ACADEMIC DEGREES Use lowercase letters when referring to degrees in general: bachelor of science OR bachelor s degree master of arts OR master s degree When referring to doctoral degrees, doctoral is an adjective but doctorate is a noun: She holds a doctoral degree in history; her husband earned his doctorate in French. Do not add the word degree either after an abbreviation or the full title of the degree: master of business administration NOT master of business administration degree She finished her BA last year... NOT She finished her BA degree He used his bachelor of science... NOT He used his bachelor of science degree She earned a PhD in psychology. NOT She earned a PhD degree in psychology. Use the full name of a degree in the first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter use the acronym: In graduate school, she earned a master of business administration (MBA). She soon found that her MBA gave her an advantage in getting job interviews. When used after a name, a comma sets off the academic degree: Sally Smith, BA Sylvia Jackson, PhD Either precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree OR follow it with the abbreviation for the degree; do not use both in the same reference: Either Dr. Sylvia Jackson OR Sylvia Jackson, PhD NOT Dr. Sylvia Jackson, PhD Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds an earned doctoral degree. When using degrees to establish credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use a phrase instead: Maria Cortez, who earned her master of business administration at Ohio State, and Anika Parks, who has a bachelor of arts in music, collaborated on this program. Abbreviations/acronyms: Do not use periods when abbreviating degrees. BA NOT B.A. bachelor of arts BS NOT B.S. bachelor of science EdD NOT Ed.D. doctor of education MA NOT M.A. master of arts MAT NOT M.A.T. master of arts in teaching MBA NOT M.B.A. master of business administration MD NOT M.D. doctor of medicine MFA NOT M.F.A. master of fine arts MLitt NOT M.Litt. master of letters MS NOT M.S. master of science PhD NOT Ph.D. doctor of philosophy Plurals BAs and BSs MAs and MSs and MFAs and MATs and MLitts and MBAs PhDs and EdDs and MDs 13
Possessives (see also APOSTROPHES) Use the possessive form for bachelor s degrees and master s degrees only when not using the full title of the degree. He completed his master of arts. OR He completed his master s degree. She finished her bachelor of science. OR She finished her bachelor s degree. Also note: She earned a master of arts... NOT She earned a master s of arts Exception: When referring to an associates degree, include degree but use no apostrophe in associates (compare with bachelor s degree, master s degree): Many community colleges offer an associates degree in nursing. ADDRESSES Spell out street, avenue, circle, road, etc. On envelopes, use two-letter abbreviation for state. ADULT DEGREE PROGRAM (ADP) Use the full name on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter, use ADP: Marion Ward is the new director of the Adult Degree Program (ADP) at Mary Baldwin College. ADP enrollment is increasing. Do not use ADP when indicating class year: Use Sherry R. Cox 99 NOT Sherry R. Cox 99 (ADP) AFRICAN AMERICAN or ASIAN AMERICAN As nouns, these are not hyphenated: She is an African American. He is an Asian American. As adjectives, these are hyphenated: She is an African-American student. He is an Asian-American student. AGE Always use figures rather than spelling out the number. When the context does not require years or years old the figure is presumed to be years: The boy is 5 years old. The woman is in her 30s. Age is hyphenated when used as a modifier (adjective): One PEG applicant was a 7-year-old girl. ALUMNAE/ALUMNI When referring to those who have attended or graduated from Mary Baldwin College, use alumnae/i. The strategic plan was distributed to all alumnae/i. Exception: Use alumnae when referring to a specific subgroup of women who attended the Residential College for Women (including MBC as a whole prior to the establishment of the Adult Degree Program). The president inducted alumnae from the Class of 1955 into the Grafton Society. Alumnae/i who never graduated are designated by the year they would have graduated had they continued full-time and completed their degree (see also CLASSES). When referring to a particular person, use the word according to gender: She is an alumna of Mary Baldwin College. He is an alumnus of Mary Baldwin College. The feminine plural is alumnae; the masculine plural is alumni, which is also the plural for graduates of a coeducational institution. 14
Use an apostrophe for class years of alumnae/i: Virginia Francisco 64 (Note that an apostrophe is not the same as an initial single-quotation mark: ) The name of the organization for all who have attended Mary Baldwin College is the MBC Alumnae/i Association, which has headquarters in the Alumnae House. ANNUAL An event is not annual until it has been held two successive years. Never use first annual. Simply note that the event will be held annually. ANNUAL FUND Capitalize all references to The Annual Fund. APOSTROPHES For proper names ending in s the singular possessive uses the apostrophe alone, not apostrophe s : Singular: Dickens Singular possessive: Dickens Plural: Dickenses Plural possessive: Dickenses Use an apostrophe in bachelor s degree and master s degree. Use an apostrophe for the possessives: MS s, PhD s, associates degree s ASIAN STUDIES For the name of this major, use a lowercase s for studies : Asian studies NOT Asian Studies ASSOCIATES DEGREE See ACADEMIC DEGREES BACHELOR S DEGREE See ACADEMIC DEGREES BOARD OF TRUSTEES When referring to a specific board, capitalize in all references: The Mary Baldwin College Board of Trustees met in February. Capitalize references to the specific Board thereafter: The Board is sponsoring a luncheon for students. When referring to boards in general, do not capitalize: Many boards meet more than four times each year. BUILDING NAMES Use the full name on first reference, and shortened references thereafter: Most science classes are taught in the Jesse Cleveland Pearce Science Center. Biology majors tend to spend a lot of time in Pearce. When an acronym is generally used to refer to a building, use the full name on first reference followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter, use the acronym: Many campuswide events are held in the Student Activities Center (SAC). Originally SAC was the Staunton Military Academy dining hall, while the Physical Activities Center (PAC) was once the YMCA. 15
CAMPAIGN Use capitals in all references pertaining to a particular campaign such as the Leadership Initiative Campaign; thereafter refer simply to the campaign. CATALOG Catalog NOT Catalogue unless catalogue is in the title of a work to which you refer. CHAIR/CHAIRMAN Use chair to refer to the head of a committee unless the individual s preferred title is chairman or chairwoman. Capitalize chair, chairman, or chairwoman only when it precedes the name of a specific person: Jenny Rask was elected chair of the Committee on Committees.We discussed it with Chairwoman Jenny Rask last Tuesday. CLASSES See listings under FRESHMAN, SOPHOMORE, JUNIOR, SENIOR Capitalize as in: Class of 1998 or for a class designation such as: the Sophomore Class Use an apostrophe when using only the last two digits of the class year: Virginia Francisco 64 Do not use a comma to separate the name and the class year: Virginia Francisco 64 NOT Virginia Francisco, 64 Alumnae/i who never graduated are designated by the year they would have graduated had they continued full-time and completed their degree. Class year refers to the cohort with which a student or alumna/us identifies; class year is not always the same as graduation year (e.g. when a student graduates in fewer or more than four years). COLLEGE When referring to Mary Baldwin College, capitalize when using the entire name of the college. For references which do not name the college, use lowercase: I attend Mary Baldwin College. The college is sponsoring a Christmas dinner. COLLEGEWIDE, CAMPUSWIDE (like nationwide, statewide) collegewide refers to the main campus as well as MBC s regional centers. campuswide refers to the main campus only. COLONS Capitalize the first letter of the word that follows a colon if it begins a complete sentence: The role of King Lear is difficult:the actor must portray a tragic character. Music majors have many skills: vocal, instrumental, and academic. When parentheses are used, the colon is placed outside of the parentheses: She acquired several antique instruments (funded by a DuPont grant): a rebec, a recorder, and a lute. 16
COMMAS The serial comma the comma before and in a series is preferred: Students will do work in three major areas: economics, languages, and history. Commas always go inside of quotation marks. Brief introductory phrases such as Last year and In 1966 do not require commas. No comma is needed when citing month and year only: June 2001 When a comma is used to join two parts of a compound sentence (with independent clauses), it should be followed by a conjunction such as and, but, or because. Use Suzanne is eager to begin her senior project, and her topic has been approved. NOT She wants to go home for Thanksgiving, she misses her family. COMMITTEE When referring to any titled committee, capitalize the formal name of the committee: She served on the Student Relations Committee. For subsequent references in which the committee is not named, use lowercase: The committee found... COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA Capitalize the Commonwealth of Virginia as a proper name: I live in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Also capitalize Commonwealth when used to refer to Virginia: The Virginia Women s Institute for Leadership is fully supported by the Commonwealth. COMPUTER-RELATED TERMS See ELECTRONIC STYLE CORPS OF CADETS Capitalize Corps of Cadets when part of a full, formal title; otherwise do not capitalize corps of cadets: Use The Virginia Women s Institute for Leadership Corps of Cadets The VWIL Corps of Cadets But VWIL is the only all-female corps of cadets in the nation. The plural of corps is the same as the singular: The corps of cadets at MBC, VMI, and Virginia Tech participate in the Virginia Corps of Cadets. COUNCIL Capitalize the names of councils: Honor Council (and other councils; see rules under COMMITTEES) For subsequent references in which the council is not named, use lowercase: The council reached consensus COURSE NUMBERS Use numerals and capitalize the subject: History 101 Biology 345 17
COURSE WORK (two words) COURSES For specific courses or programs, use uppercase: She took Biology of Women, Eighteenth-Century Literature, and Music Theory. For courses in general, use lowercase; capitalize proper nouns of language or nationality: She took a biology class, an English class, and a music class. COURTESY TITLES In general, do not use the courtesy titles Miss, Mr., Mrs., or Ms. with the first and last names of a person except as part of an address on an envelope or letter. For married women, the preferred form on first reference is to identify the woman by her first and last name. Use Mrs. on the first reference only if a woman requests that her husband s first name be used: Jane Doe or Mrs. Robert Doe For women who have never been married, the preferred form on first reference is to identify the woman by her first and last name. Use Ms., Miss, or no title on second reference, according to the woman s preference: Ms. Barker or Barker For divorced women and widows, the preferred form on first reference is to identify the woman by the first and last name. The normal practice is to use Mrs. or no title, if she prefers, on second reference. Mary Baldwin College publications and news stories generally use only the last name after the first reference. DASHES Distinguish between em and en dashes. A hyphen or double hyphen is not a substitute for either. Em dashes are longer, require a space before and after, and separate related thoughts or add emphasis: We will fly to Paris in June if I get a raise. Use en dashes to express a range of dates or pages, for example. Don t space around them: 1996 99 March 8 26 (or use March 8 to 26) pp. 223 245 Do not write month month: Use May to July NOT May July For a range of dates, use either from/to or an en dash: Use from 1996 to 1999 OR the 1996 99 building program Do NOT use a mixture: the program lasted from 1996 99. 18
DATES In text, do not abbreviate months or days. Abbreviations are acceptable on charts or lists as long as usage is consistent within the document or section. Do not use st, th, etc., with dates: Use May 4, 2005 NOT May 4th 2005 Do not use a comma when citing month and year only: Use June 2001 NOT June, 2001 In using a full date, set off the year from the rest of the sentence with a pair of commas: On May 15, 1997, she finished her thesis. Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: She graduated in the 1960s. Mary Baldwin was born in the 1800s. The 50s were a good decade for the college. DATE RANGES See DASHES DAYS In text, do not abbreviate days. Use a comma between the day and a date which follows: Thursday, July 4 Abbreviations are acceptable on charts or lists (such as the calendar listing in the Cupola) as long as usage is consistent within that document or section. DEGREES, ACADEMIC See ACADEMIC DEGREES DEPARTMENTS/DIVISIONS Capitalize formal names of divisions and departments; lowercase informal references: The Master of Arts in Teaching Program She enrolled in the master s program. Department of History (but history department, English department) DOCTORATE See ACADEMIC DEGREES DOCTORATE, HONORARY Do not use Dr. before the name of an individual who has received an honorary doctorate. DORMITORY Do not use in reference to Mary Baldwin College facilities. Dormitory refers simply to a place where many people may sleep. Use residence hall instead. ELECTRONIC STYLE Follow the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook. Capitalize: Internet, the Net, the Web, World Wide Web. For clarity, capitalize Web used as an adjective: Web site, Web access, Web construction 19
Generally, in letters, press releases, and articles for MBC publications, italicize a Web or e-mail address so that it stands out as such: sbrown@mbc.edu or www.mbc.edu Use all caps for acronyms such as HTML, URL, CD-ROM, RAM. e-mail (lowercase and hyphenated). online (one word, no hyphen). ELLIPSIS Treat this as a three-letter word (three periods, no spaces between), putting a space at either end. Use to indicate deletion of one or more words. There is no need to begin a sentence with an ellipsis if the remaining words include a subject and a verb. Be sure to include a space between an ellipsis and any punctuation to which it is adjacent such as a period or question mark. EMERITAE/ EMERITI In keeping with the general practice of academic institutions, the designation should be placed after a formal title. It is used for faculty, staff, or trustees who have retired and who retain their rank or title. When referring to a particular person, use the term according to gender: Mary Echols is professor emerita of art. Professor Emeritus of English Joseph M. Garrison Jr. William Pollard, college librarian emeritus The feminine plural is emeritae; the masculine plural is emeriti, which is also used to refer to a group of mixed gender. EXCLAMATION POINTS In general, be sparing in the use of exclamation points; when used too frequently they lose their effect. Exclamation points go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quotation; otherwise, they go outside. FACULTY As a collective noun, faculty refers to a group but takes singular verbs and pronouns: The faculty votes on new course proposals. Use faculty member to refer to one person. Faculty may be used as a modifier: Faculty responsibilities include teaching and service to the college community. FAMILY WEEKEND No longer Parents Weekend. FOUNDERS DAY No apostrophe. 20
FRACTIONS Fractions standing alone are spelled out; for fractions with a whole number, use figures: About one-fifth of her salary goes to buy 2 1 /2 tons of pet food each year. FRESHMAN CLASS Do not capitalize unless using as a class designation: She is a freshman. The Freshman Class is sponsoring a dance. In general, use the singular freshman as an adjective rather than the plural freshmen. Other designations include first-year student, entering class, etc. FUNDRAISING One word, not hyphenated. When referring to the process, use fundraising. When referring to a person or an event, use fundraiser. Examples: The College does a lot of fundraising. We are holding a fundraiser on alumnae/i weekend. GENDER-SPECIFIC LANGUAGE Avoid unless intended. For example, never assume someone is male or female. Preferred: Professors should always control their classes. A professor should always control the class. NOT preferred: A professor should always control his class. A professor should always control his or her class. GRADES Use capitals without periods or quotation marks: A grade of C is required. To make plural, use s without an apostrophe: She earned more As than Bs last year. HEALTH CARE ADMINISTRATION PROGRAM (HCA PROGRAM) Use the full name on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter you may use HCA program. Do not capitalize program : Health Care Administration program HCA program HONOR(S) Lowercase and italicize: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude Capitalize: Dean s List, Honors List; Honor Code, Honor System, Honor Council (and other councils) Use Honor (no s ) to refer to an individual Honor Scholar or a group of Honor Scholars. Use Honors to refer to the Honors Program, Honors Degree, Honors faculty (the group of faculty members who teach in the Honors Program). 21
HYPHENS When a compound modifier (two or more words that express a single concept) precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound: African-American women one-of-a-kind opportunity an on-campus program a land-grant university Exceptions: the adverb very and all adverbs that end in ly : a very nice person a truly good man Prefixes such as non, post, pre, sub, etc., and suffixes such as like usually do not require a hyphen: nonprofit, postgraduate, preadmission, subnormal, catlike Exceptions: when the root word is capitalized: non-english when the root word is a number: pre-1954 when the last letter of a prefix is the same as the first letter in the root word: anti-intellectual; pre-existing to avoid triple consonants: shell-like ITALICS Generally, in letters, press releases, and articles for MBC publications, italicize a Web or e-mail address so that it stands out as such: sbrown@mbc.edu or www.mbc.edu On the Web and in promotional materials, be sparing in the use of italics for emphasis or for chunks of text, as Roman typeface is easier to read. Italicize foreign words used in an English sentence: She has a distinctive modus operandi. See TITLES: PUBLICATIONS, MUSIC, ART Avoid using italics for emphasis in news stories and articles for publication. JUNIOR For individuals whose names include junior, abbreviate as Jr. only with full names. Do not precede by a comma: Use Martin L. King Jr. NOT King Jr. The notation II or 2nd may be used if it is the individual s preference. These notations are not the equivalent of Junior. Do not precede II or III by a comma: John Q. Public III JUNIOR CLASS Do not capitalize unless using as a class designation: She is a junior. The Junior Class is sponsoring a dance. JUNIOR DADS WEEKEND No apostrophe in Dads. 22
LANGUAGE Capitalize proper names of languages and dialects (English, Arabic, Gullah, Cajun, etc.): Many words used in America were adopted from the Gullah tradition. She earned her bachelor s degree in Japanese and her doctorate in art. MAJORS Do not capitalize majors, specializations, or concentrations of study, unless they involve a language (see LANGUAGE): Her degree in political science is coupled with a minor in English. MARY BALDWIN COLLEGE (MBC) Capitalize all references to Mary Baldwin College: I attend Mary Baldwin College. She teaches at Mary Baldwin College. The first reference should use the full name; thereafter, shortened versions may be used: Use Mary Baldwin OR MBC OR the college MASTER S DEGREE See ACADEMIC DEGREES MASTER OF ARTS IN TEACHING PROGRAM (MAT PROGRAM) Use the full name on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter you may use MAT Program. Capitalize Program in both forms: The Master of Arts in Teaching Program (MAT Program) uses teaching partners. MASTER OF LETTERS Abbreviate as MLitt MAT, MFA, MLITT See ACADEMIC DEGREES MBA See ACADEMIC DEGREES MEASUREMENT Always spell out inches, feet, pounds, and other measures: The baby was 21 inches long and weighed six pounds. For reasons of space, Class Notes consistently uses lbs and oz : Betsy and Bob Parker s baby girl, Amelia, weighed 8 lbs 3 oz at birth. MINORITY When used as a noun, minority refers to a group of people. Do not use minority when referring to an individual. Minority may also be used as a modifier: The cultural diversity on campus was very attractive to minority students. Use American ethnic minority to distinguish between U.S. citizens and international students: At MBC, 3 percent are international students and 25 percent are members of American ethnic minorities. MISS/ MR./ MRS./ MS./DR. See COURTESY TITLES Note the use of periods in the abbreviated terms. 23
MONEY Use the dollar sign and numbers. For even dollar amounts, do not use a decimal and two zeros: $12 or $356.50 For dollar amounts beyond thousands, use the dollar sign, number, and appropriate word: $25 million MONTHS Do not abbreviate months. Do not use a comma when citing month and year only: Use August 2001 NOT August, 2001 and NOT Aug. 2005 MOTTO Non pro tempore sed aeternitatae. Our motto translates: Not for the present, but for eternity. NAMES OF ALUMNAE/I See also COURTESY TITLES Observe personal preferences if known. In first references, use this order: First name Middle name (if needed) Nickname in quotation marks Last name when a student (often the maiden name) Current last name if different from student name Class Year Martha Anne Mopsy Pool Page 48 Laurel Lolly Catching Anderson 71 NATIONALITIES, RACES,TRIBES Capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, tribes, etc: Arab, Arabic, Asian, Asian American, African American, Caucasian, Chinese (both singular and plural), Eskimo (plural Eskimos), French Canadian, Gypsy, Hispanic, Japanese (both singular and plural), Jew, Jewish, Latin, Latina/o, Nordic, etc. NUMBERS/ NUMERALS Spell out whole numbers one through nine (see exceptions under the individual headings AGE, MONEY, and PERCENTAGES). Use numerals for 10 and above: She has eight cats and 11 dogs. Fractions standing alone are spelled out; for fractions with a whole number, use numerals: About one-fifth of her salary goes to buy 2 1 /2 tons of pet food each year. Always spell out a number when it is the first word of a sentence: Twenty-three women joined Baldwin Charm last year. Spell out ordinal numbers first through ninth. Use numerals with suffixes for 10th and above: The tennis team ranked third last year, but the soccer team ranked 17th. Do not use st, th, etc. with dates: Use May 4, 2005 NOT May 4th 2005 Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: She graduated in the 1980s, half a lifetime after entering college in the 1940s. When using only the last two digits of the class year, use an apostrophe: Virginia Francisco 64 Christian Peele 05 24
OFFICES Capitalize formal titles of college offices: Registrar s Office, Development Office, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid PARENTHESES Place the period inside the parentheses when the matter enclosed is an independent sentence forming no part of the preceding sentence. Otherwise, place the period outside. Semicolons and colons are placed outside the parentheses. PARENTS COUNCIL No apostrophe in Parents. PARENTS WEEKEND No longer used; see FAMILY WEEKEND. PERCENTAGES Spell out percent in news stories, articles, and letters. Use numerals for all percentage values unless at the beginning of a sentence: Most students spend less than 5 percent of their time studying. Forty-one percent of students hold leadership positions while at MBC. Use the % symbol in scientific and statistical copy, bulleted lists, data charts, etc.: Students receiving some form of financial assistance = 99% Students paying full tuition = 1% PERIODS Place the period inside the parentheses when the matter enclosed is an independent sentence forming no part of the preceding sentence. Otherwise, place the period outside. Periods always go inside of quotation marks. Use periods with abbreviated courtesy titles: Mr. Mrs. Ms. Dr. Also: Jr. Sr. Do not use periods with degree abbreviations; for example: BA BS MA MFA PhD PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES CENTER (PAC) See BUILDING NAMES POSSESSIVES See APOSTROPHES PREFIXES See HYPHENS 25
PROGRAM FOR THE EXCEPTIONALLY GIFTED (PEG) Use the full name on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter, you may use PEG. QUESTION MARKS Question marks go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quotation; otherwise, they go outside. QUOTATIONS (punctuation) Commas always go inside the quotation marks. Periods always go inside the quotation marks. Exclamation points and question marks go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quotation. Colons and semicolons always go outside the quotation marks. REGIONAL CENTERS Mary Baldwin College has regional centers in the following locations: Mary Baldwin College Charlottesville Regional Center (at Piedmont Virginia Community College) Mary Baldwin College Richmond Regional Center Mary Baldwin College Roanoke Regional Center Mary Baldwin College South Boston Regional Center MBC/BRCC Adult Degree Program (at Blue Ridge Community College) RESIDENCE HALL Use residence hall to refer to MBC facilities; never use dormitory (see DORMITORY). RESIDENT ADVISOR Do not capitalize resident advisor, but do capitalize RA. RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE FOR WOMEN (RCW) Collective term for the campus-based undergraduate program for women. Signature programs such as VWIL, Quest, and PEG offer additional opportunities to the RCW students who participate in them. PEG students and VWIL cadets are RCW students; however, most RCW students are neither PEGs nor VWIL cadets. SEMESTER HOURS Do not abbreviate semester hours in text: NOT She transferred 21sh from BRCC. Use She has earned 66 semester hours. Abbreviate semester hours with lowercase sh in tables, graphs, and other reporting-type formats. 26
SEMICOLONS Use a semicolon to join two parts of a compound sentence (with independent clauses) when they are not connected by a conjunction such as and or but. When parentheses are used, a semicolon is placed outside the parentheses. Semicolons go inside quotation marks when they are part of the quotation; otherwise, they go outside. SENIOR For individuals whose names include senior, abbreviate as Sr. only with full names. Do not precede by a comma: Use John D. Rockefeller Sr. NOT Rockefeller Sr. SENIOR CLASS Do not capitalize unless using as a class designation: She is a senior. The Senior Class is sponsoring a blood drive. SOPHOMORE CLASS Do not capitalize unless using as a class designation: She is a sophomore. The Sophomore Class sponsors Apple Day. STAFF As a collective noun, staff refers to a group but takes singular verbs and pronouns: The Development staff works hard to raise funds for the college. Use staff member to refer to one person. STATE NAMES Spell out state names except in addresses. Place a comma between the city and state name and another comma after the state name: Use She has a home in Staunton, Virginia, and another in Canton, Ohio. NOT The new professor is from Milwaukee, WI. Exception: No comma is used in Washington DC Exception: Class Notes section of Mary Baldwin College Magazine consistently uses two-letter code for state names to conserve space. STUDENT ACTIVITIES CENTER (SAC) See BUILDING NAMES TELEPHONE NUMBERS If a publication or document is strictly for use on campus, you may use the last four digits only of a campus number preceded by extension: x7009 If including more than one extension, use a slash between numbers: 7009/7010 For listing a complete phone number with area code, use the format: 540-887-7000 NOT (540) 887-7000, 540.887.7000, or 540/887-7000 27
THEATRE Use this spelling in all references except when a proper name spells it theater. TIME For a time that falls on the hour, do not use :00. Simply state the hour with a.m. or p.m. Use 3 p.m. or 11 a.m. NOT 3:00 p.m. or 11:00 a.m. Use 12 a.m. or midnight NOT 12 midnight Use 12 p.m. or noon NOT 12 noon a.m. and p.m. Use lowercase and periods, with a space following the numbers. Further examples of times: 2:15 a.m. or 6:50 p.m. Military times use a four-digit number with no colon: 0215 or 1850 hours Exception: The Calendar section of Cupola uses no space following the time and no periods in order to save space: 9pm, 8:30am. TITLES Capitalize a title when it precedes a personal name: President Pamela Fox moved to Virginia from Ohio. Use lowercase when a title follows a personal name or stands alone: Pamela Fox is the president of Mary Baldwin College. The new associate professor had a long conversation with President Fox. TITLES, COURTESY See COURTESY TITLES TITLES: PUBLICATIONS, MUSIC, ART Italicize the titles of the following: full-length plays collections of poetry and long poems published separately album/cd/dvd titles long musical compositions drawings, statues, and other works of art motion pictures titles and subtitles of published books, pamphlets, proceedings, and collections periodicals, newspapers, sections of newspapers published separately Err on the side of italicizing all titles of books, poems, songs, albums, papers, works of art, presentations, etc. Use quotations marks with titles of the following: short poems songs and short compositions television and radio programs articles and features in periodicals and newspapers chapter titles, titles of short stories essays and individual selections in books formal lectures 28
UNITED STATES Spell out when used as a noun: He came to the United States to get an education. When used as an adjective, either spell out or abbreviate with periods and without spaces: The Extension Cooperative is part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. VIRGINIA WOMEN S INSTITUTE FOR LEADERSHIP (VWIL) Use the full name on first reference, followed by the acronym in parentheses; thereafter you may use VWIL WOMAN vs GIRL Refer to any female student at MBC as a woman or young woman regardless of her age or program. 29
Formatting Your Own Documents/Materials When preparing any document associated with MBC, and especially those to be used off-campus, we request that you use the following format: Sentences should be single spaced. First paragraph should not be indented. Thereafter use Tab for paragraph indents. Photos should always be identified via caption, listing any people appearing in a photo from left to right: Mary Baldwin College students (l to r) Dawn Smith, Gretchen Newman, Carol Larson, and Theresa Rollison Morgan graduated with honors. Photos should include a photographer credit whenever possible: Photo by Adam Smith Construct headlines/headings with active verbs: MBC Tops All-Women s Colleges Nationally Capitalize the letter beginning each line of a heading or headline: MBC Academic Achievers Ramp Up To Defend USA Today Debate Title Capitalize all words in headings or headlines except for prepositions and conjunctions. Capitalize to when part of an infinitive: VWIL Takes on Wilderness To Challenge Students Blizzard Presents Challenge to the College 30