Style Guide

The University of Tampa Style Guide provides guidelines for writers on campus. The purpose is to help produce consistency throughout the University's publications and Web site.

The guidelines are based on the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, Webster's New World Dictionary, and local usage. In cases of conflict, The University of Tampa Style Guide supersedes the AP Stylebook and AP supersedes Webster's. Entries address questions that may commonly arise when writing about the University, such as building and place names and proper reference to various University entities. Please consult the AP Stylebook or Webster's Dictionary for further reference.

E-mail questions or comments to the Office of Public Information at publicinfo@ut.edu.

abbreviations and acronyms
In general, avoid alphabet soup. Do not use abbreviations or acronyms on first reference if the reader would not quickly recognize them. Some widely-used acronyms, such as ROTC or HTML, are acceptable on first reference. Refer to the AP Stylebook.

academic degrees
In text, use bachelor's degree or bachelor's rather than B.A. or B.S. ; master's degree or master's rather than M.A. or M.S. ; doctoral degree or doctorate rather than Ph.D . or Ed.D.: He has a bachelor's degree in English, a master's in translation, and a doctorate in comparative literature.

Use an apostrophe in bachelor's degree, a master's, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.

Use abbreviations such as B.A., M.A., LL.D., and Ph.D. only when the need to identify many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome.

academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, chairman, etc., when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere.

ACT, SAT
Do not spell out.

adviser
Not advisor, but don't change the spelling in formal titles of organization or offices.

alumna, alumnae (female); alumnus, alumni (male)
Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.

a.m., p.m.
Lowercase, with periods.

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science
A bachelor's degree or bachelor's is acceptable in any reference.

Board of Counselors
Use Counselors after first reference.

Board of Fellows
Use Fellows after first reference.

Board of Trustees
Use Trustees after first reference.

campus buildings
Follow the spelling listed on the campus map in the University telephone directory. Capitalize proper names of buildings and subunits of buildings and shortened forms based on proper names. Do not capitalize generic names of facilities or abbreviations based on generic names.

capitalization

committees, commissions and boards. Capitalize full, formal names of committees, commissions, task forces and advisory boards. Strive for consistency.
distinguished titles. Capitalize only proper names in titles of named and distinguished professorships and endowed chairs.
divisions and affiliates of the university. Capitalize the names of schools, academic departments and divisions of the university when writing them as they appear in the telephone directory. Lowercase the names that are flopped or shortened:

Department of English, English department

Office of Admissions, admissions office

Capitalize College on second reference to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or the College of Business. Avoid using College when there could be confusion about which College is intended. In such instances, use CLAS or COB on second reference.

chairman, chairwoman
Capitalize only as a formal title before a name: company Chairman John Doe, committee Chairwoman Jane Smith.

course numbers
Use Arabic numerals and capitalize the subject when used with a numeral: History 101, Philosophy 209 .

courtesy titles
Refer to both men and women by first and last name. Use the courtesy title only in direct quotations.

database
One word, in keeping with widespread usage. The collection of all data used and produced by a computer program.

days of the week
Capitalize them. Do not abbreviate, except when needed in tabular format: Sun, Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat (three letters, without periods, to facilitate tabular composition).

dean
Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name: Dean John Doe, Deans John Doe and Jane Smith. Lowercase in other uses: John Doe, dean of the college; the dean.

dean's list
Lowercase in all uses: He is on the dean's list. She is a dean's list student.

department
Department of History, history department, departments of English and history.

doctoral degree, doctorate
Doctoral is the adjective, doctorate the noun. Doctoral degree and doctorate are interchangeable. Do not use doctorate degree.

dormitory
Use residence halls, not dormitories.

e-mail
Short form of electronic mail.

emeritus
This word often is added to formal titles to denote that individuals who have retired retain their rank or title.

When used, place emeritus after the formal title, in keeping with general practice: Professor Emeritus John Do;, Dean Emeritus Jane Smith. Or: John Doe, professor emeritus; Jane Smith, dean emeritus.

FAQ
Acronym for frequently asked questions, a format often used to summarize information on the Internet. FAQ is acceptable for use on page titles. Spell it out in copy.

grade-point average, GPA
Use GPA on first reference when used with figures: a 2.5 GPA is required.

honorary degrees
All references to honorary degrees should specify that the degree was honorary.

Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual whose only doctorate is honorary.

international students
Not foreign students.

organizations and institutions
Capitalize the full name of organizations and institutions: the American Medical Association; First Presbyterian Church; General Motors Corp.; Harvard University.

percent
Spell out instead of using % sign.

p.m., a.m.
Lowercase, with periods.

Reserve Officers' Training Corps
The s' is military practice. ROTC is acceptable in all references.

When the service is specified, use Army ROTC, Navy ROTC or Air Force ROTC, not AROTC, NROTC or AFROTC .

SAT, ACT
Do not spell out.

Scarfone/Hartley Gallery
Formerly Scarfone/Hartley Galleries.

The University of Tampa
Use uppercase The when using full name. On second reference, UT or the University is acceptable.

UT
No periods. UT is acceptable on first reference in headlines or page titles, but The University of Tampa is preferable for first reference in copy.

verandah
Lowercase verandah. East Verandah and West Verandah are proper nouns and should be capitalized.

Web site
AP style. Also: World Wide Web, the Web, and Web page.

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