WEB ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY STYLE GUIDE

WEB ANTIOCH UNIVERSITY STYLE GUIDE

This document is an editorial style guide designed to help you develop consistent, accurate, and appropriate content for the Antioch University website. It provides a set of relevant guidelines on revolving issues of style and usage frequently encountered in higher-education web content. In addition, these guidelines will help you develop a more relevant and functional user experience for time-pressed users, while upholding the Antioch University brand and advancing multi-channel communication. The guidelines in this document have been assembled from a variety of resources and recommendations: The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition The Yahoo! Style Guide The Associated Press Stylebook This is one of three University Style Guides: Antioch University Style Guide - Print Antioch University Style Guide - Web Antioch University Style Guide - Social Media The most current version of each style guide can be found on the Antioch University website: www.antioch.edu where they are located on the Communications Department Resources page. The guidelines set forth in this document are the result of careful consideration and planning, and, as such, are binding. Any requested changes to these standards must be addressed in advance. For further information please contact: Lynda Sirk Director of University Communications Antioch University lsirk@antioch.edu 937.769.1222 desk 614.394.4070 cell

Antioch University Web Style Guide 3 CONTENTS Global References Message Architecture Brand Atributes Communication Goals Abbreviations Alumna, Alumnae, Alumni, Alumnus AU Names Bulleted Lists Capitalization Colons Commas Dashes Directional Language Eliminating Gender-Specific Pronouns Grade Point Average Numbers Online Navigation Phone Numbers Spelling of Specific Words Tables Time of Day Title Case Titles of People Voice & Tone Web Writing Guidelines Editorial Style for Inline Links University Pantone Colors University CMYK Colors University RGB Colors Incorrect Wordmark Usage E-mail Signature Format 4. 4. 4. 5. 6. 6 6 7.. 7 8. 9. 9 10 10.. 10. 11 12 12 12 13 14 14 14 14 17 18 21 22 23 24 25

Antioch University Web Style Guide 4 Global References: When questions of style arise that this guide does not address, consult these reference works: For style and usage: The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th edition For spelling: Merriam-Webster s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition Message Architecture The message architecture is a prioritized list of strategic brand attributes that influence tactical decisions in content development and interaction across the site. We couple these attributes with communication goals to drive tactical decisions in content and the organization and presentation of information. Brand Attributes Student Centered - Offers an exceptional level of individual interaction with experienced faculty based on students wants and needs - Values the complete lives led by adult learners - Recognizes knowledge and abilities gained outside the classroom by awarding adult learners credit for life experience. - Provides a thorough yet flexible education that allows students to maintain active personal lives while obtaining their degree.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 5 Empowering and Valuable - Affords an academically rigorous yet practical education that results in a successful career post graduation. - Employs faculty who teach from experience as practitioners in their field and who help students learn by putting theory into practice. - Provides an education experience that exceeds students expectations. Community-Minded - Encourages the development of socially responsible individuals committed to the common good. Pioneering and Resourceful - Cultivates innovative, inspired leaders and change agents in an array of disciplines who affect their local communities. Welcoming - Brings together students and faculty of varied cultures, backgrounds, and lifestyles who offer a stimulating range of diverse perspectives. - Offers a strong sense of community and shared experience. These attributes helped to drive the choices subsequently detailed in this document. Communication Goals Improves findability, usability, and navigation. Increase website usefulness for all audiences, including the clarification of processes such as those related to applications, admissions, and financial aid. Increase user engagement through compelling, timely content. Create a shared Antioch University web experience that also supports the unique cultures of each campus. Build and support an online community by promoting interaction among students and faculty. To explain the Antioch story through the voices and stories of students, faculty, and alumni.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 6 Abbreviations Follow these guidelines: Abbreviations of degrees do not have periods. BA, BS, MA, MBA, PhD Acronyms for names of centers, buildings, organizations, forms, and so on are spelled without periods. Spell out acronyms the first time you use them on a page or in a section, followed by the acronym in parentheses. Use only the acronym in subsequent uses. The exhibit will be on display at the Clark Memorial Union (CMU) from March 1 through April 30. In running text, use the two-letter state abbreviation only with a full address. He goes to school in Seattle, Washington. Not: He goes to school in Seattle, WA. Alumna, alumnae, alumni, alumnus Alumnus is the singular, masculine form, and alumna is the singular, feminine form. Alumnae is the plural for a group of graduates or former students comprised only of women. Alumni is the plural for a group of graduates or former students comprised either of men only or of both men and women. AU Names In page copy, spell out the complete name the first time you mention it, with the abbreviation in parentheses. Here are the approved names and abbreviations for Antioch University and its campuses Antioch University AU Antioch University Los Angeles AU Los Angeles AULA Antioch University Midwest AU Midwest AUM Antioch University New England AU New England AUNE

Antioch University Web Style Guide 7 AU Names (Cont d.) Antioch University Santa Barbara AU Santa Barbara AUSB Antioch University Seattle AU Seattle AUS Bulleted Lists Introduce bulleted lists with either a complete grammatical sentence or a sentence fragment, followed by a colon. Capitalize the first word of each bulleted item, and use end punctuation only if the items in the list are complete sentences. Don t use end punctuation if the items complete a sentence fragment that introduces the list unless each item could stand on its own as a sentence (see the second example below). Avoid long, narrow lists by arranging short items into two or more columns. Your application should include these documents: A completed application form Three letters of recommendation An official transcript To receive extra credit, you can: Write an extra paper. Conduct an interview. Give an extra presentation. Capitalization Follow these guidelines: Capitalize academic titles only when used as part of a name. Professor Murakami; the professor; professor of American history

Antioch University Web Style Guide 8 Capitalization (Cont d.) Capitalize the full names of schools, departments, programs, buildings, centers, offices, and so on; unofficial or generic names should not be capitalized. When the word the precedes a name, do not capitalize it in running text, even when part of the official name. the Center for Creative Change; the center the Department of History; the history department; the department the Latin American Studies Program; the program Capitalize official course names, with or without the course number. When referring to a subject in general, use lowercase. Physics 101 biology class The English department will be offering a new class, Modern British Literature. Capitalize the subject of a degree when it follows the abbreviation or spelled out version of the degree type (bachelor of arts, etc). She earned a BA in Communication. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication. but: She has a bachelor s degree in communication. Colon, Capitalization After Capitalize the text following a colon only if it constitutes a grammatically complete sentence. The implications of her speech were clear: It was time for decisive action. Colon, Introducing a Series With When using a colon to introduce a series or a list in running text, make sure the words that introduce the series or list constitute a grammatically complete sentence. You must take these required prerequisites: biology, chemistry, and calculus. or: The required prerequisites include biology, chemistry, and calculus. not: The required prerequisites include: biology, chemistry, and calculus. Note: You may, however, use a colon after a sentence fragment when introducing a bulleted or numbered list. (See the entry in this document for Bulleted Lists.)

Antioch University Web Style Guide 9 Comma After Introductory Elements Use a comma to separate an introductory phrase or clause from the main clause. You may omit the comma after short introductory phrases if no misreading will result. On Wednesday we will meet in the lab. Before presenting, the speakers met in the library. After break we discussed our reading. After returning from break, we discussed our reading. Commas in Series Place a comma before the coordinating conjunction used to join the items in a series. Remember to bring your calculator, notes, and textbook. Commas With Too Use commas to set off too only when emphasizing a sudden change of thought. Dashes She didn t know what classes she wanted to take, but then, too, she hadn t even read through the course listings. He enjoys studying not only science but literature too. I too enjoy studying science and literature. For the standard dash, use an em dash ( ) rather than two hyphens (--). Use an en dash ( ) for inclusive numbers. Neither dash should be preceded or followed by a space. Em dash: The new performing arts center it opened just last year is next to the student union. En dash: See chapters 11 15.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 10 Directional Language When possible, avoid using following or below to refer to elements on the page, when the layout of the page itself provides those signals. You should attend these sessions: Session A Session B Session C not: You should attend the following sessions: Session A Session B Session C Eliminating Gender-Specific Pronouns Avoid the use of s/he and his/her. The best way to avoid gender bias in pronoun reference is to make nouns and pronouns plural. You might also rephrase to eliminate the pronoun. If you must use a singular pronoun, use both pronouns joined by a conjunction (e.g., she and he; his or her). Before: Each student should submit his/her application to the study abroad office. After: Students should submit their applications to the study abroad office. Before: When discussing your schedule with an advisor, double-check with her/him that you ve completed all required courses. After: When discussing your schedule with an advisor, double-check that you ve completed all required courses. Grade Point Average Do not use periods with its abbreviation, GPA.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 11 Numbers Follow these guidelines: Spell out numbers from zero through nine; use numerals for 10 and above. (This is The Chicago Manual of Style s alternative rule.) However, spell out a number beginning a sentence. Twenty-four people attended the event. Spell out large whole numbers in the hundreds, thousands, and hundred thousands. forty-seven thousand Use a combination of numerals and words for numbers in the millions and above. However, if the number used in combination with million, billion, and so forth is a whole number under 10, spell it out. three million, 3.2 billion, 14 billion Spell out ordinals from first to ninth. He placed third in the competition. She was one of the great minds of the 17th century. Use numerals with percentages (also spell out percent). 5 percent, not five percent Use numerals with abbreviations and symbols. 30 mph, $9 Use cardinal numbers (1, 2, 3, etc.) for specific dates, although these numbers may be pronounced as ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.). August 20 is the day of our first meeting. Don t use superscripts for the letters in ordinal numbers. The Writing Center is on the 12th floor. not: The Writing Center is on the 12th floor. When a sentence contains more than one number, spell out the numbers unless all are 10 and above.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 12 Online Navigation Serve and empower with options. Since some students will need cues to follow a school-directed search and others will need to jump around according to their own needs, don t hide the information they may need to make good choices. Be complete. Provide all necessary details in the blurb or page; don t make users dig to access a key resource. Phone Numbers Separate the area code with a hyphen instead of parentheses. Also use hyphens for tollfree numbers. Don t include the 1 before the area code or the 800 prefix. 123-456-7890 800-456-7890 Write phone numbers with extensions like this: 123-456-7890 ext. 11 Spelling of Specific Words In general, choose modern forms of words to underscore the advanced and progressive nature of your institution. For example, email has evolved from e-mail and is the newer, condensed form of electronic mail. Choose email as it s the most advanced yet acceptable form of the term. Computer Terminology ebook, not e-book email, not e-mail homepage, not home page internet intranet (lowercase) log in/log out (verbs) login/logout (nouns/adjectives) offline (no hyphen) online (no hyphen) pop up (verb) pop-up (adjective) PC URL

Antioch University Web Style Guide 13 Computer Terminology (Cont d.) http:// https:// web-based (adjective) webcast webpage, not web page website, not web site the web, not the Web Contractions In general, don t waste time and space with more formal, extended forms of verbs (e.g., use don t instead of do not). The contraction is more contemporary and concise. Other Words advisor, not adviser African American (no hyphen, whether used as a noun or an adjective) Asian American (no hyphen, whether used as a noun or an adjective) campus-wide (adjective) full-year (adjective) homestay (one word) off campus (noun) off-campus (adjective) on campus (noun) on-campus (adjective) university-wide (adjective) U.S. (adjective for United States; do not use U.S. as a noun) zip code, not ZIP code Tables Use sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns) for row and column heads. Annual tuition $10,000 Application fee $40 Late payment fee $50

Antioch University Web Style Guide 14 Time of Day Use a.m. and p.m. (lowercase, with periods) to indicate the time of day. 7 a.m. Title Case For titles of pages and sections, follow these rules: Capitalize the first and last words in the title. Capitalize all nouns, pronouns, verbs (except the to in infinitives), adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions except and, but, for, or and nor. Lowercase articles (a, an, the). Lowercase the conjunctions and, but for, or, and nor. Lowercase prepositions except those that have four or more letters. Examples: Schedule a Campus Tour Looking for a Summer Internship? Engage With Antioch Titles of People Titles of people should be lowercase except when the title directly precedes a name. However, lowercase the title in sentences that use commas to set the title off from a name. The president will speak tomorrow. the president of the United States President Obama The president, Barack Obama, will speak tomorrow. Voice and Tone The voice, or personality, of a site s content helps users determine whether or not they can relate to and trust what the site tells them. Tone is the attitude or feeling expressed by the site s voice. Although different areas of the site may call for variations in voice, aim for the overall AU brand voice to be approachable, positive, informative, and straightforward. Specific sections within the site will stress certain voice characteristics over others. Approachable: AU is accessible and friendly. Use a professional yet inviting tone that emphasizes the helpful nature of the site.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 15 Voice and Tone (Cont d.) Positive: AU wants to make users feel self-assured and to impart confidence in the AU brand. Adopt a positive tone that shows readers how being a part of the AU community will help them meet their educational and professional goals. Informative: AU gets its facts straight and offers practical information that is genuinely helpful to users. Use a voice that s knowledgeable but not intimidating or overly academic. Straightforward: AU gets to the point using simple, direct language. Communicate your message using carefully chosen words that give a lot of information clearly but briefly. You re trying to share information with a busy audience who doesn t have time to wade through volumes of text. These elements also contribute to the voice and tone of the site: Active vs. Passive Voice Favor the active voice to make stronger, more direct statements, in keeping with the straightforward message you want to communicate. Point of View Advisors will assist you in choosing your classes. not: You will be assisted in choosing your classes. In general, use the first-person plural we to refer to the representatives of AU. By doing so, you ll automatically write in the active rather than in the passive voice. Sentence Length In page copy, aim to be clear and concise. Your sentences shouldn t ramble. To keep sentences from running wild, don t overwhelm readers with too many ideas packed into a single sentence, and don t go on longer than necessary. But at the same time, don t write monotonous, short sentences just to avoid longer ones; this will make your sentence rhythm choppy. If you can only explain a complex idea with a long sentence, write a long sentence. Why is this important? For your time-pressed audience, content that demands their attention for more than a couple seconds must be readable and should pull them through the message. Vary your sentence structure. A little variety adds interest and energy, which will help your reader get through the text.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 16 Voice and Tone (Cont d) Tense Use the present tense unless past tense is necessary. Like the active voice, the present tense is direct, concise, and confident. It also sounds livelier and more immediate, making events and activities seem contemporary and ongoing instead of finite. Example: Our university serves qualified students from around the world. not: Our university has served qualified students from around the world. Word Choice Favor modern spellings (webpage instead of Web page, email instead of e-mail, etc.) and choose short, simple words and phrases when they ll do the same job as long, overblown terms. This helps drive home the genuine and helpful nature of your work while keeping descriptions brief and modeling clear, marketing-free writing for students and other site visitors. Examples: use, not utilize cause, not effectuate because, not due to the fact that while, not during the time that when, not at a time when for, not for the purpose of if, not in the event that mention, not make mention of represents, not is a representative of emphasize, not put emphasis on In addition, when calling users to action, avoid unnecessary words that stray from the instruction. Contact us to set up an appointment. [ Contact us links to the Contact Us page.] not: Click the Contact Us link below to set up an appointment.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 17 Web Writing Guidelines 1. Keep your audience in mind. Consider who will be reading and using your web content. Prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, staff? What are they looking for, and what do they need? Be sure the tone, language, and organization of content is appropriate for your audience. 2. Be concise. Web writing should be clear and direct. Keep sentences short. Remove words or descriptions that don t add value to the content. 3. Make content scannable. Readers scan web pages before they read. If they don t recognize useful, relevant content, they often move on. Elements that enhance scanning include headers, links, highlighted text, bulleted lists, graphics, captions, and pull-quotes. However, be careful not to overemphasize content and confuse the visual and editorial hierarchy of information. 4. Write meaningful headers. Readers rely on headers to navigate on-page content. Choose words for headers and subheads that clearly describe the content they introduce. 5. Limit paragraphs to 60 words. As a general rule, limit paragraphs to 60 words. If possible, less is better. 6. Use bulleted lists whenever possible. Bulleted lists are easier to scan and read than full paragraphs. If you are listing three or more items, consider using a bulleted list. For instructions or long lists, consider using numbered lists for easy reference. 7. Use active voice. Writing in the active voice is more clear, conversational, and engaging than the passive voice. 8. Use common language. It s essential for findability and SEO (search engine optimization) to use the same words and phrases your readers do. When creating page titles, headers, list items, and links, choose keywords carefully. Additionally, be sure to use keywords consistently when

Antioch University Web Style Guide 18 Web Writing Guidelines (Cont d) creating web content. When used appropriately, this practice reinforces keyword relevancy for search engines, such as Google and AU s own internal search, thereby improving findability. 9. Be professional and human. Think like a publisher and less like a marketer. Use a more conversational tone. Avoid jargon and buzzwords like cutting-edge or leverage. Users are turned off by content that talks at them instead of with them. Consider how you would communicate with someone standing in front of you instead of via a traditional TV or radio advertisement. 10. Include valuable links. If additional useful, relevant, and appropriate content exists elsewhere on or off your website link to it. Instead of repeating information that already exists on your site, link to this content as well. Consider what content elsewhere might add value to yours and improve usability. When possible, include links within your page copy to make them contextually relevant. However, be careful not to add too many links. Links are intended to enhance usability, but if there are too many they can hinder usability. Editorial Style for Inline Links 1. Make links descriptive. Inline link text should clearly describe the destination page. While it s preferable to use the title of the destination page, link text often requires edits to suit the sentence structure or to be made contextually relevant. Classic examples of non-descriptive inline link text: Click here Website Homepage Learn more Download

Antioch University Web Style Guide 19 Editorial Style for Inline Links (Cont d.) 2. Make links scannable. Readers often scan before they read. Because inline links stand out within blocks of text, they are an important scanning element, along with headers, lists, captions, and pullquotes. To improve scannability, keep link text short and concise, using relevant keywords related to both the destination page as well as the surrounding content. 3. Use keywords in links for search. The words you choose for link text are the only means for people to find your link through search engines, including internal searches. If your link leads to a valuable resource for readers, but no relevant keywords are associated with it, people won t find it. Search engines also use link text to understand the destination page. Descriptive, keywordappropriate anchor text supports the ranking of the linked-to page, giving credibility to the related keywords used by the author. 4. Make link text consistent. Many sites use the same link more than once especially with internal links. As such, it s important to be consistent when describing repeated links. Otherwise, users will be confused by different references to the same content. For example, linking education abroad and study abroad to the same page may cause users to question whether they re reading the right information and what it is they should be looking for. It s appropriate to alter inline link text to suit the surrounding content, but the keywords and the way you describe links should be the same. 5. Avoid over-linking. The purpose of using links is to enhance usability and comprehension, but too many links can hinder readability. As a general rule, scale back inline links if they become a visual distraction. It s also best not to duplicate links on a single page. With few exceptions, you should only link the first reference of a web page within the body of a page. Some exceptions might include referencing the site in a different context (demonstrating additional value) or when the page is very long, and it s cumbersome for readers to locate the first reference. 6. Improve link usability with the title attribute. The link title attribute is supplementary descriptive text included in the anchor link. The W3C describes the title attribute as advisory information about the element for which it is set.

Antioch University Web Style Guide 20 Editorial Style for Inline Links (Cont d) Using the title attribute allows you to elaborate on short, concise link text. For example, reference the full title of the destination page, author or website name. Or if you link a person s name, use the title attribute to describe the destination, such as an email address or a Twitter page. While the title attribute is a valuable asset, be careful not to make these common mistakes. Keep in mind: The title attribute should offer supplemental not essential information. Don t use the title attribute to make up for unclear link text. Link text should be able to stand on its own without the need for more detail. The title attribute enhances usability, not accessibility. Don t repeat link text with the title attribute if you don t have valuable supplemental information to include. Duplicating link text in the title attribute adds no value and may actually hinder accessibility. 7. Don t rely on inline links for navigation. A common linking pitfall is to use inline links to make up for inadequate navigation. If you find yourself relying on inline links to make content findable, your information architecture should be evaluated to ensure it supports your content needs. 8. Designate file types and sizes Links to specialized file types including PDFs, Flash, video, and audio should be labeled with the appropriate file extension. For files that exceed 1 MB in size, identify the file size. Annual Report (PDF 2.6 MB) Request a Replacement Diploma (PDF) Page Titles and Metadata Social Media Editorial Guidelines

Antioch University Web Style Guide 21 Pantone Colors 349 C PRIMARY 5767 C 2955 C 549 C 276 C 261 C 131 C 717 C 704 C FOREGROUND 5807 C 536 C 5455 C 663 C 5245 C 127 C 121 C 142 C BACKGROUND

Antioch University Web Style Guide 22 CMYK Colors Cyan: 94 Magenta: 11 Yellow: 84 Black: 43 PRIMARY Cyan: 30 Magenta: 12 Yellow: 66 Black: 36 Cyan: 100 Magenta: 55 Yellow: 10 Black: 48 Cyan: 59 Magenta: 8 Yellow: 9 Black: 19 Cyan: 100 Magenta: 100 Yellow: 13 Black: 68 Cyan: 62 Magenta: 98 Yellow: 9 Black: 45 Cyan: 3 Magenta: 36 Yellow: 100 Black: 6 Cyan: 0 Magenta: 60 Yellow: 100 Black: 3 Cyan: 6 Magenta: 93 Yellow: 58 Black: 28 FOREGROUND Cyan: 7 Magenta: 2 Yellow: 21 Black: 5 Cyan: 34 Magenta: 18 Yellow: 2 Black: 7 Cyan: 16 Magenta: 3 Yellow: 3 Black: 5 Cyan: 4 Magenta: 6 Yellow: 0 Black: 1 Cyan: 2 Magenta: 9 Yellow: 3 Black: 5 Cyan: 0 Magenta: 5 Yellow: 57 Black: 0 Cyan: 0 Magenta: 8 Yellow: 69 Black: 0 Cyan: 0 Magenta: 25 Yellow: 76 Black: 0 BACKGROUND

Antioch University Web Style Guide 23 RGB Colors Red: 0 Green: 56 Blue: 25 PRIMARY Red: 137 Green: 143 Blue: 75 Red: 0 Green: 60 Blue: 105 Red: 94 Green: 156 Blue: 174 Red: 32 Green: 28 Blue: 62 Red: 90 Green: 36 Blue: 90 Red: 206 Green: 142 Blue: 0 Red: 217 Green: 94 Blue: 0 Red: 162 Green: 43 Blue: 56 FOREGROUND Red: 216 Green: 218 Blue: 186 Red: 164 Green: 179 Blue: 201 Red: 198 Green: 211 Blue: 215 Red: 224 Green: 220 Blue: 227 Red: 223 Green: 212 Blue: 215 Red: 242 Green: 223 Blue: 116 Red: 250 Green: 218 Blue: 99 Red: 239 Green: 189 Blue: 71 BACKGROUND

Antioch University Web Style Guide 24 Incorrect Wordmark Usage Never put white wordmark on background color Never put Pantone349 Wordmark on foreground color Never use a background color for the wordmark The color of the wordmark may be changed to any of the foreground colors in this style guide. But the wordmark must always be printed in a single color Never stretch logo horizontally or vertically N E W E N G L A N D Never place a drop shadow behind the wordmark Only use proper Campus/Program EPS files

Antioch University Web Style Guide 25 Email Signature Formatting -- David Caruso, Ph.D., President Antioch University New England 40 Avon Street Keene, NH 03431-3516 Phone: 603.283.2436 dcaruso1@antioch.edu www.antiochne.edu Antioch University is a visionary academic community uniquely capable of bringing to life the brightest ideas and highest ambitions of its students.