This University of Miami Style Guide specifies the editorial and graphic standards for the University of Miami.
This guide is intended to provide consistency in all promotional or informational publications of the University. It sets forth the principles that help the University achieve four necessary and sometimes difficult-to-reconcile objectives:

		A University-wide editorial style that ensures consistency and accuracy in internal and external communications;
		A distinctive design system that graphically reflects the character of the University and that is consistent throughout the range of publications and among all constituent groups;
		A level of printing excellence that will satisfactorily convey to the reader the general quality of the University; and
		Maximum economy with each dollar of our publishing budget.

For further information, contact the Office of Communications and Marketing, Division of University Communications, at 1320 South Dixie Highway (Locator Code: 2990); 305-284-5600.

Editorial Style Table of Contents
Click on the links below to jump to the appropriate subject.
Abbreviations
Academic Degrees
Addresses
Apostrophe
Business Reply Mail
Capitalization and Titles
Captions and Cutlines
Colon
Comma
Computer Terminology
Courtesy Titles
Gender
Hyphen
Invitations
Italics
Nondiscrimination
Numbers
Period
Physical or Mental Disability
Quotation Marks
Race and Ethnicity
Semicolon
Telephone Numbers

Most editorial standards for University publications can be found in a few universally accepted references:

		The editorial reference sources for publications are Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition and The Chicago Manual of Style, 14th Edition, published by the University of Chicago Press.
		The editorial reference for business correspondence, invitations, programs, and other formal communication and protocol is Letitia Baldrige's New Complete Guide to Executive Manners.
		An editorial reference for computer terminology is Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms, Eighth Edition.
		An additional helpful reference book is Talking About People: A Guide to Fair and Accurate Language.

University usage that differs from these reference books, additional University references, and answers to frequently asked style questions are presented below. For more detailed information about style and usage pertaining to the School of Medicine, consult the University of Miami School of Medicine Style and Usage Guide.

In general, abbreviations should be used sparingly or avoided entirely, including the abbreviation UM. Never use U.M., U. of M., UofM, U/M, or U-M. Use University of Miami or University.

Scholarly abbreviations should be used only in footnotes or bibliographies. Abbreviations of parts of a book, article, or series of books should be in lowercase.

Abbreviate familiar governmental divisions, agencies, unions, and associations. Use capital letters, omit periods, and do not space between letters.

Less familiar organizations should be written out and their acronyms put in parentheses in first usage. Only after the first reference should the initials be used alone. Use capital letters, omit periods, and do not space between letters.

Use an ampersand (&) only when it is part of the correct corporate or organizational title. Never use an ampersand instead of the word and in text or in lists.

Abbreviate and lowercase a.m. and p.m. Use periods but no spaces.

Do not abbreviate street, avenue, boulevard, circle, drive, or road in addresses (in text or in return addresses). Spell out North, East, West, and South in addresses. An exception is S.W., N.E., N.W., etc., when used in addresses.

Do not abbreviate the names of cities, states, or countries in text and business stationery. An exception is cities that include St. as an abbreviation for Saint. Additionally, when United States is used as an adjective, it may be abbreviated.

Avoid abbreviations that are unclear or awkward.

In some instances, years may be abbreviated by the last two digits preceded by an apostrophe (not the opening single quotation mark). Decades should be spelled out and lowercased. The first through tenth centuries should be spelled out and lowercased; others may use numerals.

Abbreviate and capitalize academic degrees, according to proper editorial style. Use periods and no spaces in abbreviations. Use the degree after the name sparingly, only when it provides more pertinent information or when credentials are necessary.

When the degree and the graduation year are used together, offset with commas not parentheses.

Use capitals for the degree title but not for the subject; an exception is when the subject is part of the formal degree title.

No capitals are used when academic degrees are referred to in general terms such as doctorate, bachelor's degree, or master's degree.

Note: The University of Miami awards the A.B. degree, not the B.A.

This style and sequence should be used for addresses:

Each department has been assigned a locator code by the University. For all internal correspondence, the locator code should be used. A department's locator code also should be included as the last four digits in its nine-digit zip code.

Zip code for the Coral Gables campus is 33124+locator code. Zip code for the medical campus is 33101+locator code. Zip code for the Rosenstiel campus is 33149+locator code.

Zip codes used with street addresses for delivery of overnight mail and/or packages are as follows:

(Exceptions to the foregoing apply to business reply mail, which must be prepared according to specifications set by the U.S. Postal Service. See further down for more information.)

When a proper name is in italic type, its possessive is in Roman type.

No apostrophe is used with dates or when forming plurals of acronyms.

Always use all capital letters, no punctuation, and no abbreviations for business reply mail.

Coral Gables campus
(Note the use of Miami in place of Coral Gables.)
Postcards:
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SCHOOL, COLLEGE, OR DEPARTMENT
BOX NUMBER
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33124-9973

Letters (up to two ounces):
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SCHOOL, COLLEGE, OR DEPARTMENT
BOX NUMBER
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33124-9965

Letters (over two ounces):
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SCHOOL, COLLEGE, OR DEPARTMENT
BOX NUMBER
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33124-9972

Medical campus
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SCHOOL, DEPARTMENT, OR HOSPITAL
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33101-9966

Rosenstiel campus
UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI
SCHOOL OR DEPARTMENT
BOX NUMBER
MIAMI, FLORIDA 33149

Excessive use of capital letters should be avoided. Capitalize an official name but not part of a name.

Use capital letters for committee names, organization names, endowed chairs, centers, institutes, etc. Always use the full name on first reference; an official shortened version may be used on second reference.

When referring to the University of Miami on second reference, the word University is capitalized even when used alone. Do not capitalize university when referring to universities in general.

Use capital letters for a course of study or subject only when it is used in a department name, with a course number, or when includes a proper noun or adjective. No quotation marks are used for course titles when the number and area of study are given; quotation marks are used for course titles in text.

Use initial capital letters for titles whether standing alone, in quotation marks, or in italics. A, in, of, and other junction words are capitalized only at the beginning or end of a title.

In general, capitalize a complete sentence or thought following a colon; lowercase a series or phrase.

Use capitals and quotation marks for a title that exists independently.

Use capitals for a title preceding a name but not for one following a name.

Use capitals for named professorships and fellowships. Otherwise, scholar and fellow are lowercased.

Refer to Florida or the state; lowercase state except when used to denote the official governing body.

Use capital letters and no apostrophe for Continuing Education Units.

Use lowercase for seasons of the year even if linked with a title.

Be formal when referring to named units that are part of the University. Many buildings, laboratories, auditoriums, courtyards, endowed chairs, lecture series, etc., are named for individuals, foundations, or corporations whose contributions helped make them possible. Always use the full name on first reference; an official shortened version may be used only on second reference.

The only colleges or schools that have approved shortened versions for second reference are the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science and the Phillip and Patricia Frost School of Music. The correct second references are the Rosenstiel School and the Frost School. Do not use the RSMAS acronym or School of Music.

The official location of the medical campus is the University of Miami/Jackson Memorial Medical Center. The correct second reference is UM/Jackson. Do not use Jackson.

The approved references for the University's four campuses include:
Coral Gables campus
medical campus
Rosenstiel campus
South campus

When identifying subjects in photographs, set off directionals with commas. Never use italics.

In captions and cutlines, use a colon at the beginning of a sentence.

Do not use a colon before a listing when the lead-in ends with a verb. Use a colon before a listing when its preceding clause or words would constitute a complete sentence without the listing.

Classes will be in the following subjects:

Use a colon between time, between volume and page reference, and between place of publication and publisher's name.

Use a comma between the two independent clauses of a compound sentence. A comma precedes the conjunctions and, but, or, nor, for, so, and yet if the second half of the sentence contains its own subject, verb, and object.

Use commas in a series of three or more; a comma is placed after the next-to-the-last element in the series.

Use commas after introductory elements, interjections, and direct addresses.

Do not use commas after short, introductory adverbial phrases.

Use a comma between the day and year in dates. Use a comma after the year for dates in sentences.

When a city and state or city and country are used in text, use a comma between the two and following the state or country.

No commas are used between month and year or between season and year.

Do not use a comma before Jr. and Sr. when part of an individual's formal name.

Use computer terms properly and consistently. Examples of commonly used terms follow. For definitions and more terms, see Webster's New World Dictionary of Computer Terms, Eighth Edition.

When citing Web addresses in University brochures, it is sufficient to begin with www and to omit http://.

Use the phrase "log on to" (as opposed to "log onto") to direct readers to a Web site.

Do not use courtesy titles in publications (brochures, case statements, booklets, directories, etc.).

The preferred usage in periodicals (magazines, newspapers, and newsletters) is to eliminate courtesy titles in text material in all references. (See exceptions noted below.)

In listings, addresses, etc., do not use Mrs. (unless the woman is using her husband's name).

Dr., Mr., Mrs., or Ms. may be used in first and second references in periodicals if the references serve to avoid confusion. Never use Miss.

Never use courtesy title and degree together.

Include all people in general references by substituting nonsexual words and phrases for male-biased, exclusionary words. (An excellent reference book is Talking About People: A Guide to Fair and Accurate Language by Rosalie Maggio.)

Refer to women and men equally and keep references consistent.

The word gender and sex have entirely different meanings. Always use the correct word.

Avoid using man or woman as a suffix or prefix. Use person instead, or change the construction. For example, chair or chairperson instead of chairman, and business executive instead of businessman.

Use parallel grammar when referring to people by gender ("his or her employer" rather than "his employer").

Grant equal respect to women and men.

Use generic titles or descriptions for both women and men.

Base description on pertinent qualities, not on gender.

Do not use adjectives that are irrelevant and/or condescending (shapely, effeminate, lovely, macho, pretty, handsome).

Consult the dictionary to confirm hyphenation. In general, avoid the use of hyphens unless the result is awkward or confusing.

Consult the dictionary to avoid common spelling errors in compound words.

In University usage, the word fundraising does not require a hyphen. Do not use the word fundraiser.

Hyphens are used when the base word begins with a capital letter.

Never break a hyphenated word in another place.

Do not allow a single letter of a word to stand alone at the beginning or end of a line. Force the entire word to the next line.

Hyphenate when the meaning varies with the absence of punctuation.

Use a hyphen for first-professional or when referring to levels of residency or enrollment.

Hyphenate compound adjectives before a noun. Do not hyphenate compound adjectives when the first word ends in ly.

Informal and formal invitation styles may be used, depending on the nature of the event.

Formal:
For occasions such as commencement, the dedication of a building, a presidential reception, and the like, a formal invitation style is in order.

The R.S.V.P. card and other enclosures cite the date, time, and other elements in the same formal style.

For details, consult Letitia Baldrige's New Complete Guide to Executive Manners.

Informal:
Printed invitations for more casual gatherings may follow an informal style.

Again, enclosures are worded similarly to the invitation.

For details, consult Letitia Baldrige's New Complete Guide to Executive Manners.

Use italics for titles of plays, television shows, motion pictures, books, journals, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and long poems published as books. Also use italics for musical works; for titles of operas, oratorios, motets, tone poems, and other long musical compositions; and for works of art. Titles of short works, magazine articles, television episodes, speeches, papers, and unpublished works are in quotation marks.

Use italics for the titles of gallery and museum exhibitions.

Use italics for isolated words and phrases in a foreign language if they are likely to be unfamiliar to readers.

Use italics to refer to words as words and to single out terms as terms.

Italics are not necessary for familiar foreign words.

Do not italicize conjunctions or other words separating titles in sentences.

Be sure to cite the proper name of a publication.

The University of Miami's publications should stand up to scrutiny from the perspective of women, minorities, individuals with physical or mental disabilities, veterans, or any other person whose employment rights are guaranteed by the law. Equal respect and a balanced representation should be given in visual media to gender, race, ethnic group, age, sexual orientation, and ability.

All promotional materials distributed to individuals outside the University community must contain a statement reflecting the University's policy on Affirmative Action: "An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer."

Spell out numbers one through ten except in statistical matter. Use figures for 11 and above. This also applies to adjectival numbers.

If used at the beginning of a sentence, all numbers are spelled out.

Do not abbreviate years in the 21st century. The exception is class year designations.

Use numbers for parts of a book.

With o'clock, spell out the time of day in text material, but use numbers with a.m. or p.m. Periods are used in a.m. and p.m. Avoid redundancy.

When making a reference to time, do not use zeros for the hour in text. An exception may be made when times are used in tabulation.

Spell out decades.

Use figures to precede academic credits in catalog course descriptions.

Use figures to precede academic credits in text.

Use figures for phone numbers. Area code is separated by a hyphen, not by parentheses.

In citing percentages or millions of dollars, use the figure followed by percent or million spelled out. Remember that percentage is the word to use when no figure is cited. Additionally, do not split the numeral from percent or million on a line or page.

Use of the phrase "No. 1" is acceptable to denote ranking.

Always use the period inside quotation marks. Use the period inside parentheses or brackets when the matter enclosed is an independent sentence forming no part of the preceding sentence; otherwise, the period goes outside.

Use periods after abbreviated degrees.

Do not use periods after acronyms or broadcasting stations.

Separate the person from the disability and recognize that persons with disabilities have rights, among them the right to privacy.

Treat persons with disabilities with respect in publications, and avoid stereotyping persons by occupation or attribute.

Use quotation marks for short musical works, poems not published as a separate book, unpublished works, titles of theses, and titles of papers.

No quotation marks are used when course titles are used as headings or in an announcement of an event.

Be aware of and avoid words, images, and situations that suggest that all or most members of a racial or ethnic group are the same.

Avoid using qualifiers that reinforce racial and ethnic stereotypes. Avoid using ethnic clichés.

Be aware of possible negative implications of color-symbolic words. Choose language and usage that do not offend people or reinforce bias.

Be aware of language that, to some, has questionable racial or ethnic connotations. Avoid patronizing and tokenism with regard to any racial or ethnic group.

Review visual and written material to see if all groups are fairly represented.

Use a semicolon in listings of phrases that contain commas.

Use a semicolon in joining main clauses not joined by a coordinating conjunction.

Use the figures only, without the word telephone preceding them. Area code is not enclosed in parentheses but is followed by a hyphen.
305-284-3082

An exception to the previous rule is when both the telephone number and the fax number are given. Use the following format for such instances.
Telephone: 305-284-3082
Fax: 305-284-2035

In all internal communications use the entire seven digits of the phone number. Do not use the word extension or the abbreviation ext. in telephone references. In external communications always include the area code.

FOR THE VISUAL STYLE GUIDE VISIT: http://www.miami.edu/umidentity