Sacred Heart University Style Guide
Table of Contents A ...... 7 acronyms ...... 7 adviser ...... 7 African-American ...... 7 alumnus, alumni, alumna alumnae ...... 7 a.m. and p.m...... 8 ampersand (&) ...... 8 apostle ...... 8 as ...... 8 B ...... 8 Bible, bible ...... 8 Big Red ...... 9 Black ...... 9 Blog ...... 9 Board of Trustees, board of trustees ...... 9 break names ...... 9 bullet points ...... 9 C ...... 10 Captions ...... 10 Catholic ...... 10 Catholic intellectual tradition ...... 10 class ...... 10 Chair (head of department or board) ...... 10 Chapel ...... 10 Chapter ...... 10 Class Notes ...... 10 co- ...... 11
1 commas ...... 11 commencement ...... 12 Communion ...... 12 Coursework ...... 12 D ...... 12 dashes—em and en ...... 12 em dash ...... 12 en dash ...... 13 Dates ...... 13 D.C...... 13 dean’s list ...... 13 Degrees ...... 14 departments ...... 14 directions (see also “regions”) ...... 14 dorm (see “residence hall”) ...... 15 dormitory (see “residence hall”) ...... 15 Dr...... 15 E ...... 15 ellipsis ...... 15 email ...... 16 emeriti ...... 16 F ...... 16 fax ...... 16 first-class, first class ...... 16 firsthand ...... 16 Fulbright scholar ...... 16 full-time, full time ...... 16 fundraiser, fundraising ...... 17 G ...... 17 God ...... 17 Golden Rule ...... 17
2 Gospel ...... 17 Graduation Year...... 18 H ...... 18 Headlines...... 18 Health care and healthcare ...... 18 heaven ...... 18 High school ...... 18 Holidays ...... 19 Holy Spirit (see “God”) ...... 20 Homecoming, homecoming ...... 20 home page (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 20 Hyphen (see also “dashes”) ...... 20 I ...... 21 Inc. (see also “commas”) ...... 21 Indention ...... 21 Initials ...... 21 Internet (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 21 J ...... 21 Jesus (see “God”) ...... 21 “Jr.” (see also “commas”) ...... 21 junior high ...... 22 K ...... 22 Kingdom, kingdom ...... 22 login, log in (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 22 logout, log out (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 22 Lord’s Supper, Lord’s Table (see also “Communion”) ...... 22 M ...... 23 maiden names (see “alumni”)...... 23 majors and minors ...... 23 Meter ...... 23 mindset ...... 23
3 minors (see “majors and minors”) ...... 23 months ...... 23 movies (see “titles”) ...... 23 music (see “titles”) ...... 23 N ...... 23 newspapers (see “titles”) ...... 23 non- (see also “prefixes”) ...... 24 nonprofit ...... 24 numerals ...... 24 O ...... 25 off-campus, off campus ...... 25 on-campus, on campus ...... 25 ordinal numbers ...... 25 P ...... 25 page number ...... 25 part-time, part time ...... 26 percent (%) ...... 26 periodicals (see “titles”) ...... 26 phonathon ...... 26 phone numbers ...... 26 plays (see “titles”) ...... 27 p.m. (see also “a.m.”) ...... 27 post- (see also “prefixes”) ...... 27 PowerPoint ...... 27 pre- (see also “prefixes”) ...... 28 prefixes (see also “co-,” “non-,” “post-,” and “pre-”) ...... 28 The Princeton Review ...... 28 program ...... 28 Q ...... 28 quick link (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 28 quotation marks ...... 28
4 R ...... 29 radio programs (see “titles”) ...... 29 regions (see “directions”) ...... 29 registered trademarks ...... 29 residence hall ...... 29 résumé ...... 29 room ...... 29 Ryan Matura Library ...... 29 S ...... 30 schools ...... 30 scriptural ...... 30 Scripture ...... 30 seasons ...... 30 semester ...... 30 SHU ...... 30 smartphone ...... 30 soft link (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 30 spacing ...... 31 “Sr.” (see also “commas) ...... 31 states (see also “commas”) ...... 31 student organizations ...... 31 T ...... 31 Theatre ...... 31 time ...... 31 timeline ...... 32 titles ...... 32 toll-free ...... 32 T-shirt ...... 33 U ...... 33 under way ...... 33 University, university ...... 33
5 username ...... 33 U.S. News & World Report ...... 33 V ...... 33 vita/vitae ...... 33 W ...... 33 Web (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 34 Web page (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 34 website (see also “World Wide Web”) ...... 34 World Wide Web ...... 34 X ...... 34 Y ...... 34 years ...... 34 Z ...... 35 ZIP code ...... 35 Appendix A ...... 35 Buildings and Sites ...... 35
6 A
acronyms Do not use periods with acronyms that use only initials.
Example: Jonah is raising money for the AHA.
Please note: Some academic degrees are the only exception. See “degrees” for complete information.
The first time that an organization, company etc., is mentioned in a document, spell out the full name and follow it with the acronym in parentheses. Use the acronym in the rest of the document. If the organization, etc., is used only once in a document, do not follow the name with the acronym in parentheses.
Example: Jonah is raising money for the American Heart Association (AHA). The AHA is a cause that is near and dear to him.
adviser Not “advisor”
African-American Example: Susan Jones is African-American.
Example: Sacred Heart University has scholarships and programs for African-American students.
alumnus, alumni, alumna alumnae alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who graduated. Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for reference to a woman. Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.
Follow the first mention of the names of alumni with a two-digit class year. Precede the year with an apostrophe, not a left single quotation mark.
Example: Kelly Leather ’10
Incorrect: Kelly Leather ‘10
7 Use parentheses around alumnae’s maiden names. Only use maiden name in the first reference.
Example: Kelly (Leather) Jones ’10 a.m. and p.m. Lowercase both letters. Use periods between letters. Do not use double zeros. Do not use “12 midnight” or “12 noon.” Instead use noon or midnight.
Example: Trent went to the library at 5:30 p.m.
Example: The holiday party begins at 8 p.m.
Incorrect: Julie needs to catch the shuttle at 9 AM.
Incorrect: The concert begins at 3:00 pm. ampersand (&) Do not use an ampersand (&) instead of the word “and” unless referring to an official name that contains an ampersand. Ampersand is used in most official University building, school and college titles. For example, Jack Welch College of Business & Technology, School of Computer Science & Engineering, etc. annual An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held at least two successive years. Do not use “first annual.” Instead, note that sponsors plan to hold the event annually. apostle Lowercase “apostle” when it precedes a person’s name. as If the phrase “has been named as” or “has been appointed as” is used, remove the word “as.”
B
Bible, bible Capitalize “Bible” when it refers to the Word of God. Lowercase “bible” otherwise.
8 Example: We will read from the Bible at the service.
Example: My dad calls Consumer Reports his bible for cars.
Bible verses use cardinal numbers, not Roman numerals.
Example: Katie read 2 Corinthians last night.
Incorrect: Katie read II Corinthians last night.
Big Red Sacred Heart University mascot
Black Capitalize the “b” in the term Black when referring to people in a racial, ethnic or cultural context.
Blog Italicize the title of a blog
Board of Trustees, board of trustees Lowercase “board of trustees” unless it is preceded by “Sacred Heart University.”
Example: The board of trustees will meet at 3 p.m.
Example: The Sacred Heart University Board of Trustees will meet at 3 p.m. break names Lowercase generic break names, but capitalize proper nouns.
Examples: spring break, fall break, Christmas break, Easter break bullet points As stand-alone sentences, capitalize the first word and end with a period. As phrases, capitalize the first word and end without a period. In all cases, retain consistent capitalization and ending punctuation. Do not use semicolons at the end of bullet points. Do not begin the last bullet point with the word “and.”
9 C
Captions Do not use a period if the caption is not a complete sentence
Catholic Use initial cap when referring to the religion.
Catholic intellectual tradition Lowercase both “intellectual” and “tradition” when using this phrase. class Lowercase “class.”
Example: The class of 2000 will hold a special event at homecoming.
Example: Planning for the 2000 class reunion is under way.
Chair (head of department or board) Use “chair,” not “chairman,” “chairwoman,” or “chairperson.”
Chapel Capitalize “chapel” when used with a proper name.
Example: The service is in the Chapel of the Holy Spirit.
Chapter Capitalize “Chapter” when used with a number. Use lowercase when it stands alone.
Example: The information is in Chapter 16.
Example: I just want to finish this chapter.
Class Notes
10 Refer to person by last name only in second mention, but try to avoid by using pronoun (he/she).
co- Use a hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status. Do not use a hyphen in other combinations.
Examples: co-author, co-curricular, co-owner, co-partner, co-sponsor, co-worker
Examples: coed, coeducation, cooperate, coexist, coordinate
(Cooperate, coordinate and similar words are exceptions to the rule that a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel.)
commas Sacred Heart style is not to use a serial (Oxford) comma before the conjunction in a series.
Example: The flag is red, white and blue.
Incorrect: The flag is red, white, and blue.
Exception: Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction: I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast.
Commas should always be inside quotations marks.
Example: Her nicknames were “Jess,” “Jessie,” “Joss” and “Jinx.”
Incorrect: Her nicknames were “Jess”, “Jessie”, “Joss” and Jinx”.
With city and state names, use commas around the state.
Example: I love Boston, Mass., and the Red Sox.
With state/region/province and country names, use commas around the country.
Example: Michael visited Montreal, Canada, for business.
With country and continent names, use commas around the continent.
Example: Hannah went to Kenya, Africa, on a mission trip.
With “Washington, D.C.,” use commas around “D.C.”
11 With dates, set off the year with commas.
Example: He became a citizen on July 11, 2004, after much study.
Use commas around “Jr.” and “Sr.”
Examples: We want to invite John Smith, Jr., to lunch.
Use commas around “Inc.”
Example: We have a new program with Horizons, Inc., and we are very excited. commencement Capitalize “Commencement” when preceded or followed by a year or number, and when it refers to SHU
Example: Barb attended Commencement 2012.
Example: President Clinton spoke at Sacred Heart’s 50th Commencement.
Example: Jackie Robinson received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at Commencement
Communion Capitalize “Communion” when referring to the Lord’s Supper.
Coursework This is one word, not two.
D dashes—em and en em dash Use an em dash to indicate a break in thought or to separate an idea or phrase in a sentence. There should be NO spaces on both sides of an em dash.
Note: Do not use a single or double hyphen in place of an em dash.
Example: The concert–held on the green–was a lot of fun.
12 Incorrect: The concert--held on the green--was a lot of fun.
Incorrect: The concert-held on the green-was a lot of fun.
Use an em dash followed by a space for the source of a quote.
Example: “Sacred Heart is a wonderful school.” — Sarah Jones ’15
Incorrect: “Sacred Heart is a wonderful school.” -- Katie Jones ’04
en dash Use an en dash to indicate sequential order. Do not use spaces on either side of an en dash.
Note: Do not use a single or double hyphen in place of an en dash.
Examples: May 14–15, 100–200 undergrads, 3–5:30 p.m., 2012–13
Incorrect: May 14-15, 3 – 5:30 p.m.
Dates Use cardinal numbers in dates (Jan. 1, 2, 3), not ordinal numbers (Jan. 1st, 2nd, 3rd).
When listing a specific date, abbreviate the month [LB1] (except March, April, May, June and July). If the event has yet to take place, include the day, spelled out.
Example: The concert will take place Friday, Sept. 12.
Example: The team won the NEC championship Nov. 29.
Incorrect: The concert will take place September 12.
Use the following formats when indicating sequential years:
Examples: 2012–13, 2012–2013
Incorrect: ’06–’07, 2007/2008, 07/08
D.C. Use commas around “D.C.”
dean’s list Lowercase both words.
13 Degrees Capitalize the official names of degrees but not the specific disciplines, unless the discipline is a proper noun. Lowercase general references to degrees.
Example: Bachelor of Arts in communication
Example: Bachelor of Arts in English
Example: Bachelor of Arts in journalism
Examples: bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, doctorate
Most Preferred: master’s degree of or bachelor’s degree of
Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree, but not associate or doctorate.
In general, Sacred Heart style is not to use the official name of degrees unless it is part of the degree name.
Examples: bachelor’s degree in journalism, master’s degree in business administration, doctorate in philosophy
Use periods but not spaces between abbreviations of degrees.
Examples: B.A., B.S., B.S.N., M.Ed., Ph.D.
departments Do not capitalize the names of departments or the word department.
Example: The department of psychology met today.
Example: The psychology department met today.
Example: She has the longest tenure in her department.
directions (see also “regions”) In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, southeast, southern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Capitalize these words when they designate regions.
Example: The winter storm is heading east.
Example: Jen had car trouble while driving north.
14 Example: Sacred Heart University is a Catholic school in the Northeast.
Example: A thunderstorm is moving along the East Coast.
Example: As a Northerner, Kurt sometimes had trouble understanding Blake’s thick Southern accent.
Lowercase compass points when they describe a section of a state or city.
Examples: western Texas, southern Atlanta
Capitalize compass points when they are part of a proper name.
Examples: North Carolina, West Virginia
Capitalize compass points when denoting widely known sections. If in doubt, use lowercase.
Example: Southern California
Example: the South Side of Chicago
Example: the Lower East Side of New York dorm (see “residence hall”) dormitory (see “residence hall”)
Dr. We do not use “Dr.” We may occasionally use Ph.D., Ed.D., etc., but in general we will use titles—president, professor of philosophy, etc.
E ellipsis Treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, with spaces before and after but not in between.
Example: Funda ordered a hot chocolate ... with extra whipped cream.
Incorrect: Funda ordered hot chocolate . . . with extra whipped cream.
Incorrect: Heather ordered a hot chocolate...with extra whipped cream.
15 To type an ellipsis that won’t split at the end of lines, press Ctrl, Alt and period.
email Lowercase “email.” Do not hyphenate.
emeriti This refers to someone who has retired from a position but maintains an honorary title. emeritus—male retiree emerita—female retiree emeritae—more than one female retiree emeriti—more than one male retiree or a group of male and female retirees
F
fax This term is acceptable as a short version of facsimile or facsimile machine in all references.
first-class, first class Hyphenate when used as a compound adjective.
Example: Jessie bought a first-class ticket.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: Jessie flew first class.
firsthand This is one word, not two.
Fulbright scholar Capitalize only “Fulbright.”
full-time, full time
16 Hyphenate when used as a compound adjective.
Example: Bill has a full-time job.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: Bill works full time.
fundraiser, fundraising These are both one word, not two. They are not hyphenated
G
God Capitalize any pronouns referring to God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Note: This is an exception to AP’s style of using lowercase pronouns.
Example: The Lord has shown His grace to us.
Capitalize nouns used in place of God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit.
Example: The Creator made us on day six.
Lowercase references to false gods.
Example: A movement to worship ancient gods and goddesses is growing in society today.
Golden Rule Capitalize both words.
Gospel Capitalize “Gospel” when referring to any of the first four books of the New Testament.
Example: Michael read through the Gospels this summer.
Example: The Gospel of Matthew is Deb’s favorite book of the Bible.
Capitalize “Gospel” when used as a noun referring to the “good news” of the Christian faith.
17 Example: Nicole went on a mission trip to share the Gospel with the people of Kenya.
Lowercase “gospel” when referring to gospel music.
Example: Amy is a talented gospel singer.
Lowercase “gospel” when referring to a gospel other than Christ’s.
Graduation Year If one student is mentioned in an article with a grad year, keep as is. If multiple students are mentioned but not all have grad years listed, delete from all.
H
Headlines Capitalize the first word and all nouns, adjectives and adverbs in a headline.
Lowercase articles (a, an, the); coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, nor, for, so, yet); and prepositions with four letters or fewer.
Example: Visitors to Arrive from Around the World
Example: A Celebrated Speaker Comes to Campus
Remove “Sacred Heart University,” “Sacred Heart” or “SHU” from existing headlines wherever possible for internal publications. (This also applies to opening paragraphs.)
Health care and healthcare Usually, our style—and AP’s—is to make this two words. The exception is when healthcare is one word in the name of a program, company or building. heaven Lowercase “heaven.”
High school Lowercase both words unless used with the official name of a school.
Do not hyphenate. (compound adjectives, like “high-school math,” for example?)
18 Holidays Capitalize the names of holidays.
The list below indicates the correct spelling, punctuation and capitalization of holidays and special days:
• April Fools’ Day • Armed Forces Day • Ash Wednesday • Christmas Day* • Christmas Eve • Columbus Day* • Easter (or Easter Sunday) • Election Day • Flag Day • Father’s Day • Good Friday • Grandparents’ Day • Groundhog Day • Hanukkah • Halloween • Holy Week • Inauguration Day • Independence Day* • Kwanzaa • Labor Day* • Lent • Martin Luther King, Jr., Day* • Memorial Day* • Mother’s Day • New Year’s Day* • New Year’s Eve • Palm Sunday • Passover • Presidents Day • Purim • St. Patrick’s Day
19 • Thanksgiving Day* • Valentine’s Day • Veterans Day* • Washington’s Birthday*
* Indicates federal holidays
Holy Spirit (see “God”)
Homecoming, homecoming Capitalize “Homecoming” when preceded or followed by a year.
Lowercase “homecoming” when used without a year.
Example: Emily made plans to attend Homecoming 2013.
Example: The 2013 Homecoming was a big success.
Example: Emily makes an annual trip to Sacred Heart for homecoming.
home page (see also “World Wide Web”) Lowercase “home page.”
This is two words.
Hyphen (see also “dashes”) Use a hyphen when ambiguity would result if it were omitted.
Example: He re-covered the leaky roof.
Use a hyphen when a compound modifier (two or more words that express a single concept) precedes a noun. However, do not use a hyphen with the adverb “very” or with any adverbs that end in “-ly.”
Example: bluish-green eyes
Example: a well-known professor
Example: a very enjoyable event
Example: an extremely enjoyable event
20 Incorrect: a very-enjoyable evening
Incorrect: an easily-remembered date
I
Inc. (see also “commas”) Use commas around “Inc.”
Capitalize when part of a proper noun.
Indention Indent the first line of text of paragraphs, including the first paragraph, unless there is a space between paragraphs.
Do not indent stand-alone paragraphs.
Sacred Heart style leans toward putting a space between paragraphs rather than indenting.
Indigenous
Capitalize Indigenous in reference to original inhabitants of a place.
Initials Do not use a space between names with two adjacent initials.
Example: T.S. Eliot is my favorite poet.
Incorrect: T. S. Eliot is my favorite poet.
Internet (see also “World Wide Web”) Capitalize “Internet.”
J
Jesus (see “God”)
“Jr.” (see also “commas”)
21 Use commas around “Jr.”
Capitalize “Jr.” when used with a full name. junior high Lowercase both words unless used with the official name of a school.
Do not hyphenate. (compound adjective?)
K
Kingdom, kingdom Capitalize “Kingdom” when it is used in the context of Christian faith.
Example: The Kingdom of God is near.
Lowercase “kingdom” when it refers to something else.
Example: He offered his kingdom for a glass of water. login, log in (see also “World Wide Web”) This is one word when used as an adjective.
Example: At Sacred Heart, login codes are changed regularly.
This is two words when used as a verb.
Example: I log in as soon as I get to the office. logout, log out (see also “World Wide Web”) This is one word when used as an adjective.
Example: At Sacred Heart, we do not use logout codes.
This is two words when used as a verb.
Example: I log out each evening before leaving the office.
Lord’s Supper, Lord’s Table (see also “Communion”)
22 Capitalize both words when referring to Communion.
M
maiden names (see “alumni”)
majors and minors Lowercase generic names of majors and minors, but capitalize proper nouns.
Example: Katie majored in history.
Example: Claire majored in Spanish.
Example: Gianluca minored in ecology.
Example: Annie minored in Greek.
Meter Abbreviate as m and seconds as s
mindset One word, not two.
minors (see “majors and minors”)
months Spell out the names of months. Do not abbreviate them.
Note: It is acceptable to abbreviate the names of months in tables, charts, or graphs.
movies (see “titles”) music (see “titles”)
N
newspapers (see “titles”)
23 non- (see also “prefixes”) In general, do not use a hyphen when forming a compound that does not have special meaning and can be understood if not used before the base word.
Examples: nonfat, nongovernment, nontechnical
However, use a hyphen before proper nouns or in awkward combinations.
Examples: non-Christian, non-discriminatory, non-nuclear
nonprofit Do not hyphenate in text or in an indicia, which is the preprinted text on mail that indicates the sender has paid the postage.
Example: Many Sacred Heart students volunteer for nonprofit organizations.
numerals Spell out numerals zero through nine.
Example: I have two children.
Use figures for numerals 10 and greater.
Example: There are nine children in Caleb’s class and 15 in Jessica’s.
Use numerals for ages, scores and percentages.
Example: Jennifer is 27 years old, and her son is 5.
Example: The Pioneers won the hockey championship with a score of 8-6.
Example: Students comprised more than 65 percent of the audience.
Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun. However, do not use hyphens when the ages follow the noun.
Example: Emily had a tea party for 7-year-old girls.
Example: Amelia is 6 years old.
When a sentence begins with a numeral, spell it out or rewrite the sentence to avoid the situation. Rewriting is the preferred treatment.
24 Example: Five hundred students attended late-night breakfast.
Preferred Example: The late-night breakfast attracted 500 students.
Note: It is acceptable to use figures for all numerals (including zero through nine) in statistical contexts, such as tables, charts or graphs.
O
off-campus, off campus Hyphenate when used as an adjective.
Example: Sacred Heart offers transportation to off-campus events.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: Sacred Heart arranged transportation to the dance, which took place off campus.
on-campus, on campus Hyphenate when used as an adjective.
Example: The Young Democrats will have monthly on-campus meetings featuring guest speakers.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: Art students will exhibit their work on campus at the end of the semester.
ordinal numbers Do not use superscript with ordinal numbers (21st, not 21st)
P
page number Capitalize “Page” when used with a number.
Example: See Page 2 for the Table of Contents.
25 Lowercase “page” when used without a number.
Example: Some people read the last page before they start a new book.
Note: It is acceptable to abbreviate page references in statistical contexts, such as tables, charts, or graphs. If an abbreviation is necessary, use “p.” (for a singe page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages). Include a space between the abbreviation and the number.
Note: Only use the abbreviation when a number is included. part-time, part time Hyphenate when used as an adjective.
Example: Hannah has a part-time job in communications.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: Hannah works part time. percent (%) Use a % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases. This is a change from 2019.
Example: Average hourly pay rose 3.1% from a year ago; her mortgage rate is 4.75%; about 60% of Americans agreed; he won 56.2% of the vote.
Example: Use figures 1%, 4 percentage points periodicals (see “titles”) phonathon Always lowercase without hyphens phone numbers Use hyphens between numbers.
Example: 555-555-5555
Do not use parentheses, slashes, periods, etc.
26 Incorrect: (555) 555-5555, 555/555-5555, 555.555.5555
Do not use a “1” before phone numbers even if they are long distance.
Incorrect: 1-555-555-5555
If a word is part of the phone number, set it in all caps and separate multiple words with hyphens. In most cases, put the equivalent numerals in parentheses after the full number.
Example: 555-PIONEER (746-6337)
plays (see “titles”)
p.m. (see also “a.m.”) Lowercase both letters.
Use periods between letters.
Do not use double zeros.
Do not use 12 noon or 12 midnight. Instead, use noon or midnight.
Example: Jo’s last class ends at 9 p.m.
Example: I met Carlos for dinner at 7:30 p.m.
Incorrect: Reese scheduled a haircut at 5 PM.
Incorrect: Reese scheduled a massage at 6:30 pm.
Incorrect: Reese left the spa at 7:00 pm.
post- (see also “prefixes”) In general, do not use a hyphen when the word that follows the prefix starts with a consonant.
Examples: postdate, postdoctoral, postgraduate, postscript, postwar
Otherwise, follow Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and use a hyphen if the word is not listed there.
Examples: post-bellum, post-mortem, post-college
PowerPoint
27 One word. Capitalize both P’s. pre- (see also “prefixes”) In general, use a hyphen if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows starts with the same vowel.
Examples: pre-election, pre-establish, pre-exist
Otherwise, follow Merriam–Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, and use a hyphen if the word is not listed there.
Examples: prearrange, predate, prejudge, premarital, pretest, prewar, pre-convention, pre-college prefixes (see also “co-,” “non-,” “post-,” and “pre-”) In general, do not hyphenate when the word that follows the prefix starts with a consonant.
Hyphenate words if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel. Two exceptions are cooperate and coordinate.
Hyphenate if the word that follows is capitalized.
Hyphenate to join doubled prefixes: sub-subparagraph.
The Princeton Review Italicize the name of this publication. program Lowercase “program” when referring to a SHU program.
Lowercase name of program
Q quick link (see also “World Wide Web”) Two words. Lowercase both words. quotation marks
28 Use smart quotes
R radio programs (see “titles”) regions (see “directions”) registered trademarks Do not use the registered trademark symbol (®), but do capitalize the first letter of the word.
Example: Kathy bought two boxes of Kleenex.
Example: Sheila made copies on a Xerox.
Nancy ate a bowl of Cheerios for breakfast, but Deb had Diet Coke. residence hall Use “residence hall,” not “dorm” or “dormitory.” résumé Include the accent over the letter e in both instances.
Note: Do not confuse this reference with the verb “resume,” meaning to “start again.” room Capitalize “Room” when used with a number.
Lowercase “room” when used without a number.
Example: This class is offered in Room 24.
Example: Meet me in the room at the end of the hall.
Ryan Matura Library Do not use a hyphen between Ryan and Matura.
29 S schools Capitalize the names of Sacred Heart’s schools.
Examples: Sacred Heart recently opened its new School of Computer Science & Engineering. scriptural Lowercase “scriptural.”
Scripture Capitalize Scripture when referring to the Bible.
Example: Father Jerry chooses the Scripture for prayer meeting discussions. seasons Lowercase the names of seasons (spring, summer, fall, winter).
Example: Deb’s favorite season is fall. semester Lowercase “semester.”
Example: The students were excited to return for fall semester.
SHU Use the article “a” before “SHU” – it is pronounced like “shoe” when read aloud. smartphone This is one word, not two. soft link (see also “World Wide Web”) This is two words, not one.
30 spacing Use only one space (not two) between sentences.
Use only one space (not two) before zip codes.
“Sr.” (see also “commas) Use commas around “Sr.”
Capitalize when used with a full name.
states (see also “commas”) Use full names of U.S. states when they stand alone.
Example: I am going to Massachusetts for my vacation.
When used with a city, use the standard abbreviation rather than the postal abbreviation.
Example: I am going to Boston, Mass., to see the Red Sox.
With city and state names, use commas around the state abbreviation (see example above).
Do not use “Connecticut,” “Conn.” or “CT” with towns in this state.
student organizations Capitalize the official names of student organizations at Sacred Heart.
Example: The Accounting Club is conducting a fundraiser this weekend.
Example: The Chess Club is looking for new members.
Example: The Green SHUs are sponsoring a lecture on Friday.
T
Theatre Not theater
time
31 Our style is 8 p.m., 12:30 a.m.
No zeroes; lowercase with periods for a.m. and p.m. We use noon and midnight rather than 12 p.m. or 12 a.m.
timeline This is one word, not two.
titles For position titles, lowercase a title when it follows a person’s name.
Example: John J. Petillo, president of Sacred Heart University, introduced the guest speaker.
Capitalize a title when it precedes a person’s name.
Example: On Monday, University President John J. Petillo will make an announcement.
Do not capitalize the title when no name is mentioned.
Example: The president is popular with the students.
Note: After the first reference, use the last name except in extremely informal documents.
Italicize the proper titles of books, magazines, periodicals, movies, plays, songs, television programs, radio programs and works of art.
In paragraphs of text, italicize the titles of major works of music, but do not italicize the individual movements/sections of the work.
Use quotation marks around titles of articles, speeches, sermons, television episodes, radio episodes and lectures.
toll-free Hyphenate when used as an adjective.
Example: Use the toll-free number.
Do not hyphenate when used as a noun.
Example: You can call that number toll free.
32 T-shirt Example: Sacred Heart has a student-run T-shirt business.
U under way Two words in virtually all uses.
Example: The meeting is already under way.
Example: Plans for homecoming are under way.
University, university Capitalize University when referring to Sacred Heart University.
Lowercase university when referring to universities in general.
Example: The University is sponsoring a series on mass tragedies.
Example: Many universities offer overnight orientation for freshmen. username This is one word, not two.
U.S. News & World Report Italicize the name of this publication.
Note: Do not use a space between “U.S.” and “News.”
V vita/vitae These terms refer to a listing of one’s academic and professional accomplishments.
Vita is the singular form. Vitae is the plural form.
W
33 Web (see also “World Wide Web”) Uppercase Web.
Web page (see also “World Wide Web”) Capitalize Web and use two words. website (see also “World Wide Web”) Lowercase website and use one word.
Lowercase all letters in a website address.
World Wide Web The following are words related to the web:
• email • home page • Internet • log in (when used as a verb) • login (when used as an adjective) • log out (when used as a verb) • logout (when used as an adjective) • quick link • soft link • Web • Web page • website • World Wide Web
X
Y years Use the following formats when indicating sequential years:
Examples: 2012–13, 2012–2013
34 Incorrect: ’12–’13, 2012/2013, 12/13
When referring to decades, use an apostrophe in front to indicate numerals that are left out. Do not use an apostrophe between the year and “s.”
Examples: 1980s, ’90s
Incorrect: 1980’s, 90s, 90’s
Z
ZIP code Capitalize ZIP (Zoning Improvement Plan) but always lowercase code.
In an address, precede the zip code with one space, not two.
Appendix A Refer to this appendix for the official names and spellings of buildings and sites, departments, divisions, offices, schools and departments, and student organizations at Sacred Heart University.
Buildings and Sites
• 63’s (dining hall) • Augustine Hall • Aquinas Hall • Avila Hall • Bergoglio Hall • Bobby Valentine Health & Recreation Center • Campus Field • Campus Information Center • Center for Healthcare Education • Chapel of the Holy Spirit • Christian Witness Commons • Curtis Hall • Elie Wiesel Hall (Wiesel Hall) • Edgerton Center for the Performing Arts • Frank and Marisa Martire Center for the Liberal Arts
35 • Frances Xavier Cabrini Hall (Cabrini Hall) • Giorgio Frassati Hall (Frassati Hall) • Griswold Location • Hawley Lounge • IDEA Lab • iHub powered by Verizon • JP’s Diner • Linda E. McMahon Commons • Linda’s (dining hall) • Luxembourg Campus • Main Academic Building • Martire Family Arena • Melady Hall • Merton Hall • Newman Hall • Oakwood Apartments • Outtakes • Pioneer Park • Pioneer Village • Public Safety • Red’s (pub) • Thea Bowman Hall (Bowman Hall) • Thea’s Abbey • The Ridge • Roncalli Hall • Ryan Matura Library • Schine Auditorium • Scholars Commons • Seton Hall • SHU Community Theatre • SHU in Dingle • Teresa of Calcutta Hall (Mother Teresa Hall) • Toussaint Hall • The Factory (computer support) • Naclerio Commons • Naclerio Commons Auditorium • West Campus
36 • WHRT (student radio station) • William Pitt Athletic & Convocation Center • WSHU Public Radio Station
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