Style Guide for Writing
ALDERSON BROADDUS UNIVERSITY
When referring to Alderson Broaddus University for the first time, use the full name of the University. Note that the name should never include a hyphen.
AB
On second and subsequent references to the University, use only AB (never ABU).
UNIVERSITY
Using only AB on second and subsequent references can often become cumbersome or repetitive for the reader. Using “the University” (always capitalized for internal publications and marketing) is acceptable to avoid repetition.
TITLES
Capitalize titles when they appear before a name:
Professor Emeritus of Music Louis Armstrong
Director of Alumni Relations Emma Alderson
Instructor of Biology Judi Funk
When titles appear after a name, do not capitalize and use a comma:
Dr. Louis Armstrong, professor emeritus of music
Emma Alderson, director of alumni relations
Judi Funk, instructor of biology
UNIVERSITY UNIT NAMES
Include “Alderson Broaddus University” or “AB” with the name of the unit. Note that “Alderson Broaddus University” may precede or follow the unit’s name, but the “AB” abbreviation always precedes the unit’s name. Subsequent references to the unit within the same document or context may omit the “Alderson Broaddus University” or “AB.”
Alderson Broaddus University College of Medical Science
College of Medical Science, Alderson Broaddus University
AB College of Medical Science
Do not use possessives when writing these names, such as “AB’s College of Medical Science.” Names of colleges, schools, offices, departments, and programs are ONLY capitalized when they refer to specific AB units.
Department of Athletics / athletic department
School of Nursing / nursing school
Office of Admissions / admissions office
Unless they are proper names, such names are not capitalized when used generically in reference to disciplines and fields of study.
The AB College of Humanities and Social Sciences offers courses focusing on law and history.
E.J. is studying Spanish and psychology at the AB College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
Emma studies for history tests while interning in the admissions office.
ACADEMIC MAJORS
Lowercase all majors except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives.
Emma is an English major; E.J. is a business major.
ACADEMIC DEGREES
If the mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone’s credentials, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and instead use a phrase such as: Emma Alderson, who has a doctorate in psychology.
Use abbreviations such as B.A., M.A., and Ph.D. only when the need to identify many individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use these abbreviations only after a full name and set off by commas.
Emma Alderson, Ph.D., spoke to the athletic department.
Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree in the same reference.
Incorrect: Dr. Emma Alderson, Ph.D.
Correct: Dr. Emma Alderson, a chemist.
When referencing a degree in general, use an apostrophe in bachelor’s and master’s degrees. Do not use an apostrophe for “associate” in associate degree or “doctoral” in doctoral degree.
Example: If you don’t study, you’ll never get that bachelor’s degree.
When referencing a degree earned in a specific field, there is no apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science or Master of Science. (Note they are always capitalized.)
Example: Jane studied and earned a Master of Science in biology.
WRITING VOICE
Active voice. Avoid overusing “was” by choosing more vivid, descriptive verbs instead. This makes sentences shorter and more precise. Don’t write: The homecoming skit was a huge success with the audience. Instead, write: The audience loved the homecoming skit.
Appositives. Appositives are words or phrases that relate to other words or phrases in a sentence. A name following a general term or description is its appositive.
When descriptions are very long, it is better to write the person’s name first, then give the description. The same practice works well when writing about people with long or multiple titles: write the name first, then the title.
Instead of: We visited the laboratory of Dean of the College of Medical Science and Director of the Physician Assistant Studies Program Mr. Thomas Moore.
Write: We visited the laboratory of Mr. Thomas Moore, dean of the College of Medical Science and director of the physician assistant program.
Brevity. If there are lots of words in a sentence, taking some of them out will make it more precise and more direct.
Instead of: It is a given that everyone attending the conference will be accompanied by a spouse. Write: Everyone attending the conference will bring a spouse.
Punctuation
Space at end of a sentence. Professional typesetters use only one space at the end of a sentence, not two. This has become the accepted practice for writers in the era of desktop publishing. Do not follow the old rule of two spaces after sentences.
URLs.
Do not underline Web addresses in print publications. Include a period after a URL at the end of a sentence.
Example: For more information, visit ab.edu.
Phone Numbers.
Use periods between groups of numbers.
Example: 304.457.6000
Dates.
Use Arabic figures without st, nd, rd or th.
Example: Monday, January 1
Times.
Use Arabic figures except for noon and midnight.
Examples: 7:30 a.m., 7-9 p.m., 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
USE GENDER-NEUTRAL TERMS
Instead of: Each student must meet with his professor.
Write: All students must meet with their professors.
Instead of: Each alumnus was invited.
Write: All alumni were invited.
Instead of: The applicant should submit his resume by Nov. 1.
Write: Submit your resume by Nov. 1.
Instead of: Each student scribbled on his pad of paper.
Write: Each student scribbled on a pad of paper.
Instead of: Each student can choose his or her major.
Write: All students can choose their majors.
When writing for the University, all grammar, punctuation, and spelling rules outlined in the Associated Press Stylebook should be followed unless otherwise noted in the AB Style Guide.
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