Oakland University Style Guide

When mentioning degrees, the preferred form is to avoid abbreviations and completely phrase the name of the degree.

Use periods between letters when abbreviating academic degrees with two letters (M.D., D.O., B.S.) in all copy. Do not use periods between letters for degrees with three letters (MBA, MPA) or certifications. Exceptions: RN, CRNA, PA, Ph.D.

Abbreviate in standalone addresses only: name of state (MI), avenue, boulevard, street and road. Include complete ZIP code in standalone addresses, e.g., Rochester, MI 48309-4482. Otherwise, spell out.

Do not abbreviate and do not capitalize unless beginning a sentence.

Spell out on first reference in an article or document, followed by acronym in parenthesis. On following references in the same article or document, the acronym can be used alone. Look up Oakland University acronyms with the OU Acronym Tool.

Use an active voice whenever possible. Active voice means, in general, avoiding forms of “to be.” Use present tense in all publications that are not news releases, e.g., “says” “explains.”

Do not use “effect” as a verb. “Effect” is more commonly used as a noun. “Affect” is the verb meaning to modify or take on.

Spell this out on first reference and use the acronym AUFD on second reference. When spelling this out, there should be a dash between the words “All” and “University.” The first letter of each word should also be capitalized.

Use “alumnus” for non-gender singular or “alumni” for non-gender plural. Can use “alum" in informal writing, but avoid overuse.

On first reference, use Oakland University Alumni Association (OUAA). On following references, use OUAA.

When including the year someone graduated and from which school or college, this should be set off by commas when it is used with the person’s name. For unit-specific publications only: the designation should be by department (i.e. John Smith, ME '13, ...)

Avoid use.

Do not use this construction.

Do not use the term “first annual.” Instead, use “inaugural” or “first.”

Only the “O” in “O’rena” is capitalized. The basketball court in the O’rena is referred to as “blacktop” (one word).

On first reference, refer to auxiliaries after the use of the full university name.

Black and Gold should be capitalized when the term is standing in as a proper noun.

Uppercase if formal reference with full title. Use full title on first reference: Oakland University Board of Trustees or Board of Trustees. Lowercase informal, shortened reference.

On first reference, use full name of building with abbreviation in parenthesis. All other references can be shorted to abbreviation or the building.

Do not use the word “including” or the phrase “as follows” before a bulleted list. If the list is a part of the previous sentence, do not capitalize. If the list includes full sentences, capitalize with punctuation. For single words or short phrases, use capitalize with no punctuation.

Do not use. Integrate the hyperlink into appropriate text that is unique to the specific hyperlink.

One word.

The standard rules for capitalization should be followed. Each sentence should begin with an initial cap. All proper names should be capitalized.

Lowercase when not used in reference to a specific experience or project.

Capitalize the names of the colleges and schools within the university. Abbreviate after first reference. Do not use ampersands. Do not use Oxford (serial) comma.

Use sparingly. For design purposes, avoid the dash hanging at the end of a line.

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 a year alone. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas..

Use Arabic figures to indicate spans of decades or centuries (1920s, 1900s). Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out (‘20s). Show plural by adding an “s,” with no apostrophe, to the end (1920s).

Uppercase and no possessive with official degree names. Lowercase and possessive in informal reference.

Use residence hall instead of dorm or dormitory.

The EEO and disability statements should appear on most materials used for publicity, recruitment (of students, staff or faculty) or information to the public.

Lowercase and do not hyphenate. Always include with contact information.

Do not use.

Acronym for Frequently Asked Questions. OK to use as acronym on the internet. Spell out in copy.

Use less when referring to something that can’t be counted or that does not have a plural (money, air, time, music).

Should be used in place of "freshman" to describe a first-year student. This helps to create separation from student type and class standing (as "freshman" is still used for class standing).

“Flier” is preferred use when referencing a handbill or piece of paper with messaging on it.

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.

Use terms that can apply to any gender. Such language aims to treat people equally and is inclusive of people whose gender identity is not strictly male or female.

For example, use terms such as chair or chairperson, councilperson or council member, and spokesperson unless the -man or -woman terms are specified by an organization. Additionally, use alumnus (singular) or alumni (plural) when referencing former graduate(s) - see “alumni” in the OU style guide for additional details.

Do not use hyphens. Lowercase.

When referring to OU’s mascot, it is “the Grizz,” not “The Grizz,” unless this appears at the beginning of a sentence.

Capitalize the “G” and “C.”

The word Grizzlies must always be accompanied by the word Golden: Golden Grizzlies.

Two words except when the official name of a company dictates otherwise.

Two words.

Higher education is two words, not hyphenated, even if it's modifying a noun. Avoid using "higher ed" in formal writing. In informal writing, higher ed is not hyphenated.

Two words, lowercase unless starting a sentence.

Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words. Think of hyphens as an aid to readers’ comprehension. If it just adds clutter and distraction to the sentence, don’t use it. Rephrase sentence to avoid using excessive hyphens.

compound modifiers: When a compound modifier — two or more words that express a single concept — precedes a noun. Do use a hyphen if it’s needed to make the meaning clear and avoid unintended meanings.

Other two-word terms, particularly those used as nouns, have evolved to be commonly recognized as, in effect, one word. No hyphen is needed when such terms are used as modifiers if the meaning is clear and unambiguous without the hyphen.

prefixes: Generally, do not hyphenate when using a prefix with a word starting with a consonant. Consult the dictionary if you are uncertain whether a given word is hyphenated.

General guidelines for using a hyphen in prefixes:

• Use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel.
• Use a hyphen if the word that follows is capitalized.
• Use a hyphen to join doubled prefixes: sub-subparagraph.

Community Engagement: Community engagement is hyphenated as a compound modifier, as in the term "community-engaged learning". However, service-learning is always hyphenated in order to emphasize the balance between the service component and the learning outcomes for students.

Lowercase the “I” unless it begins a sentence.

View the Invitation Style Guide

Bona fides: good faith; credentials
De facto: Of fact; it is
Carpe diem: seize the day; enjoy the present
In loco parentis: in place of the parent Sic: thus; so it was
Sine quo non: without which, nothing; it is essential

Avoid use of “like” for comparisons. Instead, use “such as.”

One word, lowercase, but use as two words in verb form.

Lowercase names of programs and majors. Exception: English or foreign language

Meadow Brook is two words. Use full name on first reference and hall (lowercase) on second reference.

Midnight Madnezz and Midnight Madness are acceptable.

Use “might” when indicating something might happen that is a very long shot. Use may when it is more likely.

Example: Johnny may go to the dentist, then again pigs might fly.

Use figures with dollar sign in copy. For even dollar amounts do not add decimal followed by double zero. Spell out the word cents and lowercase, using numerals for amounts less than a dollar: 5 cents. Use the $ sign and decimal system for larger amounts ($1.05).

One word.

Follow AP style: “More than” should be used when relating to numerals. When you refer to spatial relationships, use “over.”

Use Michigan State University–Oakland on first reference and MSU–O on second reference. There should be an en dash (–) between the “U” and “O” and between the words “University” and “Oakland.”

The first reference should include the first and last name. If needed, precede full name first reference with abbreviated academic degrees set off by commas. If the subject has a doctoral degree, use “Dr.” on second reference with last name only.

This requires a registered trademark symbol when the full name is used, not required for “Nightingale Award.”

Use noon or midnight. Do not use 12 a.m. or 12 p.m.

General: Spell out numbers less than 10. Use figures for 10 or more. Use comma separator at 1,000. Use a figure-word combination for millions, billions, trillions. Spell out any number at the start of a sentence.

Phone Numbers: All phone numbers should include ten digits with a space after the ().

Room Numbers: Use figures. Capitalize “Room” when used with a figure.

Ages: Use figures. Use hyphens for ages expressed as adjectives before a noun or as substitutes for a noun.

Use the full name of the university on first reference. Second references may be Oakland, OU or the university. Headlines may also use OU or Oakland.

Use Oakland University in Macomb on first reference and OU Macomb on the following. Do not use “Oakland University/OU at Macomb program.”

Capitalize office, department, division, institute, center, etc., only when they are part of official titles. Otherwise, use lowercase.

One word in all cases for the computer connection term.

Both OU bookstore and university bookstore (lowercase) are acceptable.

Use OU INC on all references.

The first reference should always be their full title. On second reference it is acceptable to use President _____. Lowercase if using title only.

Avoid use, except when used to abbreviate term after first spelled out reference: College of Arts and Sciences (CAS).

Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier.

Use the % sign when paired with a number, with no space, in most cases.

If requested by the subject or if relevant to the article context to include pronouns in marketing or editorial content, place pronouns only after first mention of full name. Ex. Kelli Warshefski (she/her) is a writer.

In most cases, a plural pronoun such as “they, them or their” should agree in number with the antecedent: The students love their courses. Clarity is a top priority; gender-neutral use of a singular “they” is unfamiliar to many readers.

In instances where people identify as neither male nor female or ask not to be referred to as he/she/him/her, use the person’s name in place of a pronoun, or otherwise reword the sentence, whenever possible. If they/them/their use is essential, explain in the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral pronoun. Be sure that the phrasing does not imply more than one person.

Consider carefully when deciding whether to identify people by race. Often, it is an irrelevant factor and drawing unnecessary attention to someone's race or ethnicity can be interpreted as bigotry. There are, however, occasions when race is pertinent, as in stories that involve significant, groundbreaking or historic events. Include racial or ethnic details only when they are clearly relevant and that relevance is explicit in the story.

Black (adj.): Use the capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black studies, Black colleges. Use of the capitalized Black recognizes that language has evolved, along with the common understanding that especially in the United States, the term reflects a shared identity and culture rather than a skin color alone.

dual heritage: No hyphen for terms such as African American, Asian American and Filipino American, used when relevant to refer to an American person's heritage.

minority, racial minority: The term is acceptable as an adjective in broad references to multiple races other than white in the United States. This includes the term underrepresented minorities (URMs).

Latino, Latina: Latino is often the preferred noun or adjective for a person from, or whose ancestors were from, a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form and should only be used if specified by the subject. Some prefer the recently coined gender-neutral term Latinx, which should be confined to quotations, names of organizations or descriptions of individuals who request it.

Hispanic: A person from — or whose ancestors were from — a Spanish-speaking land or culture. Latino, Latina or Latinx are sometimes preferred. Follow the person's preference.

American Indians, Native Americans: Both are acceptable terms in general references for those in the U.S. when referring to two or more people of different tribal affiliations. For individuals, use the name of the tribe. First Nation is the preferred term for native tribes in Canada. Indian is used to describe the peoples and cultures of the South Asian nation of India. Do not use the term as a shorthand for American Indians.

Capitalize the names of specifically designated rooms.

References to semesters should be uppercase if paired with academic year. Otherwise, use lowercase.

When referencing social media accounts in print marketing materials, the platform's logo should precede the handle. Omit the @ for all platforms.

Use Southeast, capitalize.

Spell out the name of the state unless used for a formal address.

Student-athletes requires a hyphen.

Capitalize “The” in reference to the official name of “The Honors College.”

Use a.m. and p.m. to designate day or evening times. Use midnight or noon instead of 12 a.m. or 12 p.m. For full hour times, use only the first number. Always include a space between numerals and the a.m. or p.m. designation in lower case.

All professional titles and formal academic titles should be capitalized when they immediately precede an individual’s name. Lower case titles when they are used after a name; offset with commas. Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name.

Use toward, not towards.

Capitalize the first “T” in “Trustees” only if this is before a name, otherwise it should be lowercase.

One word.

Spell out when used as a noun. Use U.S. (no space, with periods) only as an adjective.

The “www” prefix should be eliminated from the formatting of all Oakland University URLs when used in copy.

Lowercase the “W” unless it begins a sentence.

One word, all lowercase

If the sentence does not need the clause, then use which.

Work force should always be two words.

Use commas only with a month and day: February 18, 2015, is a Wednesday. 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. When referring to two years from the same century, only indicate century on first year.

One word.

Include complete ZIP code only in standalone addresses