Writing Style Guide

Gonzaga Marketing & Communications Style Guide

Based on AP Stylebook, with specifics for Gonzaga. When in doubt, consult apstylebook.com. Updated 1/2026.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | W

A

ABBREVIATIONS

• Acceptable if part of formal name (Avista Corp.).
• Avoid in running text (Professor Smith, not Prof. Smith).
• With place names, abbreviate St. (St. Louis) but spell out Fort (Fort Lauderdale) and Mount (Mount Prospect).

ACRONYMS

• Acceptable on second and subsequent reference. No parentheses usage.
• Acceptable without first spelling out if initials are widely recognized (e.g., CEO, NASA, FBI).

ADVISER

• Preferred spelling has er.

ALUMNI

• Note GU alumni with grad year in parentheses after the name: Zack Berlat ('11)
  • If graduate degree, add degree initials with periods: Dale Goodwin (’86, M.A.T.)
• Generic “alum” allowed in place of the more formal gender-specific forms
  alumni – plural male grads or plural males and females together
  alumnus – a singular male graduate
  alumna – a singular female graduate / alumnae – plural female graduates

AMPERSAND

• Use only when it is part of a formal name. Do not use in text to replace and.

ANTISEMITIC / ANTISEMITISM

• Preference from the Jewish community is antisemitic / antisemitism. (Not anti-Semitic or anti-Semitism, which is the AP Style)

APOSTROPHES

• Do not use to form plurals, whether in words or numbers. (1940s, not 1940’s)
• Holidays: Presidents Day, Veterans Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day.
• Preceding grad years, use an apostrophe (single quote facing left), not a single opening quote ('89)

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B

BIBLE

• Capitalize, without quotation marks, when referring to scriptures in the Old Testament or New Testament.
• Do not capitalize “biblical.”

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

• Capitalize when referring to Gonzaga’s. On second reference: either Board or Trustees can be used independently without the full title.
• Trustee is capitalized even in sentence form: Mike Reilly, Trustee, is a grad.

BUILDING NAMES (Gonzaga specific)

Use complete name on first reference, then the listed short version

• John and Joan Bollier Family Center for Science and Engineering – Bollier Center
  • John and Joan Bollier Family Center for Integrated Science and Engineering should never have "family center" on the same line if there is to be a line break on designed pieces.
• John. J. Hemmingson Center – Hemmingson
• McCarthey Athletic Center – McCarthey
  • aka The Kennel (on second reference)
  • (The Kennel Club is the student section)
• Myrtle Woldson Performing Arts Center – Woldson or PAC
• Boone Avenue Retail Center – BARC
• J.M. and Jessie Rosauer Center for Education – Rosauer Center
• Jepson Center – Jepson
• Tilford Center – Tilford

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C

CAPITALIZATION

• Capitalize official names (Department of Chemistry) and lowercase unofficial names (chemistry department); Office of the President vs. president’s office.
• Capitalize job titles when they immediately precede a name (Senior Graphic Designer Tracy Martin); lowercase otherwise.

CAPTIONS

• Use a caption if there’s a person, place, or situation that the reader is likely to want to identify.
• Use (left), (from left), or the like if there might be confusion about who’s who in a photo.
• Do not use periods in captions that are not sentences.

CENTER

• Center is the correct spelling for every center at Gonzaga except Martin Centre.

CITIES

• Major U.S. cities do not need state identifiers in running text, with the exception of cities of the same name in different states (e.g, Portland, Kansas City).
• Foreign cities commonly associated with a country do not need a country identification (e.g., London, Bangkok, Tokyo, Toronto).

COMMA (series or “Oxford” comma)

• AP Style has traditionally NOT used the Oxford (series) comma; however, the AP has lightened up on this more recently and currently states: "Include a final comma in a simple series if omitting it could make the meaning unclear." 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. He would nominate Tom, Dick or Harry.

COMPOSITION TITLES

• Capitalize principal words and use quotation marks around book titles, computer game titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, album and song titles, radio and television program titles, and titles of lectures, speeches and works of art. Do not use quotation marks around the Bible and books that are primarily reference books like almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, handbooks and similar publications.

COURSE TITLES

• Capitalize. Do not put in quotation marks.

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D

DASHES (see also Hyphens)

• Abrupt change: Use dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause: Through her long reign, the queen and her family have adapted – usually skillfully – to the changing times.- 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.
• Put a space on both sides of a dash in all uses except the start of a paragraph.
• Hyphens, not en dashes, should be used in sports scores.

DATES & TIMES

On event advertisements, use standard form: January 30, 7-9 p.m. Avoid these common practices: Jan. 30th, 7:00-9:00 PM, or adding "from" before the timeframe.

Follow these guidelines for dates and times in sentence format:

• Use an en dash to show a range of dates and do not repeat 20 (2022–23, not 2022–2023).
• Use "to," not a dash, when including a range of dates (from 2022 to 2023, not "from 2022–23").
• If the day of the month appears, use a comma before and after the year (by the January 15, 2026, deadline). Do not use a comma between the month and the year without a date (by the January 2026 deadline).
• Use the year with the month only if it’s not the current year.
• Do not use st, nd, rd, th, even if dates are adjectives (March 1 event, not March 1st event).
• Months are not abbreviated except when used with a specific date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out when using alone or with a year alone.
• Use numerals for decades (1960s or the ’60s). No apostrophe is necessary before the "s" on decades, such as in the "1960s")

DEGREES (academic)

• Use an apostrophe in bachelor’s and master’s degree for generic reference. When naming a specific degree, there is no possessive: Bachelor of Arts, Master of Science.
• Abbreviated degrees need periods: B.A., M.A., Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D.
• Do not use “Dr. Smith,” unless referring to a medical doctor (per AP Stylebook).
• When used after a name, an abbreviation is set off by commas: John Snow, Ph.D., spoke. GU President: Katia Passerini, Ph.D.
• When indicating years graduated from Gonzaga, follow this practice: Jane Smith ('09), or if multiple degrees: Jane Smith ('09, '18 M.A., '25 Ph.D.)

DEPARTMENT NAMES

• Capitalize when Department is part of the official name: Department of Health and Human Services.
• Lowercase otherwise: Marketing & Communications department.

DISABILITIES

• People with disabilities, not "the disabled" or "disabled people."
• Avoid words such as victim, afflicted and stricken.
• Do not use "normal" to mean the opposite of having a disability.

DOCTOR

• Use the abbreviation "Dr." only for individuals with a medical degree (per AP Stylebook).

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E

ELLIPSIS ( … )

• Treat an ellipsis as a three-letter word, with three periods and two spaces as shown here.
• Use a space before and after the ellipses, but not in between each period.

EMAIL

• Do not hyphenate email; lowercase it except at the start of a sentence.

EMERITUS, EMERITA

• Follows professor (professor emeritus, not emeritus professor).
• Use emerita for a woman.
• Use emeriti for the plural.

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F

FACULTY

• May be singular or plural, depending on context, but be consistent within a context.

FELLOWSHIPS AND OTHER AWARDS

• The formal name is capitalized (Fulbright Fellowship), but informal references (Fulbright grant) are not.

FIRST-YEAR STUDENT

• First-year is commonly preferred over “freshman.”

FOREIGN WORDS

• Italicize Cura Personalis unless the word has been Americanized or is commonly used (e.g., cum laude).

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G

GRADES, GRADE POINT AVERAGE

• Do not put in quotation marks.
• Use an apostrophe for plurals (A’s, B’s).
• Depending on the publication, it may be acceptable to abbreviate GPA in first reference.

GRADUATION YEARS

• When indicating years graduated from Gonzaga, follow this practice: Jane Smith ('09). If multiple degrees: Jane Smith ('09, '18 M.A., '25 Ph.D.)

GENDER / PRONOUNS

• It is best practice to include your pronouns on your email signature.
• When writing about others, ask for their pronouns rather than making assumptions.
• "Their" is now commonly accepted for reference to a single individual rather than only used for plural subjects.
• Replace references to he/she or his/her with "they" in forms and the like.
• Avoid using male references for large mixed populations.

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H

HEADLINES

• Use title case: President Passerini Announces Partnership

HEALTH CARE

• Two words

HYPHENS

• In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with the prefixes co, non, pre, post or re unless there is a possibility of confusion (co-op, post-master’s) or the root word begins with a capital letter (post-Renaissance).
• Hyphenate University-wide but not campuswide.
• Use a dash, not a hyphen, with a range of years (1967-69) or times (5-7 p.m.).

More from AP:

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I

INDIGENOUS

Can be used to refer to Native Americans in appropriate contexts, but it refers more broadly to any people groups who are original inhabitants of a colonized nation. Use specific tribal affiliations where appropriate.

INITIALS

• Two initials should be separated by a space (R. J. Nabisco).
• Do not give a name with a single initial (J. Jones) unless it is the individual’s preference or the first name is unknown.

INTERNET

• Lowercase internet.

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J

JESUIT TITLES

• Use Father (spelled out) and the appropriate affiliation in parentheses after the name:
  • Father Peter Gregory, S.J.
• Fr. Gregory on second reference is fine.

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L

GONZAGA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF LAW

• Gonzaga University School of Law is the official name. Do not refer to it as Gonzaga University Law School.

LECTURE TITLES

• Put quotation marks around the formal title.

LISTS

• Maintain parallel construction in listed items. (Each line begins with a verb or all begin with a noun)
  • Listen to your teacher.
  • Make a list of assignments.
  • Carve out time for homework.
• Avoid numbering unless there will be a reference to the numbers in later text.
• In vertical lists, use a period after each item if one or more is a complete sentence.
• Alphabetize or put listed items in some logical order.

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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, Time Magazine.

MAJORS

• Capitalize proper nouns: English, Italian. Lowercase all others: biology, mechanical engineering, communication studies.

MISSION

• Capitalize Mission when referring to the Gonzaga Mission

MONTHS

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

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N

NAMES

• No comma before Jr. or Sr. or III.
• Space between initials (J. P. Morgan).
• In general, use only last names on second reference.

NATIVE AMERICAN

• Follow the person’s preference. Where possible, be precise and use the name of the tribe: He is a Navajo commissioner.
• AVOID colloquialisms that improperly use a Native reference: warpath, powwow, etc.
• Indigenous/Native cultures – never singular culture/community.
• See Indigenous above.

NONPROFIT

• One word, no hyphen.

NUMBERS

• One through nine spelled out; 10 and above in numerals, except that numbers of the same category should be treated alike within the same context.
• First through ninth spelled out; thereafter, 10th, 11th, etc.
• Use dollar sign ($3), temperature (8 degrees) and scores (7-3). Page is uppercase when referring to specific pages, Page 2.
• Numbers beginning a sentence are always spelled out.
• For figures greater than 999,999, use million or billion (2.3 million, 4 billion).
• Use "to” and “from” in a range (from 1967 to 1983, not from 1967-83).

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O

OFFICE

• Capitalize office when it is part of an agency’s formal name: Office of Mission. Lowercase all other uses: the Mission office, the office of the attorney general, the U.S. attorney’s office.

OK, OK’d, OK’ing, OKs

• Do not use Okay.

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P

PART TIME, PART-TIME

• Hyphenate when used as a compound modifier: She works part time. She has a part-time job.

PROGRAMS, ACADEMIC

• Do not capitalize a reference to a curriculum or major (international studies, electrical engineering) or a generic reference to a field of study (law school).
• Capitalize the formal name of the program when it is the equivalent of the formal name of a department (Hogan Entrepreneurial Leadership Program).

PERCENT

• AP now allows for the % sign to be used in place of spelling out percent.

PRESIDENT (Gonzaga specific)

• President Katia Passerini, Ph.D.
• The president (on second reference)
• Signature: Katia Passerini, Ph.D., President
• Former president: Thayne M. McCulloh, President Emeritus

PRONOUNS

• See Gender / Pronouns above.

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Q

QUOTATION MARKS AND APOSTROPHES

• Smart (curly) quotation marks and smart (curly) apostrophes are typographically correct.
• Straight quotes are used to designate inches, straight apostrophes to designate feet.

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R

RACE

• Capitalize names of races or ethnic groups: Black, Indigenous, Native American, Asian American, Pacific Islander, etc.
  • Unless it is the first word of the sentence, white is NOT capitalized.
• Spell out on first reference: Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC)
• Latinx preferred over Latino/a
  • Caution with Hispanic; always ask preference

ROMAN NUMERALS

• They use letters (I, X, etc.) to express numbers.
• Use Roman numerals for wars and to establish personal sequence for people and animals: World War I, King George V. Also for certain legislation acts (Title IX) and pro football Super Bowls.

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S

SECOND REFERENCE

• Capitalize the University in reference to Gonzaga. Do not capitalize the school or the college in second references to the individual schools.
• Second and subsequent references to a person generally use only the last name, except in obituaries. Rev., Dean, and Professor should not be used in second references except in quoted material. An exception may be made for specific honors. For Catholic clergy, use Fr., Sr., Br., with last name (Br. Smith) on second reference.

SPACES

• Between sentences only one space is needed.

STATES

• States should not be abbreviated. Exceptions may be made when states appear with city names in alumni news, tabular material and mailing addresses. In these circumstances, use the shortened upper-lower form: Ariz., Mont., etc.

SYMBOLS

• In running text, spell out the words degrees (temperature), feet, inches and cents. In tables, it is acceptable to use symbols for these (?, ', ").
• Amounts greater than 99 cents should be in numerals with a dollar sign ($4).

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T

THAT

• When referring to people, use WHO. "The people who left the mess" not "The people that left the mess."

THEATRE / THEATER

• The Magnuson Theatre, Theatre and Dance Program, Theatre course offerings and Theatre Arts are the correct spelling, as referred to at Gonzaga. However, in referring to the generic theater, as in Broadway, use theater.

THE IN NAME TITLES

• Lowercase, no matter how the corporation, organization or publication spells it out.
• The at the start of titles of creative works is generally capitalized (The Canterbury Tales).
• Should not be used before Foley Center Library, Summer Session, etc.

TIMES

• Do not use :00 with a time – 4 p.m., not 4:00 p.m.
• Lowercase a.m. and p.m.
• Do not use a dash in place of “to” in a range of times introduced by “from” (from 5 to 7 p.m., not from 5-7 p.m.). Preferred: remove "from" and "to" and use 5-7 p.m.
• Do not us o’clock unless it’s in quoted material or formal contexts such as invitations.

TITLES (organizations, companies, institutions)

• Names of associations, organizations, conferences, meetings, etc., follow the same guidelines as for compositions, except that the article the preceding a name is lowercased even when it is part of the formal title and the organization capitalizes it. Use the group’s punctuation and acronym for its name.
• Such words as club, team, and conference are lowercased when used alone. The exception to this is University when referring to Gonzaga.

TITLES (people)

• Uppercase preceding a name if it’s a title by which the person may be called (President McCulloh, Professor Nowak, Dean Gallardo) but lowercase a functional title (Molly Ayers, program director). Plurals are lowercased (music professors David Fague and Kevin Hekmatpanah).

TITLES (publications and creative works)

• Use quotation marks for titles of books, periodicals (including online magazines), movies, television series, plays, works of art, musical compositions (except those with generic titles, e.g., Symphony no. 5 in C Minor), collections of poetry, and long poems published separately.
• Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinate conjunctions (and, or, for, nor), prepositions regardless of length, and to in infinitives. Capitalize everything else, including those parts of speech if they appear as the first or last word in a title (On the Waterfront).

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U

UNIVERSITY (referring to Gonzaga)

• Always capitalize when referring to Gonzaga.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

• Formal name; does not take the before it. Foley Center Library.

UPPERCLASS STUDENTS

• When appropriate, use juniors and seniors instead. "Third-year" and "fourth-year" are also appropriate.
• Don’t use “upperclassmen.”

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W

THE WEB AND EMAIL

• Do not hyphenate email; lowercase it except at the start of a sentence.
• Do not hyphenate online.
• http:// and www are not required. Simply use: gonzaga.edu
• Lowercase web.
• Use home page as two words but website as one word.
• Use database as one word.

WIDOWS

• Care should be taken to avoid lines of less than full measure at the top of columns.
• Hyphenation that results in an incomplete word in the last line of a paragraph should be avoided.

Y

YEARS

• When indicating years graduated from Gonzaga, follow this practice: Jane Smith ('09). If multiple degrees: Jane Smith ('09, '18 M.A., '25 Ph.D.)

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