Editorial Guide

If we come across copy that does not fit within our style guidelines, the Office of Marketing Communications reserves the right to edit for style.

A

a.m., p.m.

abbreviations

Do not include Dr. in front of a name unless the person is a medical doctor. Don’t include Mr., or Mrs. in front of names.

Before a name: Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., the Rev., Sen.

After a name: Jr., Sr., Co., Corp., Inc., Ltd.

academic degrees

If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: John Smith, who has a doctorate in psychology. Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree, a master’s, etc., but there is no possessive in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science. Also: associate degree, never possessive. Use such abbreviations as BA, MA, LLD and PhD only when the preferred form is cumbersome.

academic titles

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, chairman, dean, etc., only when they appear before a name. Lowercase elsewhere. Lowercase modifiers such as business school in business school Dean Testudo;

Examples:

John Smith, associate professor of management and organization

professor John Smith

Dean Testudo **the only dean is Testudo, every other dean title needs to be specified**

**first reference, use job title/honorifics. All other references, use last name only**

*if culturally appropriate/unless requested by person**

advisor, advisory

alma mater

alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae

Use alumnus (alumni in the plural) when referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumna (alumnae in the plural) for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.

associate degree

Never possessive

at, @

The @ symbol should only be used in email addresses and social media handles, not to replace the word at.

B

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science

A bachelor’s degree or bachelor’s is acceptable in any reference.

Baltimore

No state name needed. The university is about 35 miles from Baltimore.

board of advisors, board of directors, board of trustees

boilerplate

About the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business

The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers undergraduate; full-time, part-time, online, and executive MBA; specialty master’s; PhD; and executive education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia

Business, Society and the Economy (BSE)

Part of the University of Maryland’s College Park Scholars program. BSE is sponsored by the Smith School. Call the program by its full name on first reference, followed by its abbreviation in parenthesis. On second reference, use abbreviation or the scholars program (lowercase).

C

centers

Call the center by its full name on first reference, followed by its abbreviation in parenthesis. On second reference, use abbreviation or the center (lowercase).

  • Center for Complexity in Business (CCB)
  • Center for Digital Innovation, Technology, and Strategy (DIGITS)
  • Center for Excellence in Service (CES)
  • Center for Financial Policy (CFP)
  • Center for Global Business (CGB)
  • Center for Health and Information Decision Systems (CHIDS)
  • Center for Leadership, Innovation and Change (CLIC)
  • Center for Social Value Creation (SVC)
  • Center for The Study of Business Ethics, Regulation, & Crime (C-BERC)
  • Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship (Dingman Center)
  • Ed Snider Center for Enterprise and Markets (Ed Snider Center)
  • Supply Chain Management Center (SCMC)

class/alumni years

  • For a current student, use class of XXXX: Jenny Smith, class of 2018
  • For an alumnus, use the grad year. For undergraduates, no degree should be noted. For all other degrees, add a comma before the abbreviation. Use an apostrophe instead of a single quote mark. Jane Smith ’89; John Smith, MBA ’90; Carrie Smith, MS ’12
  • second-year, first-year MBA
  • Joe Smith, PhD candidate
  • EMBA cohort XX

coast

Lowercase when referring to the physical shoreline: Atlantic coast, Pacific coast, east coast. Capitalize when referring to regions of the United States lying along such shorelines, but not of states: the Atlantic Coast states, the Virginia coast.

College Park, Md.

commas

Follow these guidelines for commas used in a series:

  • Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The flag is red, white and blue.
  • Put a comma before the conjunction if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction: I had juice, fruit, and ham and eggs for breakfast.
  • Put a comma before a conjunction in a complex series of phrases: The points to consider are whether the athletes are skillful enough to compete, whether they have the stamina to endure the training, and whether they have the proper mental attitude.

commencement

Commencement ceremony is redundant. Smith School commencement, spring commencement

company names

Consult the company about a formal name. Do not use a comma before Inc. or Ltd.

course titles

BMGTXXX: Course Title. She enrolled in BMGT350: Introduction to Marketing. The two students walked together to their marketing class.

curriculum, curricula

cyber-

Do not use a hyphen: cybersecurity

D

dates

Always use Arabic figures, without st, nd, rd or th.

days of the week

Capitalize. Do not abbreviate.

dean

Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name: Dean Alexander Triantis; Lowercase in other uses: Triantis, dean of the Smith School

directions and regions

In general, lowercase north, south, northeast, northern, etc., when they indicate compass direction; capitalize these words when they designate regions. He drove west. A storm system is developing in the Midwest.

Dean’s Student Advisory Council (DSAC)

E

em dash (—)

Follow these guidelines:

  • Abrupt change: Use dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause: We will fly to Paris in June—if I get a raise.
  • Series within a phrase: When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use dashes to set off the full phrase: He listed the qualities—intelligence, humor, conservatism, independence—that he liked in an executive.

email

EMBA, executive MBA

No periods. Capitalize only if Smith is in front as the proper name.

  • The modifier of all MBA programs should be lowercase, unless it is used as the formal name of the Smith program. The Smith School offers full-time MBA, part-time MBA, executive MBA, online MBA and MS programs.
  • If the program name is used as the formal name, it should be capitalized. Participants in the Smith Executive MBA program have the opportunity to study abroad. She is teaching in the Smith Online MBA program.
  • If we are referring to the EMBA degree, it should also be capitalized. Earning a Smith Executive MBA can help you take the lead in your career.

en dash (–)

When expressing a range, use an en dash: He went into the office Monday–Thursday. The event ran from 4–6 p.m.

F

faculty

fellows programs

The umbrella name of the fellows programs is the Smith Undergraduate Fellows program. Lowercase Fellow and Fellows program when referring to students or the program: She applied to the Business Honors Fellows program. He was a business honors Fellow. The fellows program involved an internship opportunity.

full time, full-time

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He works full time. She is a full-time student. See MBA entry for specific capitalization rules.

G

government

Always lowercase, never abbreviate: federal government, state government, U.S. government

H

healthcare

One word, no hyphens, in all uses

I, J, K, L

internet, intranet

Lowercase both

IT

Acronym for information technology; abbreviation fine on first use

M

magazine names

Capitalize the initial letters of the name but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase magazine unless it is part of the publication’s formal title: Harper’s Magazine, Newsweek magazine, Smith Business magazine.

Maryland

Abbreviation: Md. Spell out full name of state, unless appearing next to a city or in an address. He lives in Maryland. She works in Columbia, Md.

Maryland Smith

Acceptable way to refer to the Smith School on second reference. Use Maryland Smith instead of UMD, when applicable.

Master of Business Administration

MBA is acceptable in any reference, as is master’s degree. Plural: master’s degrees, master’s programs

Master of Finance

MFin is acceptable in any reference, as is master’s degree. Plural: master’s degrees, master’s programs

Master of Science

MS is acceptable in any reference, as is master’s degree. Plural: master’s degrees, master’s programs

MBA, Part-Time MBA, Full-Time MBA, Online MBA, Executive MBA, etc.

  • No periods. Capitalize in most instances. Lowercase when full-time, part-time, online when the adjectives are referring to a student.
  • Examples: Earning a Maryland Smith Executive MBA can help you take the lead in your career.
  • She is a Maryland Smith full-time MBA student.
  • She is in the Maryland Smith Full-Time MBA program.
  • Maryland Smith offers Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, and MS degrees.
  • Examples: Participants in the Maryland Smith Executive MBA program have the opportunity to study abroad. She is a part-time MBA student at Maryland Smith. Maryland Smith full-time MBA students traveled to China.
  • The Robert H. Smith School of Business is an internationally recognized leader in management education and research. One of 12 colleges and schools at the University of Maryland, College Park, the Smith School offers Undergraduate, Full-Time and Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, Online MBA, Specialty Master's, PhD and Executive Education programs, as well as outreach services to the corporate community. The school offers its degree, custom and certification programs in learning locations in North America and Asia.

Master’s Programs Office

months

Capitalize the names of months in all uses. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., and Dec. Spell out when using alone, or with year alone.

N

newspaper names

Capitalize the in a newspaper’s name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known. Do not place in quotes.

No. XX

Always abbreviate, never spell out number in this instance. The Smith School is ranked No. 15 in the world.

numerals

  • Use figures for 10 and above, spell out one through nine; spell out first through ninth, starting with 10th, use figures. Do not use “nth” in dates
  • Use figures when pairing a number and a qualifier, like age or distance. He was 7 years old. Smith is 8 miles from Washington, D.C. They ate six apples.
  • Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence unless it identifies a calendar year.
  • Eleven ducks crossed the road. 2010 was a great year.
  • Spell out casual expressions. A thousand times no!
  • Use words or numerals according to an organization’s practice: 3M, Twentieth Century Fund, Big Ten.

O

office

Capitalize office when it is a part of an agency’s formal name. Lowercase in all other uses. Smith offices include:

  • Master’s Programs Office (MPO)
  • Office of Career Services (OCS)
  • Office of Development and Alumni Relations (DAR)
  • Office of Finance and Accounting (F&A)
  • Office of Human Resources and Payroll (HR)
  • Office of Marketing Communications (MarComm)
  • Office of Smith Programs and Events (OSPE)
  • Office of Smith IT (Smith IT)
  • Office of Smith Operations (Smith Ops)
  • Office of Transformational Learning (OTL)

OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OKs

Do not use okay.

online

One word, lowercase

P

part time, part-time

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: He works part time. She is a part-time student. See MBA entry for specific capitalization rules.

PhD

No periods.

policymaker, policymaking

One word, no hyphens

professor

Never abbreviate. Lowercase even before a name. Do not continue on second reference unless part of a quotation.

Q

Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams (QUEST)

R

The Robert H. Smith School of Business

Acceptable forms for the Smith School are as follows:

  • The University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business
  • Smith School of Business
  • Smith School
  • Smith
  • Maryland Smith
  • UMD

On second reference, lowercase both university and school. The university expects… OR As part of the school’s ongoing…

Never refer to the school as R. H. Smith.

Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center

The Smith School has a suite in this building in Washington, D.C.

rooms

Capitalize the names of specifically designated rooms: Frank Auditorium. For all other rooms, list the room number before the building number: 3570 VMH; 3570 Van Munching Hall

roundtable

The Knights of the Round Table will hold a roundtable discussion after seating themselves at a round table. They likely will refer to their meeting as a roundtable.

S

school

Capitalize when part of a proper name, lowercase elsewhere

seasons

Lowercase spring, summer, fall and winter and derivations such as springtime unless part of a formal name.

Maryland Smith Shady Grove

A Smith School satellite campus in Rockville, Md. When referring to the location of Smith’s campus, use Rockville, Md.

Smith Alumni Club of New York, SmithNY

The first-ever region-specific alumni club for the Smith School. Smith Alumni Club of New York and SmithNY are interchangeable. Either on first reference is fine.

Smith Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA)

staff

state names

Spell out the names of the 50 U.S. states when they stand alone in textual material. Eight states are not abbreviated: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah. Use these abbreviations for state names appearing with a city or in an address:

  • Ala.
  • Kan.
  • N.H.
  • S.D.
  • Ariz.
  • Ky.
  • N.J.
  • Tenn.
  • Ark.
  • La.
  • N.M.
  • Vt.
  • Calif.
  • Md.
  • N.Y.
  • Va.
  • Colo.
  • Mass.
  • N.C.
  • Wash.
  • Conn.
  • Mich.
  • N.D.
  • W.Va.
  • Del.
  • Minn.
  • Okla.
  • Wis.
  • Fla.
  • Mo.
  • Ore.
  • Wyo.
  • Ga.
  • Mont.
  • Pa.
  • Washington, D.C.
  • Ill.
  • Neb.
  • R.I.
  • Ind.
  • Nev.
  • S.C.

The following U.S. cities stand alone without being followed by the state:

  • Atlanta
  • Dallas
  • Las Vegas
  • New York
  • Salt Lake City
  • Baltimore
  • Denver
  • Los Angeles
  • Oklahoma City
  • San Antonio
  • Boston
  • Detroit
  • Miami
  • Philadelphia
  • San Diego
  • Chicago
  • Honolulu
  • Milwaukee
  • Phoenix
  • San Francisco
  • Cincinnati
  • Houston
  • Minneapolis
  • Pittsburgh
  • Seattle
  • Cleveland
  • Indianapolis
  • New Orleans
  • St Louis

Washington, D.C., is located about eight miles from the University of Maryland, College Park. In all references, place a comma after Washington and periods in D.C. Unlike AP Style, use Washington, D.C. (not Washington). If used in a sentence, a comma must appear after the location (ex: The students went to Washington, D.C., to learn about international business.) Also acceptable: the nation’s capital.

syllabus, syllabuses

T

telephone numbers

Use this format: 301-405-0001; +1 301-123-4567; 301-405-0000 ext. 1234

Never use the extension only.

times

Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but do not include the minutes if they are zero: 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3:30 p.m.

titles

Lowercase unless they appear in front of a name. Yesterday, Dean Alexander Triantis talked to a class of sophomores at the Smith School. OR Alex Triantis, dean of the Smith School, talked to a class of sophomores.

U

United States

Use periods in the abbreviation U.S. Abbreviation is acceptable for nouns and adjectives.

university

Lowercase when not used in a proper name

University of Maryland, College Park; the university

On first reference, use the full name of the university, (Either University of Maryland OR University of Maryland, College Park).
On second reference, refer to it as the university, lowercase, or Maryland.

University of Maryland BioPark

Satellite campus for the Smith School in Baltimore. On first reference, the University of Maryland BioPark. BioPark acceptable on second reference.

University System of Maryland (USM)

On first reference, use full name. USM is acceptable on second reference.

V

Van Munching Hall (VMH in abbreviated form)

The building that houses the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland, College Park. Capitalize.

  • Edwards Courtyard
  • Mayer Mall
  • Pownall Grand Atrium or Van Munching Hall atrium
  • Third floor atrium
  • Howard Frank Auditorium (1524 VMH)

W

Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C., is located about eight miles from the University of Maryland, College Park. In all references, place a comma after Washington and periods in D.C. Unlike AP Style, use Washington, D.C. (not Washington). If used in a sentence, a comma must appear after the location (ex: The students went to Washington, D.C., to learn about international business.) Also acceptable: the nation’s capital.

website

X, Y, Z

years

  • Use figures: 2010
  • Use commas only with a month and a day: Nov. 15, 2010, was the date of Millicent’s surprise birthday party.
  • Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the 1990s, the 1900s.
  • Years are the lone exception to the general rule in numerals that a figure is not used to start a sentence: 2010 was a very good year.
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