A
a, per
- Do not use a in place of per.
- Americans generate millions of tons of waste per year.
abbreviations (See also acronyms)
- Academic degrees use periods without spaces. (See also academic degrees)
- B.A.
- M.S.
- Ph.D.
- Some academic abbreviations and acronyms do not use periods. Spell out on first reference if readers may not be familiar with the term.
- GPA (grade point average)
- SAT (Scholastic Achievement Test)
- ACT (American College Testing)
- GRE (Graduate Record Examination)
- MCAT (Medical College Admission Test)
- LSAT (Law School Admission Test)
- When used as adjectives, abbreviate United States and United Nations using periods with no spaces. Spell out when used as nouns. Do not use America in place of United States or American in place of U.S.
- U.S. policy
- U.N. treaty
- Spell out units of measurement (see numbers, numerals, figures). For technical or scientific text, or where space is limited, use straight (not curly) apostrophe or quote mark to indicate feet or inches, respectively. (See also measurements)
- 4 inches or 4 in
- 12 feet or 12 ft
- 2.3 miles or 2.3 mi
- Commonly known rates of measurement may be abbreviated without periods or in technical or scientific text, or where space is limited.
- mph (acceptable in all uses)
- ppm
- psi
- In U.S. place names, do not abbreviate Fort, Point, Mount, or Port.
- Fort Collins
- Fort Carson
- Mount Rainier
- In U.S. place names, abbreviate Saint.
- St. Louis
- St. Lawrence River
- Plurals of abbreviations are formed by adding an s (with no apostrophe unless possessive).
- GPAs
- Ph.D.s
- SATs
- Use a or an before an abbreviation depending on how the abbreviation is pronounced. If the first letter is pronounced with a vowel sound, use an; if the first letter is pronounced with a consonant sound, use a.
- an M.A.
- an LSAT test
- a U.S. official
abbreviations of foreign phrases
- When using foreign expression, use periods only with the words that are abbreviated. Do not italicize common foreign phrases and abbreviations, and do not hyphenate when used as adjectives, as in ad hoc committee.
- Some common foreign abbreviations, their full spellings, and translations follow.
- ad hoc – meaning for a particular purpose
- ad lib. – ad libitum, meaning at will
- ad loc. – ad locum, meaning at the place
- c or ca. – circa, meaning approximately
- e.g. – exempli grata, meaning for example
- et al. – et alii, meaning and other people
- etc. – et cetera, meaning and so forth
- et seq. – et sequentes, meaning and the following
- i.e. – id est, meaning that is
- ibid. – ibidem, meaning in the same place
- loc. cit. – loco citato, meaning in the place cited
- op. cit. – opere citato, meaning in the work cited
- pro tem – pro tempore, meaning for the time being
- vs. or v. – versus, meaning against
- The abbreviations i.e. and e.g. may be used in technical or informal writing but it is better to use the more common English phrases in general and formal writing. When using these phrases, precede with semicolon and follow with a comma. A dash may be used instead of the semicolon for added emphasis.
- I need some additional information; i.e., your estimated cost and delivery.
- Include extracurricular activities; for example, volunteer work, sports, or clubs.
academic degrees
- Capitalize full names of academic degrees. Do not capitalize the field of study in which the degree was awarded.
- Pat Parker has a Master of Science in communications.
- Alex Khan received a doctorate in psychology.
- Do not capitalize generic forms such as baccalaureate or doctorate. Lowercase and use an apostrophe s for adjective forms such as master’s degree. When referring to more than one degree, add s only to degree (bachelor’s and master’s remain singular).
- bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate degree
- master’s degrees
- bachelor’s and master’s degrees
- postdoctorate, postdoctoral degree
- Doctoral or postdoctoral are the adjective forms; doctorate or postdoctorate are the nouns.
- She did her postdoctoral work at CSU,
- Not: She did her postdoctorate work at CSU.
- He received his doctorate at CSU.
- Not: He received his doctoral at CSU.
- The word degree should not follow a specific degree, whether spelled out or abbreviated.
- She received her Master of Fine Arts from Colorado State University.
- He has a B.A. in history.
- Not: He has a B.A. degree in history.
- Capitalize degree abbreviations and use periods without spaces. The following degrees currently are offered at Colorado State University.
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
- Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.)
- Bachelor of Music (B.M.)
- Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (D.V.M.)
- Master of Accountancy (M.Acc.)
- Master of Addiction Counseling (M.A.C.)
- Master of Agriculture (M.Agr.)
- Master of Arts (M.A.)
- Master of Arts Leaderhsip and Cultural Management (M.A.L.C.M.)
- Master of Applied Statistics (M.A.S.)
- Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)
- Master of Communications and Media Management (M.C.M.M.)
- Master of Computer Information Systems (M.C.I.S.)
- Master of Computer Science (M.C.S.)
- Master of Education (M.Ed.)
- Master of Engineering (M.E.)
- Master of Finance (M.Fin.)
- Master of Fine Arts (M.F.A.)
- Master of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology (M.F.W.C.B.)
- Master of Fishery and Wildlife Biology (M.F.W.B.)
- Master of Forestry (M.F.)
- Mater of Greenhouse Gas Management and Accounting (M.G.M.A.)
- Master of Landscape Architecture (M.L.A.)
- Master of Music (M.M.)
- Master of Natural Resources Stewardship (M.N.R.S.)
- Master of Natural Sciences Education (M.N.S.E.)
- Master of Occupational Therapy (M.O.T.)
- Master of Science (M.S.)
- Master of Social Work (M.S.W.)
- Form the plurals of degree abbreviations by adding an s.
- More than 2,000 B.A.s were awarded at the commencement ceremony.
- Set off degree abbreviations with commas when used after names. Do not use courtesy titles such as Dr., Mr., Ms., and Rev. before a name when a degree designation is used after the name.
- Terry Martinez, Ph.D., will give the keynote address.
- For listing alumni information, state the individual’s name, the degree abbreviation and/or the major, and the year of graduation. Enclose the year within commas or parentheses following the name.
- Alex Lee, computer science, ’71, resides in Denver.
- Blake Abe (B.S., ’65; M.S., ’68) has been voted this year’s honor alum.
- Do not capitalize or italicize honors designations. (See also honors)
- cum laude (meaning with distinction)
- magna cum laude (meaning with great distinction)
- summa cum laude (meaning with highest distinction)
academic departments, colleges, offices (See departments)
academic titles (See also titles)
- Capitalize academic titles such as professor, dean, president, and professor emeritus/emerita when they precede a name. Also, when used before names, capitalize words that are part of the title such as Department Chair or Assistant Professor.
- On Monday, President Kelly Silva will deliver the opening address.
- In the lecture, Associate Professor Pat Parker will discuss economics.
- Do not capitalize words that come before the formal title if those words normally would not be capitalized. (See also departments) Also do not capitalize titles that are occupational or descriptive, even if they appear before names.
- Next week, social sciences Professor Alex Gray will chair the meeting.
- The Department of Sociology Chair Taylor Lee presented the award.
- Also participating in the project is research assistant Leslie Martinez.
- Local high school teacher Blake Abe will serve on the committee.
- Lowercase formal titles, descriptors, and modifiers used after a name and set them off with commas.
- Kelly Silva, president, will deliver the opening address.
- Taylor Lee, dean of the College of Engineering, addressed the graduates.
- Blake Abe, associate professor of management, will discuss world policy.
- Taylor Lee, Colorado State University Extension equine specialist, will teach the short course.
- A formal title or an academic degree may be used on first reference, but not both in the same reference. Subsequent references generally use last names only. (See also academic degrees)
- President Kelly Silva or Kelly Silva, Ph.D.
- Not: President Kelly Silva, Ph.D.
- Capitalize full names of endowed professorships and fellowships. Lowercase when used generically. Capitalize Fellow in reference to a fellowship, regardless of gender.
- Taylor M. Lee was the first recipient of the John Q. Smith Professorship.
- They received the fellowship.
- They were named a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.
- Do not hyphenate vice president.
- In general writing, do not use courtesy titles such as Ms. and Dr. The designation Dr. may be used in first reference (and, if appropriate to the context, in subsequent references) before the name of an individual who holds a doctoral degree in the health or medical fields.
- In a formal context, courtesy titles may be used in all references. In this case, Dr. may be used before the names of individuals who hold other types of doctoral degrees. However, be sure that the individual’s specialty is stated in the first or second reference to avoid confusion with medical and health doctors.
acronyms (See also abbreviations)
- In general, avoid the use of acronyms. Spell out the organization’s full name on first reference. Do not follow the first reference with an acronym whether set off within parentheses or by dashes or commas. The acronym may be used on subsequent references only if the acronym is easily identifiable. If an acronym is confusing or is not easily identified with the full name of the organization, the acronym should not be used.
- The Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory began in 1968 as a world leader in grassland research. Over five decades, the scope of research at NREL has expanded to include projects on every continent.
- Use a or an before an acronym depending on how the acronym is pronounced. If the first letter is pronounced with a vowel sound, use an; if the first letter is pronounced with a consonant sound, use a.
- an FBI agent
- a USGS official
- a scuba instructor
- a SWAT team
- an HIV infection
- an NREL scientist
- Form the plural of an acronym by adding a lowercase s. Do not use an apostrophe unless possessive.
- There are 2,700 YMCAs serving communities throughout the United States.
- The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list can be viewed on the web.
- Commonly known acronyms can stand alone and do not need to be spelled out on first reference. Capitalize but do not include periods or spaces.
- FBI
- CIA
- YMCA
- ZIP code (for Zone Improvement Program)
- Medical and veterinary acronyms do not include periods.
- AIDS
- HIV
- FeLV
- FUS
- BSE
- Capitalize, space, spell, and punctuate computer software and programs according to manufacturer preference.
- Fortarn
- COBOL
- Microsoft Word
- Photoshop
- InDesign
- Some acronyms have become so common that they are no longer capitalized.
- laser (light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation)
- scuba (self-contained underwater breathing apparatus)
- Spell out the names of countries and federal agencies. Use acronyms only as adjectives. Do not use American in place of U.S.
- United Kingdom
- U.S. Air Force
- U.S. Department of Agriculture but USDA
- Do not spell out or use a comma to set off Inc., Co., or Corp. unless the organization prefers to do so.
- Hewlett-Packard Company; HP (on second reference)
- Hensel Phelps Construction Co.
- IBM Corporation; IBM (on second reference)
- Time Inc.
- Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc.
- The preferred way to refer to Colorado State University is by the full name, Colorado State University. Colorado State University should always be used on first reference. However, the University, Colorado State, or CSU may be substituted for the full name within publications for variety or when space does not permit the use of the full name. These substitutes may not appear as main heads. (Note: Capitalizing University differs from the AP Stylebook.) Also see Communicator’s Toolbox at brand.colostate.edu.
addresses
- Use the two-letter Postal Service state abbreviations only with full addresses that include ZIP codes. Do not use periods or commas between the state abbreviation and ZIP code. (See state names.) Put the ZIP code on the same line directly following the state abbreviation, which is followed with one space but not with a comma. For international mail, follow the ZIP code with a space and U.S.A. (with periods).
- Capitalize all letters in ZIP (the acronym for Zone Improvement Program) without spaces or periods. Since this is a common acronym, do not spell out. Do not capitalize code. ZIP alone may be used where space is limited, as on forms.
- The University’s ZIP code is 80523.
- City ______________, State _____ ZIP__________
- Abbreviate north, south, east, and west with numbered addresses. If compass points such as northwest or southeast are part of the street address, capitalize and abbreviate with periods and no spaces.
- 500 S. College Ave.
- 12534 N. County Road N.W.
- Always spell out alley, drive, road, terrace, place, lane, and circle. Capitalize when part of a formal name or an address. Do not capitalize in general use or when used with two or more names.
- University Terrace
- 123 Park Lane
- Old Main and East drives
- Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd., and St. only with numbered addresses. Spell out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number, but lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name.
- 208 Mountain Ave.
- College Avenue
- the avenue
- College and Mountain avenues
- The correct style for University addresses is name and title (optional), department or office name, street address or room number and building name (optional), Colorado State University, XXXX Campus Delivery (must be next-to-last line), Fort Collins, CO 80523-XXXX (where XXXX is the department’s assigned four-digit Campus Delivery number). If the piece will be mailed internationally, add U.S.A. after the ZIP code (see the Communicator’s Toolbox at brand.colostate.edu). For example:
- Dale Gray, Director
Creative Services
Second Floor, Hartshorn
Colorado State University
6025 Campus Delivery [must be next-to-last line]
Fort Collins, CO 80523-6025 U.S.A.
- Dale Gray, Director
- Business Reply Mail to be returned to Colorado State University must follow a strict address order and use different ZIP codes as determined by the U.S. Postal Service.
- Creative Services
6025 Campus Delivery
Colorado State University (must be next-to-last line)
Fort Collins, CO 80521-9984 (for Business Reply Cards or 80521-9900 for Business Reply Envelopes)
- Creative Services
- Other requirements and restrictions apply. Contact Mail Services at (970) 491-6529 or Creative Services at (970) 491-6432 for additional information.
- In the return address on standard format Colorado State University envelopes and mailing panels, do not use Colorado State University (redundant with the logo), and spell out Colorado instead of using CO. (See Communicator’s Toolbox at brand.colostate.edu.)
adviser
- Use the spelling adviser in generic use. The spelling advisor may be used as preferred by an individual person or office.
- Professor Garcia is my adviser.
- Ryan Gray is senior advisor to the president.
affect, effect
- Affect is a verb meaning to act on or move or to pretend or assume.
- The music affected the crowd.
- The actor affected a limp.
- Effect as a noun means result or condition of being in force.
- Increased exercise has had a beneficial effect on their health.
- Plan B now is in effect.
- Effect as a verb means to bring about, accomplish, or become operative.
- Increased exercise has effected an improvement in their health.
- The new policy will take effect next week.
African American (See inclusive language)
ages (See also inclusive language)
- Always use figures for animals and people but not for inanimate objects less than 10 years old.
- The woman is 30 years old.
- The child is 5 years old.
- The law is eight years old.
- Our 25-year class reunion is next month.
- Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun.
- She is a 30-year-old woman.
- Do not use apostrophes when referring to a general age. If a person’s age is used after a name, enclose in commas.
- The president is in his 60s.
- Taylor Abe, 47, was hired.
alumni
- Use alumna for a woman, alumnae for a group of women, alumnus for a man, and alumni for a group of men or a mixed-gender group.
- The terms alum and alums can be used for nongendered language.
- Alumni status also is granted to people who attended Colorado State University but did not complete degrees.
- For listing alumni information, state the individual’s name, the degree abbreviation and/or the major, and the year of graduation. Enclose within commas or parentheses following the name.
- Chris Kumar, computer science, ’71, resides in Denver.
Pat Morales (B.S., ’65; M.S., ’68) has been voted this year’s honor alum.
a.m., p.m.
- Always lowercase and use periods without a space before the m. Avoid redundancy.
- 3:30 p.m. or 3:30 this afternoon
- Not: this afternoon at 3:30 p.m.
among, between
- In general, use between when referring to two people, things, or groups and among when referring to more than two persons, things, or groups.
- The manager divided the tasks between Chris and Kelly.
- The difference between their team and ours is motivation.
- Picket fences run between the lots in the neighborhood.
- Place a napkin between each plate.
- The rumor spread among the students.
- Excitement was high among students, players, and coaches.
- Also use between when referring to three or more elements that are considered two at a time or as a group.
- There was disagreement between the employees, the management, and the board.
ampersand (&)
- Do not use in the names of offices and departments or in general writing in place of and.
- Use only when part of an official name, such as AT&T.
Anglo (See inclusive language)
Asian American (See inclusive language)
assure, ensure, insure
- Assure, ensure, and insure all mean to make secure or certain. However, only assure is used in reference to setting a person’s mind at rest. While ensure and insure generally are interchangeable, insure is now more widely used to mean to guarantee financially against risk, particularly in the insurance industry, and ensure is recommended for use in a nonfinancial context.
athletics
- The correct title of the Colorado State University department is Department of Athletics (plural). See departments for capitalization guidelines.
- athletics staff
- the Department of Athletics
- the athletics department
- The title Athletics Director should be capitalized when used before a name. (See titles)
- According to Athletics Director Alex Martinez, this will be an exciting season.
- Alex Martinez, athletics director, said this year’s team looks promising.
- The name of the new athletics director will be announced tomorrow.
- Capitalize Rams when referring to athletic teams or players.
- The Rams’ mascot is CAM, a Rambouillet ram, named for the Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1947.
- Do not capitalize names of individual sports.
- football
- men’s golf
- women’s basketball
awards, fellowships, medals, prizes, scholarships
- Capitalize formal names of awards, scholarships, and honorary designations such as fellowships, honorary chairs, and professorships without quotation marks or italics. Do not capitalize generic designations or references.
- Nobel Peace Prize but the peace prize
- National Book Award
- Bronze Star
- Medal of Honor
- Margaret B. Hazaleus Award
- Monfort Professor but the professorship
- University Distinguished Professor
- University Distinguished Teaching Scholar
- Ed Warner Endowed Chair in Geophysics but the endowed chair
- Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy but the fellowship
- National Merit Scholarship but the scholarship
- The titles of lecture series stand alone without quotation marks or italics. Enclose in quotation marks the title of an individual lecture.
- In the Monfort Lecture Series, primatologist and conservationist Jane Goodall delivered the 2007 Monfort Lecture, “A Reason to Hope,” to an audience of more than 6,000.
- When used in an adjective phrase, hyphenate only after the last word in the award name. Do not hyphenate a noun phrase.
- Nobel Peace Prize-winning chemist
- Pulitzer Prize winner
- National Merit Scholarship-winner
- Do not capitalize the discipline or category in which the award was received.
- Nobel Prize in physics
- Pulitzer Prize for fiction
- In “Best of” lists, capitalize (title case) and enclose in quotation marks.
- In 2006, Fort Collins was named “Best Place to Live” by Money magazine.
- Do not capitalize rankings in competitions such as first place. (See also ordinals under numbers, numerals, figures.)
- Our civil engineering team won first place in the concrete canoe competition.
- The first-place award went to CSU’s team in the horse-judging competition.
- The relay team placed 11th in the finals.
B
Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science (See academic degrees)
benefited, benefiting
- One “t” in each word; no alternate spelling.
beside, besides
- Beside means next to. Besides means in addition to.
blog
- Short for web log.
- Enclose blog titles in quotation marks.
board (See also Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System)
- Do not capitalize board or phrases such as board of directors or board of trustees in general use. Capitalize only when used in conjunction with the official name of an organization.
- First National Bank’s Board of Directors will meet today.
- The bank’s board of directors met today.
- Today’s board meeting includes only half of the Board of Governors members.
Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System (See also Colorado State University System)
- On first reference, use the complete name of the board. Thereafter, the following shortened forms are acceptable:
- Board of Governors of the CSU System
- CSU System Board of Governors
- Board of Governors
- the Board
- the System
- The former name, State Board of Agriculture, is obsolete and should not be used except in historical references.
book titles (See also composition titles)
- Italicize titles and subtitles of published books, including catalogs of reference materials. (Note that this differs from the AP Stylebook.)
- Enclose in quotation marks chapter titles, partial titles, and titles of short stories and essays. Italicize titles of such works published separately.
- Capitalize titles of commonly recognized parts of books, but do not italicize or enclose in quotation marks. Do not capitalize these general terms.
- Chapter 2
- Appendix A
- Table of Contents
- Index
- The book contains six chapters, an index, and a table of contents.
- Italicize titles of poetry collections and long poems published separately. Enclose titles of short poems in quotation marks.
- Capitalize (but do not italicize or put in quotation marks) titles of religious works, versions, and editions.
- the King James Version of the Bible
- the Old Testament
- the Book of Job
- the Lord’s Prayer
- the Torah
- the Koran
buildings, places
- On first reference, use the official name of campus buildings, rooms, and facilities, including named spaces. After the first reference, do not capitalize such general terms as hall, center, laboratory, and building if the full name is not used.
- North Ballroom
- Cherokee Park Room
- Johnson Hall
- James L. Voss Veterinary Medical Center or Voss Veterinary Medical Center
- North Conference Room of the Administration Building
- Capitalize commonly recognized parts of campus.
- Main Campus
- the Oval
- the Plaza
- Foothills Campus
- However, Spur campus (lowercase “campus” in reference to the facility at National Western Center in Denver.
- Spell out Lory Student Center. On subsequent reference, student center may be used. When space is limited, LSC may be used on second reference for internal communications only. Use Lory Student Center Theatre, not Theater; however, use theater in generic uses.
- The Lory Student Center has a theater with a balcony.
- Use Morgan Library when referring to the main library building only. When referring to Colorado State’s library system or its buildings collectively, use CSU Libraries (or the Libraries after first reference).
- Veterinary Health Complex is the collection of CVMBS buildings and facilities, including James L. Voss Veterinary Teaching Hospital, Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories, C. Wayne McIlwraith Translational Medicine Institute, Gail Holmes Equine Orthopaedic Research Center, upcoming Johnson Family Equine Hospital, and all associated facilities, barns, and corrals. The Veterinary Health Complex (not campus) is part of South Campus.
- In addresses and when referring to locations, cite the room number first (the word Room is optional) followed, without a comma, by the building name. When the location requires a compass-point distinction, abbreviate it in capitals and with periods following the building name. If a room has a specific name, use the name and separate it from the building name with a comma.
- 21 Spruce Hall
- 271 Aylesworth Hall S.W.
- A102 Engineering Building (no hyphen between section and room number)
- 221-223 Lory Student Center
- Longs Peak Room, Lory Student Center
Business Reply Mail (See addresses)
C
Cabinet
- Capitalize Cabinet in references to a specific body of advisers heading executive departments.
- President Martinez announced two new Cabinet members.
- The president will be forming a Cabinet soon.
campus
- Lowercase, unless used as part of the official name of one of CSU’s campuses:
- Main Campus
- South Campus – designation covers the CSU property and facilities between Prospect Road and Drake Road, from Aggie Village South to the Veterinary Health Complex (not campus), including Crabtree Hall, greenhouses, tennis complex
- Foothills Campus
- Spur campus (When referring to the facility at the National Western Center in Denver, the word “campus” is lowercase in all references, even when used with the word “Spur.”)
CAM the Ram
- CSU’s official mascot is a Rambouillet sheep. CAM is an acronym for Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, CSU’s former name, so it always should be capitalized. CAM has been CSU’s official mascot since 1954.
capitalization
Note: The following guidelines are intended to address the most common usage questions and to avoid excessive capitalization, since capitalization confers added significance to common nouns. (Readers may not consider such capitalized words to be as momentous as the writer does.) Use good judgment in selecting a particular style – with this guide as a reference – and apply that style consistently throughout the document.
- Capitalize professional and formal titles when they precede a name (see also academic titles). Do not capitalize titles used after a name or words that are occupational titles. Do not capitalize state classified, administrative professional, or faculty when referring to employees of Colorado State University.
- On Tuesday, President Terry Martinez will deliver the opening address. Afterward, President Martinez will introduce keynote speaker Pat Parker, poet and professor of English, and soloist Leslie Morales will conclude the ceremony with the alma mater.
- The message was sent to all CSU employees, including state classified, administrative professional, and both tenured and non-tenured track faculty.
- Capitalize University and System when they specifically refer to Colorado State University. (See Colorado State University and Colorado State University System. This differs from the AP Stylebook.)
- Capitalize complete and official names of Colorado State University colleges, schools, divisions, departments, centers, offices, and programs (see also colleges and departments). In all other instances, do not capitalize.
- Department of Physics; the physics department
- University Center for the Arts; the center
- College of Business; the business college
- Brain-Computer Interfaces Laboratory; the laboratory
- School of Education; the school
- Office of Admissions; the admissions office
- Fermentation Science and Technology Program; the program
- Capitalize full names of specific committees, councils, and divisions. Do not capitalize in general use.
- The Classified Personnel Council met today.
- The council discussed employee benefits.
- Capitalize full names of degrees such as Bachelor of Arts but not generic versions such as bachelor’s degree. (See academic degrees)
- Capitalize class rankings of first-year student, sophomore, junior, and senior only when indicating a specific class or program title.
- The Senior Class sponsored the lecture.
- All first-year students are expected to attend Ram Welcome activities.
- Capitalize commonly recognized features and landmarks.
- the Main Campus
- the Oval
- the Lagoon
- the Plaza
- the Oval Office
- Capitalize references to specific rooms and buildings.
- North Ballroom
- Cherokee Park Room
- Johnson Hall
- Capitalize commonly recognized regions in Colorado that are widely known by a distinctive name. In other references, do not capitalize the modifier.
- Western Slope
- Front Range
- Northern Colorado
- Metro Denver
- northwestern Colorado
- central Longmont
- Capitalize the full name of a specific class or a class title that uses a proper noun or numeral.
- He took Introduction to Philosophy, Experimental Psychology, and Algebra II.
- My English class meets every day at 9 a.m. followed by advanced algebra at 10.
- Capitalize seasons only when part of a specific name or time. Do not capitalize derivatives such as springlike.
- Fall 2008
- Summer Session 2009
- Summer Olympics
- They will teach two courses during the summer session.
- Capitalize names of historical and geological periods and events.
- Paleozoic Era
- Age of Reason
- Dark Ages
- Boston Tea Party
- Capitalize the name of a school district when preceded by a township, county, or proper name.
- Poudre School District
- Capitalize government entities when part of a proper noun or an agency’s formal name.
- Federal Reserve Board
- Department of State
- the State Department (also acceptable)
- Do not capitalize government entities such as city, county, state, and federal when used as a common noun or adjective or when used in place of the actual name.
- the city of Fort Collins
- the state of Colorado
- an employee of the state
- federal loans
- Capitalize the first word of a complete quotation.
- The professor said, “We are pleased by the progress they are making.”
- Capitalize the first word following a colon when it introduces an independent, complete sentence.
- His meaning was clear: There would be no further discussion.
- Do not capitalize the first word following a colon when it does not introduce an independent, complete sentence.
- There are three parts to the sentence: the subject, the verb, and the object.
- Capitalize the full, official titles of CSU organizations and programs.
- Associated Students of Colorado State University (or ASCSU after first reference)
- Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System
- Colorado State University System (or CSU System after first reference)
- Faculty Council
- Honors Program
- Fall 2019 Commencement (when referring to a specific commencement)
- University (when referring to Colorado State University)
- Do not capitalize the first word of an indirect or partial quote. Indirect or partial quotations, which do not require commas before or after quotation marks, should be used only sparingly.
- He said he was “pleased by the progress” they were making.
- Do not capitalize the following words and phrases in general use:
- ad hoc committee
- admissions form
- alma mater
- amendment
- baccalaureate
- bachelor’s
- board
- bureau
- central administration
- city of Fort Collins
- college
- colonial (when referring to the style of architecture)
- commencement
- committee
- cum laude (do not italicize)
- department
- doctoral, doctorate
- fall
- first-year student (preferred over freshman)
- junior
- master’s
- orientation
- president of the United States
- president of the University
- program
- school
- senior
- sophomore
- spring break
- spring
- state of Colorado
- summer
- white paper
- winter
Caucasian, white (See inclusive language)
century
- Do not capitalize. When used with ordinal numbers less than 10, as in sixth century, spell out the ordinal and do not capitalize. When used with ordinals 10 and larger, as in 21st century, use figures and do not superscript the suffix – instead, place the suffix (-st, -th, -nd, -rd) in the same size and on the same baseline as the running text. (This may require overriding the autocorrect feature in a word processing program.) Hyphenate the ordinal and century when used as a compound adjective.
- Colorado State University is a 21st-century land-grant institution.
- the first century
- the 20th century
- Not: the 20th century
chair
- Use chair when referring to a person who holds that leadership position in an organization.
chapters
- Capitalize chapter when used with a numeral in reference to a section of a book or legal code. Always use Arabic figures. Lowercase when standing alone.
- Chapter 1
- Chapter 20
- the third chapter
cities
- Follow a city name with the name of the state unless the city is well known by the audience.
- Chicago
- Paris, Texas
- Laramie, Wyoming
- Enclose state, county, or country names in commas when they follow city names.
- The prospective student traveled from Glenville, Illinois, to Fort Collins, Colorado.
- In an international context, spell out state names.
- Fort Collins, Colorado, U.S.A., is the home of Colorado State University.
class
- Capitalize when referring to a specific class with a year; lowercase in all other uses.
- The Class of 2008 is hosting a reunion next month.
- They are part of this year’s graduating class.
colleges
- The eight colleges at Colorado State University are:
- College of Agricultural Sciences
- College of Business
- College of Health and Human Sciences
- College of Liberal Arts
- College of Natural Sciences
- College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
- Walter Scott, Jr. College of Engineering (College is the only acceptable usage after first reference. Do not use Scott College.)
- Warner College of Natural Resources (Warner College is acceptable after first reference.)
- Capitalize full, official college names. Avoid using acronyms for University names. Shortened names may be used on subsequent references but do not capitalize them.
- Within a specific college or department context, College or Department may be capitalized in place of the full college name after first reference. Be sure to be consistent with usage within a document or publication.
- Dartmouth College
- college graduate
- the College of Natural Sciences
- The College received a grant from the National Institutes of Health.
Colorado State University (See also athletics; capitalization; names)
- The preferred way to refer to Colorado State University is by the full name, Colorado State University. The full name, Colorado State University, should always be used on first reference; however, the University, Colorado State, or CSU may be substituted for the full name in publications for variety or when space does not permit the use of the full name. These substitutes may not appear as main heads. (Note: Capitalizing University differs from the AP Stylebook.) Also see the Communicator’s Toolbox at brand.colostate.edu.
- In formal or official context, when referring to the University president, use Joyce McConnell on first reference. Thereafter, use either McConnell, President McConnell, or the president.
- Joyce McConnell gave her annual fall address today. Following the address, President McConnell invited the audience to the picnic and activities on the Oval.
- When referencing Colorado State University prior to May 1, 1957, when it was renamed and granted university status, use the college’s official name at the time, indicating as appropriate that this was the University’s name at the time.
- In 1949, William E. Morgan became president of Colorado Agricultural and Mechanical College, later known as Colorado State University.
- Colorado State University was established in 1870 as the Agricultural College of Colorado.
- For a brief timeline of the prior names and presidents of Colorado State University, see “Colorado State University: A Chronology of Colorado’s Land Grant University.”
Colorado State University Extension
- Formerly known as Colorado State University Cooperative Extension or Cooperative Extension. Do not use Cooperative Extension Service. Neither Cooperative nor Service is part of the organization’s official name as of June 2007.
- Use Colorado State University Extension on first reference. Thereafter, use Colorado State Extension. If printed material includes multiple references, Extension may be used to minimize lengthy repetition.
- For more information, contact the Extension office in your county.
- Generally, most Extension employees who are called specialists also are professors at the University, and most employees who are called agents are located in field offices throughout the state.
- Colorado State University Extension nutrition specialist Pat Parker will discuss healthy food choices in next week’s column.
Colorado State University System
- The Colorado State University System is a higher education system that incorporates Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado State University-Pueblo (formerly called the University of Southern Colorado), and Colorado State University-Global Campus, the nation’s first 100 percent online university, to assist the institutions in accomplishing their objectives and to provide staff support to the Board of Governors of the Colorado State University System.
- On first reference, spell out in full and capitalize. Thereafter, CSU System may be used.
- Tony Frank is chancellor of the Colorado State University System, which comprises Colorado State University, Colorado State University-Pueblo, and CSU-Global Campus.
- On first reference, spell out the Pueblo campus as Colorado State University-Pueblo. Subsequent references may be abbreviated CSU-Pueblo. On first reference, spell out Colorado State University-Global Campus. Subsequent references may be abbreviated CSU-Global.
commas
- In U.S. English, commas and periods always go inside single or double quotation marks. (In the United Kingdom, they always go outside the marks.)
- Use a comma to separate independent clauses (complete sentences) joined by a conjunction. If clauses share a common subject, do not use a comma. Do not separate two dependent clauses with a comma, but separate more than two dependent clauses with commas, as with any series.
- Fort Collins enjoys a moderate climate, and it is located near the foothills.
- Fort Collins enjoys a moderate climate and is located near the foothills.
- Fort Collins enjoys a moderate climate, is located near the foothills, and has enough snowfall to keep winter enthusiasts happy.
- Use commas to separate elements in a series, including a final comma in a series of three or more elements. (This differs from the AP Stylebook.)
- She took microbiology, psychology, and art history.
- Course work is required in natural sciences, arts and humanities, and business.
- Do not use commas if all the elements in a series are joined by conjunctions.
- “I have school and my roommates and sports to keep me busy,” she said.
- The rooms share a living room, kitchen, and laundry room.
- Use a comma after introductory phrases, including short, and one-word, introductory phrases. (This differs from the AP Stylebook.)
- That year, only two schools participated.
- That year only, two schools participated.
- In Fall 2006, more than 20,000 undergraduates were enrolled.
- Note: Although it is not necessary to use commas after certain introductory phrases, it is never incorrect to use the comma, and simply using a comma after all introductory phrases makes punctuating less confusing and expedites the writing and editing processes.
- In listing dates, no comma is needed between a month and a year or between the time and date.
- The lecture was scheduled for October 2018.
- The club will meet 1-3 p.m. March 25 in the Cherokee Park Room of the Lory Student Center.
- Use commas with a month, day, and year. Set off the year with commas.
- The lecture scheduled for Oct. 17, 2018, was canceled.
- Enclose in commas state and country names when they follow a city name.
- They traveled from St. Louis, Missouri, to Madison, Wisconsin.
- Use a comma to separate multiple adjectives and adverbs that each modify the same word. As a memory aid, do not use a comma if and cannot be inserted between the modifiers.
- It was a long, hot summer. (It was a long and hot summer.)
- Colorado State University is a 21st-century land-grant institution.
- Not: Colorado State University is a 21st-century and land-grant institution.
committee
- Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when part of a formal name.
- the Joint Budget Committee
- Do not capitalize committee in shortened versions of formal committee names.
- ethics committee
complement, compliment
- Complement means something that completes. Compliment means an act or expression of courtesy or praise.
- The complimentary dinner is tonight.
- The dinner complements the evening activities.
compose, comprise, constitute
- Compose means create, put together, or make up – the parts compose [make up] the whole.
- Fifty states compose the United States.
- The United States is composed of 50 states.
- Twenty-six letters compose the English alphabet.
- The English alphabet is composed of 26 letters.
- Comprise means to contain or consist of – the whole comprises [contains] the parts. Do not use comprise in the passive sense. (Comprise of is redundant.)
- The United States comprises 50 states.
- The English alphabet comprises 26 letters.
- Not: The English alphabet is comprised of 26 letters.
- Constitute, when used to mean form or make up, may work best when neither compose nor comprise seem to fit.
- Fifty states constitute the United States.
- Twelve people constitute a jury.
- Do not use comprise instead of include – comprise implies that all parts follow; include implies that only some parts follow.
- The English alphabet includes the letters A, B, and C.
composition titles (See also book titles; conference titles; journal titles; musical titles; newspaper and newsletter titles)
- The following differs from the AP Stylebook
- Capitalize all principal words in titles (see title case) and italicize or enclose in quotation marks as follows.
- The general rule is to italicize the titles of larger works (such as books and magazines) that contain smaller parts (such as chapters and articles), which would be enclosed in quotation marks.
- Italicize titles and subtitles of published books, journals, pamphlets, proceedings, reports, collections, periodicals, newspapers, and all works published separately (such as a long poem published separately and not as part of a larger collection).
- Italicize titles of collections of poetry and long poems published separately. Enclose in quotation marks the titles of short poems.
- Italicize titles of long musical compositions. Enclose in quotation marks the titles of songs and short compositions.
- Italicize album titles. Enclose in quotation marks the titles of individual songs.
- Italicize the titles of drawings, statues, and other works of art.
- Italicize the titles of motion pictures, plays, and television and radio programs.
- Enclose in quotation marks the titles of lectures, speeches, theses, white papers, essays, poems, short stories, magazine or newspaper articles, book chapters or sections, and shorter works not published separately.
- Enclose in quotation marks the titles of television episodes and radio stories.
compound words (See hyphens)
comprise (See compose, comprise, constitute)
computer terminology (See email; Internet; URL)
conference titles
- Capitalize all principal words in titles of conferences and symposia, but do not italicize or enclose these titles in quotation marks. (This differs from the AP Stylebook.) Italicize conference themes, and enclose in quotation marks the titles of individual talks, discussions, or speeches.
- A Study of Modern Life is the theme of the Sixth Annual Healthy Living Conference, which includes a keynote address, “Moving Ahead,” by Terry Abe. The conference will be held in September.
contractions
- Be careful not to confuse contractions with possessive pronouns – contractions have apostrophes; possessive pronouns do not. (Tip: To test if a contraction is used correctly, think of the words that form the contraction.)
- Who’s [Who is] going to the game?
Whose book is this?
Not: Who’s [Who is] book is this? - It’s [It is] the dawn of a beautiful day.
The dog lost its bone.
Not: The dog lost it’s [it is] bone. - They’re [They are] going to the game.
Their mission is threefold.
Not: They’re [They are] mission is threefold. - You’re [You are] in trouble!
Your comments are important to us.
Not: You’re [You are] comments are important to us. - The decision was theirs to make.
There’s [There is] still time to decide. - Be sure that contractions agree with the number of the sentence.
- There are too many cooks in the kitchen.
Not: There’s [There is] too many cooks in the kitchen.
- Who’s [Who is] going to the game?
Cooperative Extension (See Colorado State University Extension)
countries
- Spell out the names of countries and world entities when used as nouns.
- United States
- United Kingdom
- United Nations
- When used as adjectives, names of countries and world entities may be abbreviated with periods.
- U.S. policy
- U.K. economy
- U.N. treaty
- Check Merriam-Webster Dictionary for adjective forms of country names.
course titles and numbers
- Capitalize official course names and formal names of programs. Do not put in quotation marks or italics.
- He took Introduction to Philosophy, Experimental Psychology, and Painting II.
- Do not capitalize general references to courses except for proper nouns.
- She took classes in psychology and German.
- Usually, when referring to Colorado State University courses, official course names are sufficient. When including course numbers with course names, use official University course numbers, which consist of an alphabetical prefix (indicates the college, department, or unit that offers the course) followed by a space and the number of the course.
- AT 300
- For CSU courses approved for inclusion in the All-University Core Curriculum, CC is added after the prefix. If the prefix consists of only one letter, put a space before the CC. If the prefix consists of two letters, do not add a space before CC.
- M CC 125
- JTCC 100
- For official course names and numbers, see the General Catalog on the web at catalog.colostate.edu and the Graduate and Professional Bulletin on the web at graduateschool.colostate.edu.
course work
- Course work is two words.
CSU Libraries
- Use CSU Libraries on first reference and in all formal usage.
- Use the Libraries on subsequent reference.
- Use Morgan Library only when referring to the main library building on the Plaza.
- CSU Libraries is treated as a single unit and takes the singular verb form.
- Use library only as an adjective, e.g., library staff. Do not use library as a noun in any reference to CSU Libraries.
D
dash
- A dash is used to signal an abrupt change in thought or a pause within a sentence. It may be used in pairs to set off or enclose a word, a phrase, a list, or a clause – as with commas or parentheses – but with more emphasis than commas or parentheses. When using a dash in this way, it is used on both sides of the word, phrase, or list. Do not mix use of dash and comma in this case.
- A dash also may be used alone, like a colon – to detach the end of a sentence from the main body or to offer additional information.
- A dash may be used before an attribution to set it off from a quotation.
- I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.
– Albert Einstein
- I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.
- There are several characters used to create a dash. An en dash [ – ] is longer than a hyphen [ – ] but shorter than an em dash [ — ]. The double hyphen [ — ] today is considered obsolete.
- The en dash should be used with spaces on either side.
- Note: Though some prefer to use the unspaced em dash, others argue that its length is visually disrupting to the reader and can create problems with line spacing and line breaks. Therefore, in the interest of consistency and efficiency, the Colorado State University Writers Style Guide recommends using the en dash with spaces.
- To make an en dash in most word processing programs, type a space followed by a hyphen followed by another space. To make an em dash, type two hyphens without a space before or after.
dates (See also decades and years)
- Be sure to include a time reference on all communications, both printed and electronic. This may be as obvious as including the year of an annual report in its title, the dates of a conference on a cover, or the volume number, issue number, and date on a periodical. It may be less obvious but still accessible to the reader, such as putting a date at the bottom of a web page, a copyright date on an inside front cover, or a revision date at the bottom of a form or back of a brochure.
- Use figures with dates. Do not use ordinals in dates (21st, 32nd, etc.).
- Jan. 23, 2018
Not: Jan. 23rd, 2018
- Jan. 23, 2018
- When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec.
- Feb. 17, 1957
- April 23, 2019
- Use commas with a month, day, and year. Enclose the year in commas when it follows a date.
- The lecture scheduled for Oct. 17, 2019, was canceled.
- Spell out the month when used alone or when used with a year alone. No comma is used between a month and a year.
- January
- February 2008
- September 2019
- It is not necessary to use the year with a month and/or date that fall within the current year unless the context refers to multiple years. However, do include a year on content posted online.
- The award was presented in April.
- The ceremony will be Sept. 16.
- Engineering Visit Day will be Oct. 20, 2018, and Music Visit Day will be Feb. 18, 2019.
- Do not use in or on with dates unless its absence would lead to confusion.
- The seminar begins June 30.
- Use a hyphen for continuing or inclusive numbers.
- Classes are scheduled for the 2018-2019 academic year.
- She taught in the math department from 1985-2003.
- When indicating a span of three or more consecutive dates, use a hyphen and avoid using from. When indicating a span of two consecutive dates, use and instead of a hyphen.
- Submit applications May 7-9.
- Submit applications May 7 and 8.
- In listing events, list the time first followed by the date and the place. No comma is used between time and date or between month and year.
- The club will meet 1-3 p.m. March 25 in the Cherokee Park Room of the Lory Student Center. The final meeting will be in June 2019.
- The lecture was scheduled for 3 p.m. Oct. 6 in the cafeteria.
- Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries unless possessive. Use ‘s for singular possessive or s’ for plural possessive.
- the music of the 1960s
- the 1960s’ music (plural possessive)
- 1960’s biggest hit (singular possessive)
- Years are the only exception to the general rule that a figure is not used to start a sentence.
- 1998 was a very good year.
days of the week
- Spell out days of the week.
- Abbreviate only when space is limited, as in tabular matter.
- Sun., Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat.
- Abbreviate (with no periods) when space is very limited, as in course listings.
- Su, M, T, W, Th (R in course listings), F, Sa
dean
- Capitalize Dean when used as a title before a full name on first reference. In general context, do not capitalize. In more formal writing, Dean may be used and capitalized before a last name as a professional title.
- During Dean Elizabeth Gifford’s tenure, she served as associate dean of the School of Home Economics, and in 1950, Dean Gifford became the first dean of the College of Home Economics.
- Lowercase dean’s list in all uses.
- She is on the dean’s list.
decades
- Use Arabic figures to indicate decades of history, except in special expressions.
- the 1920s
- the Roaring Twenties
- the mid-1930s
- Use an apostrophe or a right (closing) single quotation mark to indicate centuries that are left out. Add the letter s without an apostrophe for plurals. Use ‘s for singular possessive or s’ for plural possessive.
- the 1920s
- the ’20s
- the mid-1920s
- the ’20s’ headlines
degrees, academic (See academic degrees)
degrees, temperature (See measurements)
departments, offices, centers
Note on capitalization: The following guidelines are intended to address the most common usage questions and to avoid excessive capitalization, since capitalization confers added significance to common nouns. Readers may not consider such capitalized words to be as momentous as does the writer. Use good judgment in selecting a particular style – with this guide as a reference – and apply that style consistently throughout the document.
- Capitalize full, official department, college, and office names. In all other instances, do not capitalize. The official format for names of Colorado State University colleges and departments is College of and Department of. Do not use ampersands, and follow this style guide’s punctuation style.
- College of Liberal Arts
- the liberal arts college
- Department of Physics
- physics department
- the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance
- the music program
- Shortened or informal names may be used on subsequent references but do not capitalize.
- The Department of Economics and the Department of History, in cooperation with the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, are hosting the event. Jim Smith, professor in the economics department, is the featured lecturer. He will speak on the history of global economics.
- Avoid using acronyms for University names. (see acronyms)
dimensions (See measurements)
directions, regions
- Lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction. Do not abbreviate except in addresses. Capitalize when such terms designate regions.
- The snowstorm is moving east.
- The storm system that developed in the Midwest is spreading eastward.
- He has a Southern accent.
- The economy of Northern Colorado is growing rapidly.
- A blizzard hit the Front Range of the Colorado Rockies.
- Lowercase compass points only when they describe a section of a state or city, but capitalize when part of a proper name.
- western Texas
- southern Atlanta
- North Dakota
- West Virginia
disabilities (See inclusive language)
diversity (See inclusive language and nondiscrimination statements)
E
effect (See affect, effect)
ellipsis (See also quotations)
- An ellipsis is a series of three periods with no spaces between and with one space on each side. It is used to indicate that text has been removed from within quoted material, that the speaker has hesitated or faltered, or that there is more material than is cited.
- “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, … dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
“I just had a thought … “
- “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, … dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.”
- Be careful to avoid deletions that would distort the meaning of the original quotation.
- Use an ellipsis where the actual deletion of text occurs – for example, within a sentence, between sentences, or before or after a punctuation mark.
- Do not use ellipses at the beginning or end of direct or partial quotations. The quotation marks indicate that the material has been excerpted.
- Short form of electronic mail. Do not capitalize unless it is used at the beginning of a sentence or as a stand-alone line. Also: e-book, e-commerce, e-business.
- Email your email problems to help@colostate.edu.
- Email help@colostate.edu for help with your email problems.
- Email: pat.parker@colostate.edu (a stand-alone line, not a complete sentence)
emeritus, emerita, emeriti, emeritae
- Emeritus or emerita is added after titles of people who have retired but retained their rank. The Latin words are gender-specific, with emeritus referring to a man; emerita referring to a woman; emeriti referring to a group of men or a mixed-gender group; and emeritae referring to a group of women. Capitalize only if it precedes a name.
- Professor Emeritus Robert Martinez is visiting the University.
- Nancy Abe, professor emerita of music, is performing Thursday.
entitled, titled
- Use entitled to mean a right to do or have something. Do not use it to mean titled, which refers to the name of something. Do not use a comma before the title.
- She was entitled to the promotion.
- His lecture is titled “The Economic Power.”
- Not: His lecture is entitled “The Economic Power.”
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Spell out on first reference. EEOC is acceptable on subsequent reference.
essential, nonessential clauses (See also that, which, who)
- Essential clauses, which are phrases that are necessary to the meaning of a sentence, should not be enclosed in commas.
- The storm hit where damage from the previous storm was greatest.
- He will graduate this spring if he passes chemistry.
- Use commas to set off nonessential clauses, which add information but which can be omitted without changing the meaning of the sentence.
- The storm hit the Midwest, where damage from previous storm was greatest.
- He will graduate this spring, if I remember correctly.
ethnicity, national origin (See inclusive language)
events
- In listing events, the preferred style is to list the time first followed by the date and place. No comma is used between time and date or between month and year. Use a comma after the year when listing a full date.
- The meeting runs 3-4 p.m. April 27 in the Cherokee Park Room of the Lory Student Center.
- The lecture, scheduled for 3 p.m. Oct. 6 in the cafeteria, was postponed.
- The discussion will be Sept. 12, 2018, in the ASCSU Senate Chambers.
- However, the timeframe and context within which events are listed should determine the most logical order of the information.
Extension (See Colorado State University Extension)
F
farther, further
- Farther refers to physical distance, and further refers to an extension of time or degree.
- We’ll paddle farther up the creek with our oars.
- If you’re willing, look further into the matter of the missing oars.
fax
- Fax is the commonly accepted abbreviation for facsimile or facsimile machine. Use fax (all lowercase) unless it is used at the beginning of a sentence. It is acceptable to use as a noun or a verb (faxed as past tense).
- Fax or mail your completed application to this office by Jan. 31.
- A fax of your application should be received by Jan. 31.
fellow, fellowships
- Capitalize full names of fellowships without italics or quotation marks. Lowercase when used generically.
- She received the American Society of Agronomy Fellowship.
- She received the fellowship.
- Capitalize Fellow in reference to a fellowship, regardless of gender.
- She was named a Fellow of the American Society of Agronomy.
fewer (See also under, less than, fewer than)
- In general, use fewer than for individual items that can be counted and less than for bulk or quantity.
- Fewer doctors result in less medical care.
- At ABC Corp., fewer than 10 employees make less than $70,000 per year.
fiscal year
- A fiscal year is an accounting year that, at Colorado State University, runs from July 1-June 30. The U.S. government fiscal year runs from Oct. 1-Sept. 30. Business fiscal years typically coincide with the calendar year.
-
- Note: It is important to specify fiscal year in University communications, since the years alone could be confused with the academic calendar, which runs from fall semester through spring semester (typically August-May at CSU).
-
- Use the full spelling and both years on first reference for audiences who may not be familiar with shortened forms; thereafter, shortened forms may be used.
- first reference: Fiscal Year 2018-2019 or Fiscal Year 2018-19
- thereafter: FY18-19
- When referring to a span of more than one fiscal year, use the full spelling and terms on first reference for audiences who may not be familiar with shortened forms; thereafter, shortened forms may be used.
- Fiscal Years 2015-16 and 2016-17
- FY15-16 and FY16-17
- FY15-16 through FY17-18
- A fiscal year may be identified by using only the year the fiscal year closes – FY17, for example – if the time span is clear to the intended audience.
-
- Note: FY18-19 could be interpreted as Fiscal Year 2018 through Fiscal Year 2019 (July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2019) or Fiscal Year 2018-2019 (July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019), so be sure the meaning is clear to the reader.
-
foreign/non-English names, words (See also abbreviations of foreign phrases)
- The AP Stylebook provides guidance on appropriate use of Arabic, Chinese, Russian, Spanish, and names from other cultures in written English. Use an individual’s preference, if it can be determined. Otherwise, follow guidelines as provided by AP Stylebook.
- Whenever possible, use special characters as appropriate for diacritical marks (also called diacritics or accent marks), in foreign names and words. Check the software users manual or help menu for how to insert special characters or symbols. However, do not use these marks in e-communications, as some email clients don’t recognize them and will turn them into odd characters.
- façade
- résumé
- piñada
- José
Fort
- Do not abbreviate Fort for cities or military installations.
- Fort Collins
- Fort Lauderdale
- Fort Benning
14er
- To describe mountains of 14,000 feet or higher in Colorado, use the figure and the suffix er. In the plural form, add only s, no apostrophe.
- They planned to climb all 58 of Colorado’s 14ers.
- I hiked a 14er this weekend.
fractions
- Spell out fractions less than one and hyphenate between words. In technical or tabular matter or text such as recipes, fractions may be expressed in figures.
- two-thirds
- seven-sixteenths
- four-fifths
- Use figures for amounts larger than one, and convert to decimals whenever appropriate. For mixed numbers, use hyphens between whole numbers and fractions or use special characters for fractions (3¼, 9¾) when possible, without hyphens. A thin or ¼ em space may be inserted between whole number and fraction if needed. (See software users guide or help menu for creating or using fractions and thin or ¼ em spaces.) Do not mix different fraction styles. (This differs from the AP Stylebook.)
- 1-1/2 2-5/8 1-3/16
- 1½ 2¾ 3¼
- 1.5 2.625 1.1875
- Use figures and decimals exclusively in tabular material.
fundraising, fundraiser
- One word in all uses.
- A committee of experienced fundraisers from throughout the region determined that the fundraising program would include community fundraisers in each state.
G
gender-neutral language (See inclusive language)
generations
- According to the Pew Research Center, the five generations now alive are:
- Silent Generation, born 1928-1945
- Baby Boomers, 1946-1964
- Generation X, 1965-1980
- Millennials, 1981-1996
- Generation Z, 1997-present; endpoint not yet set
governor
- Capitalize and abbreviate as Gov. when used as a formal title before a name. Lowercase and spell out in all other uses.
- Gov. Jamie Khan is meeting with other governors in the region.
grade point average, GPA
- GPA may be used in all references to grade point average; however, for audiences who may be unfamiliar with the term, spell out on first reference and do not capitalize. Also, do not hyphenate.
grades, -grader
- Use figures in reference to grade levels.
- Students in Grades 2-4 will take the assessment test.
- Use K as an abbreviation for kindergarten only in reference to primary education levels.
- The project will study how teachers in Grades K-12 teach math.
- For class rankings, hyphenate both the noun forms and the adjective forms, and spell out ordinals first through ninth.
- Second- and third-graders may go on the field trip.
- All 11th-grade students should meet with their advisers by Oct. 1.
- Do not hyphenate high school student. (see hyphen)
- Capitalize grade letters, and round to one numeral after the decimal point in GPAs unless more accuracy is needed in the context.
- She got an F in Forensic Accounting, which brought her GPA down to 3.3.
graphic standards
See the Communicator’s Toolbox at brand.colostate.edu.
greater (See over, greater than, more than)
H
hall
- Use the correct form for campus facilities: Eddy Hall, not Eddy Building. (See “Colorado State University Building Addresses“)
handicap (See inclusive language)
Hispanic (See inclusive language)
historic, historical
- Historic refers to something important that stands out in history. Historical refers to something that happened in the past.
- The use of a is preferred to an before both terms, though either is correct.
- a/an historic event
homecoming
- Capitalize when referring to a specific event. Use lowercase for generic references.
- We volunteered to organize CSU’s Homecoming and Family Weekend.
- We had a nice homecoming party for Jamie.
honors (See also academic degrees)
Graduation with distinction
- Colorado State recognizes outstanding scholarship by granting baccalaureate degrees cum laude (with praise), magna cum laude (with great praise), and summa cum laude (with greatest praise) to students who have achieved unusually high academic excellence in undergraduate programs.
- To avoid confusion with Honors Program awards, the phrase graduate(d) with honors should not be used.
Graduation as a University Honors Scholar
- Students who complete the University Honors Program Core Curriculum, a thesis/project, and achieve at least a 3.5 grade point average earn the designation of University Honors Scholar. Scholars are recognized at graduation by the Honors Program and during the colleges’ commencement ceremonies.
- The University Honors Program may be shortened to the Honors Program after first reference.
hyphens (See also dash and prefixes, suffixes)
- Use hyphens without spaces to:
- combine words in compounds such as well-being, advanced-level, clerk-typist, student-athlete, student-veteran, fine-tune, A-frame, and artist-in-residence (see note below).
- divide words at the ends of lines.
- separate numbers such as phone numbers: (970) 491-6432.
- show inclusive dates and numbers: Jan. 5-Oct. 7, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Vice president has no hyphen.
Hyphenating compound words
-
-
- A compound word can be hyphenated, spaced, or solid, depending on whether it is being used as an adjective, noun, or verb. Check Merriam-Webster Dictionary to see if a word – and the way it is being used – should be hyphenated. The Gregg Reference Manual also has a helpful section on compound words.
- the cleanup of a mess [noun]
- a clean-up chore [adjective]
- to clean up a mess [verb]
- In general, hyphenate words in a compound adjective when used before a noun but not when they follow a noun.
- up-to-date information (information that is up to date)
- a well-known judge (a judge who is well known)
- a three-tiered structure (a structure that has three tiers)
- advanced-level class (working at an advanced level)
- In general, when a compound noun is a well-known organization or concept, such as income tax or high school, a hyphen is not necessary. Do use a hyphen if the audience is not familiar with the compound or could be confused.
- high school student
- income tax return
- small animal practice (an animal practice that is small)
- small-animal practice (a practice that specializes in small animals)
- Do not hyphenate a compound modifier when it is a proper name or a commonly known foreign phrase.
- Colorado State employee
- bona fide offer
- When a proper name is combined with another word to create a modifier, use a hyphen before the last term in the modifier.
- Pulitzer Prize-winning author
- National Institutes of Health-funded project
- Do not use a hyphen in a compound adjective when the first word is an adverb that ends in -ly and the second word is a participle. Use a hyphen when the first word is a noun or adjective that ends in -ly and the second word is a participle.
- He is a highly motivated employee.
- A friendly-looking person stopped to help me.
- When more than one hyphenated adjective shares a common word, the hyphens can be suspended.
- The listing offers both on- and off-campus housing.
- The agent showed us two-, three-, and four-bedroom homes.
- This suggestion addresses both our long- and short-term needs.
- A compound word can be hyphenated, spaced, or solid, depending on whether it is being used as an adjective, noun, or verb. Check Merriam-Webster Dictionary to see if a word – and the way it is being used – should be hyphenated. The Gregg Reference Manual also has a helpful section on compound words.
-
I
inclusive language (See also pronouns)
This section addresses written language around nine categories of identity:
-
-
-
- age
- socioeconomic status
- disability
- gender and gender identity
- sexuality
- national origin
- race/ethnicity
- religion
- veteran/military status
-
These categories are commonly identified as historically underrepresented or most subject to bias and discrimination in the United States.
Colorado State University’s Office of the Vice President for Diversity provides a broad list of the identities they aim to serve: “Our definition includes age, culture, different ideas and perspectives, disability, ethnicity, first-generation status, familial status, gender identity and expression, geographic background, marital status, national origin, race, religious and spiritual beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and veteran status. We also recognize that the historical exclusion and marginalization of specific social groups must be addressed to promote equity.”
A word about the word “diversity.” The word is often misused: Populations can be diverse, but not individuals. Do not refer to someone as a “diverse candidate” or a “diverse expert;” refer to a “person of color,” or a group “from diverse backgrounds.” Preferred terms include “multicultural,” “equity,” and “inclusion.” The word “inclusion” incorporates the idea of actively bringing a range of perspectives into your writing and thinking.
This section includes the most recent relevant guidelines for writing from the Associated Press Stylebook, with exceptions noted. It does not address interpersonal or spoken communications, nor does it offer guidance on issues related to reporting or gathering information.
Please note that there are many exceptions and different views on what is or isn’t inclusive, and language and perceptions are continually evolving.
-