Style Guide

Here's a quick guide to university style. This guide covers basic questions of word usage, punctuation, capitalization, K-State references, and other topics. Offices that prepare material for the media or for academic journals may follow different style guidelines.

A * B * C * D * E * F * G * H * I * J * K * L * M * N * O * P * Q * R * S * T * U * V * W * X * Y * Z

A

acronyms

Leave out the periods between letters. (NAACP, not N.A.A.C.P.)
Use acronyms only if they’re widely known or are spelled out on the first reference.
Do not follow the full reference with the acronym in parentheses, but use the acronym on the second and later references.

Exceptions: See United States.

addresses

Address elements should appear in the following order:

Name	Sharon M. Morrow
Title	Director
Office	University Publications
University	Kansas State University
Address	5 Anderson Hall
City/state/zip	Manhattan, KS 66506–0118

To meet the U.S. Postal Service requirements for addresses, put your building address on the second line from the bottom. Order the elements like this: room number and then full building name.

10 Holton Hall, not Holton Hall 10
1 Holton Hall, not One Holton Hall
10 Holton Hall, not 010 Holton Hall

All addresses need a room number.

advisor, not adviser

Advisor is the preferred spelling.

affect, effect

As verbs, affect means to influence and effect means to put into place (as in to effect change). As nouns, effect is a result and affect is a technical psychological term. In general, effect is the noun you need, affect is the verb you need.

Ahearn Field House

Field House, not Fieldhouse

a.m., p.m.

Always lowercase, with periods.

ampersand

Use only when part of a proper name, like AT&T. Write out units such as College of Arts and Sciences or Office of Planning and Analysis.

annual

First should not be used with annual. An event has to have happened before to be annual.
Annual should not be capitalized in a description of yearly events, unless it is part of the official name. (This is the seventh annual Opus Rock Festival.)

B

Big 12

Not Big Twelve or Big XII.

black or Black

Lowercase is preferred, but African American is the first choice. One exception is Black Student Union.

See ethnic issues.

boards

Lowercase board of directors, board of trustees, and other boards except when part of a proper name. Always lowercase board in a second reference.

board of regents

Use Kansas Board of Regents, with Regents as a second reference.

Bramlage Coliseum

As written, or as Fred Bramlage Coliseum (without the middle initial).

bullets

Use periods at the end of bulleted text when the material is a complete sentence or long phrase with verb.
When bulleted information is one or two words, such as a list of nouns, the period is not needed.
Use periods consistently throughout a manuscript.

business reply mail

Business reply permit

The general university permit, 18, is to be used for most campus offices. Units such as the Office of Admissions and the Salina campus have unique business reply permits.

The U.S. Postal Service requires that business reply mail appear in a specific format with specific wording, which K-State Printing Services can set up for you. The permit appears in a particular location in the permit box.

Address

Business reply mail has a unique zip plus 4 system, with the last two numbers different for various sizes and weights:

66502-9908 for postcards (4 1/4 x 6” or smaller)
66502-9909 for 1 oz. mail (4 x 9” postcards and most #9 and #10 envelopes)
66502-9910 for 2 oz. mail

In order to qualify for the business reply rate, the last three lines of the address on business reply mail, must read, and in this order:

Kansas State University
1700 Anderson Ave.
Manhattan, KS 66502-99xx

The unit address appears above that.

Meter codes

Business reply mail is returned to campus through the Dykstra post office. In order for individual units to be properly charged for their mail, you must put your meter code in the upper lefthand corner of the envelope.

C

campuswide

One word, no hyphen.

capitalization

You should capitalize:

Titles before a person’s name. (Dean of Student Life Bob Sanders)
Official names of departments. (Department of History)
Ethnic groups. (African American, Asian American, Caucasian, Irish, Hispanic)
Actual course titles. (Psychology of Mass Communications)
Official names of boards. (Kansas Board of Regents)
Speech titles. (His speech, “The Mathematics of Card Shuffling,” was long.)
In general, capitalize the first word after the bullet. (Example: this list)

You should not capitalize:

Titles after a name. (Bob Sanders, dean of student life)
General department or committee names. (the physics department, the curriculum committee)
Semesters. (fall semester, spring semester)
Directions when referring to compass points. (Go north on Manhattan Avenue.)
Board names when not a proper name. (board of directors)
Club names that can be considered generic. (rodeo club, jazz band, business ambassadors)
References to class subjects. (I flunked my psychology test.)
Majors and specializations. (She’s majoring in sociology with a concentration in women’s studies.)
Academic and honorary degrees. (bachelor of arts in history, bachelor’s degree in history)
Second references if not using the proper name. (the center, the college, the department, the institution, the committee, the board of directors)
References to university general education requirements. (He finished his general education courses.)
General or generic program names. (honors program, tutoring program)
Shared words in a series of proper nouns; treat these words as a generic term. (Derby and Kramer dining centers; Johnson and Sedgwick counties)

For more capitalization tips, see a.m., p.m.; annual; black or Black; boards; colon; committees and task forces; course titles; degrees; directions; e-mail; e-terms; fax; grade point average or GPA; Internet; intersession; majors; musical works; net; PDF; pre; regions; seasons; the; times; university; vice; web; web addresses; website, webpage; World Wide Web.

catalog

Not catalogue.

club names

Lowercase anything that can be used in a generic way. (scrapbooking club, dodgeball club, philosophy club)

Capitalize program names that wouldn't make sense if treated as a generic. (I joined Future Financial Planners, Habitat for Humanity, and Mortar Board.)

Colbert Hills golf course

Use Colbert Hills or golf course on second reference.

colon, capitalization after

Capitalization is not generally needed after colons. (I ate my breakfast: banana, cereal, and pop. Remember my dying words: buy real estate.)

But use capitals if the material after the colon is a series of sentences. (The clues only added to his list of questions: Where was Celia at the time of the accident? Was Jeremy, as he said, really in Boston?)

comma in a compound sentence

Use a comma between independent clauses, especially when the subject changes. (The economy has tanked, and you are going to feel poorer.)
The comma can be omitted in short, simple compounds where the subject remains the same. (Grab a brush and start painting.)

comma in a series

Use commas to separate items in a series. The comma is used before and so that it is clear that the items are separate. (The proposal included many important points, including the cost of the project, the main pros and cons, and the merits of the project.)

comma in introductory phrases

Short introductory phrases don’t need a comma unless the sentence could be misread. (Today he felt full of energy and ready to tackle studying for his history exam. In 1963 Brian took that life-changing trip to England. To Sarah, Professor Anthony was the best advisor ever.)

committees and task forces

Capitalize only complete committee names. Lowercase on second reference and when using general terms. (the committee, curriculum committee)

compounds

Join common compounds such as lifestyle, lifelike, headache, statewide, mastermind.

Hyphenate self-, half-, and all- adjective compounds. (self-conscious, half-baked, all-inclusive)

concurrent

Abbreviate in catalogs and course listings as conc.

credit hours

Always use numerals when referring to credit hours. (3 credit hours, not three credit hours)

course titles

Capitalize actual course names, but don’t capitalize references to subjects.
(I signed up for Experimental Psychology. I flunked my psychology class.)
Don’t use a comma between the course number and its title.
(I flunked ENGL 101 Expository Writing.)

course work

Two words.

D

dash/hyphen

Hyphen (hyphen key)

For phone numbers. (785-532-6419)
In compound adjectives. (three-hour tour)

Soft hyphen (command+hyphen in Quark)

To manually hyphenate words at ends of lines in Quark.

Nonbreaking hyphen (command+shift+hyphen)

So words won't break at ends of lines. (K-State)

En dash (option+hyphen)

In zip+4. (66506–1104)
In names. (Mary Wilson–Potter)
To show inclusion. (2004–2005 school year; pp. 16–20)
In compound adjectives with two words or hyphenated words. (New York–London flight; post–Civil War period)

Em dash (shift+option+hyphen)

For a sudden break in thought. (The man—he had been awake all night—looked tired.)
Note: Don't add an extra space around the dash.

dates

Place a comma between the day and the year. (April 1, 1992, not April 1 1992)
Do not place a comma between a month and year when no date is given. (April 1992, not April, 1992)
Use only figures to identify a date—don’t add letters to the numerals. (May 23, not May 23rd)
List dates in month/day/year format. (May 23, 1992, not 23 May, 1992)
Insert a comma after the year when the sentence continues—but only in cases where a complete date is used. (The attack on September 11, 2001, stunned the world. Maggie died in December 1981 in Cleveland. The November 12 meeting has been canceled.)

decades

Use 1960s, 60s, or the sixties. Don’t use 1960’s or the ’60s.

decision making

Without the hyphen it’s a noun. (I am in the process of decision making.)
With the hyphen it's an adjective. (I am in the decision-making process.)

degrees

Lowercase degree names. (bachelor’s degree, bachelor of arts in history)
Use an apostrophe on master’s degree, bachelor’s degree.
Abbreviate as MS, MA, PhD, BA, BS, DVM, MBA.

different from

Things and people are different from each other, not different than each other.

directions

When giving directions lowercase the points of the compass. (Go west on Anderson Avenue.)

See regions.

disabilities

Emphasize the person, not the disability. Don't use handicapped to describe people. (We help students with disabilities. Frank uses a wheelchair. Classes can be rescheduled for students with mobility impairments.)

doublecheck

One word.

E

ensure, insure

Ensure is to guarantee, insure is to buy an insurance policy. (We ensure that you'll have a good time at Fun-O-Rama, but we won't insure your life.)

ethnic issues

Refer to people's ancestral countries, not the color of their skin. (African, Spanish, Hispanic, Mexican, Irish, French, etc.)

Refer to ethnic groups as open compounds, such as Asian American. (Ashley is an Asian American. I'm taking a class on African American history.)

e-mail

Use it with the hyphen. In business card formats, where it begins a line, uppercase as E-mail. In text write as e-mail.
Set address in lowercase because addresses are not case sensitive and lowercase letters are easier to read.

e-terms

Use lowercase and a hyphen to represent electronic. Examples: e-commerce, e-newsletter, e-mail.

F

fax

Lowercase as fax in text, but capitalize as Fax on business cards (or other places where it begins a line).

fundraiser, fundraising

This is never hyphenated, and is always one word. (We helped with the fundraiser.)

G

gender questions

Avoid using he/she, s/he, and other combinations to represent both sexes. It's better to rewrite the sentence to avoid mentioning a specific gender or to use he or she.

When referring to humanity as a whole avoid the use of man or mankind. Instead, use human beings, humanity, women and men, people, or individuals. Replace manmade with artificial, handmade, machine-made, manufactured, constructed, or produced, as appropriate.

Avoid terms that assume that the male is the standard. For example, use author for both male and female writers. Eliminate the use of coed.

Use chair or chairperson when possible, not chairman or chairwoman, unless one of those terms is the official term that a group or committee has for the position.

grade point average or GPA

Written without hyphens or periods. Unlike most acronyms, GPA is acceptable on first reference.

H

-hand (right and left)

Don’t use a hyphen. (lefthand, righthanded)

help desk

Two words and lowercase.

homepage

One word.

hopefully

Avoid using it. It means “in a hopeful manner,” not “I hope.”

hyphenation

Vice president, continuing education, student services, and financial aid are not hyphenated.

For more hyphenation tips, see compounds, decision making, e-mail, ethnic issues, fundraiser, intersession, K-State at Salina, land-grant, non, nonprofit, online, pre, self, phone numbers, and toll free.

I

imply, infer

Speakers imply what listeners infer.

Internet

Capitalize.

intersession

Lowercase and without hyphens. (intersession, not inter-session)

italics

Italicize names of books, newspapers, journals, films, full-length plays, TV programs, symphonies, operas, ships, and airplanes.

Use quotation marks for titles of articles, poems, songs, one-act plays, TV program episodes, and sculptures.

In a sentence, set a web address in italics so readers can see where the address begins and ends. In a business card format, or another case set line by line, don't use italics.

it’s, its

It’s is a contraction for “it is." (It’s hot in here.)
Its is possessive. (The bird turned its head.)

K

Kansas State University

Use full name on first reference in text; on second reference use K-State. Avoid Kansas State or KSU except when they’re part of a proper name. See examples of correct usage below.

KSU: KSU Child Development Center, KSU Federal Credit Union, KSU Foundation, KSU Research Foundation, KSU Theatre.

Kansas State: Kansas State Collegian.

K-State: K-State Alumni Association, K-State Printing Services, K-State Student Union.

See university, Salina campus.

Kansas State University Gardens

On second reference use university gardens or the gardens.

L

land-grant

Always hyphenate.

libraries

Use K-State Libraries to refer to the system as a whole. Hale Library is the main library’s name. Correct names for branch libraries are Weigel Library of Architecture, Planning, and Design; Fiedler Engineering Library; K-State at Salina; Math/Physics; and Veterinary Medical.

logo

The logo is available in three versions (Anderson Hall, Powercat, or signature only). The logo cannot be altered. Common placement:

In the upper left corner of mailing panels. The return address is positioned just right of the logo.
Above the nondiscrimination notice in publications that aren’t self-mailers.

M

majors

Lowercase majors, disciplines, programs, specializations, or concentrations of study. (She studies physics. She is studying sociology with a concentration in women’s studies.)

meter codes

Meter codes are required to appear with return addresses on all envelopes, postcards, brochures, etc.

Meter codes should also appear on business reply mail in the upper lefthand corner of the envelope, whether a return address is provided there or not.

Meter codes are issued and updated by Central Mail Services. For more information, contact Connie Moseler, Central Mail Services, 2-7751, or sissy@k-state.edu.

millions, billions

The correct format in text is $12 million, not twelve million dollars or $12,000,000.

musical works

In classical music the works are referred to with a capitalized Major and a lowercased minor. (Aria in G Major, Sonata in G minor.)

N

net, the net

Lowercase.

non

This prefix is not hyphenated. (Nonmajors, not non-majors)
Exception: when a double “n” is created, as in non-native.

nondiscrimination notice

All publications used to publicize programs and activities, to recruit and enroll students, and to recruit employees must include the notice of nondiscrimination, as required by both federal and state legislation and university policy.

For instance, some of the publications required to include the notice are college and department brochures and posters used to recruit undergraduate and graduate students; newsletters, including those for students or alumni; and conference brochures.

The notice must appear on publications regardless of funding source, the office that edits or designs the publication, or location of printing.

Any exceptions to this policy must be addressed to the director of Affirmative Action. University Publications and K-State Printing Services staff have no authority to exempt any publication from required usage.

Extension programs have a separate federally mandated notice. For details, contact the publications coordinator, Department of Communications, 2-5804.

Changes in the notice are issued by the Office of Affirmative Action. If your publication is printed at K-State Printing Services, they can add the statement.

The current notice is:

Notice of nondiscrimination

Kansas State University is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of race, sex, national origin, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, or other nonmerit reasons, in admissions, educational programs, or activities and employment (including employment of disabled veterans and veterans of the Vietnam Era), as required by applicable laws and regulations. Responsibility for coordination of compliance efforts and receipt of inquiries concerning Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, and the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990 has been delegated to Clyde Howard, Director of Affirmative Action, Kansas State University, 214 Anderson Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506-0124, 785-532-6220 or TTY: 785-532-4807.

(Revised September 2009)

nonprofit

This is one word and is not hyphenated.

numbers

Write out numbers one through nine, use figures for numbers 10 and above.
Write out first through ninth, use figures starting with 10th.
Use numerals for dollar amounts. ($5, not five dollars)
Use commas in numbers larger than 999. (1,234, not 1234)
Use numerals for credit hours. (3 credit hours, not three credit hours)
When the number is at the beginning of the sentence try to rewrite the sentence or just spell out the number.

O

offices

On second reference use the department, or a general office name, rather than repeating the full name over and over. (The Office of Admissions gives information to incoming students. The admissions office also helps students who want to reenroll at K-State. The Department of Interior Architecture is located in Seaton Hall. The department is responsible for helping students and professors within that area of study.)

See capitalization.

online

Not on-line.

Open House

Use K-State Open House, not All-University Open House. Use Open House on second reference.

Open option

Lowercase this advising program for undeclared students. (I'm switching to the open option program.)

Orientation and enrollment

Lowercase. (Don't miss orientation and enrollment in June. I signed up for summer orientation.)

over, more than

Over should be used to show location. (She drove over the hill.)
More than should be used with quantities. (More than 50 people, more than $50 million)

P

PDF

All caps.

per

Use for numeric data or units of measure. (I drove 60 miles per hour.)
Substitute each or every for most other uses. (I eat three servings of fruit each day. I walk two miles every day.)
Avoid legal jargon such as per the terms of the contract.

percent

In text use percent instead of %. Write it as one word.
Use % only in tables or charts.

phone numbers

Write phone numbers without parentheses, as in 785-532-6419, not (785) 532-6419.
Use hyphens for toll-free numbers, as in 1-800-432-8270.

Powercat

Don't capitalize the C.

pre

This prefix is not hyphenated. An exception is when referring to K-State’s pre-professional curricula. (pre-professional, pre-dentistry, pre-forestry, pre-law, pre-medicine, pre-nursing, pre-optometry, pre-pharmacy, pre-physical therapy, pre-veterinary medicine)

prerequisite

Abbreviate in catalogs and course listings as pr.

program names

Lowercase anything that can be used in a generic way. (the university honors program, campus recycling)

Capitalize program names that wouldn't make sense if treated as a generic. (I'm involved with Second Wind, Upward Bound, and Beginning a Promising Profession.)

publications requirements

All K-State publications must contain a K-State logo and a notice of nondiscrimination, regardless of source of funding; the office that edits, designs, or coordinates production of the publications; and the location of printing.

See logo, nondiscrimination.

Q

quotation marks

Punctuation marks that go outside the quotation marks: colon and semicolon.
(He wrote a list of “things to do”: run errands, do laundry, etc.)
Punctuation marks that go inside the quotation marks: comma, period.
(She whispered, “Let’s dance.”)
Exclamation points and question marks go outside unless they’re part of the quoted material. (What was your reaction when he said “You’re fired”?)

R

Rec Complex

Use caps. On second reference: lowercase rec center, but cap the Rec.

regions

Capitalize North, South, East, West, and Midwest, etc., when they refer to a defined—and known—geographical region. (The South, but southeast Kansas)

See directions.

S

Salina campus

Use K-State at Salina, not K-State-Salina or KSU/S.

scholars

Lowercase scholar or scholarship in the following: She’s a Goldwater scholar already, and she just won a Marshall scholarship.

seasons

Lowercase the names of the seasons. (winter, spring, summer, fall)

self–

Always hyphenate self-worth, self-image, and similar terms.

semesters

These are always lowercased. (spring semester, 1996 fall semester)

semicolons

Use semicolons when the items in a series contain commas. (She’s earned degrees from the College of Agriculture; the College of Architecture, Planning, and Design; and the College of Business Administration.)

Social Security number

Use caps.

Snyder Family Stadium

As written, or Bill Snyder Family Stadium, the stadium, the football stadium.

speech titles

Capitalized and in quotes. When possible, paraphrase what the speech was about instead of listing the exact title. (His speech, “The Mathematics of Card Shuffling,” was long. He spoke on the mathematics of card shuffling.)

states

Spell them out in sentences.
Use the two-letter postal abbreviation in address formats set line for line.

T

television programs

Italicize the names of TV programs, and put episode titles in quotation marks. Do not italicize TV networks. (K-State students were featured on the History Channel's Modern Marvels. The episode, "Cool Episode Name," was about making bread.)

the

In text, lowercase the before an organization name or publication title. (I read the Kansas City Star.)

theater, theatre

Use theater, except when theatre is part of a proper name. (K-State Student Union’s Little Theatre) Exception: use theatre when referring to K-State’s academic theatre program.

times

Use 8 a.m., not 8:00 a.m.
Use to instead of a hyphen. (8 to 9 a.m.)
Don’t use o’clock. (10 a.m. or 10 p.m., not 10 o'clock)
Lowercase and use periods for a.m. and p.m.
Use midnight or noon lowercased, not 12 midnight, 12 noon, or 12 a.m.
Avoid 10 p.m. tonight.
If military times are needed, use the colon. (The train leaves at 14:30.)

titled, entitled

They are not interchangeable. (Eric Lax’s book is titled Woody Allen: A Biography. Employees are entitled to certain benefits.)

titles

Use the courtesy title Dr. only when the degree name does not follow the person’s name. (Angela Smith, PhD; not Dr. Angela Smith, PhD)

Courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., and Miss are not used in either first or subsequent references. Dr. is not usually used in writing for off-campus—or nonacademic—audiences.

See capitalization.

toll-free, toll free

Hyphenate the adjective, separate the adverb. (Call our toll-free number. Call toll free.)

U

UGE

University general education. It’s better known by its acronym.

under way

Two words.

United States

Use U.S. only as an adjective.

university

Lowercase, except in proper names, even when referring to Kansas State University. (The university is known for its Landon Lecture series.)

See Kansas State University, Salina campus.

V

vice

Vice provost, vice president, and other titles are written as two words, and lowercased except when written before a name. (Vice President for Administration and Finance Jan Spencer answered questions. Jan Spencer, vice president for administration and finance, answered questions.)

W

web

Lowercase. Not the Web.

web addresses

In a sentence set URLs in italics so that the address stands apart. In a directory listing that is set line for line (like a business card), italics aren’t needed.

Capitalization: set as provided; addresses are case-sensitive.

In a sentence, break addresses after a slash—but before a period or other punctuation—so it’s obvious that the address continues on the next line. Don’t insert a hyphen. Examples:

Check on the web at www.collegian.edu/
football.html for more details.

Check on the web at www.collegian
.edu/football.html for more details.

website, webpage

One word. Lowercase.

which, that

Essential clauses use that, nonessential clauses use which and are set off by commas. (This is the house that Jack built. Jack’s circular house, which he built, is the only one of its kind.)

Wildcat Warm-up

Lowercase the U.

wide

Do not use a hyphen to separate this suffix. (campuswide, not campus-wide)

Work-study

Hyphenated.

World Wide Web

Three words with caps, but the web is preferred.

Y

years

1992 to 1993 or 1992–1993, not 1992–93.
1920s, not 1920’s.
70s, not ’70s or 70’s.

Z

Zip plus 4 codes

Any return addresses on publications need to include zip plus 4 codes, 66506-xxxx, the xxxx representing each campus department’s unique plus 4 designation.

Zip plus 4 codes are issued by Central Mail Services, and questions can be addressed to Loleta Sump, Support Services, 2-1718, or loleta@k-state.edu.

These codes differ on business reply mail: see business reply permits.

For more information

Skillin, Marjorie E. And Robert M. Gay. Words Into Type. 3rd ed. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. 1974.

University of Chicago Press. The Chicago Manual of Style. 15th ed. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press, 2003.