Because stylebooks sometimes vary, this official Loyola University New Orleans Editorial Style Guide outlines style practices specific to Loyola University New Orleans.
Loyola University New Orleans Magazine (LUNOM), Loyola Executive, Loyola Lawyer, and all other official university publications follow university style (primarily taken from Webster’s Standard American Style Manual, Webster’s New World Dictionary, U.S.News & World Report Stylebook, and The Little, Brown Handbook). For style questions not specifically addressed in this style guide, consult The Chicago Manual of Style.
The Associated Press Stylebook is followed for all news releases and Loyola at a Glance.
a versus an
The choice of the article “a” or “an” depends on the sound with which the word or abbreviation begins. If it begins with a consonant sound, “a” is used. If it begins with a vowel sound, “an” is used.
academic degrees
abbreviations—Use periods as follows:
capitalization—Lowercase degrees in a body of text.
Mary Smith received a bachelor of science degree in physics from Loyola University New Orleans.
apostrophe versus no apostrophe—Use as follows:
academic titles
On first reference to an individual with an academic title, use the academic title after the name. Do not refer to him/her as Dr. in subsequent references. Use his/her last name only.
David M. Barnett, Ph.D., is giving the commencement speech this year. Barnett will discuss world peace.
accent marks
See diacritics.
acronyms, college
See college acronyms.
addresses
Spell out and capitalize street, avenue, alley, lane, etc., when using the complete name of the thoroughfare.
Abbreviate compass points in an address, but spell them out when there is no address number.
McGrath’s Bar is located at 2525 S. Carrollton Avenue.
Lowercase and spell out the word “street” when used with more than one street name.
Meet me at the corner of Freret and Calhoun streets at noon.
Do not put a comma between the state and zip code. Follow post office requirements for specific mailings, e.g., business reply envelopes (BRE).
Adjutor Hominum Award
Capitalize the initial letter in all words as it is the formal name of the award.
adviser
Not advisor.
African-American
Always hyphenate.
alumna
One female graduate.
alumnae
More than one female graduate.
alumni
More than one graduate—all males or males and females collectively.
alumnus
One male graduate. Never use alum.
alumni distinctions
As of August 1, 2009, the format for identifying undergraduate Loyola University New Orleans alumni in all printed/online materials and nametags is:
apostrophe
Make certain a true apostrophe (’) is used and not a foot mark ('). For the possessive form of words that end in “s,” use the apostrophe after the “s.”
avenue
See addresses.
baccalaureate
Lowercase.
Baccalaureate Mass
Uppercase.
Bar/bar
For specific state associations capitalize both state and Bar. Otherwise lower case.
BEGGARS fraternity
Capitalize all letters.
Benefactors Dinner
Do not use an apostrophe after the s. This dinner is for benefactors; therefore, usage of the s does not imply possession.
book titles
Capitalize the initial letter of each word (except articles and conjunctions if three letters or less) and italicize.
board members
Lowercase.
Board of Trustees
Uppercase when referring to a specific board.
Broadway Activities Center
Initial capital letters as it is the proper name of the building.
Broadway campus
Uppercase Broadway only because it is the name of the street.
bullets
Use bullets of some sort when listing items. Do not use an asterisk (*) or a hyphen.
bylaws
Not by-laws.
capitalization
In publications, be careful not to use capitalization in excess. When used for emphasis, too many capitalizations can have the same effect as having none.
In more formal, non-publication documents (e.g., honorary degree citations) and in The Mission, Values, and Goals of Loyola University New Orleans exceptions are allowed.
capitalization of hyphenated compound words—Capitalize only the first letter, unless the second element of the compound is a proper noun.
century
hyphenation—When the word “century” is used as a noun with a preceding numeric designation, no hyphen is used. When the word “century” is used as an adjective, a hyphen is used.
numerals vs. spelling out
Spell out those less than 10. Lowercase unless in a title or the first word of a sentence. For those over 10, it is correct either to use numerals or to spell out the century. Do not use numerals if the word is first in a sentence.
CEO
Spell out chief executive officer on first reference, then use CEO (with no periods) on further references.
chair
Use chair instead of chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, unless specifically requested otherwise by the individual holding the position.
church
Capitalize initial letter only when following proper name. Lowercase in other instances.
city
Capitalize initial letter only when part of the city’s name. Lowercase in other instances.
city, country
When in text, a comma should follow both the city and country.
While on vacation in London, England, I attended a banquet at Buckingham Palace.
city, state
When used in text, a comma should follow both the city and state.
Jane Beck, a dentist from Jackson, Mississippi, opened her new office on St. Charles Avenue.
Class of…
The Class of 1950 will be celebrating its golden anniversary this year.
The 1950 class will be celebrating its golden anniversary this year.
co-chair
Hyphenate the word. In instances where the word should be capitalized—at the beginning of a sentence or preceding the proper name of the co-chair—only the first “c” is capitalized.
college acronyms
On first reference, spell out the name. On subsequent references, use the acronym. When using acronyms, do not use periods unless the school officially uses them.
college names
The official or formal names of colleges should be capitalized.
Shortened or informal versions should be lowercase except for clarity. The formal name should be used in most instances on first reference.
Pick up the papers from Humanities (clarity).
colon
Use only one space after a colon.
The following is a list of students and the color of the flag each student will carry tonight in the parade: Benny—blue, Sarah—green, Rachel—yellow, Jack—red.
commas between clauses
Use a comma plus a conjunction between two independent clauses.
Professor Brown testified before Congress on the dangers of smoking, and it is agreed he presented a strong case.
The following sentence is NOT composed of two independent clauses and SHOULD NOT include a comma. Sentences such as this commonly, and incorrectly, include a comma before and. This mistake should be avoided.
The following sentence is correct:
Professor Brown testified before Congress on the dangers of smoking and was invited to lecture at Oxford on the same subject.
commas in a series
Use a comma between all items in a series, including before and for clarity. Exception: news releases and Loyola at a Glance follow AP style which excludes the comma before “and.”
commencement
Lowercase within text.
committee
When the entire official name of the committee is used, the first letter of each word should be capitalized. Otherwise, it should all be in lowercase letters.
Common Curriculum
Uppercase.
course names
Uppercase the names of courses because they are, in effect, titles. Lowercase the names of subjects unless they are proper nouns or adjectives.
coursework
One word.
CPA
CPA is used without periods. “Certified public accountant” should be lowercase when used in a sentence, but not spelled out after someone’s name:
John Smith is a certified public accountant.
John Smith, CPA, is working with us.
dashes
en dash—An en dash is approximately the width of a capital N and surrounded by a space on both sides. It is used between words indicating a duration and in compound adjectives when one of the elements is made of two words or two hyphenated words. (In Word, click Insert, then Symbol, then Special Characters.)
em dash—An em dash is approximately the width of a capital M and has no space on either side. It is used in substitution of a colon or parenthesis, or in indicating an abrupt change in thought, or in a space where a period is too strong or a comma too weak. An em dash is also used before an author’s or composer’s name at the end of a quotation. (In Word, click Insert, then Symbol, then Special Characters.)
dates
Spell out dates (months and days of the week) except in LUNOM Wolftracks or in calendars with limited space.
days of the week with date
Spell out. Use a comma after the day of the week and the date with or without the year following.
decades—numeric
Do not use apostrophes when all four digits are used.
degree distinctions
See alumni distinctions.
degree programs
Lowercase.
(See also academic degrees.)
departments
Lowercase when used informally; uppercase when used formally or when needed for clarity.
NOTE: Official department name is listed as Department of Xxx; informal name is xxx department.
diacritics
Do not use an apostrophe or foot mark as an accent. Use the correct accents. In Word, click Insert, then Symbol, then select the symbol you want to use.
ellipsis
Use the ellipsis (…) rather than typing three periods in a row. This gives you evenly spaced periods that cannot be separated if they fall at the end of a line. Do not include a space before or after the ellipse. Follow with a period at the end of sentences.
Single, hyphenated word. Lowercase when used in text.
emphasis
Do not use double emphasis. A word that is bold or italicized will stand out. It need not be bold, italicized, and underlined to be seen.
extension
See telephone extension.
faculty
Use with a singular verb.
fall semester
Lowercase.
fax
Lowercase.
follow up/follow-up
Single, hyphenated word when used as a noun or adjective. Two, separate words when used as a verb transitive or verb intransitive.
freshman/freshmen
When used as an adjective,“ freshman” means of or for first-year students and the singular is used.
fundraiser, fundraising
One word in all instances.
gender reference
Avoid sexist or sex-specific language whenever possible.
greater
Lowercase when not part of a proper name (i.e., greater New Orleans)
Holy Name of Jesus Church
This is the formal name of Holy Name and should be used on first reference and formal documents.
home page
honorable, the
Abbreviate Hon. When this description is used before an individual’s name, precede it with the word “the” because, unlike with Mr. and Mrs., the abbreviation “Hon.” represents an adjective, not a noun.
The Hon. Adrian G. Duplantier
horseshoe
When referring to the parking area in front of Marquette Hall, lowercase.
hyphen
A hyphen is used strictly for hyphenating words or line breaks. (See dashes.)
Internet
Capitalize.
Intranet
Capitalize.
italics
Italicize words instead of underlining them.
law library
Lowercase.
library
Lowercase.
Loyola library
Loyola University New Orleans
The name of the university is Loyola University New Orleans—no commas are used. This must be used on first reference. In subsequent references, it may be shortened to Loyola or Loyola University.
magazine titles. Capitalize the initial letters of each word (except articles and conjunctions of three letters or less) and italicize. Also capitalize and italicize acronyms of magazines.
majors
Lowercase.
main campus
Lowercase.
main library
Lowercase.
The Maroon
Capitalize the initial letters in each word and italicize. “The” is capitalized because it is part of the name of the newspaper.
We have many fine young journalists working on The Maroon.
Mass
Always uppercase.
masterclass
One word.
MBA/M.B.A.
Do not use periods when referring to the general program. Only use periods when listing a degree.
midnight
Do not precede with 12. Midnight is 12 a.m.
money
When including a numeric monetary amount in a body of text, include decimal numbers only if the decimal amount is not .00. Also, if the amount is above $999, use a comma for clarification.
Monroe Library
Abbreviated name of the J. Edgar and Louise S. Monroe Library.
month and year
When used without referring to a specific date of the month, no comma is needed.
newspaper titles
Capitalize and italicize, including “the,” when it is included in the name on the masthead.
non-credit
Hyphenate.
nondiscrimination
Do not hyphenate.
nonprofit
Do not hyphenate.
noon
Do not precede with 12. Noon is 12 p.m.
numbers
in text—Spell out numbers from one through nine. Use numerals for those 10 or larger.
plural—fours, fives, 100s
offices
Lowercase when used informally; uppercase when used formally or when needed for clarity.
NOTE: Official office name is listed as Office of Xxx; informal name is xxx office.
online
Both “online” and “on-line” are commonly used. However, university style follows “online” for consistency.
orphans
See widows and orphans.
over/more than.
Use more than when referring to a quantity; use over when talking about distance or direction.
* The university has more than 100 student organizations.
* The umbrella is over our heads.
percent
Spell out when used in text. Use the % symbol when included in a chart.
phone numbers.
Put the area code in parenthesis, and use hyphens instead of periods. (504) 861-5757
programs, academic.
Capitalize the names of formal academic programs. Lowercase generic names of academic programs.
* Off-campus Learning Program
* Honors Program
* graduate program
* Writing Across the Curriculum
* study abroad program
pre-modern
Hyphenate.
president
Lowercase unless it immediately precedes the name of the individual who holds the position.
* The president called an emergency meeting for this afternoon.
* When Mary toured the White House, President Obama was not in
residence.
pope
Lowercase unless it immediately precedes the name of the individual who holds the position.
* The pope will be visiting the United States next month.
* The first Polish pope was Pope John Paul II.
postmodern
Do not hyphenate.
question mark
with bracket, dash, parenthesis, quotation marks—The question mark is placed inside a closing bracket, dash, parenthesis, or pair of quotation marks when it punctuates only the material enclosed by that mark and not the sentence as a whole. It is placed outside that mark when it punctuates the entire sentence.
quotations
general—Make certain that true quotation marks are used (“, ”, ‘, ’) and not inch (") and foot (') marks.
running—If a full paragraph of quoted material is followed by a paragraph continuing the quotation, do not put closed quotation marks at the end of the first paragraph. Do, however, put open quotation marks at the start of the second paragraph. Continue in this fashion for any succeeding paragraphs, using closed quotation marks only at the end of the quoted material.
with other punctuation—When at the end of a quoted phrase or sentence, commas and periods are included inside quotation marks; colons and semicolons are outside quotation marks.
with question mark—A question mark is placed inside quotation marks when it punctuates only the material enclosed and not the sentence as a whole. It is placed outside when it punctuates the entire sentence.
religious titles.
On first reference to an individual with a religious title, include the religious title and order identification. Do not refer to him/her as Fr., Father, Rev., Sr., or Sister in subsequent references.; use his/her last name only.
reverend, the
Abbreviate “the Rev.” When this description is used before an individual’s name, precede it with the word “the” because, unlike with Mr. and Mrs., the abbreviation “Rev.” represents an adjective, not a noun.
room numbers
Use numerals and capitalize room when used with numerals.
Mrs. Beardsley’s class is held in Room 211.
rooms—specially designated
Capitalize the names of specially designated rooms.
Roussel Hall
Refer to the hall as Louis J. Roussel Performance Hall on first reference. Roussel Hall is fine for subsequent references and in calendars where space is limited.
R.S.V.P.
Répondez s’il vous plaît (reply, if you please). Ok to abbreviate.
St. Mary’s Hall
The building which houses the Department of Visual Arts.
salutations—husband and wife
When addressing a husband and wife in the salutation of a letter, place her name before his.
Dear Nancy and Joe,
seasons
Lowercase if they simply declare the time of the year; capitalize only if they are personified—as in some poetry.
South
Capitalize when speaking of a specific region. Lowercase when speaking of direction.
space between initials
Do not use a space between initials. Do add a comma before and after initials of religious and professional societies and the like when included in text.
space between sentences
Use only one space. Typewriters are monospaced and, therefore, two spaces are necessary to visually separate sentences. Typeset copy (computer-generated) is proportional, making the extra space unnecessary and the copy more difficult to read.
sports complex
Use the official name “University Sports Complex” on first reference and “sports complex” in subsequent references.
state of Louisiana
Do not capitalize the initial letter in state.
states
city and state or state alone in a body of text—Spell out entire name.
full address set alone—Use U.S. postal service abbreviations.
Loyola University New Orleans
6363 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
full address used in body copy—Use Associated Press style with postal abbreviations.
Loyola University New Orleans is located at 6363 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, LA 70118.
in narrative—Especially in Wolftracks, LUNOM uses non-postal abbreviations.
in limited space such as calendars—Use non-postal abbreviations.
La., Fla., Minn.
telephone extension
Abbreviate the word “extension” with “ext.” not “x.”
theater
The building or area of a building where performances are held.
theatre
The art or function of theatre.
She studied theatre while at Loyola.
timeline
One word.
time
For news releases, invitations, calendars, and other listings with times, use numerals with colon to separate hours from minutes. Lowercase and use periods with a.m./p.m. (For times on the hour, use neither colon nor zeroes.) Within body copy of stories in newsletters, magazines, and brochures, spell out the time. Refer to etiquette books for very formal invitations.
Loyola University New Orleans Magazine—The performance is scheduled for eight o’clock.
news releases—The performance is at 8 p.m. (Lowercase p.m. and a.m. with periods and no zeros.)
The Times-Picayune
Italicize and hyphenate.
titles—academic
See academic titles.
titles—personal for women
According to etiquette books, use:
titles—professional
Confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual’s name. Lowercase and spell out titles when they are not used with an individual’s name.
Titles used immediately before an individual’s name are capitalized.
University President John P. Smith, S.J., will be the guest of honor at tomorrow’s luncheon.
The opening remarks will be given by Professor Fran Michaels.
Titles used after an individual’s name are lowercase, including the name of the department, office, or college.
Names and titles in a listing not in paragraph form are capitalized.
Campus Beautification Committee: Jack McInnes, Director of Management Services Kathleen Howell, Vice President for Financial Planning
titles—religious
See religious titles.
titles—works
books; movies; plays; operas, symphonies, and other major musical works; newspapers; and magazines should be italicized.
songs; television shows; and magazine and newspaper articles should be set in quotation marks.
book chapters should be merely capitalized.
trustee
Lowercase.
underlining
Do not underline words. Italicize instead, unless font library does not offer italics. See italics.
university
In publications, unless it is used with the word “Loyola”, it is always lowercase—even when referring to Loyola University specifically. Possible exceptions are formal proposals and official documents such as the goals statement and honorary degree citations.
“University” is also lowercase in multiple listings.
Fred is an alumnus of both Loyola and Tulane universities.
university library
Lowercase.
University President
Uppercase when it immediately precedes the name of the individual who holds the position.
University President Kevin Wm. Wildes, S.J. will attend the meeting.
University Sports Complex
Use the official name on first reference and “sports complex” in subsequent references.
Uptown. Capitalize the initial letter because it is a specific region of New Orleans.
vice president. Do not hyphenate.
voicemail
One word.
web links
Do not use a period when the web link ends a paragraph.
For more information, visit www.loyno.edu
Do not include an initial www in a Loyola web link that also includes a subdomain (for example, academicaffairs.loyno.edu, giving.loyno.edu, law.loyno.edu,) in the address. It is extraneous.
Incorrect: To give now, visit www.giving.loyno.edu
Correct: To give now, visit giving.loyno.edu
web page
Two words.
website
One word.
well-known
Hyphenate when used as an adjective. No hyphen when used as an adverb.
widows and orphans
Avoid widows and orphans.
A widow occurs when a paragraph ends leaving fewer than seven characters on the last line or when the first line of a paragraph appears as the last line of a column.
An orphan occurs when the last line of a paragraph falls as the first line of a column.
All of these can be avoided by rewriting the copy or adjusting the line or column length—changing tracking, leading, or kerning.
years—abbreviation
Abbreviated, two-digit, numeric years are preceded by an apostrophe (’), not a single open quote (‘).
A span of years written in numeric years and including the century contains no apostrophe.