Editorial Guide: Marywood University Information

How text fits into the Marywood University graphic identity system

Marywood University is the official name of this institution. All publications originating from the University should use this name. As an acceptable second reference, writers may use Marywood or the University.

When making historical references to the institution and when citing information about alumni who graduated prior to 1997, it is acceptable to simply use Marywood to avoid confusion between college and university designations. One of the few instances in which College would be used is within the text of Marywood's history. However, if an alumna/us prefers using College in reference to her/his educational background, defer to the graduate's preference.

The Marywood University descriptive paragraph should be included in some part of all publications. It follows:

In addition, the University’s compliance statement should be used in every publication (except formal invitations). It follows:

Academic, administrative, and professional titles

Most style guides choose to capitalize titles only when they immediately precede a name. However, as an institution of higher learning, Marywood University will defer to academic tradition and capitalize titles within the context of university publications.

However, in news release formats and as other outside formats demand it, we will follow the accepted Associated Press Stlyebook, i.e. lower case format, for all titles, regardless of rank. For the sake of respect, as well as consistency, Marywood University uses courtesy titles on secondary and later references. This is applicable for University publications as well as for news releases. If someone has earned a doctorate, that person’s degree should be listed after his or her last name upon first reference. For later references, simply writing Dr. and the person’s last name is acceptable. For all others on second reference, simply use Mr. or Miss/Mrs./Ms., according to personal preference. Use Ms. when a woman’s title preference is not indicated or known.

The word president is capped whenever it is used to refer to current and former Marywood Presidents, whether it’s before or after the name. This policy is designed to make it easy for readers to quickly determine that a printed piece refers to the University President as opposed to any other president.

When naming Marywood University faculty, staff, or students in a document, in most cases the person should be described or identified by title, such as “John Smith, a graduate student in education, …” or “Mary Jo Gunning, Ed.D., Director of Athletics and Recreation, …”

You may want your publication to have an informal tone and wish to use first names. If so, on first reference give the person’s full name (with Dr., if appropriate) and title or position, and use the first name on second and later references. It is not acceptable to call some people by their first names and others by title and last name or by last name alone within the same publication. Nor is it acceptable to use courtesy titles with some last names but not with others within the same publication. An exception is that children, after being identified by first and last name, may be referred to by first name alone, even though adults are referred to differently. (Note: It is redundant to refer to someone as, for example, Dr. Lois Draina, Ph.D. Use either Dr. Lois Draina or Lois Draina, Ph.D.)

The Congregation of the Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, sponsors Marywood University. Upon first reference, write the formal name of the Congregation. For later references it is acceptable to refer to the Sisters, the Congregation, or the IHM Sisters. Note that Sisters holding doctorates may choose to list this degree also. Traditionally, the abbreviation of the Congregation’s name always included periods, but, in more recent times, it is usually written without periods. As a rule of thumb, we usually include the periods for degree abbreviations in Marywood publications. Sisters may be correctly listed in the following ways:

Academic degrees

Spelled out: associate degree; baccalaureate degree, bachelor's degree; master's degree; doctoral degree, doctorate; bachelor of arts, master of science, doctor of philosophy.

In university publications, we typically abbreviate degrees with periods and without spaces: B.A.; M.S.; Ph.D.; M.B.A.; Ed.D.; J.D.; M.D., etc., though the Chicago Manual of Style indicates that it is acceptable to list them without periods. Again, the key here is consistency throughout the piece.

If you are using the plural of B.A., M.A., Ph.D., and other abbreviations with periods, use B.A.’s; M.A.’s; Ph.D.’s, etc. That’s Chicago Manual style, designed to prevent confusion. With plurals of acronyms where no periods are used, do not use an apostrophe (e.g., CACs). Use B.A., M.A., Ph.D., and other degree abbreviations primarily in listings, such as departmental faculty rosters:

*Note that the designation C.M.F.C. after a person’s name in any Marywood University publication indicates membership in the University’s own Order of Cor Mariae Pro Fide et Cultura, an honor bestowed on members of the faculty and administration upon completion of distinguished vicennial service to the University.

When listing degrees that a person has earned, it is clearer in regular text to spell the degrees out:

Academic disciplines

Do not capitalize academic disciplines for general use, such as after a degree, or for informal use. Capitalize only when using the discipline as a formal name.

Academic year

Semester names should not be capitalized when used to refer generally to the time of the academic year. For example, use spring semester when generally referring to that time of the academic year. When referring to the specific sessions themselves, use Spring Advantage (capped), as that is the name for a particular Marywood University program. Additionally, if a specific year is attached to a semester, thereby imparting special significance to it, it should be capitalized.

The word commencement is typically lowercased in news releases, however, for University publications the institution defers to academic tradition once more by choosing to capitalize references to this annual ceremony and its related events

Administrative area

Do not capitalize the reference to a general administrative area of the University in which a person works.

Admissions/admission

Admissions is used to refer in a collective way to the many different types of admission (e.g., freshman, transfer, graduate). The word admissions is also used when referring to the fact that thousands of students are admitted: the admissions of thousands vs. the admission of an individual.

Admission is used to refer to a single type of admission (e.g., freshman admission, transfer admission). Use admission when referring to an individual’s admission.

Bookstore

It’s no longer the Campus Shoppe. Use Marywood University Bookstore on first reference and the Bookstore after that.

Campus

Lowercase, even in campus names.

Class years

There has been much discussion regarding this topic. It has been determined that all class years of alumni or students should be written after the individual’s full name (not between a woman’s maiden name and married name). Do not use a comma between the name and the year. It is important to note the reasoning behind this practice:

A class year applies to a person, not to the person’s name. Even if a person changes his or her name, the class year still applies to that person.

Technically speaking, the class year is a modifier, and as such should never be placed in the middle of a proper noun, e.g. a person’s name.

Automatic line spacing by computers often creates a situation where a class year could fall at the end of a line. If it were between a person’s name, it would splice the person’s full name. If a comma divided the class year and name, the class year would subsequently be separated from that person’s name. In addition to being incorrect in format, these placements could cause great confusion for the reader.

Additionally, the prospect of pairing a class year next to a maiden or graduation name would mean that writers would need to evaluate every case to determine whether a person’s name had been acquired prior to or after graduation before verifying a class year placement. This practice is tedious as well as erroneous.

Finally, aesthetics play a role – it simply looks better and more consistent to use a class year following the person’s full last name.

Colleges

The four colleges of Marywood University, established in 2003, are always capitalized. Two of the colleges have been endowed and named and must be listed accordingly. There are formal references and shorter, more user-friendly references for the named colleges. Unless written for specific or official documents where the formal name is required, the shortened version of the named college is the one typically used.

Referred to in a general sense, do not capitalize:

Continuing Education Unit

Continuing Education Units are standard units of educational contact for participants in various continuing education courses. On second and subsequent references, use CEU, no periods or spaces. Plural is CEUs, no apostrophe.

Course names, numbers, descriptions

Names of courses should be given as they are listed in the appropriate catalogs. Ordinarily, a course name and number appear together in all cases. For course numbers, always use numerals. To prevent confusion, a course’s name should be listed along with its number and with the number of credits for the course following in parenthesis.

Course descriptions (as they appear in the catalog) should be used with numbers and titles.

Note: When used alone, course titles should be capitalized.

Credits in, units of

Always use numerals: 3 credits; 18 credits in history; a 3-credit course; 4 units of English; 1 unit of geometry; 2 units of a foreign language. Also, use numerals when referring to credit hours.

Credit is earned in a subject, not of it; therefore, a major may require 25—29 credits “in” health education, but it does not require 25—29 credits “of” health education. It is the opposite for units: units “of” a subject, not units “in” a subject.

Dean's List

Always capitalize Dean’s List. It is a formal academic document.

Department names

Capitalize when used as a formal name: Department of Nursing; lowercase as informal name: the nursing department, the department.

Drop/add

Separated by a slash, not a hyphen.

Faculty-plural or singular?

Faculty, like other collective nouns, is used with the singular form of a verb.

Fields of study, Marywood University programs

Do not capitalize names of fields of study. Capitalize the names of majors or minors when used as specific programs offered at Marywood University. Do not cap the words major or minor. Only capitalize the program name if it is part of the official name. If the word program does not constitute part of an official name, it should be in lowercase format.

Program should be capped only when it is part of a formal name, particularly one whose initials are used as an abbreviated name: Off Campus Degree Program (OCDP).

When referring to specific degree programs at Marywood University, cap the program name but not the degree:

ID card

Refers to Marywood University’s identification card. Capitalize ID with no periods or spaces. Do not capitalize card.

Office names

Capitalize the formal name of the office, but lowercase when used informally.

Presidential Scholars Program; Presidential Scholars

Refers to students who receive full-tuition reimbursement based on their academic achievements.

The Presidential Scholars Program includes academically talented students who also perform outreach activities in the community.
Presidential Scholars receive full-tuition reimbursement as long as they meet the academic requirements set by Marywood University.

Program names, capitalizing

See fields of study, Marywood University programs

Thesis/dissertation

A scholarly paper written to earn a graduate degree at Marywood University, whether at the master’s or doctoral level, is a thesis (not a dissertation). Plural: theses.

Trustees

Board of Trustees: Capitalize on first mention; the board or the trustees thereafter.

University

University should be capped any time it refers to Marywood. Do not cap university if the reference is a general one, even if Marywood is in the same sentence.

University-wide

It’s University-wide, hyphenated, but it’s statewide, nationwide, and just about every other “wide” spelled solid. If you want to investigate further, consult the Chicago Manual and the “Hyphens” section of this guide.