Branding Tool Kit | Editorial Style Guide
Updated 8/2019
In writing and editing materials for public or University-wide dissemination and publication, the University of Guam aims for consistency, accuracy, and professionalism. This objective is best met through adherence to an institution-wide style guide.
This guide is for any employee, department, office, or unit of UOG that is preparing
written materials intended for publication and mass consumption.
Various style guides exist with specific uses in mind, and UOG does not adopt any one style for all uses but adheres to the following:
This style guide is an alphabetical listing of terms for which multiple formats for capitalization, abbreviation, spelling, and usage exist and for which UOG has adopted a preferred format. The entries are specific to higher education, the University of Guam, and the region. It also includes entries for which UOG has adopted a style other than the Associated Press Stylebook.
Search for individual words/terms or categories in this style guide alphabetically. Examples are given in italics, but that does not mean, in most cases, that italics is used in the actual work. UOG has adopted the formats listed in bold with further explanation following each entry.
For any term not found in this style guide, please reference the latest edition of the “Associated Press Stylebook” (www.apstylebook.com).
academic degrees
The preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation for a degree and instead use a phrase. Use letter abbreviations for degrees, such as Ph.D., only for standalone instances with full names — such as in a list, on a program, or in signage — or when the need to identify many individuals would make using a full degree name for each cumbersome.
Within written content, use the formal degree name (see chart below) or one of the two general usages below. Do not use the word degree after the formal usage.
Also see doctor.
Examples:
Punctuation:
Capitalization:
Formal Usage |
General Usage |
Also Acceptable |
Abbreviation |
Associate of Arts |
associate degree |
|
A.A. |
Associate of Science |
|
A.S. |
|
Bachelor of Arts |
bachelor’s degree |
bachelor’s |
B.A. |
Bachelor of Business Administration |
BBA |
||
Bachelor of Science |
B.S. |
||
Doctor of Business Administration |
doctoral degree |
doctorate |
DBA |
Doctor of Education |
Ed.D. |
||
Doctor of Philosophy |
Ph.D. |
||
Doctor of Psychology |
Psy.D. |
||
Doctor of Science |
Sc.D. |
||
Master of Arts |
master’s degree |
master’s |
M.A. |
Master of Education |
M.Ed. |
||
Master of Science |
M.S. |
||
Master of Business Administration |
master’s or MBA on second reference |
MBA |
|
Professional Master of Business Administration |
master’s or PMBA on second reference |
PMBA |
|
Master of Public Administration |
master’s or MPA on second reference |
MPA |
academic subjects
Do not capitalize academic subjects unless using it as part of a formal degree program.
Examples:
accreditation
UOG is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior College and University Commission. WASC and WSCUC are acceptable on second reference.
The following description may be used to further define the WSCUC: a regional peer-review accrediting agency serving public and private higher education institutions throughout California, Hawaii, and the Pacific. The commission is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as certifying institutional eligibility for federal funding, including student access to federal financial aid.
acronyms
For proper names of programs, organizations, and titles that are burdensome to continue writing in full, spell them out in full on first reference followed by their acronym in parentheses and use the acronym on any second references. Do not put an acronym in parentheses following a name if there is no subsequent reference.
Note: News media will omit any acronyms given in parenthesis to save space and will only use acronyms on second reference if the acronym is commonly known, like UOG, but not CLASS. They will opt instead to use a modified term, like the college, on second reference.
alumna/alumnae, alumni/alumnus, alumnum
Use these terms to refer to individuals who have previously attended or graduated from a school, college, or university. Use the appropriate term below:
alumna |
singular, feminine |
alumnae |
plural, feminine |
alumni |
plural, masculine or mixed |
alumnus |
singular, masculine |
alumnum |
singular, gender neutral |
assistant
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize only when part of a formal title before a name: Assistant Professor of Philosophy Joe Cruz. Whenever practical, an appositional construction should be used: Joe Cruz, assistant professor of philosophy.
associate
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize only when part of a formal title before a name: Associate Professor of Philosophy Joe Cruz. Whenever practical, an appositional construction should be used: Joe Cruz, associate professor of philosophy.
associate degree
Never associate’s degree. Also see academic degrees.
author
A noun. Do not use it as a verb.
baccalaureate
The degree of bachelor conferred by universities and colleges. Not capitalized. Also see academic degrees.
board
Capitalize only when an integral part of a proper name.
board of directors, board of trustees
Lowercase when not referring to a proper name.
Board of Regents
Capitalize when used in full. Precede with University of Guam on first reference.
Examples:
building
Never abbreviate the word building. Capitalize the full, official names of buildings, classrooms, dormitories, etc. on first reference, including the word building if it is an integral part of the proper name.
See Appendix C for a complete list of UOG buildings, second-reference abbreviations, year built, and square footage.
chairman, chairwoman, chairperson, chair
Capitalize as a formal title before a name. Do not capitalize as a casual, temporary position: meeting chairman Joe Cruz.
Use chairman or chairwoman as appropriate but chairperson, chair or co-chair if the individual prefers. Use chairperson when the position is referred to generally: The future chairperson will assume the role in September.
CHamoru
See “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
class years
Capitalize official classes, like Class of 2018, but not the 2018 graduating class.
college/school names
Follow the formats below when referring to UOG’s schools and colleges. On first reference in all external communications, preface the name of the college or school with the University of Guam.
First Reference |
Second Reference |
College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences |
CLASS |
College of Natural & Applied Science |
CNAS |
School of Business & Public Administration |
SBPA |
School of Education |
SOE |
School of Engineering |
SENG |
School of Health |
SOH |
committee
Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when part of a formal name: Undergraduate Curricula Review Committee, but not in general use: The committee decided not to proceed.
composition titles
In general, put book, report, article, lecture, speech, and study titles in quotation marks. Do not place magazine or newspaper titles in quotes or italics.
Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters. Capitalize articles — the, a, an — or words of fewer than four letters if it is the first or last word in the title.
Also see lectures.
dates and times
dean
Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name: Dean Jane Cruz, Deans Jane and Tom Cruz. Lowercase in other uses: Jane Cruz, dean of the college; the dean.
Dean’s Circle
Official name of the 35 former faculty houses located across the Tan Lam Pek Kim English & Communication Building.
dean's list
Lowercase in all uses: He is on the dean’s list. She is a dean’s list student.
division, department, and office names at UOG
Below are the official names of the administrative offices, auxiliary services, departments, divisions, and research and service centers at UOG. All of the below should be preceded with University of Guam when written for external communication materials or otherwise for clarification.
Administrative Offices
Office of the President
University Marketing & Communications Office
Office of Development & Alumni Affairs
Office of the Chief Planning Officer
Office of the Legal Counsel
Office of Research & Sponsored Programs (ORSP on second reference)
Office of the Senior Vice President / Office of Academic & Student Affairs
Office of Academic Excellence
Office of Enrollment Management & Student Success (EMSS on second reference)
Admissions & Records Office
Residence Halls Office
Financial Aid Office
Office of Institutional Effectiveness
Office of the Vice President / Office of Administration & Finance
Budget & Administrative Process Office
Comptroller’s Office
Human Resources Office (HRO on second reference)
Office of Information Technology (OIT on second reference)
Auxiliary Services
Post Office
Triton Store
Departments
Computer Center
Professional & International Programs (PIP on second reference)
Triton Athletics
University of Guam Press
University Libraries
Academic Divisions
Division of Mathematics & Computer Science
Division of Natural Sciences
Division of Agriculture & Consumer Sciences (Division of Agriculture & Life Sciences)
Pre-Engineering Science Program
Army Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (Army ROTC on second reference)
Division of Communication & Fine Arts
Division of English & Applied Linguistics
Division of Humanities
Division of Social & Behavioral Sciences
Foundations, Educational Research, & Human Studies
Office of Graduate Studies
Teacher Education & Public Service
TRiO Programs
Micronesian Language Institute
Research, Outreach, and Sponsored Programs
Cancer Research Center
Center for Island Sustainability
Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities Education, Research, & Service (Guam CEDDERS on second reference)
Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR on second reference)
Marine Laboratory (Marine Lab on second reference)
Richard F. Taitano Micronesian Area Research Center (MARC on second reference)
Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Library
Sea Grant
Water & Environmental Research Institute (WERI on second reference)
Western Pacific Tropical Research Center (WPTRC on second reference)
Guam Procurement Technical Assistance Center (Guam PTAC on second reference)
Pacific Islands Small Business Development Center Network (PSBDCN on second reference)
Cooperative Extension & Outreach (C-E&O on second reference)
Isla Center for the Arts
Isa Psychological Services Center
Violence Against Women Prevention Program (VAWPP on second reference)
I Pinangon Suicide Prevention Program
Affiliated Organizations
University of Guam Alumni Association
Research Corporation of the University of Guam (RCUOG on second reference)
University of Guam Endowment Foundation
departments
Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: the department of history, the history department, the department of English, the English department, or when department is part of the official and formal name: Triton Athletics Department.
divisions
Use lowercase except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives: the division of history, the history division, the division of English, the English division, or when division is part of the official and formal name: University of Guam Division of English & Applied Linguistics.
doctor
The public most commonly identifies Dr. with physicians, so to avoid confusion when referring to someone who holds a non-medical doctorate, only use Dr. if the context makes clear that the doctorate is in a field other than medicine. Otherwise, use a phrase with the term doctorate instead.
Examples:
Do not use both Dr. before a name and the abbreviation Ph.D. after the name.
Also see academic degrees.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education. Also see academic degrees.
emerita/emeritae, emeritus/emeriti
These terms often are added to formal titles to denote that individuals who have been granted the title after retirement. When used, place the term after the formal title, in keeping with the general practice of academic institutions: President Emeritus Harold Allen or Jane Cruz, professor emerita of history.
Plural forms are emeritae (feminine) and emeriti (masculine, or mixed).
fanuchånan See semester names and “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
finakpo’ See semester names and “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
foreign words
Place any foreign language words in italics, including CHamoru words. However, it is not necessary to do so for CHamoru and foreign words that have entered the local vernacular or have been commonly accepted in the English language, such as Håfa Adai, bon voyage, or versus. Also see the “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
fraternal organizations and service clubs
Capitalize the proper names: American Legion, Lions Club, Rotary Club. Also capitalize words describing membership: He is a Legionnaire, a Lion, a Rotarian.
freshman, freshmen
Freshman is a singular noun or adjective: a college freshman, the freshman class. Freshmen is a plural noun: The freshmen assembled quietly.
GPA
Acceptable in all references for grade-point average.
graduation class See class years.
headlines
honorary degrees
island
job descriptions
A job description differs from a person’s title in that it defines a person’s occupation without denoting scope of authority, professional activity, or academic activity. Job descriptions should always be lowercase: horticulturist, sociologist, economist, teacher. Also see titles.
lectures
When referring to lecture titles, capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters, and use quotation marks: Award-winning poet Craig Santos Perez will perform poetry related to Pacific politics at his “Ocean is our Blood” lecture on May 9. Also see composition titles.
Master of Business Administration
No apostrophe. MBA acceptable on second reference. Also acceptable to say master’s in business administration.
media release
See press release.
months
See dates.
office names at UOG See department, division, and office names at UOG.
Ph.D., Ph.D.s
See academic degrees and doctor.
photo captions
press release
A press release, news release, media release, press statement, or video release is a written or recorded communication sent to the news media for the purpose of announcing something newsworthy. Official UOG press releases are distributed via the University Marketing & Communications department under the Office of the President.
Also see Appendix B – “How to Write a Press Release.”
punctuation
See “Punctuation” section on page 16.
Q&A
Acceptable format on first reference for question and answer.
school names See college/school names.
semester names
UOG uses the following CHamoru season names to define the semesters as opposed to using fall, spring, and summer. Capitalize these names only when used with a specific year.
fañomnåkan |
August to December |
fanuchånan |
January to May |
finakpo’ 1, 2, 3 |
Formerly summer sessions A, B, C |
tinalo’ |
Formerly fall intersession |
Examples:
Also see the “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
syllabus (singular); syllabi or syllabuses (plural)
tinalo’
CHamoru for “in-between.” Formerly Fall Intersession. Also see the “CHamoru Words and Phrases” section.
times
See dates and times.
titles
A formal title denotes a scope of authority, professional activity, or academic activity.
University of Guam
UOG acceptable on second reference. Never UG or UoG. When referring to the University of Guam on second reference, it is acceptable to use University capitalized. Do not capitalize university in general references.
Examples:
ampersand
Use the ampersand when it is part of a company’s or department’s formal name, such as the School of Business & Public Administration. It should not otherwise be used in place of and.
comma
Refer to the Associated Press Stylebook for usage of the comma except for using a
comma in a series.
This Editorial Style Guide uses the Oxford comma — a comma placed immediately before
the coordinating conjunction in a series of three of more items. If the last item
has a conjunction itself, do not break the item with the Oxford comma.
Examples:
The flag is red, white, and blue.
I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs.
quotation marks
period
Both English and CHamoru are official languages in Guam. All Government of Guam agencies are encouraged to use CHamoru. The University of Guam endeavors to support official uses through phrases and salutations that have already become part of the UOG experience. In this effort, the University adheres to spelling and usage conventions developed by the Kumision I Fino’ CHamoru. The University is entitled to appoint two members of the nine-member Kumision.
“Biba UOG!” – A common exclamation to celebrate our University that means, “Long live UOG!”
CHamoru – CHamoru is the official spelling, according to Guam Public Law 33-236 and the Kumision I Fino’ CHamoru. When used in English, it is pluralized in accordance with common English practices as in CHamorus but not ManCHamoru or CHamoru siha.
fanuchånan – Rainy season / “a time for wet” / Formerly called fall semester – The rainy season of Guam typically runs from June to December. Also see semester names entry.
fañomnåkan – Dry season / “a time for sunshine” / Formerly called spring semester – The dry season of Guam typically from January to May/June. Also see semester names entry.
finakpo’ – “the conclusion” / Formerly called summer sessions (A, B, C). Also see semester names entry.
Guåhan – Guam
tinalo’ – “In-between” / Formerly called fall intersession. Also see semester names entry.
Unibetsedåt Guåhan - University of Guam
OTHER COMMON WORDS AND PHRASES
“Adios” – Goodbye
“Buenas dihas” – Good Morning
“Buenas tåtdes” – Good afternoon
“Buenas noches” – Good evening
“Buenas yan Håfa Adai” – formal greeting
“Håfa adai” – Cordial, informal greeting
“Si Yu’os Ma’åse” – Literally, God is Merciful / Thank You
“Saina Ma’åse” – The Elder is Merciful / Thank You
CHamoru
Copywriting
https://www.quicksprout.com/the-definitive-guide-to-copywriting
Editing and Proofreading
https://www.grammarly.com/proofreading
Grammar and Punctuation
http://www.bbc.co.uk/skillswise/0/
Usage and Formatting
“Associated Press Stylebook” – www.apstylebook.com
Please use the following guidelines when drafting official University of Guam press releases. Individual departments and units of UOG must submit all press releases to the University Marketing & Communications Office to be disseminated.
HEADLINE
Length: Aim to make headlines no longer than one line.
Capitalization: Capitalize only the first letter, proper nouns, and the first letter of a word following a colon.
Tense: Use present tense, even if the event is over.
Pohnpei nurses train in Guam under UOG School of Nursing
Headline content: A headline should not be simply that a meeting, event, or trip took place. Rather, highlight the most impactful outcome of the meeting, event, or trip.
UOG builds regional ties, represents Guam at Jeju Forum
Word choice: Replace lackluster words with words that create a better visual in the reader’s mind. It is also beneficial to consider search-engine optimization and use words that the people you want to read this news would think to type in a search engine.
Using names: Do not use names of people, programs, or events in the headline unless the name is widely recognizable. Rather than GENE-ius program back for a second year at UOG, clarify what the program is for those who don’t know: Children’s science program back for a second year at UOG.
Using numbers: Numbers in headlines help grab the attention of news editors and readers. All numbers in headline can be written as numerals, except when referred to generally: Hundreds pack stands for UOG’s first basketball match.
Using quotes in headlines: It can be impactful to use part of a quote in a headline. Quotes in headlines use only single, rather than double, quotation marks.
Theatre students give ‘epic’ opening-night performance
Is it newsworthy?
The values that generally define newsworthiness in journalism are:
If your story doesn’t fall into one of these categories, try telling it from an angle
that does.
Lead paragraph: Tell the who, what, when, where, and why. Be sure the when is written in the order: time, date, place. If answering why seems obvious, answer instead why it matters or what is unique about it?
Body content: Deliver the content in the order that you would deliver it in conversation with someone who was asking the logical next question. Reread your intro with the who, what, when, where, and why and ask yourself what the average person would want to know next.
You don’t have to include all of the information you have on the story. Less is more,
and quality is preferred over quantity. If you have additional information that the
average person wouldn’t ask about or find meaningful, leave it out.
If an organization or program mentioned in the release cannot be explained succinctly
in the body copy, save the information for an “About” section at the bottom.
Quotes:
Who to quote: Quote the lead person in charge or involved near the beginning of the release. You can include subsequent quotes from others involved later on. It’s also impactful to include a quote from someone the news affected.
What to quote: Do not quote basic information, such as, “The event will take place on Saturday.” Quote information that expresses opinion or emotion, such as, “Saturday’s event was incredible — our best one yet.”
How to quote: Quotes should always be verbatim, or if you make adjustments to make it more clear, always get approval from the person on the exact quote you will use.
Opinion: Do not use opinionated verbiage, like much-needed, valuable, or impressive unless used in a quote.
Statistics: Data and statistics often make a story newsworthy and in other cases help validate the news. If the story itself isn’t on new data, consider including numbers where it helps validate the story, like the number of people or the percentage change from previous year. Be sure to include a source for any statistics.
Photos and photo captions: Photos should be high-resolution (at least 300 dpi or at least 1 MB in size) for print media to be able to use them.
Any photos sent to the media must include names and titles. Always name people in
the photo from left to right. If there are two rows of people, start with the back
row first: (Back row, from left) Full name, title, organization; next name, title, organization;
and last person, title, organization.
Photos going to the media should also include a photo credit: Photo courtesy of the University of Guam.
__ Date
__ Point of contact
__ Newsworthy headline in present tense
__ Intro with who, what, when, where, and why (or why it matters or why it’s
unique)
__ At least one quote expressing opinion from the lead person or someone who
is affected
__ Length: approximately 300-500 words
__ Verify accuracy of any facts or statistics
__ Verify spellings of names and other proper nouns
__ Verify people’s titles
__ No opinionated words outside of quotes
__ Acronyms spelled out on first reference
__ Photo included with appropriate file name
__ Photo caption included
__ Double-check the photo caption names everyone in the photo
__ jpg of any relevant logo
__ Photo credit
News Releases, Public Announcements, and Internal Announcements
All official news releases, public announcements, and internal announcements should be reviewed and disseminated by the Office of University Marketing & Communications (IMC) or its designee.
NOTE: Only individuals authorized and designated by IMC may send out press releases and announcements to the media and other outlets on behalf of UOG.
Requests for release of information should first be submitted to the appropriate college dean or unit director or designee. The dean, director, or designee may then submit a request to IMC to write and/or disseminate a news release or announcement to the UOG Community and/or the local, national, and international news media.
Departments or units drafting the release or announcement themselves before submitting it to IMC should consult the official Editorial Style Guide for information on how to prepare press releases and proper formatting, names, and spellings for content specific to the University.
After IMC determines that the information fits the University’s mission, reviews it for accuracy, timeliness, and suitability for its intended audiences, and makes necessary edits, IMC shall disseminate the requested communication in the proper format to its constituents and/or all appropriate news media within one week of receipt of the information. IMC will send an acknowledgment copy of the release or communication to the requesting individual(s).
Actual publication or broadcast of releases cannot be guaranteed since such placement depends on the professional judgment of the appropriate media editor.
The University will not be responsible for unauthorized news items, announcements, or advertisements in the public media.
For assistance or more information about the UOG Editorial Style Guide, contact communications@triton.uog.edu.