Northern Arizona University Marketing

Tips, Tricks, and Helpful Marketing Hints

Photos of people in action are more powerful than pictures of people smiling at the camera.

Writing Style guide

Why We Need a Northern Arizona University Style Guide
Common Usage Issues and Examples
Abbreviations
Academic degrees
Acronyms
Addresses
Bias-free communication
Numerals
State names
Voice
Capitalization
Academic areas
Academic and administrative titles
Buildings
Punctuation
Writing tips
Writing about Flagstaff and Northern Arizona University
Proofreading marks

Why We Need a Northern Arizona University Style Guide

A clear, consistent writing style for all publications strengthens Northern Arizona University 's reputation and image—and is essential to communicate effectively.

We've prepared this style guide for anyone writing for Northern Arizona University publications; it addresses style issues particular to the university.

As do many universities across the nation, we use The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th ed., as the primary authority for style, grammar, and usage. Exceptions, such as use of the Associated Press style for numbering, are noted in this guide. We also recommend Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th ed., though any standard American dictionary is acceptable.

University Marketing encourages you to bring your high-profile—i.e., recruitment, marketing, promotional, and fund raising—publications to us for editorial review, design, and printing. Even if you do not consider your publication high profile, we encourage you to adhere to the university's style guidelines; it's important to present a unified and professional editorial image for the university in the marketplace.

For proper use of the university logo and color palette, see the Graphic Identity System at nau.edu/graphicidentity.

The following guidelines will help us maintain high quality content throughout our university publications.

If you have questions, please call us.

University Marketing
523-1741
December 2007

COMMON USAGE ISSUES & EXAMPLES

a, an

In general use the article a before a consonant sound, an before a vowel sound.
Use a before a pronounced h, long u (or eu), and o as pronounced in one.
a one-on-one meeting
a history thesis
a euphemism
a union
Use an when the h is not pronounced, as in “an honor student.”
When a group of initials begins with a vowel sound (even if the first letter is actually a consonant, such as f or m), use the article an before the initials.
an MBA graduate
an F in calculus
an NAU professor
When an article precedes a number, the choice between a and an is the same as if the number were spelled out.
an 18 percent increase
a 15 percent decrease

abbreviations

Spell out days of the week and months of the year. Where space is limited, use one of the following abbreviation systems:

Sun. or Su Thurs. or Th

Mon. or M Fri. or F

Tues. or Tu Sat. or Sa

Wed. or W
Capitalize initials without periods for acronyms and abbreviations used as words: NAU, SBS, SAT. Use periods with U.S. when used as an adjective: U.S. Department of Education.
On first reference, it’s not necessary to spell out examination titles, such as ACT, SAT, LSAT, GMAT, GRE, MAT, MCAT; use Arabic numerals for titles such as SAT-1.
See acronyms.
Use these abbreviations for time terminology:
AD – anno Domini (meaning time within Christian Era). Use uppercase (preferably small caps), no periods.
am, a.m.; pm, p.m. – ante meridiem or “before mid-day.” Lowercase with periods or small caps, no periods.
BC – before Christ. Uppercase, no periods.
BCE – before the Christian Era or before the Common Era.Uppercase, no periods.
CE – Christian Era or the Common Era. Uppercase, no periods.
State abbreviations – see states.

academic areas, academic titles, administrative titles

See CAPITALIZATION.

academic degrees

When used as a formal degree title, capitalize; when a generic title, lowercase. The Office of Academic Information recommends citing the area of emphasis after the degree title separated with a hyphen in lists. In running text, spell out generic references or formal titles.
1. in lists
  BA Applied Indigenous Studies
  MS Chemistry - Biochemistry
  BS Chemistry - Preforensic Chemistry and Criminalistics
  BSEd English - Secondary Education
  BAiLS - Organizational Communication
2. in text
  Generic reference: Michele completed a bachelor’s in liberal arts in December.
  Formal title: Northern Arizona University offers all classes for the Bachelor of Arts in History completely online.
  Abbreviate if you are writing for an internal university audience.
  
  Joni earned a BS with an emphasis in chemistry.
When incorporating degree abbreviations in text, use PhD, EdD, MA, MS, BA, BS with no periods.
Generic reference: Anna earned her BA in communication, but skipped the commencement ceremony.
Formal title: Earn your BA in Applied Communication from Northern Arizona University.
Master and bachelor take 's only when used in place of master of or bachelor of. Never use the plural or plural possessive with master’s or bachelor's.

master of applied communication
master's in history

Abby will complete work for her master’s degree in May.
The students in the scholarship program earned bachelor’s degrees.

acronyms

On first reference, spell out names of schools and colleges, government agencies, associations, fraternal and service organizations, unions, and other groups. You can use acronyms on second reference, but avoid using too many; they clutter your text.
Avoid using periods in acronyms: GPA, BA, BS, MA PhD.
Exception: U.S. when used as an adjective: U.S. Department of Education.

addresses (NAU)

Return addresses on brochures and other publications should list the name of the university first, followed by the name of the college, school, or department, the post office box, the city, state, and zip (plus four) code, and, if appropriate, the area/org. code.
Northern Arizona University
Office of the President
PO Box 4092
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4092
If the logo is part of the address, it’s not necessary to write out Northern Arizona University:

Office of the President
PO Box 4092
Flagstaff, AZ 86011-4092
All NAU addresses are designated by a post office box number, which is abbreviated as PO (no periods). Use U.S. Postal Service abbreviations in addresses with zip codes.

affect, effect
Affect is a verb, except when used as a term in the field of psychology to indicate emotive responses.

Affect commonly means “to influence.”

Study habits affect grades.
Affect can also mean “to simulate, imitate, or pretend.”
As an international student in London, Donna affected a British accent.
Effect is commonly used as a noun meaning result.
Her attendance policy had a good effect.
As a verb, effect means “to bring into existence or accomplish.”

Writing your congressman is one way to effect change.

advance, advanced
Used as adjectives, advance means “ahead of time” and advanced means “beyond others.”

advance application fee
advanced standing

adviser, advisor
Although many use advisor, the preferred spelling is adviser.

alumna, alumnae, alumnus, alumni
An alumna is a female graduate or former student of a particular institution; the plural is alumnae. An alumnus is a male graduate or former student; the plural is alumni. To indicate both sexes, use alumni.

AM, a.m.; PM, p.m.
Use either lowercase with periods or small caps with no periods in both lists and sentences. Be consistent.

Use noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. and 12 a.m.
Do not use :00 for times on the hour: 5 p.m.

among, between
Among indicates the interval, intermediate position, or relationship of more than two people or things; between implies only two:

The money will be divided among the seven members.
But: Andrew split the money between Joan and Harold.

Note: One item in a pair may be a group of individuals.

Sandra raved about the rapport between Professor Summerfield and her students.

Between may also indicate pairs of relationships among more than three items.

The debates continued between students. (Note that several debated, but only in pairs.)

ampersands
Use an ampersand (&) only in institutional titles or in tabular material. In running text, use the word and.

and
Spell out. Use the ampersand (&) only in lists and in company names as specified.

and, but
You may use and or but to begin a sentence. Used sparingly, these conjunctions can provide effective transitions between closely related sentences.

assure, ensure, insure
Assure means to convince someone or set a person’s mind at ease.

Her professor assured her that she could enroll in the course.

Ensure means to guarantee or secure.

Good study habits ensure better grades.

Insure generally means to establish a contract involving money.

Though she drove only on campus, her brother persuaded her to insure her car.

bad, badly
Bad is an adjective: She recorded a bad track. Badly is an adverb: She sings badly.

A common error is use of the adverb in constructions with linking (transitive) verbs, such as look, taste, and feel.

Use the adjective to modify subjects taking linking verbs:

I feel bad about the outcome. (Since feel acts as a linking verb, the adjective bad modifies the pronoun I.)

bias-free communication
To avoid sexism, use the correct gender or use language that incorporates both sexes.

Biased:	Inclusive:
mankind	people, humans, human race, humanity
manpower	workforce
man made	artificial, manufactured, synthetic, handmade, machine-made
to man (verb)	to staff, to operate
department chairman	department chair (not chairperson) Avoid chairman or chairwoman.
the best man	the best person (or candidate) for the job
A student should see his/her professor.	Students should see their professors. The student should see the professor. Not: A student should see their professor.

cities with states
Spell out the state name after a city in text; the state name is set off by commas.

NAU is in Flagstaff, Arizona, at the base of the San Francisco Peaks.

class or course
A class is a day’s worth of material; a course is a semester’s worth.

I’m not going to class today.
I’m glad I took that course.

complement, compliment
Complement, as a noun, means something that completes, fills out.

The lab work is a complement to the lecture class.

As a verb, complement means to suit, make complete.

The lab work complements the lectures.

Compliment, as a noun, means an expression or act of praise or flattery.

After Ana read the poetry, members of the audience offered compliments.

As a verb, compliment means to praise or flatter.

The professor complimented Yvonne on the outcome of her research.

comprise, compose
Comprise means consist of or include. The whole comprises the parts. Don’t confuse comprise with words of nearly opposite meanings: compose, constitute, make up.

The whole comprises the parts.
The parts compose the whole.
The university comprises six colleges.
Six colleges constitute the university.

continual or continuous
Continual means a repeated occurrence, something that happens over and over.

The students engaged in continual debate throughout the course.

Continuous means unbroken or without interruption.

The professor lectured continuously while the students took notes.

co-op
Hyphenate co-op (cooperative) to avoid confusion with coop (a small enclosure). Similarly, hyphenate other words to avoid misunderstanding:

re-admit
re-enroll
re-creation

country, nation
Use country to refer to a geographical area; use nation to designate the people who share the language and culture of a sovereign government.

Spell out the names of nations and countries in text. The abbreviation U.S. is acceptable as an adjective: U.S. foreign policy. Use United States in other contexts.

course work
Two words.

database
One word.

distance learning
When used as an adjective (distance) and a noun (learning), do not hyphenate, but hyphenate when the two words function as an adjective.

Distance learning allows students to access classes at their convenience.
Many distance-learning classes are available 24 hours daily.

dos and don’ts
These verbs act as nouns.

e.g., i.e.
The Latin exempli gratia, abbreviated as e.g., means “for example.”
Id est, (i.e.) means “that is” or “in other words.”

e-mail
Hyphenate. Don’t capitalize unless it starts a sentence or is before the
e-mail address in a list.

ensure
See assure.

entitled or titled
Entitled means one has the right to something.

After successfully completing all her course work, she is entitled to her degree.

Titled introduces the name of a publication, speech, musical composition, etc.

The professor’s speech, titled “Boredom,” drew few listeners.

equal opportunity statement
NAU publications distributed to an off-campus audience must include an Affirmative Action/ Equal Opportunity statement. The statement varies depending on the type of publication.

For any publication that is distributed to the general population that does not outline specific university policies and procedures, use the following statement:

NAU is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Institution (Note that there is no period following the statement.)
For any publication that involves soliciting applications for employment, training, or development, use this statement:

Northern Arizona University is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. Minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply.
Northern Arizona University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, religion, gender, national origin, physical or mental disability, status as a Vietnam era or special disabled veteran, or sexual orientation in its admissions, employment, or education programs and activities. This is in accordance with Arizona Board of Regents and NAU policy and state and federal laws, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972; Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended; Sections 503 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Vietnam Era Veteran’s Readjustment Assistance Act; the Civil Rights Act of 1991; and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967. The Northern Arizona University policy on nondiscrimination is further augmented by compliance with the affirmative action regulations of Executive Order 11246, Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act, and Section 402 of the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act of 1973, as amended.

faculty, staff
Faculty is a singular noun. Use faculty members to refer to the individuals within the faculty.

Staff is a singular noun. Use staff members to refer to the individuals within a staff.

Access listings for faculty and staff in the Northern Arizona University Information Directory and online from the NAU Directory.

farther or further
Farther refers to distance; further refers to time and quantity.

He drove five miles farther down the road, missing the turn.
Projecting further into the future, she saw herself advancing up the corporate ladder.

fax
Use fax in lowercase unless it begins a sentence.

federal, state
Do not capitalize federal, state, or city unless part of an official name.

city of Flagstaff
state of Arizona
federal government
Federal Communications Commission

fewer, less
Use fewer for countable objects; use less for observable amounts.

Due to his research activity, he is teaching fewer courses this semester.
She has less course work than many of her peers.

foreign words and phrases
Italicize foreign words and phrases, except for those familiar to the reader.

Many say this is the annus mirabilis for the university.

freshman, freshmen
Freshman can function as a noun or an adjective. Freshmen functions only as a noun.

Freshman enrollment increased.

Not: Freshmen enrollment.

grades
Use the capital letters. Add s, to indicate plurals. To avoid confusion with the word as, use the apostrophe to designate plural of the letter grade A: A’s, Bs, Cs, etc.

GPA, grade-point average
Use either, usually with two numbers after the decimal: 4.00, 2.25.

I, me
I functions in the subjective case, me in the objective.

Correct: Mary and I enrolled early.
Not: Mary and me enrolled early. (Not: “Me enrolled early.”)

Correct: She thought that John and I would attend the seminar.
Not: She thought that John and me would attend the seminar. (Not: “Me would attend.”)

Do not overcorrect and use the subjective I in the objective case.

Correct: The admissions office sent the forms to Mary and me.
Not: The office sent the forms to Mary and I. (Not: “They sent the forms to I.”)

Correct: The lecture dates changed, surprising my friends and me. (Not: The dates changed, surprising I.)

important, importantly
Always use important with more or most to modify a whole clause or sentence.

New buildings on campus are economically efficient. More important, they reduce toxic emissions.

Do not use importantly with more or most.

insure
See assure.

Internet
The Internet is a formal noun. Capitalize.

irregardless
Use regardless.

its, it’s
As a possessive, its has no apostrophe. As a contraction for it is or it has, use the apostrophe to indicate omitted letters: it’s.

Northern Arizona University’s strengths include its student-centered approach.
It’s a university with a student-centered approach.

lay or lie
The verb, to lay, meaning "to put or set down, to place, to spread on a surface" is commonly misused. Lay is a transitive verb.

Maria lays the book on the desk.
She laid five dollars on the counter.
Serena had laid the paint on the canvas with passion.

The verb, to lie, meaning "to be or to stay at rest in a horizontal position, to be inactive," is an intransitive verb.

The books lie on the shelf.
After she left, her five dollars still lay on the counter.
The the canvas had lain undiscovered in the attic for years.

myself, me, I
Myself is a reflexive (intensive) pronoun reflecting back to I. Do not use the reflexive pronoun myself in the subjective (I) or objective (me) case.

Correct: I wrote the paper myself.
Not: Myself wrote the paper.

Correct: I witnessed the event myself.
Not: Myself witnessed the event.

Correct: The provost gave the report to Alberto and me.
Not: She gave the report to Ralph and myself.
Correct: If you need help, see me.
Not: If you need help, see myself.

The same applies to herself, himself, yourself.

She bought the book herself.
Do the research yourself.

Northern Arizona University
Always spell out first usage in documents and publications. In subsequent references, use the university. Use the acronym NAU sparingly.

numerals
Northern Arizona University uses the Associated Press Stylebook for number usage.

Spell out numbers that begin a sentence.
Generally, use numerals for numbers 10 and greater and spell out numbers one through nine, with these exceptions:
• addresses: 3 Knoles Dr.
• ages, for people and objects: 2-year-old boy, 1-year-old book
• credit hours: 9 credits of required courses
• dates: January 8
• dimensions: 5 feet high, 11-by-17 paper
• highways: Route 66
• millions, billions: 6 million students
• money: 5 cents, $7
• percent: 5 percent, 5%
• temperatures: 9 degrees
• times: 9 a.m.
Spell out numbers used in a casual sense: “I told you a million times to stop biting your nails.”
Spell out ordinals first through ninth used to indicate time or place.
Spell out and hyphenate fractions: four-fifths, three-fourths.

Idaho Idaho ID Rhode Island R.I. RI Illinois Ill. IL South Carolina S.C. SC Indiana Ind. IN South Dakota S. Dak. SD Iowa Iowa IA Tennessee Tenn. TN Kansas Kans. KSTexas Tex. TX Kentucky Ky. KY Utah Utah UT Louisiana La. LA Vermont Vt. VT Maine Maine ME Virginia Va. VA Maryland Md. MD Virgin Islands V.I. VI off campus, on campus
Hyphenate only when using as an adjective, not as an adverb.

Off-campus students commute an average of 250 miles weekly.
Those who live on campus travel to visit their families three or four times per semester.

online
Do not hyphenate.

percent
Use the word percent with the numeral. Use the percent sign (%) only in scientific, technical, or statistical copy.

Professor Cathy Small found that 63 percent of the student enrollment is female.
Water temperatures have increased 17% – 22% in coastal zones.

pre and post
Most words beginning with the prefixes pre and post are not hyphenated. Refer to the dictionary for appropriate spellings.

regional designations
Capitalize recognized geographical regions of the country, but not general directions.

Ellen, who grew up in the East, decided to move west after she visited Arizona.
The West Coast is beautiful.
Our campus is in northern Arizona.

state names
Although many editors recommend the old state abbreviations listed below, spelling out state names in running text is preferred. In lists of several state names, use postal codes.

State	Abbreviation	Postal codes	State	Abbreviation	Postal Codes
Alabama	Ala.	AL	Nebraska	Neb. or Nebr.	NE
Alaska	Alaska	AK	Nevada	Nev.	NV
Arizona	Ariz.	AZ	New Hampshire	N.H.	NH
Arkansas	Ark.	AR	New Jersey	N.J.	NJ
California	Calif.	CA	New Mexico	N. Mex.	NM
Colorado	Colo.	CO	New York	N.Y.	NY
Connecticut	Conn.	CT	North Carolina	N.C.	NC
Delaware	Del.	DE	North Dakota	N. Dak.	ND
Florida	Fla.	FL	Ohio	Ohio	OH
Georgia	Ga.	GA	Oklahoma	Okla.	OK
Guam	Guam	GU	Oregon	Ore.	OR
Hawaii	Hawaii	HI	Pennsylvania	Penn.	PA
Massachusetts	Mass.	MA	Washington	Wash.	WA
Michigan	Mich.	MI	West Virginia	W. Va.	WV
Minnesota	Minn.	MN	Wisconsin	Wis. or Wisc.	WI
Mississippi	Miss.	MS	Wyoming	Wyo.	WY
Missouri	Mo.	MO
Montana	Mont.	MT
District of Columbia	D.C.	DC

that or which
That refers to persons or things, who to people or animals, and which only to things or subhuman entities.

The person that teaches Greek is my sister, or The person who teaches Greek is my sister.

The class that draws the most students is Contemporary Film.

She bought Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, which details many rules.

That introduces restrictive clauses. Which or that may introduce nonrestrictive clauses, but, in current usage, which is more common.

We will visit the canyon that harbors 277 miles of the Colorado River. (Since we didn’t name the canyon, the clause is restrictive—the clause identifies it.)

We will visit the Grand Canyon, which harbors 277 miles of the Colorado River. (Since we identify the Grand Canyon, the clause is nonrestrictive.)

titles
Use quotation marks for titles of minor works: short stories, essays, short poems, songs, articles in periodicals, chapters in books, and episodes in radio and television series.

Italicize titles of books, paintings, sculptures, films, magazines, plays, record albums, operas and other long musical works, newspapers, and continuing radio and television series. (See PUNCTUATION, quotations.)

toward
Not towards.

vertical lists

When possible, introduce vertical lists with a complete clause (a grammatically complete sentence) followed by a colon.
These are a few benefits Northern Arizona University offers to in-state students:
• a balance of teaching, research, and service
• education and career preparation for students from all demographics
• a “four-seasons” campus climate
Use parallel (similar) phrasing for entries in a list.
International students must fulfill requirements for admission:
• present academic transcripts
• pass the TOEFL exam
• show access to financial support
For numbered lists, like this one, use a period after each number and begin each entry with a capital letter—even if the entry is not a complete sentence.
Use bulleted lists mainly for instructional or promotional material.
When each item in a group of unnumbered items is an incomplete sentence, begin with lowercase letters, and do not use periods. (See item 2 above.)
If a list completes a phrase that introduces it,
• punctuate as you would a sentence without bullets;
• begin items with lowercase letters;
• use commas, semicolons, and parentheses as appropriate;
• close the final item with a period.

voice

active voice – The subject performs the action the verb conveys: John calculates the solution. (subject-verb-object).

passive voice – The object of the action becomes the subject. The passive voice always contains a form of the verb to be or to get. The subject-verb-object order is inverted; the direct object becomes the subject.

The solution was calculated correctly.
Better: Tammy calculated the solution.

The class is being taught by a visiting professor.
Better: A visiting professor teaches the class.

Avoid using the passive voice unnecessarily; it creates wordy constructions and often introduces ambiguity about who performed the action.

web master, web page, web site
Each construction consists of two words.

who, whom

Use who in the subjective case for the following.

Subject: Who took the report?
Predicate after a linking verb (often a form of to be): She is an exceptional student who will earn a merit scholarship.

Use whom in the objective case as the object of a verb or preposition:

Tom wrote the paper for whom?
The professor failed whomever he found cheating.

he/she, her/him,

they/them

who

whom

he, she

they

who;

him, her,

them

whom

she

him

www
When listing a URL, it’s now common practice to omit http://www.

Most users are savvy to web language, so to reduce clutter in your text, omit when possible.
For more on style issues, see press.uchicago.edu.

Exception:

www4.nau.edu/aio/AcademicCatalog/academiccatalogs.htm

Note: To simplify an existing URL, submit a request to NAU Information Technology Services.

As with telephone numbers, always test URLs before publishing.

CAPITALIZATION

Capitalize the formal (complete) names of university units: Comptroller's Office, Office of the President.
Do not capitalize university unless used within a complete, formal title.
Northern Arizona University offers courses in a variety of disciplines through the Grand Canyon Semester.

The university partners with Grand Canyon National Park to offer courses in the field.
Do not capitalize informal names of units: financial aid office, the college, liberal arts.
Lowercase names of majors, minors, emphases, and programs: visual communication major with an emphasis in graphic design.
Lowercase generic terms that precede or follow proper nouns: San Francisco and Beaver streets; Gabaldon and Raymond halls.

academic and administrative titles
Capitalize when the title is part of the name and directly precedes it: Professor Ana Yazzi. Do not capitalize when the title is a descriptive tag: a diligent professor, Ana Yazzi.

Lowercase when the title follows the name: Ana Yazzi, professor of communication.

This rule applies to titles such as president, provost, director, dean, and other academic titles.

Northern Arizona University President John D. Haeger
John D. Haeger, president of Northern Arizona University
John D. Haeger became president in 2001.

Exceptions: Capitalize named chairs or professorships that include the academic title and titles such as Distinguished Professor. Capitalize titles that follow names in formal contexts, such as lists in the front areas of reports and books.

When the degree functions as a title following the name in formal context, use title case or the abbreviation:

Veronica Begay, Master of Arts
Tara Jackson, Bachelor of Science
Martin Rodriguez, BA
Silke Solies, MS
William Wallace Covington, PhD, Regents Professor
Evelyn M Carswell, Professor Emerita
Charles C. Avery, PhD, Professor Emeritus

In running text, capitalize full titles of institutions, departments. Lowercase partial titles.

The Arizona Board of Regents; the board, the regents The Flagstaff Symphony Orchestra; the symphony, the orchestra

academic areas

Capitalize full, formal department names: Department of Chemistry; Department of Humanities, Arts, and Religion.
When not part of the formal title, do not capitalize the area unless it is a proper noun: psychology, English, biology, ecological sciences. Lowercase partial titles: chemistry, humanities.

buildings

Adel Mathematics
Advanced Research and Development
Allen Hall
Anechoic Chamber
Anthropology
Anthropology Laboratory
Ardrey Auditorium
Ashurst
Astronomic Research Observatory
Avian Cognition Laboratory
Babbitt Academic Annex
Babbitt Administrative Center
Bilby Research Center
Biological Sciences
Biological Sciences Annex
Biology Greenhouse
Blome
Bookstore
Bury Hall
Campbell Hall
Campus Heights Apartments
Capital Assets and Services
Capital Assets and Services Annex
Centennial
Ceramics Complex
Chemistry
Cline Library
Communication
Counseling and Testing Center
Cowden Learning Community
du Bois Center
Eastburn Education Center
Education Annex
Emerald Complex A
Emerald Complex B
Emerald Complex C
Emerald Complex D
Employee Assistance and Wellness Office
Engineering and Natural Sciences,
College of
Fountaine Apartments
Fronske Health Center
Gabaldon Hall
Gammage
Gateway Student Success Center
Geology
Geology Annex
Gillenwater Hall
Greenhouse Complex
Hanley Hall
Health Professions

Heating Plant Annex
Hospitality Resource and Research Center
Hughes Hotel and
Restaurant Management
Information Systems
Information Systems Building Annex
The Inn at NAU
Institute for Human Development
John F. Wettaw Biology and
Biochemistry Building
Lab Sciences
Learning Resource Center
Liberal Arts
Lumberjack Stadium
McConnell Hall
McDonald Hall
McKay Village
Mountain View Hall
North Morton Hall
North Union
Nursing
Old Main
Performing and Fine Arts
Peterson Hall
Physical Sciences
Pine Ridge Village
Plateau Center
Police Department
Ponderosa
Printing Services
Raymond Hall
Recreation Center
Recycling
Reilly Hall
Riles
Rolle Activity Center
Roseberry Apartments
ROTC/Property Administration
Sechrist Hall
Social and Behavioral Sciences
South Apartments
Southwest Forest Science Complex
Taylor Hall
Tinsley Hall
University Union
University Union Food Services
Lawrence Walkup Skydome
The W. A. Franke College of Business
Wall Aquatic Center
Wilson Hall

research center
environmental sciences
Bilby

century
Lowercase: eighth century, 15th century, 21st century.

course titles

Adrian is enrolled in Mass Communication and Human Behavior.

degrees
When referring to a general area and not the formal degree name, don’t capitalize the subject area.

BA in literature, honors in liberal arts.
But: In December, she graduated with a BS in Forestry
(see abbreviations).

bachelor's degree
master's degree

Never use the plural or plural possevive—bachelors, masters'—in reference to degree names.

e-mail
Lowercase except when it begins a sentence or precedes the address in a list.

fax
Lowercase in text or when following a number; capitalize when it precedes the number in a list.

homecoming
Capitalize only when a formal title: NAU Homecoming.

Internet
Capitalize Internet.

seasons

spring, summer, autumn, winter
wintertime, springtime
2006 Winter Olympics

semesters

fall semester
registration
orientation

scholarships and fellowships

Cowden Microbiology Scholarship
Arizona Broadcasters Association Scholarship

broadcasters scholarship
Cowden grant

student classifications

freshman, sophomore, junior, senior

web
Capitalize World Wide Web, the formal name. Lowercase for other uses: web, web master, web site.

PUNCTUATION

apostrophes

Use the apostrophe to

• indicate omitted letters in contractions: doesn’t, can’t, she’ll, they’re;
• show possession for nouns: a day's rest, a professor's grading scale, everyone's campus, women's rights.

For singular words ending in the sibilant (s, x, z) sound, such as James or Moses, omit the final s to prevent an awkward repetition of sound:
James' sweater
Moses' tablets
For plural possessives ending in s, add the apostrophe at the end; for those not formed by s, add 's:
musicians' instruments
children's programs
several groups' issues

Use the apostrophe in the plurals of small letters; for capital letters used as words and for letter grades, just add s to form the plural.
Tennessee’s final two e’s make rhyming easy for country music lyricists.
Exception: To avoid confusion with the word as, use the apostrophe to designate plural of the letter grade A.
All A’s will put you on the Dean’s List, but Bs, Cs, and Ds will disqualify you.
Form possessives of abbreviations as you would spelled-out nouns.

Singular possesive:
SAT's standards
NAU's teams
MLA’s guidelines
Use the apostrophe to indicate omission of the first two digits in a graduation year.
Dana Turner (SBS ’99)
Use the apostrophe in Presidents’ Day, but do not use the apostrophe in Veterans Day.
Do not use the apostrophe to form the plurals of figures, years, or abbreviations.

1500s, 1960s, the late ‘90s, CDs

Do not use the apostrophe for

colon

Use the colon as you would a semicolon between independent clauses when the second clause amplifies or illustrates the meaning of the first clause.
Chris managed her time wisely: she studied four hours daily in the library after classes, exercised one hour each morning, and hiked or biked with friends on Sunday.
Capitalize the first word following a colon when it begins the first of at least two complete sentences.
Al cited the reasons for conservation: Temperatures are rising. Polar ice caps are melting. Floods and droughts are increasing the outbreak of disease worldwide.
Use colons to introduce a series or a list that is preceded by a grammatically complete clause. (See vertical lists.)
Watson wants to take three courses next semester: criminal justice, American history, and study skills.

Do not use unnecessary colons.
Correct: The popular courses are Programming Techniques, Feminist Justice, and Unity of Life I: Life of the Cell.
Not: The popular courses are: Programming Techniques, Feminist Justice, and Unity of Life I: Life of the Cell.

commas

Use a comma—the serial comma—before and and or in a series of more than two items.

The College of Engineering and Natural Sciences faculty leads planning to restore Arizona’s forests, discover new methods for treating cancer, improve renewable energy, search for undiscovered planets outside the solar system, and investigate the causes of global climate change.

If you incorporate multiple series in a sentence, use semicolons to separate the series.
NAU’s new brand image has a standard color palette of blue, sage, and gold; restrictions for use of the mark, typography, and signage; and conventions for layout of letterhead, envelopes, and business cards.
Use a comma after the city and state in the middle of a sentence.
Flagstaff, Arizona, sits at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks.
Use a comma following the day and year in a complete date, but omit the comma when citing only the month and year.

By November 6, 2003, three feet of snow had accumulated on the peaks.
We saw the beginning of a great ski season in November 2003.
Use a comma to set off nonrestrictive elements, but not restrictive elements.
Nonrestrictive:
Professor Short, who understands theory, responded appreciatively.
Roget’s Thesaurus, too tattered to read, lay on the shelf.
Mary Lou, Sam’s friend, graduated last spring.
Restrictive:
Any professor who understands theory would respond appreciatively.
An old book too tattered to read lay on the shelf.
Sam’s friend Mary Lou graduated last spring.
Do not use a comma between last names and Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.
Jeffrey Mark Wiley Jr.

dashes and hyphens

The en dash is the width of a letter n—about as wide as a hyphen and a half. Use en dashes to do the following:
The em dash is the width of a letter m—about twice as wide as a hyphen.

Use em dashes to do the following:
The hyphen connects or divides words and word elements:

• Hyphenate compounds that function together as adjectives:
third-century literature, quasi-impressionistic art.

• Don’t use a hyphen after words ending in -ly:
highly dedicated professors.

• Hyphenate a compound with the prefix well before the noun.
The well-known athletes train here.
The athletes who train here are well known.

• Hyphenate temporary compounds.

anti-intellectual
off-the-wall
post-homecoming
Note: Consult a current dictionary or style manual to verify compound words.

• Use the hyphen to separate numbers and word constructions.
312-555-5555
non-English-speaking countries
poverty-stricken hurricane victims

• Use the hyphen to divide words at line-ends.

If the line has space for one or more syllable, but not for the whole word, use the hyphen to divide the word between syllables. If you are not certain where one syllable ends and the next begins, refer to your dictionary.

ellipsis

Use three points (an ellipsis), with a space before and after, to indicate text omitted within a sentence.
He said that she “will continue the lecture series . . . when she returns from sabbatical.”
To indicate omitted material after the end of a sentence, use the period plus three points.
“Laura admired the entire program. . . . Her research showed none like it in the nation.”
Generally, do not use an ellipsis at the beginning or end of quoted material unless you wish to emphasize that the quote is partial.

exclamation point

parentheses
If a dependent clause or phrase is in parentheses, put final punctuation outside the final parenthesis. If the parentheses enclose an entire sentence, put final punctuation inside the closing parenthesis.

Joni enrolled in the class, thinking the assignments would be easy (but she was wrong).

Mary advised her student to study in the Grand Canyon. (She scoffed at the notion that the activity would be too rigorous.)

periods

Use the period to end declarative—and some imperative—sentences.

Declarative: We all need to prioritize our tasks.
Imperative: Prioritize your tasks.
Use the period after some abbreviations (see abbreviations).

quotation marks

Place quotation marks outside of commas and periods, but inside of semicolons and colons.

“When I move to Arizona,” Ramon told me, “I’ll buy good hiking boots.”

The guide shouted out the age of the rock strata lining the canyon: “Precambrian, Paleozoic, Cenozoic”; however, the roar of the rapids drowned his words.
Place question marks and exclamation marks inside quotation marks if the quote is a question or outside if not.
Did you read Hemingway’s short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis McComber”?

She asks this question every semester: “How does the punctuation change the meaning of the title?”

While scanning the list, he blurted out, “Look at the amount of reading required for this class!”

She asked, “Does the syllabus include ‘Young Goodman Brown’?”
Use quotation marks to enclose titles of short stories, articles, and poems, individual chapters in books, songs and other short musical compositions, and radio and television shows.

Italicize titles of books, paintings, sculptures, films, magazines, plays, record albums, operas and other long musical works, newspapers, and continuing radio and television shows.

semicolon

Use the semicolon between closely connected independent clauses that are not joined by one of the seven coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet) .

Each semester she receives excellent evaluations from peers; chief among those high marks is her success in raising awareness about the issues.
The professor's instructions were clear; however, the students' responses were not. (Note the use of the subordinating conjunction, however.)
Use the semicolon to separate elements that incorporate internal commas.

The course requires books on geography, geology, and paleontology; and field trips to mountains, plateaus, and canyons.

Writing tips

subject, purpose, audience

To effectively communicate, organize your ideas based on subject, purpose, and audience.

Subject

Purpose Audience

Subject

Purpose

Audience

Who are your readers?
What is their knowledge of the subject and attitudes about it?
How can you attract their interest?

Word Choice

“Contrary to what some people seem to believe, simple writing is not the product of simple minds. A simple, unpretentious style has both grace and power. By not calling attention to itself, it allows the reader to focus on the message.”

—Richard Lederer and Richard Dowis, Sleeping Dogs Don’t Lay, 1999

Often you can replace “big” words with shorter—even more expressive—alternatives. Simpler words typically make your message more readable.
abundance – plenty
accommodate – adapt, allow, adjust, fit
at that point in time – then
at the present time – now
accomplish – achieve, perform, succeed
accordingly – so
additional – added, more, extra
additionally – and, also
advance planning – planning
approximately – about, almost, nearly
ascertain – check
conclusion – end
demonstrate – show
endeavor – try
frequently – often
in conjunction with – with
in order to – to
initiate – begin
inquire – ask
necessitate – require, force
obtain – get
period of time – time, period
provided that, in the event that – if
purchase – buy
regardless of the fact that – although
terminate – end, close, stop, halt
Sunday, Monday timeframe – Sunday, Monday
utilize – use

Exceptions to the “keep it simple” rule: a person may be unsuitable for a particular job or office, but not unfit. Choose the best word for each situation.

Orwell’s six rules of writing:

Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
Never use a long word where a short one will do.
If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
Never use the passive [voice] where you can use the active.
Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Politics and the English Language

WRITING ABOUT FLAGSTAFF AND NORTHERN ARIZONA UNIVERSITY

When writing for Northern Arizona University publications, especially recruitment material, include information about the NAU campus and surrounding area.

About Flagstaff
Flagstaff is northern Arizona’s largest city, with a population of about 60,000. At 7,000 feet, the city is dominated by the majestic San Francisco Peaks, whose highest point is 12,633 feet. Flagstaff is surrounded by national forests, including aspen stands and the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world. Summers are cool and comfortable, with an average daytime high temperature of 81 degrees and a low of 50 degrees. Winter offer sunny days and beautiful snow scenes. The sun shines an average of 288 days a year. With its mild, four-season climate, Flagstaff offers excellent conditions for study and recreation.

The city boasts a friendly, small-town atmosphere combined with outstanding cultural, scientific, and recreational opportunities. Within a two-hour drive of Flagstaff are the Sonoran Desert at an elevation of 2,000 feet and an alpine forest at 11,000 feet. The area includes many national parks and monuments with rich historical significance, including Grand Canyon National Park.

About Northern Arizona University
Founded in 1899, Northern Arizona University is one of the premier campuses in the West whose primary focus is undergraduate education. Through the years, our mission has expanded to include innovative graduate programs, aggressive research, distance learning, and service to communities throughout the state of Arizona.

Our commitment to education is exemplified by a strong focus on teaching and close interaction between students and faculty. Hallmarks of our teaching tradition are relatively small classes, personal attention, and individualized learning. This educational experience is enhanced by an atmosphere that celebrates diverse opinions and cultures. The primary training ground for Arizona teachers for more than a century, Northern Arizona University’s College of Education ranks second in the nation for Native American baccalaureate degrees and in the top 10 nationally for all minorities.

Undergraduates participate in real-world projects and research in the natural sciences, engineering, business, the social sciences, communication, and the arts. Surrounded by the largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest in the world, Northern Arizona University gives students hands-on research opportunities in the cutting-edge discipline of ecological restoration. Our graduates work at the forefront of natural resource management, setting national and international standards for resource development practices.

A commitment to student success, personal service, dedicated faculty, and a robust technical infrastructure have made Northern Arizona University a leader in providing distance education for 30 years. Students can choose from more than 70 graduate, certificate, and endorsement programs that increase their earning potential and give them skills to improve the quality of life in local and global communities.

Proofreading marks

	Delete		Set in roman type
	Close up; delete space		Set in boldface type
	Delete and close up		Set in lightface type
	Let it stand		Set in lowercase
	Insert space		Set in CAPITAL letters
	Begin new paragraph		Set in SMALL CAPITALS
	Move right		Wrong font; set in correct type
	Move left		Run on
	Center		Break over
	Move up		Insert here
	Move down		Insert comma
	Flush left		Insert apostrophe (or single quotation mark)
	Flush right		Insert quotation marks
	Straighten type; align horizontally		Insert period
	Align vertically		Insert semicolon
	Transpose		Insert colon
	Spell out		Insert hyphen
	Set in italic type		Insert en dash
	Insert parentheses		Insert em dash

Northern Arizona University

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