A-to-Z Writing Style Guide
Search the Writing Style Guide:
A |
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Abbreviations
Never begin a sentence with a lowercase abbreviation. Use common abbreviations such as etc., e.g., and i.e. in parentheses in written text.
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Academic Associations and Agencies
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Academic HonorsThe college awards academic honors upon the completion of degrees and certificates at three different levels. Define the honor's grade point average in the first reference; for subsequent references use honor level. When using a column or tabular format, list the honor level achieved after each recipient's name but the honor level definitions should be provided somewhere on the document.
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Academic Standards and PoliciesAvailable online: csmd.edu/about/policies. |
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Academic SubjectsUse lowercase for academic subjects - "biology" "cybersecurity" |
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Academic TitlesCapitalize academic titles when they immediately precede a personal name, but lowercase when the title follows a personal name in text. In text, when used as an appositive (enclosed in commas), titles following a person's name, or standing alone in place of a name, should not be capitalized.
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AccessibilityAmericans with Disabilities Act (ADA)The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits, under certain circumstances, discrimination based on disability. Official CSM Statements
See Inclusive Language and Nondiscrimination Policy entries |
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Board of DirectorsCSM Foundation Board of Directors
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Board of TrusteesCollege of Southern Maryland Board of Trustees List the members in order of terms of service (not in alphabetical order). List as of July 1, 2024: Shawn B Coates, Chair
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Building NamesEXTERNAL COMMUNICATIONBuilding Reference First Reference: Use the official title of the building with the building abbreviation in parentheses if there will be subsequent references throughout the text. Subsequent References: Use building abbreviation with the word "Building" following.
Exception: If the official name of a building includes the word "center" in subsequent references the location should be referred to as "the center" verses the abbreviation followed by the word "Building."
Room Number Reference Location Reference
INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONBuilding Reference Room Number Reference Location Reference
OFFICIAL NAME AND ABBREVIATIONOfficial List of Named Facilities
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Bursar’s OfficeNo longer in use; called Student Account Services |
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C |
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CAMpus AssociationFormerly known as the Student Association, now called Campus Association. Specifically, La Plata Campus Association, Leonardtown Campus Association, and Prince Frederick Campus Association. Campuses, Centers, and Other Locations
The abbreviations of LAPL, LEON, PRIN, REGI, CTET, CTRA, WALD, and INHD are standard abbreviations for Colleague usage, but should not be used in sentence structure as a way to reference a college campus or training location. These abbreviations should never be used as abbreviations in external communications.
Exception: Campus abbreviations are used in the schedule of classes and within schedules at a glance found in certain publications. In all instances, a key is always included. OTHER LOCATIONS
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CertificatesSpell out and capitalize the name of a certificate if it is the official name.
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Charles County Community Mediation CenterThe Charles County Community Mediation Center is housed at the La Plata Campus. There are community mediation centers in every county in the state of Maryland. The centers in Calvert and St. Mary’s counties are not housed at CSM. |
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child careTwo words; no hyphen; lowercase unless part of a formal program or degree name |
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College NameOfficial Institutional Name: College of Southern Maryland
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ColonsUse colons to introduce a long series or list, especially in course description information.
Only capitalize the topics if the given list of items is of an official nature. Semicolons are then needed for separation.
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CommasUse a comma in a series.
Use a comma after introductory words, phrases, or subordinate clauses.
Use a comma to set off an appositive.
Use a comma in names before Esq.
Do not use a comma in names before Jr., Sr., or Roman numerals.
Exception: While the CSM Writing Style Guide follows AP Style, there are exceptions. AP Style does not use a comma in a series but CSM style does. Note that the CSM Community Relations Department strictly follows AP Style and does not use a comma in a series so it can better align with media industry standards. |
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CommencementCapitalize the C in Commencement when discussing the formal ceremony; lowercase in generic usage
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Continuing Education and Workforce Development (CWD) |
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Course DisciplinesUse the designated abbreviations for course disciplines as noted in the college catalog or schedule of classes.
Capitalize all complete and official names of college courses. No italicization or quotations needed. Use the discipline abbreviations when referring to the course title.
When referencing a discipline generically, use lowercase.
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courseworkOne word; no hyphen |
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CSM FoundationCapitalize in formal titles. Use lowercase for general references.
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CSMREADYCSMReady - Capitalize "CSM" and place "Ready" in italics CybersecurityOne word; no hyphen; lowercase unless part of a formal program, course, or degree name |
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D |
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DashesParenthetical elements can be enclosed in parentheses or set off by commas or long dashes (em dash) with no space before or after the long dash. The use of dashes or parentheses is preferable if the parenthetical element contains commas.Dashes emphasize the parenthetical element.
Use a dash to add an explanation or illustrate a point after an independent clause.
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DatesSpell out the names of months when using alone or with a year. No comma is needed between the month and the year but use commas when using a month, day, and year format:
In running text (including body, subject, and pre-header of marketing emails), the following months should be abbreviated when using a month with a specific date:
Postcards, billboards, and displays should always spell out the name of the month. |
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day careTwo words; no hyphen; lowercase unless part of a formal program or degree name. |
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DegreesDo not use an apostrophe or an "s" in associate degree; use an apostrophe and an "s" in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Use lowercase when referring to the informal degree name.
Use periods in abbreviations of academic degrees:
When listing academic credentials, list the person's legal name, the highest degree attained, the name of the institution, and the year of degree attained (not necessary; more preference). Always include the year for CSM alums.
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associate of arts | A.A. |
associate of applied science | AAS |
associate of arts in teaching | AAT |
associate of science | A.S. |
associate of science in engineering | ASE |
bachelor of arts | B.A. |
bachelor of science | B.S. |
master of arts | M.A. |
doctor of medicine | M.D. |
doctor of philosophy | Ph.D. |
Departments and Offices
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Capitalize "department" and "office" only when used as part of an official title. Note the Box Office is the official name of a CSM office and should have a capital "B" and "O".
- The Technology Department has many professors.
- Inquiries should be made to the Office of the President.
- You can buy tickets at the College of Southern Maryland (CSM) Box Office for today's concert.
Exception:Not all CSM departments and offices use "department" or "office" as part of their official name. See the example below:
- Please stop by the Library to speak with the supervisor.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
First Reference: Use the official title of the division, department, or office with the abbreviation in parentheses if there will be subsequent references throughout the text. Abbreviations can be used alone, but a key needs to be provided.
Subsequent References: Use division, department, or office abbreviation.
Please note that the official abbreviation for a department or office may not be the same as the official Mail Code. For official Mail Codes please see the telephone directory or Mail, Shipping, and Receiving's intranet page.
OFFICIAL NAME AND ABBREVIATION
Adult and Community Education | CED |
Adult Education | AED |
Personal Enrichment Programs | PEP |
Wellness and Fitness | WFA |
Auxiliary Services | AUX |
Food Services | FSV |
College Store | STO |
Budget Department | BUD |
Campus Operations | OPS |
Scheduling and Conference Services | SCH |
Charles County Mediation Center | MED |
Continuing Education and Workforce Development Operations | CEO |
Controller, Financial Service | FIS |
Student Account Services (formerly Bursar's Office) | BUR |
Development |
DEV |
Diversity and Inclusion |
DIV |
General Counsel Office | GCO |
Government Relations and Public Information Office | COM |
People, Culture, and Equity Human Resources and Payroll |
PCE HRD |
Information Management Team | IMT |
Marketing and Communications | MAR |
Creative Services | CRE |
Web Services | WEB |
Mail, Shipping, and Receiving | MSR |
Maryland Center for Environmental Training | CET |
Nonprofit Institute | NPI |
Physical Plant | FCL |
Planning, Institutional Effectiveness, and Research | PIR |
Procurement/Contracts |
PRO |
Public Safety and Preparedness |
PSD |
Risk Management and Compliance | RMC |
Small Business Development Center | SBD |
Student Access | STR |
Admissions | AOD |
Student Affairs | STA |
Student Engagement | STE |
Student Life and Athletics |
STL |
Student Success | STS |
Advising, Career, and Transfer Services | ACS |
Financial Assistance | FAD |
Registrar's Office Veterans Affairs |
REG VET |
Workforce Development |
WFD |
Allied Careers | AED |
Business and Information Technology | BIT |
WorkForce Center | CCT |
Healthcare | HTH |
Center for Trades and Energy Training | TET |
Center for Transportation Training | TRA |
Velocity Center at Indian Head | VEL |
Divisions
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Capitalize the official name of the division. Note the word "division" is only capitalized when it is part of the official title.
- Sharon Smith, dean of the Division of Learning, will...
- The academic department of nursing is responsible for ...
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
First Reference: Use the official title of the division, department, or office with the abbreviation in parentheses if there will be subsequent references throughout the text. Abbreviations can be used alone, but a key needs to be provided.
Subsequent References: Use division, department, or office abbreviation.
OFFICIAL NAME AND ABBREVIATION
Office of the President | PRE |
ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISIONS | |
Division of Continuing Education and Workforce Development | CWD |
Division of Learning | DOL |
Division of Financial Services | DFS |
Division of People, Culture, and Equity | PCE/HRO |
Division of Operations and Planning | OPP |
Division of Student Equity and Success | SES |
ACADEMIC DEPARTMENTS |
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Academic Affairs | DAA |
Learning Support Services (Testing Center, Learning Support Coordinators) | LSS |
Business | BIS |
English, Communication, and Language | ECL |
Health | HEA |
Humanities and Social Science | HSS |
Learning, Technology, and Resources | LTR |
Distance Learning and Faculty Development | DLF |
Library | LIB |
Nursing Mathematics |
NUR MTH |
Sciences Technology Visual and Performing Arts |
SCI TCH VPA |
Dual Enrollment Program
Formal name; no hyphen; capitalized: Dual Enrollment
Dual Enrollment allows high school students to take classes at CSM for college credit while satisfying high school graduation requirements.
E
One word; no hyphen. All email should be composed as if it is an official correspondence from the college, regardless of your audience.The proper style for email addresses should be all lowercase.
- wendyc@csmd.edu
Tips for email:
- Always include a "signature block" including at least your name, CSM title, email address, and telephone number.
- Subject lines: Use a call to action statement.
- Avoid words or phrases that are considered SPAM: "free," "special," "limited time offer," "check this out," etc.
- Avoid using all capital letters.
- Use "High Priority" red flag status only when appropriate.
Emerita, emeritae, emeritus, emeriti
An honorary designation bestowed upon members of the college community in special recognition of service to the college.
emerita (feminine); emeritae (plural, feminine); emeritus (masculine); emeriti (plural, masc., or both sexes)
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
F
Face-to-Face Courses
Courses that are held in person, at a physical location on a CSM campus, according to a fixed schedule. The building, room, time of day, and day of the week will be posted in the schedule.
Federal Direct Loan Program
Federal Pell Grant
Federal Perkins Loan
Federal Work-Study Program (FWS)
First Year Experience (FYE)
Formal Letter
When writing a letter to an elected official, the inside address should begin with "The Honorable," which is capitalized:
- The Honorable John Q. Smith
The salutation should include the legislator's proper title:
- Dear Sen. Smith
Templates are available on the Marketing Department website on the Intranet.
Fractions
In text, spell out with hyphens:- two-thirds
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
full time | full-time
Two words; use a hyphen when used as an adjective or adverb before a noun
- He is a full-time employee.
- She is working full time.
G
General Equivalency Diploma (GED®)
Use the registered trademark in all instances: ®
H
HawkTalk
HawkTalk is CSM's weekly student newsletter. One word; "H" and "T" are capitalized; no "the"
healthcare
One word; no hyphen; lowercase unless part of a formal program or degree name
HOLIDAYS
Homeschool
One word; no hyphen
Honor Society
Students earning honors are eligible for membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the official honor society for two-year colleges.
- Spell out Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on the first reference; for subsequent references use Phi Theta Kappa or PTK.
Hybrid
Courses that combine the virtual environment with in-person instruction on campus. Hybrid courses have physical campus locations for the on-campus component and have specific meeting days and times.
Hy-Flex
Hy-Flex; capitalize the H and the F. Courses that combine the virtual environment with in-person instruction. Hy-Flex courses meet according to a set schedule, and students can choose to attend class virtually or on campus.
Hyphens
Some words are always hyphenated. However, some words are only hyphenated when they precede a noun and are used as an adjective.
- Joe Davis lives on campus.
- Joe Davis is looking for on-campus housing.
- Susan Smith takes classes full time.
- Susan Smith is a full-time student.
There is no need for a hyphen after a word that ends in "ly."
- The college is a highly respected institution.
Many tend to use the following words in a hyphenated manner, especially the word online. Online is always to be used as one word.
The following words are generally used as two words:The following words are generally used as one word:
- home page
- log off
- log in (verb); login (noun)
- bookstore
- cybersecurity
- database
- fundraising
- healthcare
- interoffice
- lowercase
- microcomputer
- multicampus
- multicultural
- nonprofit
- nonresident
- online
- voicemail
- webmaster
- webpage
- website
- workforce
Some words are used as one word when used as a noun, but two words when used as a verb.
- Log in to my.CSMD to register for classes.
- Use your login ID for all registrations.
Use a hyphen to link words such as compound words and adjectives.
- full-time faculty
Omit the hyphen if the compound adjective follows the noun.
- They work full time.
I
Inclusive Language
Every attempt should be made to use inclusive language when writing text representing the college's business, programs, and services. Inclusive language does not make assumptions regarding age, gender, race, or ethnicity. Inclusive text avoids stereotyping people and is sensitive to issues.
AGE
Avoid making assumptions about age-related abilities and career goals. Remember that our students can be 5 years old or over age 70.
DISABILITY
Use "person-first" language. Use the terms accessible parking and accessible elevator, not handicap parking and handicap elevator.
- She uses a wheelchair; students who are blind; individuals with a disability.
DIVERSITY
Diversity is not just about ethnicity; it includes sex, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and stereotypes. As a college that values and encourages diversity, it is important to communicate in a manner that is inclusive and treats all individuals and groups as equals.
Avoid euphemisms and avoid "politically incorrect" terminology.RACE AND ETHNICITY
Do not assume ethnicity. Hyphens are not necessary. Common race and ethnic terms found on the college's admissions application and registration forms are white, Black or African American, Hispanic, Latino, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, or other Pacific Islander.
SEX AND GENDER
Use plurals whenever possible to ensure the inclusivity of all gender identities. If a third-person singular pronoun must be used, use the singular, gender-neutral pronoun they/their/them, or rewrite the sentence to make the pronoun unnecessary.
The singular, they, is preferable in situations in which the gender identity and/or pronouns of the person being referred to are unknown, unspecified, or immaterial to the matter at hand. (The singular, gender-neutral they was Merriam-Webster’s 2019 Word of the Year.)
Avoid using the once-customary he or she which is both cumbersome and exclusionary of individuals whose pronouns do not conform to the masculine/feminine gender binary. If you’re concerned about confusion between singular and plural, reword or rephrase your sentence to make it clear, just as you would clarify between the singular and plural you.
- If a student will be late, they need to inform their professor immediately.
- A student who anticipates being late needs to inform the class professor immediately.
SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY
Gender identity and expression are different than sexual orientation. The external appearance of gender may or may not differ from a person's biological gender and sexual orientation.
STEREOTYPES
Avoid assumptions when writing about a person or a group. Not every engineer is a man, nor is every nurse a woman.
in person / in-person
Two words; use a hyphen when used as an adjective or adverb before a noun
- Classes are held in person.
- They attended in-person classes.
internet / intranet
The terms internet and intranet are lowercase and not capitalized.
The web is a part of the internet. The two terms should not be used interchangeably.
See World Wide Web entry.
Italics
Italics are used to emphasize a keyword or phrase the first time it appears in your text. The next time the term or phrase is used it should be in plain text.
For words and letters that are referred to as words or letters.- The term American Indian is inclusive of more than 500 federally recognized ethnic communities.
For non-English words or terms used in your text. This practice excludes those words that have become incorporated in the English language, such as laissez-faire, or arroyo.
K
Kids’ & Teen College
Use an ampersand (&) instead of and in all references.
L
Logo
Read the CSM logo use guidelines.
For logo downloads, visit the guidelines and usage webpage.
M
Magazine Names
Capitalize the initial letters of the name but do not place the name of the publication in quotes or italics. Lowercase magazine unless it is part of the publication’s official title.
- Discover College of Southern Maryland Magazine (or Discover Magazine)
- The Friday Report
- HawkTalk
- Connections Literary Magazine (or Connections)
Addressing Mail
Use complete delivery address.Use complete CSM return address including the college's PO Box.
The PO Box should always follow the street address.
Do not use punctuation - except for the hyphen in the zip code.
Use all capital letters.
Regardless of campus, for mailing purposes the La Plata Campus address is the official address of the college:
COLLEGE OF SOUTHERN MARYLAND
<DIVISION/DEPARTMENT OR OFFICE>
8730 MITCHELL ROAD
PO BOX 910
LA PLATA MD 20646-0910
All other addresses are "physical addresses" and should only be provided to help visitors and guests find the campus and should not be used as a mailing address for postal mail.
Be sure to always included a departmentalabbreviation in the return address, so that undeliverable mail may be returned to the appropriate area of the college. For more information contact the Mail, Shipping, and Receiving Coordinator, at ext. 7634 or visit the MSR intranet page.
Notes: La Plata is two words therefore it should always contain a space between La and Plata.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day
MLK Day is acceptable on the second and ensuing references
Maryland Center for Environmental Training (MCET)
Meeting Minutes
The minutes of a meeting are the official record of all important matters discussed at the meeting. Templates are available on the Marketing Department website on the Intranet.
micro-pantries
Use a hyphen
multicultural
One word; no hyphen
my.CSMD
For the college portal, my.CSMD, "my" is always lowercase and italicized. "CSMD" is always capitalized.
Always use a period between "my" and "CSMD."
Avoid using the term "my.CSMD" as the first word in a sentence.
myLearning
For the college course portal, myLearning, "my" is always lowercase and not italicized. The "L" is always capitalized.Do not use a period between "my" and "Learning."
Avoid using the term "myLearning" as the first word in a sentence.
N
Names and Titles
Use a person’s first and last (or full) name on the first reference; use the last name on the second and ensuing references. An exception is for testimonials where the use of the first name on the second reference is preferred. Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, or Ms. unless part of a direct quote.
- Joe Smith is a professor at CSM. Smith teaches English.
Capitalize academic, civil, religious, and professional titles when they immediately precede a personal name, but lowercase when the title follows a personal name in text. When used as an appositive (enclosed in commas), titles following a person's name, or standing alone in place of a name, should not be capitalized.
- Vice President Joseph Jones
- Joseph Jones, vice president of operations, is retiring in June.
- The vice president is retiring in June.
Capitalize the name of the division, department, or office referenced, though, if it is the official name of the department.
- Joseph Jones, president of the college, will be...
- Sharon Smith, dean of the Division of Academic Affairs, won't...
- Jack Rhodes, Human Resources and Payroll director, is...
Capitalize titles following a person's name when used in a list or in addresses.
- The following people have contributed:
- Joseph Jones, President of Ventura College
- Sharon Smith, Dean of Arts and Sciences
See Titles entry
noncredit
One word; no hyphen
Nondiscrimination Policy
The following nondiscrimination policy is to be used in all documentation pertaining to the promotion of CSM's academic or continuing education programs or course offerings. The most current information can be found on the college's policies and procedures webpage.
Official CSM Statement
The College of Southern Maryland does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, religion, or marital status in its programs or activities. The associate director of Disability Services—La Plata Campus, Learning Resource Center (LR Building), Room 123, 301-934-7614—has been designated to handle inquiries regarding discrimination on the basis of disabilities. The executive director of Student Affairs—La Plata Campus, Administration (AD) Building, Room 220A, 301-539-4746—should be contacted for student discrimination inquiries. Human Resources—La Plata Campus, Campus Center (CC Building), Room 212, 301-934-7700—should be contacted to handle all other discrimination inquiries.
Individuals with disabilities who require special accommodations in order to participate in the college’s instructional programs should notify the academic support/ADA coordinator at 301-934-7614 at least one month before the class begins. Requests made after this deadline will be considered on an individual basis and addressed whenever possible.
nonpayment
One word; no hyphen
nonprofit
One word; no hyphen
Nonprofit Institute at CSM
Numbers
In general, spell out zero - nine.
- There are six students in the class.
When starting a sentence with a number or a date, spell it out:
- Five girls and 125 boys tried out for the varsity soccer team.
Use numerals for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measurement or referring to ages of people, animals, events, or things.
Always use numerals for:- Academic course numbers (COM 1010)
- Addresses (201 Main St.)
- Ages (a 6-year-old girl; a 12-year-old boy)
- with symbols and abbreviations (25%, $25, 50 lbs., 3rd ed.)
Inclusive Range of Numbers
When writing numbers through 99, give the full digits.
- 42 - 48, not 42 - 8.
Page numbers above 99 require only the last two digits of the second number as long as the result is unambiguous. Leading zeros are not dropped.
- Pages 1123 - 24 not 1123 - 1124
- Pages 2000 - 04 not 2000 - 4 nor 2000 - 2004
- Pages 112 - 35
- Pages 102 - 08 not 102 - 8 nor 102 - 108
When expressing a range of numerals in text do not use a hyphen unless the numbers reflect an inclusive range of dates, write "to" instead.
- The IQ range of the first group was 86 to 112.
- The years of the Great Depression, 1930 - 40, tested America severely.
Phone Numbers
EXTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Telephone numbers should be written with a hyphen. No parentheses or "." should be used.
- 301-934-2251
Use direct dial numbers for external publications when an individual is the contact. For a department or program contact, provide the direct dial number and the automated attendant number for each county along with the appropriate extension.
- CSM Foundation
Calvert County | 443-550-6199, ext. 7649
Charles County | 301-934-7649 or 301-870-2309, ext. 7649
St. Mary's County | 240-725-5499, ext. 7649
Use "ext." rather than "Ext.", "x," or "extension."
Publications for persons who may be contacting the college from the Washington, DC area should use 301-870-3008.
The college's 800 number, 1-800-933-9177, is for individuals who may be contacting the college from outside of Southern Maryland, but is not widely used, distributed, or placed routinely in published matter.
Be sure to confirm phone numbers (including extensions) prior to publication.
INTERNAL COMMUNICATION
Use extension designations rather than the entire phone number. Use "ext." Do not capitalize the "e." Be sure to confirm extensions prior to publication.
Time
Use numerals for time of day when using "a.m." or "p.m." (such as calendar listings). Always use lowercase "a.m." or "p.m."; it is preferred that the ":00" be removed when referring to times of day. Also, remove the first "a.m." or "p.m." when giving an event or class time frame, if the beginning and ending time both fall in either the "a.m." or "p.m." of the day.
The event will take place 5 - 6:30 p.m.
Exception: Within a formal invitation it is acceptable to include the ":00" when referring to the event time. For formal invitations the above rules for "a.m." and "p.m." usage still apply.
O
off campus | off-campus
Two words; use a hyphen when used as an adjective or adverb before a noun
- Classes are sometimes held off campus.
- He attended off-campus classes.
off-site
Two words; hyphenated
on campus | on-campus
Two words; use a hyphen when used as an adjective or adverb before a noun
- Classes are held on campus.
- He attended on-campus classes.
On-site
Two words; hyphenated
- They had on-site classes.
- They hope to hold the event on-site.
online
One word; no hyphen
oPT-In Opt In / Opt-out opt-out
opt-in (noun, adjective); opt in (verb)
opt-out (noun; adjective); opt out (verb)
Hyphenated as a noun or an adjective. Two words as a verb.
“The opt-in is disabled.”
“Read our opt-in terms and conditions.”
“To receive electronic statements, you must opt in.”
P
Phi Theta Kappa
Students earning honors are eligible for membership in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, the official honor society for two-year colleges.
- Spell out Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society on the first reference; for subsequent references use Phi Theta Kappa or PTK.
Phone Numbers
See Numbers entry
Plagiarism
Whether it is committed by a student or a member of the faculty or staff, plagiarism is one of the biggest challenges we face as an academic institution. Plagiarism is the submission of someone else's ideas or words as your own. When you use someone else's words, phrases, or sentences without acknowledging the author, you are committing plagiarism. Plagiarism undermines your work and credibility.
To avoid plagiarism, it is important to follow citation and fair use guidelines and copyright laws. For more information, visit www.copyright.gov.
Publication Titles
For books, movies, plays,* poems, albums, songs, operas, radio and television programs, lectures, speeches, and works of art: Capitalize words in the title except for articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or so yet, etc) unless any of those begin or end the title.
Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except magazines, newspapers, the Bible, the Quran, and other holy books, and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material including almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and similar publications.
- He read "Tuesdays with Morrie."
- "The Star-Spangled Banner"
- The Washington Post broke the story.
- He reads the Bible every morning.
Punctuation
See Apostrophes, Colons, Commas, Dashes, Hyphens, and Quotation Marks entries
Q
QUOTATION MARKS
For publication titles of books, movies, plays,* poems, albums/CDs, songs, operas, radio and television programs, podcasts, lectures, speeches, and works of art, use single quotation marks when used in headlines and titles of sections; use double quotation marks in the body of copy.
Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except magazines, newspapers, the Bible, the Quran, and other holy books, and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material including almanacs, directories, dictionaries, encyclopedias, gazetteers, handbooks, and similar publications.
*Exceptions for titles of plays may exist due to licensing agreements.
See Publication Titles entry
R
Real-Time Technology (RTT)
Courses that take place completely in a virtual environment, with scheduled meeting days and times for live lectures and class activities.
rEGISTERED TRADEMARKS
Use ® for Minecraft, LEGO, ROBLOX, and GED.
Also, see Trademarks entry
S
Seasons
Lowercase unless part of a proper name.
- Spring Break
- Spring Term 2025
- summer classes
Semesters
As of Nov. 1, 2023, CSM uses the following terminology for credit classes (no longer use the word "sessions"):
Fall 15-Week Term
Fall 7-Week Term I
Fall 7-Week Term II
Winter Term
Spring 15-Week Term
Spring 7-Week Term I
Spring 7-Week Term II
Summer 15-Week Term
Summer 6-Week Term I
Summer 6-Week Term II
This terminology can be nested under the word "semester."
Fall Semester
Fall 15-Week Term
Fall 7-Week Term I
Fall 7-Week Term II
- He will attend classes during the fall semester.
- Spring Term 2025
- Fall Semester 2024
small Business Development Center (SBDC)
Small Business Development Center
Southern Maryland
Southern Maryland should be capitalized and written in full. Do not use SoMD, somd, or other abbreviations in external or internal publications.
States, Countries, and Other Locations
Spell out state names within a sentence format whether standing alone or in conjunction with a city, town, or military base.
- The La Plata Campus is located in La Plata, Maryland.
- He moved from Pennsylvania to Maryland when he was a child.
Use the following abbreviations in lists, tabular material, credit lines, and political party affiliation:
State Abbreviations | |
Ala. | Neb. |
Ariz. | Nev. |
Ark. | N.H. |
Calif. | N.J. |
Colo. | N.M. |
Conn. | N.Y. |
Del. | N.C. |
Fla. | N.D. |
Ga. | Okla. |
Ill. | Ore. |
Ind. | Pa. |
Kan. | R.I. |
Ky. | S.C. |
La. | S.D. |
Md. | Tenn. |
Mass. | Vt. |
Mich. | Va. |
Minn. | Wash. |
Miss. | W.Va. |
Mo. | Wis. |
Mont. | Wyo. |
Exception: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas and Utah are never abbreviated.
- Sen. Joe Smith, D-Md.
- Sen. Lucille Jones, R-Utah
For addressing mail, use the two-letter, capitalized, abbreviation approved by the U.S. Postal Service, with no periods. Visit https://pe.usps.com/text/pub28/28apb.htm for a complete listing.
U.S. is always capitalized with periods except in headlines/titles of sections.
USA is always capitalized and does not have periods.
Spell out the names of countries, states, counties, provinces, territories, bodies of water, and mountains in the text.
Student Account Services
Formerly known as the Bursar’s Office
T
TERM (See entry on 'semester')
As of Nov. 1, 2023, CSM uses the following terminology for credit classes (no longer use the word "sessions"):
Fall 15-Week Term
Fall 7-Week Term I
Fall 7-Week Term II
Winter Term
Spring 15-Week Term
Spring 7-Week Term I
Spring 7-Week Term II
Summer 12-Week Term
Summer 6-Week Term I
Summer 6-Week Term II
This terminology can be nested under the word "semester."
Fall Semester
Fall 15-Week Term
Fall 7-Week Term I
Fall 7-Week Term II
- He will attend classes during the fall semester.
- Spring Term 2025
- Fall Semester 2024
theater
Use theatre if part of a formal name.
they/them/their
See Inclusive Language entry
Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. Center for Leadership
Time
See Numbers entry
Titles
Do not use honorifics or courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., and Ms. except when addressing mail.
When writing initials, the traditional format is still preferred to put a period and a single space after each.
- J. S. Bach, C. S. Lewis
- the Rev. Henry L. Brown or the Reverend Henry L. Brown
- the Hon. Frank R. Hawkins or the Honorable Frank R. Hawkins
Abbreviate Esq., Sr., and Jr., following the name.
When writing to the home address, use the title in front of the name
Office Address Susan Williams, Ph.D. Thomas Johnson, MD Mr. John Smith, Attorney at Law John Smith, Esq. |
Home Address Dr. Susan Williams Dr. Thomas Johnson Mr. John Smith |
Use a comma in names before Jr., Sr., Esq. but not before Roman numerals.
See Names and Titles entry
- George Anderson, Esq.
- John Adams, Jr.
- Allan Hicks III
Titles of Organizations and Offices
Always remember to research if the word The is part of the official title of organizations.
- The conference was held at The Center for Business and Industry (BI Building).
Capitalize words such as association, center, college, department, division, foundation, office, etc., when used as part of the official title. Do not capitalize these words when they stand alone:
- The College of Southern Maryland offers many programs. The college offers many opportunities.
- The College of Southern Maryland Foundation is awesome. The foundation provides scholarship opportunities to...
- The CSM Board of Trustees held a meeting. The board recommended...
Capitalize words such as division, department, association, office, etc., only when used in a formal name:
- The English and Communication Department has many offices.
Use lowercase o in the word office if not an official name of one of CSM's offices:
- Inquiries should be made to the Office of the President.
- Please visit the Financial Assistance office.
Capitalize the R in the word Room and the S in Suite when referring to CSM room numbers.
Trademarks
Capitalize trademarked names. In most writing situations, you do not need to use the symbols ® and ™. Always check the organization's website to determine the guidelines for its trademark.
- Coca-Cola
- Kleenex
- SHRM™
- SMART Board™
CSM uses ® for Minecraft, LEGO, ROBLOX, and GED.
Training Centers
See Mail entry
U
University OF MARYLAND
UMD is the acronym for the University of Maryland, College Park.
University system of Maryland at southern Maryland
USM is the acronym for the University System of Maryland.
URLs
Care should be taken when incorporating college URLs as some include capital letters, underscores, spaces, etc. CSM-specific guidelines specify that at the end of the URL, when referring to the specific landing page site, keep all words and letters lowercase. CSM-specific guidelines also do not use the "www" at the beginning of the url.
As a general rule, "https://" is not required as it is implied and most browsers will automatically insert it. Always test the URL. Do not add punctuation to the web address as web addresses are not allowed to end with a period or comma. If the URL is at the end of a sentence, however, a period should be used (but not linked).
- To learn more, visit csmd.edu/studentlife.
If a web address will not fit on a single line, either move the address to the following line of text or break the address after a forward slash.
V
Veteran
veteran: lowercase
VeteranS Affairs
Veterans Affairs (VET) is the name of the office within the Division of Student Equity and Success
W
Web-based Courses
Courses that take place completely in a virtual environment, with no set or required meeting days or times—although they do have fixed start and end dates that correspond to the academic session.
Web-hybrid
Always use two words separated by a hyphen; hybrid is lowercase.- Web-hybrid
Website
website: one word; lowercase
Work-Based Learning (WBL)
Work-Based: hyphenate and capitalize W and B and L when referring to the formal program, else lowercase all letters when referring to the concept
WorkForce Center at CSM
WorkForce: capitalize W and F
World Wide Web (WWW)
The web is a part of the internet. The two terms should not be used interchangeably.
When using a term such as the web, web is not capitalized and stands alone as one word. The terms website and webpage are one word.
The terms internet and intranet should always be lowercase and not capitalized.
Z
Zoom
Zoom: capital "Z;" lowercase "oom."
08/21/2024 - Capitalization corrections that occurred with change of url.
07/23/2024 - Changed entry on urls and Board of Trustees
07/01/2024 - Added Minecraft to Trademark and Registered Trademarks entries
06/14/2024 - Add entry on federal holidays
05/22/2024 - Added entry on the order of appearance for Board of Trustees; added entry on University of Maryland; expanded entry on University System of Maryland
01/29/24 - Under Administrative Divisions, changed Division of Human Resources and Organizational Development to Division of People, Culture, and Equity (PCE/HRD). Under Departments and Offices/Internal Communication, added People, Culture, and Equity (PCE).
01/19/24 - Added entry on Registered Trademarks and updated cross-referenced Trademarks entry.
11/27/23 - Clarified no comma usage in names before Jr. or Sr.
11/13/23 - Added opt-in, opt in, opt-out, opt out
11/03/23 - Updated building names to remove "PFA" and "PFB" which should not be used in external communications.
11/01/23 - Updated entry on Semester and term to reflect new credit schedule language beginning Nov. 1, 2023.
10/26/23 - Updated entry on Semester and added entry on Term to reflect new credit schedule language beginning in fall 2024.
10/17/23 - Updated entry on FA Building
10/03/23 - Added Veterans Affairs (VET)
9/23/23 - Clarified use of periods in degrees; added Alum; removed Honors Curriculum; expanded entry on honorifics; added CSMReady
9/22/23 - Updated building names for FA, FM, and SR buildings
8/21/23 - Added the two-letter building names to the Regional Hughesville Campus building listings
7/12/23 - Clarified which apostrophe to use for years; updated Regional Hughesville Campus address
2/24/23 - Added University System of Maryland at Southern Maryland (USMSM)
1/14/23 - Added registered trademark to GED entry
1/12/23 - Added HawkTalk
1/08/23 - Added Martin Luther King Jr. Day
10/23/22 - Added Quotation Marks entry as they pertain to publication titles (including language indicating the use of double/single quotation marks may not always apply to titles of plays; also added to Publication Titles entry).
8/4/22 - Added Campus Association
7/6/22 - Removed Entrepreneur and Innovation Institute and edited for accessibility and quality assurance
5/27/22 - Changed academic department names and acronyms
4/27/22 - Added exception for testimonials to the Names and Titles entry.
/7/22 - Removed "Mini-Session' and added new terminology to Semester entry
3/10/22 - Added "homeschool"
9/16/21 - Date entry updated to clarify the use of abbreviated month names
9/01/21 - Clarified Publication entry to reflect the use of quotation marks around most titles
7/08/21 - Added term "Work-Based Learning"
/21 - Added term "nonpayment"
/21 - Revised extensively to apply AP Style rules and update/clarify multiple sections