text in the container, you efforts led to a training school for social workers, the The VCU School of Social Work was founded by a small first of its kind in the South. The VCU School of Social group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the must use a half-seal clear zone between Work was founded by a small group of Richmond citizens social conditions of Virginia’s urban and rural poor. Their 1/4 interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia’s efforts led to a training school for social workers, the the text and logo. urban and rural poor. Their efforts led to a training school first of its kind in the South. The VCU School of Social for social workers, the first of its kind in the South. Work was founded by a small group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia’s 9. Never float the container. urban and rural poor. Their efforts led to a training school for social workers, the first of its kind in the South. 10. The brand mark container should be used on primary marketing materials and collateral whenever possible. The container does not have to be used on advertising, promotional items, specialty banners or any other production where the 9 10 container would be intrusive, impractical or extensive in size. In those cases, please 3/4 My dream of becoming a performing artist was bigger than adhere to the general brand guidelines my small town, so I had to follow it far from home. Luckily there were people at VCU to support me all along the way. for clear zone, etc. Without the white To find a bigger stage I had to blaze the trail, for myself and for others. background of the container being used, Embracing the unknown is how I challenge the norm. the brand mark may be used over an VCU is where I make it real. My name is Ciara McMillian. 1/2 The VCU School of Social Work was founded by a small image or solid field with the proper group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia’s urban and rural poor. Their contrast and legibility. efforts led to a training school for social workers, the first of its kind in the South. The VCU School of Social See how we challenge the norm at makeitreal.vcu.edu. Work was founded by a small group of Richmond citizens interested in improving the social conditions of Virginia’s Container elements can be downloaded urban and rural poor. Their efforts led to a training school from 1/4 for social workers, the first of its kind in the South. identity.vcu.edu/downloads/vcu/ for-designers.aspx.

an equal opportunity/affirmative action university 5.09 s G D es i

Square Landscape n y st em

Introducing the Layout 1 VCU small brochure 1a

The vertical container The horizontal container is preferred, but a vertical container is permissible. You can only use the vertical container if the piece is square, landscape or extreme horizontal formats. When using the vertical container, please adhere to the following rules: 1. Vertical angles use the same proportion ratios as horizontal angles. When a lockup is used, the container must expand to the right to meet the required lockup size. 2. Never use more than one vertical Extreme horizontals (i.e., digital ads) container on the page.

2 5.10 s G D es i n y st em Layout

M irrored angle container Mirrored angles are created when a brand mark container is duplicated, flipped horizontally and vertically, and finally merged. • Both angles should be exactly the same size and proportion. • Minimum height is two-and-a-half times the height of one angle. • Maximum height is two vertical grid units (rows) – or three-and-a-half times the height of one angle – or middle white portion can be no taller than two vertical grid units. • Unit must float within the four middle grid units, with either the top or bottom apex aligning with a primary grid line. • Mirrored angles can only be used horizontally. 5.11 s G D es i n y st em Size and F ooter Left clear zone spacing

Horizontal containers Margin

When using a lockup, treat the brand mark and Right clear zone unit as one united element. All elements should adhere to the following rules: • The midpoint of the seal should be centered with the peak of the thin rule • The clear zone of the angle’s left extension is half a seal • The clear zone of the angle’s right extension is a whole seal • The mark or lockup must be anchored to the top clear zone when body copy is below, and vice versa. Header • There should be at least half the seal’s height between the mark or lockup and the trim size, up to a full seal when anchored to the top. • It is permissible to add white to the pre- made container for more vertical space. 5.12 s G D es i n y st em Size and Vertical container + logo spacing 1/3

Vertical containers 1. You can only use the vertical container if the piece is square or landscape proportion. 2. The logo can be placed anywhere in the top one-third or bottom one-third of the piece as long as: a. The seal of the logo is at least .325 inches tall 1/3 b. It follows clear zone requirements of the half seal

• It is permissible to add white to the pre-made container for more horizontal space. 5.13 s G D es i n y st em Size and Minimum height = Two primary grid units Maximum height = Four primary grid units spacing

M irrored angle container The mirrored angle container follows the same internal clear zone rules as the standard con- tainer. The horizontal grid should be divided into 6 rows. Posters, banners, brochure covers and other special collateral items provide ideal spaces for the mirrored angles.

Float within four grid units, avoiding top and bottom one-sixth areas Never use the mirror angles vertically. 5.14 s G D es i n y st em Design elements

After the brand mark has been established

The $50.8 million James Branch Cabell within a container, the rule and container Library expansion and renovation project

IDEAS transformed a place of stacks into a place of discovery, including the media studio components may be used as design elements that features a variety of maker tools and technology, such as 3-D printers and in a layout. scanners, laser cutters and robotics.

If the container houses a VCU brand mark, When there’s a “yes,” the background must always be white. Imaginations flourish.

At VCU, we thrive on believing anything is possible. From dissolving barriers through digital literacy and designing medical breakthroughs to launching student startups and capturing the sound of a culture, we know no limit.

8 Virginia Commonwealth University VCU’s 2015-16 Annual Report 9 6.01 Patterns and te and Patterns x t ures Patterns and textures

6.02 Patterns

6.03 Textures 6.02 Patterns and te and Patterns x t ures Patterns C ity blocks Halftone dots A ngle motif

Overview These brand patterns are to be used when a photo may not be appropriate, and to add visual interest to the piece. You may use two patterns on the page as long as they are separated by the mirrored angle. You may zoom in and crop the patterns. Patterns may be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu/downloads/vcu/for-design- ers.aspx

Example 6.03 Patterns and te and Patterns x t ures Textures

Overview These textures reflect the urban nature and spirit of the university. They are meant to add depth and interest to the piece. • Textures can be used on top of photos and may have secondary colors applied. • Textures cannot be used on top of patterns. • Textures can be used at 20-, 40-, 60- and 80-percent transparencies. Example • Textures cannot overlap the angle, mirrored angle, or highlight angle. • Textures can be combined to add more grit, as long as it doesn’t interfere with legibility. Introducing the Patterns may be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu/downloads/ VCU small brochure for-designers. 7.01 O at S t i ner y a nd tem p l Stationery ates and templates 7.02 O at S t i ner y a nd tem

Virginia Commonwealth University Unit

Secondary unit p

Tertiary unit l Optional Make It Real header ates Building, Floor, Room, Wing Street Address Box XXXXXX available via special order. Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX

Stationery • 000 000-0000 Fax: 000 000-0000 TDD: 1-800-000-0000 [email protected] www.vcu.edu/xxxx

Stationery guidelines and ordering information Name Title I are available at identity.vcu.edu/stationery. Title II Name Title I B&B Printing is VCU’s contracted vendor for Title II standard stationery items. Name Title I Title II

VCU electronic letterhead is available at Name Title I identity.vcu.edu/stationery. (E-letterhead Title II should never be used to replace traditional Name Title I printed stationery.) Title II Name Title I NOTE: Students are not allowed to have VCU- Title II

Name branded business cards unless their department Title I orders and pays for them via usual channels. Title II Name Title I “Make It Real” branded (non-campaign) Title II Name letterhead is available via special order from Title I Title II University Relations. Name Title I When formatting stationery content, please Title II Name refer to the guidelines at identity.vcu.edu Title I Title II

/stationery/guidelines. Name Virginia Commonwealth University Title I Unit Name Title II Building, Floor, Room, Wing

Street Address an equal opportunity/affirmative action university Box XXXXXX Please note: Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX “P.O. Box” has been changed to “Box.”

BARCODE CLEAR ZONE - DELETE AFTER DESIGNING

Name, Ph.D Building, Floor, Room, Wing Title 1 Street Address Title 2 Box XXXXXX Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX Virginia Commonwealth University Unit 804 000-0000 • Fax: 804 000-0000 Secondary unit Cell: 804 000-0000 • Pgr: 804 000-0000 Tertiary-unit [email protected] www.vcu.edu/xxxx 7.03 O at S t i ner y a nd tem Virginia Commonwealth University Unit Secondary unit Tertiary unit

Building, Floor, Room, Wing p l

Street Address ates Box XXXXXX Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX

000 000-0000 • Fax: 000 000-0000 Stationery TDD: 1-800-000-0000 [email protected] www.vcu.edu/xxxx

Name Title I (Make It Real Title II Name Title I Title II campaign) Name Title I Title II

Name Title I Title II Stationery guidelines and ordering information Name Title I are available at identity.vcu.edu/stationery. Title II

Name This stationery design with the Make It Real Title I Title II Campaign badge is only to be used for Name Title I communications related to the Campaign Title II

For VCU. Name Title I Title II

Name Title I Please note: Title II Name “P.O. Box” has been changed to “Box.” Title I Title II Virginia Commonwealth University Unit Name Name Building, Floor, Room, Wing Title I Street Address Title II Box XXXXXX Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX Name Title I Title II

an equal opportunity/affirmative action university

BARCODE CLEAR ZONE - DELETE AFTER DESIGNING

Name, Ph.D Building, Floor, Room, Wing Title 1 Street Address Title 2 Box XXXXXX Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX Virginia Commonwealth University Unit 804 000-0000 • Fax: 804 000-0000 Secondary unit Cell: 804 000-0000 • Pgr: 804 000-0000 Tertiary-unit [email protected] www.vcu.edu/xxxx 7.04 O at S

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Headline here

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Et odipsum laturecus doluptas mod ut aborpor issi- tesed et es moluptation con rehent a sedi quias arum et offic totam que suntinus mos expersp ereicti nihici sinulpa ritaqui culparc hillitent

fugiatis aspieni mperspe rnatem que magnis vendi dolorum conet volenda epeligenias endit acidebis di asit que quae nonsero eum doluptus dolorer umquunt iorissectur, incti ut repel ma eos ernate simus, ex etus- Virginia Commonwealth University ci temquis mintibus, optatur aligent occatquas mi, Building, Floor, Room, Wing suntem etur, Street Address Box XXXXXX Richmond, Virginia 232XX-XXXX 7.05 O at S t i ner y a nd tem p l PowerPoint ates template

New PowerPoint templates (4:3 and 16:9) incorporating the VCU angle are available for universitywide use. The templates include various versions of title and content slides and can be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu /downloads. Schools can substitute their school mark for the placeholder mark in the templates. Note: The shortened-width horizontal angle is ONLY for use in the PowerPoint template and should NOT be used in other materials. 7.06 O at S t i ner y a nd tem p l Research ates posters

PowerPoint template 36”x 24” suitable for research presentation posters. This template can be used to order posters in the following sizes: 36”x 24”, 42”x 28”, 48”x 32”, 54”x 36”, 63”x 42” and 72”x 48”. Schools may substitute the master VCU mark with their school mark. The template can be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu/downloads. 7.07 O at S t i ner y a nd tem p l Flag ates standards

Flags designed to hang on flagpoles from buildings should be 3 feet wide by 5 feet tall, two-sided, and utilize the VCU brand mark and typography as shown. Appropriate color matching to VCU Gold is expected.

Vendors should submit a proof to University Relations for approval.

NOTE: Merchandise flags should continue to be approved by Trademarks and Licensing.

sample flag layouts using mirrored angles 7.08 O at S t i

Email signatures should be fewer than 10 lines when possible. ner

Font should be Arial (“Sans Serif” in Gmail) and Arial Bold 10 pt. y a nd tem p

Email l Sample staff signature: ates signatures Joe Smith Firstname Lastname Director of Communications Title University Relations Department Using a consistent email signature for vcu.edu email accounts creates brand alignment and Virginia Commonwealth University presents a professional image of VCU. Your Grace Street Center Building Name (if applicable) email signature, which includes contact infor- 912 West Grace Street Street Address (or Box) mation, is for official use and identifies you as Richmond, Virginia 23284 City, State Zip a university employee for internal and external 804 827-0000 • Fax: 804 827-0001 Telephone • Fax purposes. Think of your email signature as your digital business card. vcu.edu Website URL The following are guidelines for faculty and staff members using a vcu.edu email account: • Avoid images, logos and vCards. Many email Sample academic unit signature: clients process these as attachments. If you include these, recipients won’t know when

you send a real attachment and when it’s Jane Smith, Ph.D. Firstname Lastname, Credentials just your signature. Also, images may not Professor Title be seen if the recipient has turned off image College of Humanities and Sciences College or School downloading. Department of English Department/Division/Center • Do not use slogans, quotes or philosophical statements. These could be misinter- Virginia Commonwealth University preted as the university’s position. Hibbs Hall Building Name (if applicable) 900 Park Avenue, Room 306 Street Address, Floor, Room/Suite (or Box) • Absent specific university authorization, Richmond, Virginia 23284 City, State Zip avoid including information on outside 804 828-0000 • Fax: 804 828-0001 Telephone • Fax entities with which you may be affiliated. english.vcu.edu Website URL

Mobile version:

Joe Smith Firstname Lastname Director of Communications Title University Relations Department 804 827-0000 Telephone 8.01 l standards l Digi ta

Digital standards

8.02 Web components

8.05 Mobile

8.06 Accessibility

8.07 Email headers

8.08 Typography 8.02 l standards l Digi ta

Web components

B rand bar — desktop This is the primary brand bar for all vcu.edu websites. It includes the seal, typography, bar and Make It Real Campaign for VCU color bar. No additional information is allowed in the branding bar lockup. The bar is available in three colors: light gray, dark gray and gold. On a desktop, the brand bar is loaded at the top of the page and must not be obstructed from view or have any elements on top of it. For implementation instructions, go to branding.vcu.edu/bar/academic.

The following webpages have been granted brand bar exceptions: • vcu.edu home page • VCUarts • VCU Athletics • VCU Alumni • Institute for Contemporary Art (ICA) 8.03 l standards l Digi ta

Web D esktop headers components

U nit-level branding When using system fonts in the website’s mast- head, Al ria must be the primary font of unit names and departments. See the recommended font sizes in the examples to the right. Arial must also be the primary font for information contained in the footer. The recommended sizes are included in the example to the right.

S tandard footer setup 8.04 l standards l Digi ta

Web E xample of brand bar on desktop browser components 8.05 l standards l Digi ta

Mobile

M obile brand bar On mobile devices, the brand bar script automat- ically moves the campaign logo below the footer. There are two background color options: black and white. Because space is at a premium, the brand bar is loaded at the top of the page and may be used in conjunction with approved menu and search icons placed to the left and right of the centered seal. For implementation instructions, go to branding.vcu.edu/bar/academic. 8.06 l standards l Digi ta

Accessibility

All VCU web pages must adhere to the WCAG 2.0 Level AA accessibility standard. Please refer to webstandards.vcu.edu /compliance/accessibility.

This section of the page intentionally left blank. 8.07 l standards l Digi ta

Email headers

Three variations of email headers are available for all primary units. The “goldtop” version should be used when the body of the email has a white background. The “topdown” versions (with gold rule or gray rule) should be used when the body of the email contains a colored background or image directly under the angle container. 8.08 l standards l Digi ta

Typography RECOMMENDED SANS SERIF FONT FOR DIGITAL CONTENT

The primary sans serif font family for digital content is Al ria . If Arial is not available, Helvetica is an acceptable alternate.

The primary serif font family for digital content is ALTERNATE SANS SERIF FONT FOR DIGITAL CONTENT Georgia. If Georgia is not available, T imes New R oman is an acceptable alternate.

RECOMMENDED SERIF FONT FOR DIGITAL CONTENT

ALTERNATE SERIF FONT FOR DIGITAL CONTENT 9.01 l med So c i a i a Social media

9.02 Profiles

9.03 Nomenclature

9.04 Avatar Frames

9.05 Examples 9.02 l med So c i a i a

All university, college, school, department and unit social media channels should adhere to the VCU brand standards. This ensures that university-related Profiles accounts represent VCU on third-party social platforms appropriately and also facilitates your audience’s immediate connection of you to the university.

Profile pictures

VCU-themed templates are available for creating avatars, or profile pictures, on unit-level social media accounts (see 9.04). The VCU master brand mark is restricted to primary university accounts; do not use the VCU brand mark as a graphical representation on school, office, department, division, etc., social media pages, unless it appears in a photo.

When possible, use images unique and relevant to your audience within these templates. Photos are preferred over text inside the templates because of sizing limitations in a small or circular format. We do not recommend using your unit brand mark as a profile picture unless the word count is fewer than two or three words (e.g., VCU Health or VCU Police). A bank of pre-formatted general VCU photos also are available for download on the VCU identity site for any social media use, such as cover photos, profile pictures, etc. To access the photos, visit identity.vcu.edu/downloads.

For an optimal look, we recommend that you use the correct specifications for art on all social media sites. Please be aware that many platform avatars appear square in some features or on a desktop, but then switch to a circular shape on a mobile device. Any image chosen for a profile avatar must be visible as a square or a circle.

Usage of VCU branding on personal social media pages

For questions concerning use of the VCU brand on social media sites or to sub- mit a design to the University Communications Review Committee, please call (804) 828-1463 or email [email protected]. 9.03 l med So c i a i a

Twitter/Instagram/Snapchat

Nomenclature @username U se VCU in the @username for all three platforms as well as your official department, school or organization name within the 20-character limit, as your “name” (page identifier). Do not use VCU by itself.

If your school, department or organization name is too long or best known by an acronym, please contact [email protected] to discuss the best option so as to avoid “alphabet soup”-looking names that are not quickly recognizable by external audiences. Also keep in mind that acronyms are often not recogniz- able to screen readers used by people with visual impairments.

When creating your name, begin with VCU, followed by your school, depart- ment or organization name. In general, student organizations are named as “[studentorg] at VCU.” To avoid confusion, it’s best to begin your name with VCU to represent that you’re an official VCU-owned social media account.

Examples: @VCUPD, @VCURadSci, @VCUbaseball, @VCUarts

Geotagging and location If you’re on or near VCU’s Richmond campus, use Virginia Commonwealth University as your location. On Instagram, you can also tag specific buildings like VCU Cabell Library or the University Student Commons. Don’t use Monroe Park Campus or MCV Campus.

Facebook/LinkedIn/YouTube

Page name Use VCU with the official name of your college, school, department or organization.

C ustom URL Use your profile name to create a custom URL for your Facebook page that you can use in com- munications and on marketing materials. 9.04 l med So c i a i a

Primary Avatar university account marks frames RESTRICTED USE Primary university account marks • Restricted for use on primary university social media accounts • Not approved for use on unit (school, office, department, division, etc.) pages Unit-level Photo here Photo here Photo here U nit-level frame templates frame templates • For use on unit (school, office, department, division, etc.) social media pages • Are adaptable for square, circular or shape- shifting avatars • Used in conjunction with background photography or graphics specific to a unit NOTE: Template is square, but will adapt to fit both circular and square avatars. Do not have critical • Allows units to create a distinct social elements at the edges of your image as they will get media identity while maintaining an official cropped out. connection to the university Templates can be downloaded from identity.vcu.edu. 9.05

Facebook l med So c i a i a Examples

Twitter

NOTE: Template is square, but will adapt to fit both circular and square avatars. Do not have critical elements at the edges of your image as they will get cropped out.

Instagram 10.01 -le OO S c h l v e l brand i n School-level g branding

10.02 Guidelines 10.02 -le OO S c h l v e l brand i n

VCU’s enterprise brand standards are the primary and dominant system to guide g the creation and management of all marketing and communication assets. We Guidelines are black and gold; we have one enterprise mark; we are one brand. Building continuity across all our units is instrumental to developing brand equity.

However, we understand the importance of allowing schools the ability to create their own brand variant so they can be more effective in communicating their unique traits to their specific audiences. Several schools have or plan to create their own brand platform. It is important to note that these platforms do not and should not supersede these enterprise guidelines with a few granted exceptions. All university level and administrative units should only use the enterprise brand standards.

Branding at the school level can be used to develop:

• Brand vision, promise and positioning statement

• Messaging platform

• Copy style and tonality nuances

• Photographic style and technical treatments

• Supplemental color palette

• Supplemental fonts

New marks, logos or graphic design elements that are intended to represent school departments, programs, centers or other functional sub-units are pro- hibited unless approved by University Relations.

Schools desiring to create a brand platform should contact University Relations for consultation on the process and specific guidelines to develop the standards. 11.01 ealt u V C H h en d o r VCU Health sement endorsement for health sciences schools

11.02 Guiding principles

11.03 Usage

11.04 Guidelines

11.05 Endorsement badge

11.06 Layout examples

11.07 Misuse 11.02 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement Guiding principles

Key objectives • Align the VCU and VCU Health brands with our health sciences schools • Demonstrate that we are an academic medical center — a leader in clinical care, research and education • Communicate that we’re a premier urban, public research university • Exhibit unity and collectiveness • Provide consistency • Suggest simplicity • Establish a scalable methodology that can be used across any application Our clinical and academic brands are more meaningful together than they are apart.

B y adding a VCU Health endorsement to specific applications for our health sciences schools, we can demonstrate that we are one unified organization pursuing excellence. 11.03 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement Usage

Our VCU and VCU Health brands are more meaningful together than they are apart.

By adding a VCU Health endorsement to Hospitals Health sciences schools C olleges and schools specific applications (listed on page 11.04) • VCU Medical Center • VCU School of Allied • College of Humanities for our health sciences schools, we can • Children's Hospital of Health Professions and Sciences Richmond at VCU • VCU School of Dentistry • Graduate School demonstrate that we are one unified • Community Memorial • VCU School of Medicine • L . Douglas Wilder School of organization pursuing excellence. Hospital • VCU School of Nursing Government and Public Affairs Physician plans • VCU School of Pharmacy • School of the Arts • School of Business • MCV Physicians R esearch centers and institutes • CMH Physician Services LLC • School of Education • VCU Massey Cancer Center • School of Engineering C omprehensive care centers • VCU Johnson Center for Critical • Richard T. Robertson School of • Pauley Heart Center Care and Pulmonary Research Media and Culture • Harold F. Young • VCU Parkinson's and Movement • School of Social Work Neurosurgical Center Disorders Center • School of World Studies • Hume-Lee Transplant Center • Weil Institute of Emergency and Critical Care Research HMO at VCU • Virginia Premier Health Plan 11.04 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement

VCU brand with VCU Health endorsement Single brand (VCU or VCU Health) Usage badge • Apparel guidelines • A cademic events • Environments • C ollateral • Promotional items and • Human resources and recruitment The VCU Health endorsement describes the giveaways value of VCU Health as the medical enterprise • Philanthropy of VCU. We distinguish when to use the • S ponsorships • Presentations endorsement based on the purpose of the • S tationery application. Applications that are public-facing • Print and digital advertising • Vehicles with high visibility should use this co-branding (space permitting) approach to promote the benefit of our relation- ship to communities and to drive perceptions of an academic medical center. Usage is at the discretion of the dean of each school. Clinical services and all communications to patients need to be branded as VCU Health. Our research efforts and clinical trials should always use the VCU brand. VCU brand only VCU Health brand only

• Official academic documents • A ll patient communications (letters, ( Diplomas, Transcripts, etc.) forms, medical records, etc. • Research and clinical trials •  Health fairs (where clinical service is provided/promoted to the community) • S tudent and faculty ID badges (for academic purposes only) • M edical Center/Hospital ID badges 11.05 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement Endorsement Badge artwork badge

The VCU Health endorsement badge demonstrates the connection between our university and VCU Health. D etail: Right-aligned badge Badge artwork The VCU Health endorsement badge is a fixed Min. piece of artwork that should not be altered space or added to. It should only be used by VCU health sciences schools. The badge reflects 57% “V” the graphic elements found in the VCU Health design system and works in harmony with the Expandable university’s design principles. edge ––––– –>> 57% “V”

Page Edge

D etail: Left-aligned badge

Page edge

57% “V”

Expandable edge <<––––– – 57% “V”

Min. space 11.06 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement Layout Sample postcard Sample folded brochure examples

The VCU Health endorsement badge should 1 2 be a supporting graphic element to the primary university logo. The following guidelines ensure proper placement, scale and hierarchy are used in all cobranding applications.

Placement 1. Place the VCU Health endorsement badge one full badge height from an application’s bottom edge, on the right or left edge. 2. The badge should bleed off the edge. 3. On one-panel applications, the university Sample Powerpoint #1 Sample Powerpoint #2 logo and VCH Health endorsement badge should be placed on opposite sides of a layout. 4. On multi panel applications, the university logo should always adorn the cover and the endorsement badge may be placed 3 4 on the rear panel (#2). 5. The preferred placement of the endorse- ment badge is outside the container (#1, #3). When within the container, always align the badge horizontally to the university logo’s baseline or vertical to the left edge of the seal (#4).

S cale The VCU Health endorsement badge should always be scaled proportion- ally to match the cap height of the “V” in the university logo. 11.07 ealt u V C H h en d o r sement Misuse

The VCU Health endorsement badge has been created to ensure our brand and partnership is expressed in a consistent way. The following 1 2 examples illustrate misues of the badge that can diminish the value of our brand. • Do not alter the VCU Health endorsement badge artwork in any way. • Do not place the endorsement badge in proximity to the university logo. • Always scale the endorsement badge proportionately to be equal to the cap-height of the “V” in the university logo. • There is no such thing as a VCU Health student or an alumnus of VCU Health. • Do not use VCU Health endorsement on legal documents — instead use the contracting entity. 3 12.01 E d i t o r i al st y l e Editorial style

12.02 Introduction

12.06 Glossary

12.08 Academic terms

12.17 Punctuation

12.19 Resources

12.20 Contacts 12.02 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Virginia Commonwealth University’s editorial style guide provides nomencla- ture standards and usage guidelines for writers of internal and external Introduction university communications. Augmenting the university’s preferred style, Associated Press, this guide serves as a resource to ensure that VCU web- sites, publications and other materials promoting the university maintain consistency in nomenclature, capitalization, punctuation, etc.

For notes on style not addressed here, please refer to the AP Stylebook. You can access the AP Stylebook Online with your VCU eID through VCU Libraries: apstylebook.com/vcu_library. Where notes on style, usage and punctuation differ, adhere to the VCU editorial style guide.

For notes on spelling not covered here, consult Webster’s New World College Dictionary, Fourth Edition. Use the first spelling listed unless a specific excep- tion is listed in this guide.

If your material is scholarly or technical, consult manuals specific to your disci- pline, such as guides published by the American Psychological Association or the Modern Language Association.

For additional guidance, please contact University Marketing at (804) 828-1463. 12.03 E d i t o r i al st y l e Introduction Virginia Commonwealth University A bout our name

The university’s official name isVirginia Commonwealth University. On second reference and in headlines, VCU is preferred. For websites, spell out Virginia Commonwealth University on the first reference for each index (or section) page. Virginia Commonwealth University does not require a callout (VCU) following the first reference to be abbreviated in subsequent references. Do not use periods in VCU.

When Virginia Commonwealth University is followed by a college, school or department name, Virginia Commonwealth University may or may not take the possessive form. For example, the Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts or Virginia Commonwealth University’s School of the Arts.

When Virginia Commonwealth University is followed by the name of a center, institute or program, Virginia Commonwealth University is not possessive. For example, Virginia Commonwealth University Rice Rivers Center or VCU Pauley Heart Center.

Do not capitalize university when it stands alone and refers to Virginia Commonwealth University.

Drop university from the beginning of internal names when preceded by Virginia Commonwealth University but keep university when preceded by VCU.

Examples: • Virginia Commonwealth University Student Commons • Virginia Commonwealth University Conference and Scheduling Services • VCU University Student Commons • VCU University Conference and Scheduling Services 12.04 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Historical context

Introduction References to the Medical College of Virginia and Richmond Professional Institute as separate institutions may occur only in historical context before 1968, the year that Virginia Commonwealth University was established.

Examples: • A graduate who obtained an M.D. in 1949 is an alumnus of MCV. • A graduate who received a B.F.A. in 1961 is an alumnus of RPI. • All graduates after 1968 are alumni of VCU.

The Medical College of Virginia does not exist as a stand-alone entity (except in historical context before 1968), and references using only these initials are incorrect (i.e., VCU/MCV, MCV/VCU or MCV). However, MCV Foundation and MCV Alumni Association are exceptions to this rule. 12.05 E d i t o r i al st y l e

VUC text marks

Introduction VCU’s strategic plan is Quest for Distinction. It is not italicized.

The university’s brand tagline is “Make it real.” When standing alone or ending a sentence, it takes a period. When occurring at the beginning or in the mid- dle of a sentence, it does not. When referring to the official campaign, place “Make it real” in quotes. Do not use quotes or capitalize generic references.

Examples: • Shannon’s internship experience underscores a key message of VCU’s branding campaign, “Make it real.” • “Make it real” is a branding program that will help raise regional and national awareness of the university’s high-caliber academics and unique, spirited culture. • Partnering with Dominion on a microgrid project is just another example of how we make it real.

For editorial rules on VCU Health, please go to brand.vcuhealth.org. 12.06 E d i t o r i al st y l e

A0 -1 VCU Rice Rivers Center VCU Medical Center at Stony Point Glossary VCU is a member of the . VCUarts Qatar A-10 is acceptable on second reference. VCU School of Medicine Inova Campus VCU School of Pharmacy Inova Campus B oard of Visitors VCU School of Pharmacy University of Virginia Division Use credentials following names, per AP Style, when listing members of the VCU Board of C enters and institutes Visitors. For example: John Smith, Ed.D, J.D. See the full board member listing at president. VCU has more than 30 research centers and insti- vcu.edu/board. tutes. For a complete list, go to research.vcu.edu/ centers_cores/institutes. Buildings C olleges, schools and departments Capitalize the names of university structures when using their full titles. For a complete listing of VCU VCU has one college and 13 schools: buildings, visit maps.vcu.edu. • College of Humanities and Sciences (has.vcu.edu) C ampuses • Richard T. Robertson School of Media and VCU has two main campuses: Monroe Park Culture (robertson.vcu.edu) Campus and MCV Campus. Do not use the cam- • School of World Studies pus names unless needed to note a location. (worldstudies.vcu.edu) Examples: • School of Allied Health Professions • The 30-minute information session is followed (sahp.vcu.edu) by a walking tour of the Monroe Park Campus. • School of the Arts (arts.vcu.edu) • The university’s campus reflects the character • School of Business (business.vcu.edu) of its host city by mixing modern, high-tech • School of Dentistry (dentistry.vcu.edu) amenities with historical buildings and small- town charm. • School of Education (soe.vcu.edu) • School of Engineering (egr.vcu.edu) The university also has branch campuses and satellite locations in Northern Virginia; Doha, Qatar; • L. Douglas Wilder School of Government and Charlottesville, Va.; and Charles City County, Va. In Public Affairs (wilder.vcu.edu) referring to these campuses and locations, the first • School of Medicine (medschool.vcu.edu) reference in text copy should be the complete title. 12.07 E d i t o r i al st y l e

• School of Nursing (nursing.vcu.edu) EE/A O A statement Glossary • School of Pharmacy (pharmacy.vcu.edu) In compliance with VCU’s equal employment • School of Social Work (socialwork.vcu.edu) opportunity/affirmative action policy, one of the following statements should be used on print Capitalize college, school and department when materials (except invitations) for external audi- referring to a specific VCU unit. Do not capital- ences. For invitations, refer to the special ize when referring to VCU colleges, schools and accommodations entry (see Page 11.10). departments in a more general sense. Examples: Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department Long version: VCU does not discriminate in of Biology or the biology department… The School admissions, treatment, employment or access of Business offers… The school offers… to its programs or activities on the basis of race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, When a generic term is capitalized as part of an pregnancy, political affiliation, veteran status, official name, the plural used with another name family medical and genetic information, sexual is lowercase. Example: the schools of Nursing orientation, gender identity, gender expression and Dentistry or disability. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding In copy, department and office names do not use VCU’s nondiscrimination policies: Laura ampersands; write out and. Walsh Rugless, director of equity and access For a full listing of VCU departments, view the A to services and Title IX coordinator, Moseley Z index at atoz.vcu.edu. House, 1001 Grove Ave., Box 842549, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA Commencement 23284-2549, (804) 828-1347, [email protected].

Capitalize commencement when referring to Short version: an equal opportunity/affirma- the university’s official ceremonies in May and tive action university December. Do not refer to the ceremonies by sea- Ads referring to employment opportunities should son (spring, winter). Example: VCU will celebrate also include the following statement: Women, 3,000 graduates at its May Commencement. minorities and persons with disabilities are encour- aged to apply. D epartment of Intercollegiate Athletics

Use the official name,Department of Mascot Intercollegiate Athletics, on first reference. The university’s athletic teams are formally called VCU Athletics is acceptable on second reference. the Rams. When used as an adjective, use the singular form. Example: Ram spirit VCU’s mascot is Rodney the Ram. 12.08 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Academic and administrative titles A dviser

Academic Capitalize a formal title immediately preceding a Not advisor name, but lowercase the title if it follows the name terms or stands by itself. A lumni Examples: Alumnus (alumni in the plural) refers to a man • VCU President who attended VCU. Use alumna (alumnae in BUT Michael Rao, president of VCU the plural) for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to a group of men • Department Chair John Doe and women. BUT John Doe, chair of the department Students who have completed at least 24 credit Lowercase professor before a name, but capitalize hours are considered alumni, so be aware that professor emeritus (male) and professor emer- the term alumnus is not necessarily synonymous ita (female) as a conferred title before a name. with graduate. Example: Professor Emerita Susan Johnson

Courtesy titles, such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Miss and C ourse titles Dr., are not used — even on first reference. Capitalize the formal name of courses, without quotes. Example: She’s taking history. She’s tak- A cademic credentials ing American history. She’s taking History 101. Include earned doctoral degrees following a per- son’s name but not bachelor’s or master’s degrees. C oursework Do not use Dr. as a formal title. Use the academic One words in all uses. abbreviation for the doctoral degree, set off by commas, following the individual’s name. Example: John Smith, Ph.D.; Annie Wright, M.D. (Note: This is an exception to AP style.) 12.09 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Degrees

Academic Use the following abbreviations or full, formal names when referencing the academic degrees available through VCU’s 225 bachelor, master’s, doctoral, first professional and certificate programs. terms B.A. Bachelor of Arts M.S. Master of Science B.F.A. Bachelor of Fine Arts M.S.C.M. Master of Supply Chain Management B.I.S. Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies M.S.D. Master of Science in Dentistry B.M. Bachelor of Music M.S.H.A. Master of Science in Health B.S. Bachelor of Science Administration B.S.W. Bachelor of Social Work M.S.N.A. Master of Science in Nurse D.D.S. Doctor of Dental Surgery Anesthesia D.N.A.P. Doctor of Nurse Anesthesia Practice M.S.O.T. Master of Science in Occupational D.P.T. Doctor of Physical Therapy Therapy M.A. Master of Arts M.S.W. Master of Social Work M.Acc. Master of Accountancy M.T. Master of Teaching M.A.E. Master of Art Education M.Tax. Master of Taxation M.B.A. Master of Business Administration M.U.R.P. Master of Urban and Regional M.Bin. Master of Bioinformatics Planning M.D. Doctor of Medicine O.T.D. Post-professional Occupational M.Ed. Master of Education Therapy Doctorate M.Envs. Master of Environmental Studies Pharm.D. Doctor of Pharmacy M.F.A. Master of Fine Arts Ph.D. Doctor of Philosophy M.H.A. Master of Health Administration M.I.S. Master of Interdisciplinary Studies Do not capitalize the names of school or college M.M. Master of Music studies, fields of study, major areas or subjects M.P.A. Master of Public Administration (except languages) unless a specific course is M.P.H. Master of Public Health being referred to. Example: He is studying philoso- M.P.S. Master of Pharmaceutical Sciences phy and English. M.P.I. Master of Product Innovation 12.10 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Dr. S tudent-athlete

Academic Do not use Dr. as a formal title. Use the academic Always hyphenated abbreviation for the doctoral degree, set off by commas, following the individual’s name. Example: T he Grace E. Harris Leadership Institute terms John Smith, Ph.D.; Annie Wright, M.D. (Note: This is an exception to AP style.) The should always be capitalized as part of the institute’s formal name. F reshman, freshmen VUC Honors College Freshman is the singular noun and also is used in adjective form. Freshmen is the plural form. Use VCU Honors College or The Honors College. Examples Examples: • Randy is a freshman at VCU. • The VCU Honors College comprises more than • Biology 101 is often considered a freshman 1,000 of VCU’s most creative, talented and course. committed students. • The university welcomed incoming freshmen • Membership in The Honors College will facilitate with a party in Monroe Park. your transition to life beyond your undergraduate experience. Special accommodations

Invitations or fliers, posters, etc., announcing events should include a special accommodations contact phone number or email, or both. Example: For special accommodations, call (804) 828-XXXX or email [email protected]. 12.11 E d i t o r i al st y l e Academic General style preferences A bbreviations and acronyms Note also that website: is not used to introduce the URL. terms An acronym is a word formed from the first letter or letters of a series of words: scuba In running copy, use abbreviations if the address (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus). includes an actual street number. Example: 827 An abbreviation is not an acronym. W. Franklin St., Richmond, Va.

Do not follow a word or phrase with an abbre- Capitalization viation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes. If an abbreviation or acronym would not If in doubt, use lowercase rather than capital be clear on second reference without this arrange- letters. ment, do not use it. Lowercase the names of the classes: graduate, A ddresses senior, junior, sophomore and freshman.

Street addresses and states should be spelled Lowercase commonwealth when referring to out in return addresses, web signatures and in Virginia. Example: VCU is located in the common- “contact us” sections. wealth of Virginia. State is similarly lowercase in all constructions. Example: She visited the state In the “contact us” section, indicate phone and of Maine last fall. fax numbers and email addresses as follows: Capitalize central when paired with Virginia to Virginia Commonwealth University describe the region. Example: The Children’s Division of University Relations Hospital of Richmond at VCU NICU is the oldest University Marketing and the newest in Central Virginia as well as 827 West Franklin Street, Room 206 the first. Box 842041 Richmond, Virginia 23284-2041 Capitalize city if part of a proper name, an integral Phone: (804) 828-1463 part of an official name or a regularly used nick- Fax: (804) 828-8172 name. Example: Because of its location on the Email: [email protected] James, Richmond is often called the River City. univrelations.vcu.edu Lowercase elsewhere. Example: The city of Richmond plays hosts to numerous festivals For on-campus addresses, the correct ZIP+4 will in the summer. incorporate 232 plus the campus Box number. Capitalize class when joined with a year. Example: The Class of 2012 announced its gift to the school. 12.12 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Capitalize commencement when referring to as dictionaries and encyclopedias. Names of most the university’s official ceremonies in May and websites and apps are capitalized without quotes: Academic December. Example: VCU will celebrate 3,000 Facebook, Foursquare. Capitalize principal words graduates at its May Commencement. in titles, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters. terms When a generic term is capitalized as part of an official name, the plural used with another name is D ays of the week and months/dates lowercase. Example: Broad and Belvidere streets, the schools of Nursing and Dentistry Always capitalize and spell out the days of the week. C ompany names When a month is used with a specific date, abbre- Abbreviate company (Co.), corporation (Corp.), viate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and incorporated (Inc.) and limited (Ltd.) when part of Dec. Spell out months when using them alone, the name but do not use a comma before these or with a year alone. abbreviations. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, Do not use all caps on a company name unless do not separate the year with commas. When the individual letters are pronounced. Example: a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off UPS delivered the package on Sunday. The office the year with commas. supply closet has a new bag of Bic pens. Examples If the company’s name or product begins with • January 1972 was a cold month. a lowercase letter (like iPhone or eBay), try to reorder the sentence so that you can capitalize the • Jan. 2 was the coldest day of the month. name as the company usually does. If reordering is • His birthday is May 8. impossible, capitalize the first letter and any other • Feb. 14, 1987, was the target date. letter the company usually capitalizes. Example: The new iPhone comes out July 1. EBay is a great • She testified that it was Friday, Dec. 3, when way to sell your attic treasures. the accident occurred. In tabular material, use these three-letter forms C omposition titles without a period: Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Put quote marks around book titles, movie titles, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec. play titles, song titles, computer game titles, poem titles, titles of lectures and exhibits, works of art E mail and TV program titles. Do not use quotes for news- papers, magazines or journals or for books that One word, no hyphen are primarily catalogs of reference material, such 12.13 E d i t o r i al st y l e

FAQ Internet Academic Not FAQs Always lowercase. The web is a subset of the internet. The two terms are not synonymous and terms F ewer, less should not be used interchangeably. In general, use fewer for individual items, less M eta descriptions for bulk or quantity. VCU websites should include a brief description that Examples: will show up on internet search results pages below • I had fewer than 50 $1 bills in my wallet. the title of the site. The meta description should (individual items) include keywords that users would type in during their search of the site. The recommended length • I had less than $50 in my bank account. of a meta description is 140 to 150 characters. (bulk item) Numbers Headlines Spell out numbers one through nine and their Where possible, use sentence-structured, active corresponding ordinals and use numerals for 10 or headlines. Example: Brandcenter team innovates more. Example: three blind mice, 24 black birds its way to the top If the same category contains numbers both above Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns. and below nine, use numerals within that category. The one exception is that the first word after Example: Alice took first-place in the contest by a colon is always uppercase in headlines. eating 13 pies while Norm, who came in second, Always use single quotation marks. only ate 9. When a number begins a sentence, spell it out. The Health care exception to this rule is years. Example: 2011 marked Two words in all uses the first year the VCU Rams went to the Final Four. Use No. as the abbreviation for number in con- Home page junction with a figure to indicate position or rank. Example: No. 1 program, No. 8 seed Two words Online

One word in all uses for the computer connection term 12.14 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Over, more than Percent

Academic Over generally refers to spatial relationships. Use numerals for percentages, even in running text. Example: She threw the ball over the fence. Spell out percent and percentage in text and head- lines. The percent sign (%) may be used in tables. terms More than is preferred with numerals. Example: VCU enrolls more than 31,000 students. (Note: Pre-eminent This is an exception to AP style.) Hyphenated in all uses Page titles R esidence hall The page title on a VCU website should spell out Virginia Commonwealth University on the Use residence hall, not dormitory or dorm, when home page. Sublevel pages should list the referencing one of VCU’s residence halls. page name, followed by the name of the site (with VCU abbreviated). Room

Examples Use figures and capitalize room when used with • The page title for ugrad.vcu.edu is Virginia a figure.Example: Room 2, Room 211 Commonwealth University Undergraduate Admissions. RSVP

• The page title for ugrad.vcu.edu/why is Why No periods VCU? – VCU Undergraduate Admissions. S easons PFc D /Do Lowercase the four seasons: spring, summer, When including links to PDFs and Word documents fall and winter. on websites, place the respective identifier next to the hyperlink to alert users of the download. S tate names Examples Spell out the names of the 50 U.S. states when • Pay Action Worksheet [DOC] used in body copy, whether standing alone or in • University administration [PDF] conjunction with a city, town, village, etc. When Richmond is used in the same sentence as Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia is not used. Example: Virginia Commonwealth University is located Richmond, a capital city teeming with real- world opportunities. 12.15 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Use the following state abbreviations in lists, T elephone and fax numbers tabular materials and datelines. The names of eight Academic states are never abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Use figures and set off area codes with parenthe- terms Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. ses. (Note: This is an exception to AP style.) Ala. Kan. Nev. S.C. Top Ariz. Ky. N.H. S.D. Ark. La. N.J. Tenn. Capitalize top when it is the formal name of a rank- Calif. Md. N.M. Vt. ing, but lowercase in more casual references. Colo. Mass. N.Y. Va. Examples: Conn. Mich. N.C. Wash. Del. Minn. N.D. W.Va. • VCU moved into the top 50 for American public Fla. Miss. Okla. Wis. research universities. Ga. Mo. Ore. Wyo. • The National Association for Female Executives Ill. Mont. Pa. named the VCU Health System to the 2011 Ind. Neb. R.I. NAFE Top 50 Companies.

T imes T rademarks

Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a VCU does not use register mark, service mark or colon to separate hours from minutes. Example: 11 trademark symbols (®, ™, ©), except on merchan- a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m., 9-11 a.m., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. dise, but capitalizes the marked text according to AP style. Avoid redundancies such as 10 a.m. this morning, 10 p.m. tonight or 10 p.m. Monday night. Instead, U nderserved, underrepresented use 10 a.m. or 10 p.m. Monday, etc. No hyphens For formal invitations, the construction 4 o’clock is acceptable, but time listings with a.m. or p.m. are preferred. (Commencement invitations are U niversity Student Commons an exception.) Not Student Commons

U niversitywide, campuswide

No hyphens 12.16 E d i t o r i al st y l e

URLs Do not use http:// or https:// in URLs that do not require it. Academic As a best practice, the cleanest, shortest work- ing URL should be used in print pieces, websites On websites, use a hyperlink versus spelling out and on stationery. Most sites, including vcu.edu the URL in text. terms addresses no longer require the www (even if they appear on the landing page). As long as the URL U.S. works without www, http:// and https:// they can be removed. However, because some sites do still The abbreviation is acceptable as a noun or adjec- require these prefixes, the URL should be tested in tive for United States. multiple browsers (IE, Firefox and Chrome) before removing any part of the address. Web, website, webcam, webcast, webmaster

The same rule applies to suffixes such as /index. As a shortened form of World Wide Web, web is html, which appear in the browser bar but aren’t lowercase. Website, webcam, webcast and web- needed to access the site. master are also lowercase.

For example, http://www.ugrad.vcu.edu/why/ Web signature index.html can become ugrad.vcu.edu/why. In accordance with VCU’s Web Standards and If the website if part of a list and some URLs in the Guidelines, all VCU websites must include a sig- list require www and others don’t, include www in nature/footer block in order to provide consistent all entries for consistency. methods for visitors to contact the respective For print publications when the URL does not fit department and to notify visitors that the site is kept entirely on one line, break it into two or more lines up to date. View the required content outlined by without adding a hyphen or other punctuation VCU Technology Services at webstandards.vcu mark, and carry any punctuation in the URL to the .edu/compliance/content. second line. A single space follows all punctuation, including Example: periods and colons. • pubapps.vcu.edu/Bulletins/ Periods and commas are always placed inside /undergraduate/?did=20671 quotation marks; all other punctuation is placed outside quotation marks, unless part of the mate- The URL should always be the last item in a sen- rial is being quoted. tence. Example: To make a donation to the school, contact Troy Smith at (804) 555-5555, or make a gift online at support.vcu.edu. 12.17 E d i t o r i al st y l e

A mpersand Example: Punctuation Use the ampersand (&) only for formal company These conclusions led the alumni association to: names and composition titles. Always spell out and • Create an incentive for membership unless the ampersand is part of a formal name. • Plan a fall event for recent graduates Bulleted lists • Start a local chapter

In a bulleted list, the bullet takes the place of punc- Keep bulleted lists consistent. If some of the items tuation (such as commas or semicolons) between in a list are sentences, make all of them sentences items in a list. Don’t use any punctuation at the end and use appropriate ending punctuation. of bulleted items that are not sentences. Example: Example: Residence hall basics: Join the alumni association and receive the follow- • Residents must use their VCU ID cards to access ing benefits: the buildings. • Special invitations to all VCU sporting events • Computer labs, mail service, laundry facilities, • VCU’s alumni magazine lounges and basic furnishings for each room • Discounts on auto and home insurance are provided in all residence halls. • Free T-shirts for you and your family • Students living in the freshman halls must subscribe to a meal plan, except students There is also no need for a concluding period at the assigned to Gladding Residence Center III. end of a bulleted list, even when that list continues • All rooms are wired for internet access and a sentence. cable TV.

If some items begin with verbs, begin all items with verbs. In addition, always capitalize the first word of each bulleted item, whether it is a sen- tence, phrase or single word. 12.18 105 EDE d i I t T o O r R i I al st AL

ST y Y l L e E

C omma

In general, do not use the serial comma (the comma following the second-to-last item in a series). When the absence of a serial comma com- promises clarity or when the items are complex phrases, you may use the comma, even though it has not been used throughout the remaining text.

Place a comma after all dates that include the year. Example: According to her June 10, 2016, letter, Amy will be here in August.

Commas do not separate seasons and months (without dates) from their years. Example: The report will be released in August 2016.

Place a comma after all cities when followed by their states. Example: She talked to the Richmond, Virginia, reporter.

Do not use a comma before Jr. or Roman numerals that are part of the name.

Quotation marks

Use single quotation marks in headlines.

Quotation marks are not required in formats that identify questions and answers by Q: and A. 12.19 E d i t o r i al st y l e

A to Z index Resources atoz.vcu.edu AP Stylebook apstylebook.com/vcu_library

Social media socialmedia.vcu.edu

VCU Bulletins bulletin.vcu.edu

VCU Fact Card [PDF] opds.vcu.edu/media/decision-support/factandfigures/facts-cards /VF CU actCard2015-16_website.pdf

VCU Health identity brand.vcuhealth.org

VCU identity identity.vcu.edu

VCU Maps maps.vcu.edu

Web Standards and Guidelines webstandards.vcu.edu 12.20 E d i t o r i al st y l e

Brand Identity Office [email protected] Contacts identity.vcu.edu

Social Media Office [email protected] socialmedia.vcu.edu

Stationery [email protected] identity.vcu.edu/stationery

Trademarks and Licensing Office [email protected] bsv.vcu.edu/trademarks-and-licensing

University Relations [email protected] univrelations.vcu.edu

VCU Health Brand Identity Office [email protected] brand.vcuhealth.org