Gustavus Adolphus College

(Rev. January 2009)

This listing is a complement to the College's evolving stylebook. It was developed as a reference for Gustavus-specific and other frequently encountered words and phrases, and for clarifications of and exceptions to the AP Stylebook, Webster's New World College Dictionary, and the Chicago Manual of Style, the standard style references used for College publications. It also includes answers to some common questions about usage and punctuation.

If you have questions that aren't addressed here, if you find an error, or if you have a suggestion for clearer usage, please contact Steve Waldhauser, director of editorial services, in the Office of Marketing and Communication, Carlson Administration Building (ext. 7650 or e-mail waldo@gustavus.edu).

A print version of this guide is also available; it is updated annually, in August for the next academic year. The Web version is updated as corrections, changes, and new usages are noted.

Use the letter links to locate specific names, phrases, or usages more quickly.

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

A
 

• academic affairs, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Office of the Provost
• Academic All-American, CoSIDA Academic All-America team: Several coaches' associations and other sports bodies announce all-academic teams, but the only program that should be capitalized as Academic All-American is the CoSIDA selection sponsored by the Sporting News.
• Academic Assistants
• academic computing: Instructional Services unit of Gustavus Technology Services (GTS), still informally known as IT
• academic degrees: Consult dictionary.
• academic honesty policy
• academic year (e.g., 2004–05): Generally, don't repeat century (note also no apostrophe), except when century changes (1999–2000). Other inclusive years are written in full (e.g., 1936–1942).
• a cappella
• Achievement Tests
• ACT (American College Test)
• A.D., or C.E. (goes before the year; small caps preferred if available: A.D. 1215)
• administration building, Edgar M. Carlson Administration Building (first ref.), Carlson Administration Building (not "Admin")
• administrative computing: Administrative Services unit of Gustavus Technology Services (GTS), formally Administrative Information Systems
• admission office, Office of Admission (formerly admissions; note no "s" now); reports to vice president for enrollment management
• Adolphson House
• Advanced Placement, AP, Advanced Placement program
• adviser (preferred over advisor); but, advisory
• Advising Center
• affect/effect: The former is usually a verb, meaning "to influence"; its noun use is best avoided.  The latter is more frequently used as a noun, meaning "result"; as a verb it means "to cause."
• African American (noun or adjective)
• Afro-American
• age: Always use numerals (5 years old; the 2,000-year-old man—note two hyphens in adjective).
• Ala.: abbreviation for Alabama
• Alaska: Do not abbreviate.
• alcohol education, Office of Alcohol and Drug Education (housed in the Peer Assistance Center)
• All-American (noun or adjective; capitalized when referring to an NCAA-recognized athletic honor): She is an All-American; but, she is on the All-America team. Do not cap "all" when used generically: Jack Armstrong is an all-American boy.
• "Alma Mater" (school song)
• Almén-Vickner Collection
• Almén-Vickner Guest House (first ref.), the guest house
• Almén-Vickner Phi Beta Kappa Room, Phi Beta Kappa Room
• alumni association, Gustavus Alumni Association (first ref.): formerly the Greater Gustavus Alumni Association
• alumni fund, the Gustavus Alumni Fund (part of the Gustavus Fund)
• Alumni Hall: a room, not a building
• alumni office, Office of Alumni Relations
• alumnus/alumna: from the Latin; an individual male graduate is referred to as an "alumnus," a female as an "alumna"; a group of female graduates is "alumnae," a group of males (and a mixed group, following Latin usage) is "alumni."
• a.m. ( A.M. permissible if small caps available), not am or AM in text (See also: "times of day.")
• American Indian, Indian Nations: The specific tribal heritage is preferred, if known.
• Amigos: community service organization serving the Chicano-Latino population in St. Peter
• Evan Anderson Lecture (in communication studies)
• Anderson Social Science Center, A.H. Anderson Social Science Center (first ref.), social science center
• Anderson Theatre, Evan and Evelyn Anderson Theatre (first ref.), theatre:  Note use of "British" spelling for both the facility and the program at Gustavus.
• anniversaries (institutional): Higher education is big on anniversary celebrations, so it's important that we're proper in our references to them. Most of the following terms are tremendously awkward, so alternative labels like "jubilee" may be preferred.
    25 = quasquigenary
    50 = quinquagenary (golden)
    75 = terquasquigenary (diamond)
  100 = centennial or centenary
  125 = quasquicentennial
  150 = sesquicentennial
  175 = terquasquicentennial (or
              septaquintaquinquecentennial!)
  200 = bicentennial or bicentenary
  225 = bicenquasquigenary
  250 = bicenquinquagenary
  275 = bicenterquasquigenary
  300 = tricentennial or tercentenary
• annual fund: now officially known as the Gustavus Fund, which includes the Gustavus Alumni Fund
• anthropology department, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• AP: Advanced Placement
• aquatic center, Lund aquatic center
• Arbor Day (observed on the last Friday in April)
• Arbor View Apartments: previously, the Jefferson Avenue apartments
• arboretum, Linnaeus Arboretum
• arboretum interpretive center, Melva Lind Interpretive Center (first ref.), Lind Interpretive Center
• archives: 1) Gustavus Adolphus College Archives, College Archives; 2) Lutheran Church Archives, Church Archives (both in Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library)
• area coordinator
• ARF (advance registration fee, informally)
• Ariz.: abbreviation for Arizona
• Ark.: abbreviation for Arkansas
• art department, Department of Art and Art History
• art gallery, Hillstrom Museum of Art
• Asian American (noun or adjective)
• Asian Cultures Club (ACC): Note plural "Cultures."
• athletic department: The NCAA prefers "athletics department" (note plural); Department of Intercollegiate Athletics.
• athletic director: The NCAA stylebook prefers "athletics director."
• audio-visual: Media Services (not to be confused with media relations, which is the province of the Office of Marketing and Communication)
• awhile/a while (the former is an adverb, the latter a noun):  He sat awhile, but she sat for a while.

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B
 

• baccalaureate, baccalaureate service
• bachelor's degree, A.B., B.A., B.S. (check standard of granting school); alternately, AB, BA, BS (use of periods is optional—just be consistent)
• bachelor of arts degree
• bands at Gustavus: the Gustavus Wind Orchestra (formerly Gustavus Band), the Vasa Wind Orchestra (formerly Adolphus Band), the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band, the Adolphus Jazz Ensemble
• banquet rooms (See Jackson Student Center banquet rooms.)
• B.C., or B.C.E. (follows the year; small caps preferred if available: 3000 B.C.E. )
• Bernadotte Memorial Library, Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library (first ref.), Bernadotte Library, the library
• Bernhardson Chair in Lutheran Studies, the Rev. Drell and Adeline Bernhardson Chair in Lutheran Studies (first ref.), Bernhardson Chair
• bias-free language: When in doubt about presenting a bias in your writing, ask yourself these questions: 1) Would I say the same thing about a person of another sex, race, age, socioeconomic background, or creed? 2) Would I want to have this said about me? If your answer to either is "no," write it another way. (See also: "nonsexist language.")
• Bible: Capitalize but do not italicize when referring to the various versions of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures or any books contained therein.
• Big Partner program (not Big Brother-Big Sister)
• biblical
• biochemistry and molecular biology (major), Biochemistry program
• biology department, Department of Biology
• bi-racial: Use multi-racial or specify racial combination instead.
• Björling Recital Hall (use the umlaut whenever typographically possible), Jussi Björling Recital Hall (first ref.), concert or recital hall: formerly referred to as Björling Concert Hall but arguably not large enough to be a true concert hall
• Black (capped as noun or adjective referring to race; exception to AP)
• Black Box
• Black student organization: now officially the Pan Afrikan Student Organization (PASO)
• board of directors: Cap only when preceded by official title of organization (e.g., Gustavus Alumni Association Board of Directors)
• board of trustees, Gustavus Adolphus College Board of Trustees, board member or trustee
• Board Room (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• the Book Mark, book store
• Borgeson Cabin
• Brick House (razed after the 1998 tornado)
• Brown Outdoor Tennis Complex
• "Building Bridges": annual student-led diversity conference first organized in 1996
• building names: Capitalize full or shortened title—Folke Bernadotte Memorial Library, Bernadotte Library—but not informal references such as "the library" or "the athletics center." Don't abbreviate any words in a building name. (See also: "rooms.")
• business office: former name of finance office, Office of the Vice President for Finance

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C
 

• cabinet, President's Cabinet
• Calendar of Events: Cap only when referring to the official weekly calendar in The Yellow Sheet.
• Calif.: abbreviation for California
• campaigns: Official names of fund-raising campaigns are capped (e.g., Three Crowns Campaign, Building a Greater Gustavus).
• Campus Activities Board (CAB)
• the campus center, C. Charles Jackson Campus Center (first ref.), Jackson Campus Center
• campus security, Department of Safety and Security
• campuswide
• the Canteen (former snack bar and coffee shop)
• Career Center (one case in which the word "Office" is not included in the official title)
• career resource library (in Career Center)
• Carlson Administration Building, Edgar M. Carlson Administration Building (first ref.), administration building
• Carlson International Center, Curtis and Arleen Carlson International Center (first ref.), international center
• Carlson Pavilion, Curtis and Arleen Carlson Pavilion of Nobel Hall of Science (first ref.)
• catalog: Academic Bulletin of Gustavus Adolphus College [year] is the official title of the publication.  Do not cap or italicize "catalog" (as in Gustavus Adolphus College catalog) or use "catalog" or "college catalog" as an official reference.
• CD-ROM (all caps)
• CEEB, College Entrance Examination Board
• central heating plant
• century: ninth century, 19th century—spell out "first" through "ninth"; otherwise, use ordinals. (Exception: Faculty frequently prefer centuries spelled out in catalog course descriptions.) Hyphenate adjective forms (18th-century art).
• Certified Nurse Practitioner
• chair: The gender-neutral "chair" and "chairperson" are prefered over "chairman."
• chapel (referring to the building), Christ Chapel
• Chapel services: Daily Celebration (weekdays), Holy Communion (Sundays), Chapel (informal usage, as in "On weekdays, Chapel is at 10 a.m.")
• chaplain: Capitalize only when used as title immediately preceding name (Chaplain Brian Johnson; Rachel Larson, chaplain)
• chaplains' office, Office of the Chaplains
• chemistry department, Department of Chemistry
• Chicano (referring to Mexicano or Mexican American)
• the Choir of Christ Chapel, chapel choir
• choral groups at Gustavus: the Birgitta Singers, the Chamber Singers, the Choir of Christ Chapel, Christ Singers, the Gustavus Choir, the Lucia Singers, St. Ansgar's Chorus
• Christ Chapel, chapel
• Christmas in Christ Chapel
• church/Church: Capitalize when part of an individual church name or when referring specifically to the ELCA, as in "Gustavus is a college of the Church"; lowercase general usages, such as "the Lutheran church."
• church relations, Office of Church Relations
• ChYLI: Chicano/Latino Youth Leadership Institute (first ref.; part of Department of Education)
• Class of . . . [insert year]; for alumni identification in the Quarterly, use last two digits of year following name: Dean Wahlund '72. (References to alumni graduating 100 or more years before the current first-year class would graduate should include entire year to avoid confusion: Henry Benson 1893.)
• classical studies, Department of Classics, classics department
• coed (referring to coeducation or coeducational, but not as a term for women students)
• College Archives (official title: Gustavus Adolphus College Archives; see "archives")
• College Board examination(s), College Boards
• College Calendar: both the official online calendar of the College and the academic year calendar printed in the Academic Bulletin (other uses should not be capitalized)
• college dining room (CDR, informally), Evelyn Young Dining Room (first ref.); distinguished from the Market Place, which is the servery
• college relations: now marketing and communication; Office of the Vice President for Marketing and Communication
• College Scholarship Service (CSS)
• College View Apartments
• Collegiate Fellows, CFs, resident assistants
• Colo.: abbreviation for Colorado
• commencement, [year] Commencement Exercises (capitalized when referring to the specific event at Gustavus), commencement speaker
• committee names: Capitalize if official.
• common application form (lowercase in text)
• communication studies, Department of Communication Studies
• Community Service Center: formerly, the Office of Community Service Programs
• comprise: an active, transitive verb meaning "include" or "contain." The whole comprises its parts (not the other way around, and not "is comprised of"); "The course work comprises three tests, two papers, and the final."
• computer programming languages: BASIC; FORTRAN; LOGO; Pascal, C++, etc.
• computer science department, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science
• computing center: Gustavus Technology Services (GTS), still informally known as IT
• Confer Hall, Ogden P. Confer Hall (first ref.)
• Conn.: abbreviation for Connecticut
• continuing education, Office of Academic Outreach
• controller (not comptroller)
• copy center, print room, Office of Printing Services
• Corporate and Foundation Relations, Office of (first ref.), corporate relations, part of the institutional advancement area
• CoSIDA, College Sports Information Directors of America
• Counseling Center
• course load, course work
• course names and numbers: Refer to catalog for official course names and numbers. Use Arabic numerals, and capitalize and spell out the subject in text copy when used with a numeral: Biology 101, "Principles of Biology" (not BIO 101).
• Courtyard Café (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• CPA, Certified Public Accountant
• criminal justice (major), Criminal Justice program (interdepartmental program)
• cross country (no hyphen in noun or adjective form)
• Crossroads: program name for international theme housing; now part of the Carlson International Center
• Culpeper language center, Charles E. Culpeper Foundation Multimedia Language Learning Center (first ref.), Culpeper Language Learning Center; part of Gustavus Technology Services
• Curriculum I (distributive core), Curriculum II (integrated core): general education alternatives
• custodial services (not housekeeping)

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D
 

• Daily Celebration: weekday Chapel service
• dance department, Department of Theatre and Dance
• Datatel: administrative database
• dates: Use commas to set year apart when including day (June 6, 1944, was D-Day) but not with month and year only (D-Day plans came to fruition in June 1944). Do not abbreviate names of days or months in text (exception to AP standard; months of six letters or more may be abbreviated in datelines and listings). Do not use a hyphen or dash with "from" or "between" (wrong: from May 7–14, between May 27–June 4; right: from May 7 to May 14, between May 27 and June 14, or May 7–14).
• dean of the faculty's office, now officially the Office of the Provost or Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs
• dean of students' office, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
• dean of students, vice president for student affairs (following name); capitalize if used as a title immediately preceding name:  Dean of Students Hank Toutain, Dean Toutain
• Dean's List
• decades: 1930s, '30s (no apostrophe before the "s")
• degrees (academic): Consult AP Stylebook and dictionary.
• Del.: abbreviation for Delaware
• Departmental Honors program; honors program(s)
• department names: The term "department" is generally used for academic areas—and usually precedes the area name—while "office" applies to administrative areas (with some exceptions). Only the official name is capitalized (i.e., Department of Art and Art History vs. art department). Formal and informal names may be used interchangeably, though audience sensitivity should be exercised. Department of . . .
  Art and Art History
  Biology
  Chemistry
  Classics
  Communication Studies
  Economics and Management
  Elementary and Secondary Education
  English
  Geography
  Geology
  Health and Exercise Science
  History
  Mathematics and Computer Science
  Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
  Music
  Nursing
  Philosophy
  Physics
  Political Science
  Psychology
  Religion
  Scandinavian Studies
  Sociology and Anthropology
  Theatre and Dance
• development office: now divided into three separate offices, which are all part of the insitutitional advancement division (See also: gift planning, the Gustavus Fund, and corporate relations.)
• Dining Service, Department of Dining Service (exception to "office" rule)
• Dining Service Building: replaced in 1999 by the Jackson Campus Center
• Directors' Cup, United States Sports Academy Director's Cup (first ref.): national all-sports award administered by National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics
• disabled: "Persons with disabilities" is preferred.
• disk (computer; not disc, as in compact disc, although—confusing the issue—a CD-ROM is a compact disc): at any rate, "diskette" is preferred when referring to the standard 3½-inch, plastic-encased unit.
• Distinguished Alumni Citation
• the Dive
• Diversity Center, housing the Office of diversity Development and Multicultural Programs
• Division III (NCAA classification of Gustavus athletics teams)
• doctorate, doctoral degree, Ph.D., Ed.D., D.M.A., etc. (use of periods optional—just be consistent)
• dollars (print standards): $6 million drive (note no hyphen in adjective form when a numeralis included), $40 (not $40.00 or $40 dollars); generally, use Arabic numerals rather than spelling out dollar amounts.
• donor directory, [year] Directory of Donors (Periodically, a contracted publisher also produces an Alumni Directory.)
• dormitory: Avoid—Gustavus students live in residence halls, apartments, and houses.
• dot-coms: when referring generically to businesses that operate on the Web

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E
 

• Early Decision Plan
• Easter Recess
• Eckman Mall (north of Christ Chapel, between Johnson Student Union/Campus Center and Carlson Administration Building)
• economics department, Department of Economics and Management (formerly Department of Economics and Business)
• education department, Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
• e-mail (noun or adjective, also verb), electronic mail: Lowercase addresses (e.g., dwahlund@gustavus.edu).
• emigrant/immigrant: The former is one who leaves a country, the latter one who enters a country; it's really a matter of perspective.
• emulate/adopt: You emulate a person, but you adopt a person's style, habit, attitude, etc.
• endowed chairs, endowed professorships (always capitalized; first refs. below):
    *The Rev. Drell and Adeline Bernhardson Chair in Lutheran Studies
    *Elizabeth and Ogden P. Confer Professorship in Education
    *Arthur Glass, Charles Hamrum, and Arne Langsjoen Professorship in Biochemistry
    *C. Charles Jackson Chair in Finance and Accounting
    *Ethel and Edgar F. Johnson Professorship in the Fine Arts
    *Kogure (Motoichiro) Chair in Japanese Studies
    *Victor E. Lawson Chair in Swedish Immigrant Studies
    *Dr. Richard W. Lindholm Chair in Public Finance
    *Kyle Montague Scholar in Law, Business and Public Policy
    *Grace and Bertil Pehrson Chair in Education
    *Dorothy Peterson, Mildred Peterson Hanson and Arthur Jennings Hanson Professorship in Liberal Studies
    *O. Fred Peterson Chair in Free Enterprise
    *Harvey and Ida Ruehling Chair in Germanic Studies
    *Drs. Robert E. and Susan T. Rydell Professorship at Gustavus Adolphus College
    *Clifford M. Swanson Chair in Mathematics
    *Florence and Raymond Sponberg Professorship in Ethics
    *Francis Morey Uhler Professorship in Biology
• English department, Department of English
• enrollment management, vice president for (formerly vice president for admission and student financial assistance)
• ensure/insure: Use "insure" when referring to financial or contractual issues; use "ensure" in the more general sense of making certain, guaranteeing, or securing.
• environmental studies (major), Environmental Studies program (interdepartmental program)
• Environmental Studies Center (wing of Lind Interpretive Center)
• Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (first ref.), ELCA (permissible in subsequent references)
• Ex Libris: newsletter of Gustavus Library Associates
• extension, campus telephone: Spell out or, if space is limited, use "ext." but not "x." ("x" is permissible in tabular lists and the Yellow Sheet and other internal communications.)

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F
 

• faculty: collective singular word referring to all the teachers of a school or one of its departments or divisions; use faculty member in reference to an individual professor.
• Faculty Forum
• faculty lounge, Faculty and Staff Center (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• faculty manual: Italicize and capitalize when indicating a particular edition (e.g., [year] Faculty Manual).
• Faculty Senate
• faculty-student ratio: Use "student-faculty ratio," since the larger number is usually listed first (e.g., 12:1).
• fall break: officially, Reading Break
• Family Weekend (formerly "Parents Weekend")
• fax, facsimile (not FAX)
• Federal Direct Student Loan Program, William D. Ford Direct Student Loan Program: At Gustavus, this program is usually called the Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loan Program. Take care when referring to it—there’s also a Federal Stafford Student Loan Program (which the College dropped when the Federal Direct Student Loan Program was instituted in 1994), and loans known as Stafford Loans are available through either program.
• Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS; available through the Federal Direct Student Loan Program)
• Federal Direct Stafford Loan (available through the Federal Direct Student Loan Program—cf. the next few entries)
• Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP):  Formerly known as the Stafford Student Loan Program or Federal Stafford Student Loan Program (and before that as the Guaranteed Student Loan Program), this program is no longer used by the College.
• Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS; note difference from Federal Direct PLUS Loan—this one is part of the FFELP, which the College no longer utilizes.)
• Federal Perkins Loan Program (formerly the National Direct/Defense Student Loan)
• Federal Stafford Loan: Note difference from Federal Direct Stafford Loan—this one is part of the FFELP.
• Festival of St. Lucia: traditionally celebrated at Gustavus on the Thursday closest to December 13
• fieldwork (but, "course work")
• 50 Year Club (no hyphen)
• finance office (formerly business office), Office of the Vice President for Finance
• financial aid office: formerly Office of Student Financial Assistance, now Office of Financial Aid (again)
• fine arts, Office of Fine Arts Programs
• Firethorne
• First Decade Award (alumni award; no hyphen)
• first-semester courses, fall-semester courses
• First Term Seminar (no hyphen)
• first-year students (hyphenate; avoid "freshmen")
• Fla.: abbreviation for Florida
• floors (in buildings): use first floor, second floor, not Floor 2, etc.
• Food Service:  former name of the Department of Dining Services
• football field, Lloyd Hollingsworth Football Field (first ref.); but, not Hollingsworth Stadium
• "49er" Conference room (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• forum, Lund Center Forum
• Founders Day (October 31; note no apostrophe)
• 4-1-4 calendar
• fractions: Use figures when larger than one, employing "case" or split fractions when possible (½, ¼, and ¾ are commonly available); spell out when less than one (1½, 1-3/16, but two-thirds).
• fraternities and sororities: With the exception of the various departmental and general academic honor societies, all are local; capitalize the Greek letters in the individual names but not the word "greeks" when referring to these social organizations.
• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
• freelance
• French (major); Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; French department (informally)
• freshmen: Use "first-year students" instead.
• Friends of Linnaeus Arboretum
• FTE (full-time equivalent, referring to enrollment totals)
• fundraiser, fundraising (noun and adjective usages)

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G
 

• G-Club
• Ga.: abbreviation for Georgia
• GAC: Avoid; use "Gustavus" instead.
• Gamelin China Studies Lectureship/Lecturer, Francis C. and Ruth Vikner Gamelin Endowment Fund for China Studies (first ref.)
• gender, women, and sexuality studies (major and minor; formerly women's studies); Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program (interdepartmental program)
• geography department, Department of Geography
• geology department, Department of Geology
• German (major); Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; German department (informally)
• Gibbs Hall, Karen Gibbs Residence Hall (first ref.); formerly the Link
• Gibbs Lounge, Karen Gibbs Lounge (first ref.)
• Gibbs Tennis Center, Karen Gibbs Tennis Center (first ref.), north tennis courts
• gift planning, Office of Gift Planning (first ref.), part of the institutional advancement division
• G.I.V.E., Gusties In Volunteer Endeavors: volunteer service program organized by alumni office and Community Service Center
• grade point average, GPA (not G.P.A. or QPA)
• "Grant Information": newsletter of Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations
• Greater Gustavus Award
• Greek (minor), Department of Classics
• greeks: members of fraternities and sororities or the groups themselves.  Note that the word is not capped when used in this context.
• Gribly, campus directory (now online)
• Guaranteed Cost Plan
• Guaranteed Student Loan Program (renamed Stafford Student Loan Program and now Federal Family Education Loan Program)
• Guild of St. Ansgar
• Guild of St. Lucia
• Gustav II Adolf: Swedish king (1594–1632) for whom the College is named (He was known as Gustavus Adolphus on his day; note modern spelling and placement of Roman numerals between names; cf. Carl XVI Gustaf, the current monarch.)
• the Gustavian, the College annual
• the Gustavian Weekly, the Weekly (informally)
• Gustavus, Gustavus Adolphus College (first ref.)
• Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations, Association of Congregations (GACAC; but avoid making an acronym of it when speaking)
• Gustavus Adolphus Day (November 6)
• Gustavus Ambassadors (student group); formerly Gustavus Pride
• the Gustavus Band; now officially known as the Gustavus Wind Orchestra
• the Gustavus Choir, the concert choir
• Gustavus Christian Community
• the Gustavus Fund: now a separate office in the institutional advancment area responsible for unrestricted annual giving, including alumni giving
• Gustavus Guide, student handbook
• Gustavus Health Promotion (GHP)
• the Gustavus Jazz Lab Band, jazz band
• Gustavus Library Associates (GLA):  collective singular construction
• Gustavus Outdoor Enthusiasts (GOE)
• the Gustavus Philharmonic Orchestra
• the Gustavus Quarterly, the Quarterly
• the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, touring group
• Gustavus Technology Services (GTS), comprising former IT, Administrative Information Systems, Media Services, Office of Telecommunications, and Web support
• Gustavus Ticket Center, ticket center
• Gustavus Wellness Group (GWG)
• the Gustavus Wind Orchestra, the concert band; formerly the Gustavus Band
• Gustavus Youth Outreach (GYO)
• Gustie, Gusties (informal)
• Gustie Den: the Student Organizations Suite in the Jackson Campus Center
• Gustie Greeters
• "Gustie Rouser" (fight song); the Golden Gustie Rouser (athletics department newsletter)
• Gymanfa Ganu: Welsh hymn-sing; a mini-Gymanfa Ganu is held at Gustavus in conjunction with its St. David's Day observance (on or about March 1). Avoid referring to more than one at a time, since Welsh plurals are not formed conventionally.
• gymnastics (Note "s"; however, construction is singular: "Gymnastics is a winter sport.")
• gymnastics studio, Sponberg Gymnastics Studio

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H
 

• Hall of Fame, Gustavus Adolphus College Athletics Hall of Fame (first ref.)
• Hall of Fame room, Jim "Moose" Malmquist Hall of Fame "Vinnarnas Loft" (first ref.)
• George Hall Lecture (in religion); George Hall Prize
• handbook, student handbook, Gustavus Guide
• handicapped: "Persons with disabilities" and "physically challenged" are preferred.
• Hasselquist Reading Room, Maynard Hasselquist International Studies Room (first ref.), library reading room
• Hawaii: Do not abbreviate; the 'okinas marking glottal stops (as in native spellings: Hawai'i and Kaua'i) may be omitted.
• head resident
• health and physical education, Department of Health and Exercise Science
• hearing-impaired (an adjective, not a noun)
• the Health Service
• Helpline: IT help desk
• Heterodoxy
• high school (no hyphen in adjective usage)
• Hillstrom Museum of Art, Richard L. Hillstrom Museum of Art (first ref.)
• Hispanic (a term popularized by the Nixon administration, originally referring to people from Spanish-speaking countries living in the United States; see separate entries for "Chicano" and "Latino.")
• historical: takes the article "a," not "an"
• history department, Department of History
• Hollingsworth Football Field, Hollingsworth Field (only the field, not the stadium)
• Holly House (college-owned house razed after the 1998 tornado, formerly called the Wolf House; see "Svenska Huset" entry)
• Holy Communion: Sunday Chapel service
• homepage
• honorary degree, honorary doctorate
• honor code: academic honesty policy (est. 2003)
• honors, graduation honors: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude (italicized)
• Honors Day
• honors thesis
• housekeeping (custodial preferred)
• Human Performance Laboratory
• human resources, Department of Human Resources (formerly personnel)
• hyphen: Use it to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea out of two or more words. Hyphenate compound adjectives that precede nouns (a first-quarter touchdown, a know-it-all attitude), but don't when those same combinations stand alone or follow the nouns (He scored a touchdown in the first quarter; her attitude suggested that she knew it all). Some well-established compound modifiers have lost the hyphen (a high school play, the civil rights movement). Do not hyphenate after the word "very" or after words ending in "-ly" (adverbs). Also, note "suspensive hyphenation": "He received a 10- to 20-year sentence."

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I
 

• "I Am . . . We Are" Theatre Company
• ID, IDs, Gustavus ID (referring to card)
• Idaho: Do not abbreviate.
• Ill.: abbreviation for Illinois
• Inc.: Abbreviate and cap when used as part of a corporate name. It is usually not needed in text but, if it is used, do not set it off with commas; follow usage of corporation when listing.
• Ind.: abbreviation for Indiana
• independent study, independent study project(s)
• Indigenous Students Association (ISA)
• individualized distributive major
• Information Center, operated by the Student Activities Office (also functions as ticket center)
• institutional advancement, Office of the Vice President for Instututional Advancement (including gift planning, Gustavus Fund, alumni relations, and corporate and foundation relations)
• institutional research
• insure (See "ensure/insure.")
• intercollegiate athletics, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics
• interdisciplinary studies
• Inter-Greek Senate
• interim, Interim Experience (IEX), January Interim Experience (formerly January Term)
• international center, Curtis and Arleen Carlson International Center (first ref.), Carlson International Center
• International Cultures Club (ICC): formerly International Student Organization
• international students: preferred over "foreign" or "non-native"
• international study office, Office of International and Cultural Education (housed in the Carlson International Center)
• the Internet, the Net
• Internet addressing protocol: e.g.,gustavus.edu (If a conventional "www" address, both the "http://" and the "www" may be dropped when referring to a College URL. Follow site conventions for others.) Avoid using gac.edu. Boldfacing or enclosing with angle brackets in text can avoid confusion with other punctuation.
• interpretive center, Melva Lind Interpretive Center (first ref.), Linnaeus Arboretum interpretive center, arboretum interpretive center
• Iowa: Do not abbreviate.
• IT: informal acronym for former Department of Information Technology, now reorganized as Gustavus Technology Services (GTS)
• italics for foreign terms: Italicize words that haven't been incorporated into everyday use. Second and later appearances in an article need not be italicized. (Words into Type has a good list of foreign words.)

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J
 

• Jackson Campus Center, C. Charles Jackson Campus Center (first ref.), campus center
• Jackson Campus Center banquet rooms: Three Crowns Room, Heritage Room, St. Peter Room
• January Term, now Interim Experience (IEX), January Interim Experience, or interim (avoid "J-Term" or "J Term" except in informal usage)
• Japanese studies (major); Japanese Studies program; Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• Johns Family Courtyard (note no apostrophe—the benefactor family's surname is Johns)
• Johnson Endowment (or Fund) for the Arts, Ethel and Edgar F. Johnson Endowment for the Arts (first ref.; see also: "endowed chairs")
• Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation, Glen and LaVonne Johnson Center for Environmental Innovation (first ref.)
• Johnson Hall (razed after 1998 tornado; named for Governor John A. Johnson, who led the fund-raising campaign for it)
• Johnson Student Union, O.J. Johnson Student Union (first ref.), student union
• Jr.: A comma is not necessary (Henry Benson Jr.).
• judicial boards: Peer Board, College Judicial Board, College Appeals Board. Avoid using "j-board."
• junior (referring to a third-year student)
• junior varsity

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K
 

• Kan.: abbreviation for Kansas
• Kendall Center, John S. Kendall Center for Engaged Learning (first ref.), faculty development center
• Kendall Lecture, Annual Kendall Lecture in Psychology (first ref.)
• Key Education Resources (formerly Knight College Resources)
• KGAC/KNGA:  MPR station formerly affiliated with Gustavus (no longer maintains a studio on campus)
• Kresge Room, dance studio
• Ky.: abbreviation for Kentucky

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L
 

• La.: abbreviation for Louisiana
• LAN: local area network (computer network; see also:  WAN)
• language laboratory (See "Culpeper language center.")
• Latin (major), Department of Classics
• Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean studies (minor), Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean Studies (LALACS) program (interdepartmental program)
• Latina/Latino (referring to Spanish-speaking heritages, cultures, or peoples, generally other than Spanish and Mexican)
• Leadership Center (housing the Office of Student Activities)
• Leadholm Conference Room (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• Lefler Lecture/Lecturer, Herbert and Mary Jane Lefler Lectur/Lecturer (first. ref.)
• legacy (used informally in reference to a student whose parents also attended Gustavus)
• "Legacy": development office newsletter or section in the Quarterly (don't emphasize the "GAC" by capitalizing those letters, as in "LeGACy")
• Melva Lind Interpretive Center (not Interpretative)
• Lindau Symposium
• Link Hall, the Link; now renamed Gibbs Hall
• Linnaeus Arboretum, the arboretum
• Linnaeus Arboretum interpretive center, Melva Lind Interpretive Center (first ref.), arboretum interpretive center
• Linner Lounge (pronounced "lin-NEAR")
• local area network: LAN (computer network)
• Lund Arena (See also: "Roberts Rink.")
• Lund Center, Lund Center for Physical Education and Health (first ref.), athletics center
• Lund Music Library, music library
• Lundgren House

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M

• magazine and newspaper titles: Italicize the title as it appears on the publication (ignoring any "the" but identifying the city if not part of the newspaper title: Mankato Free Press, the New York Times, the Gustavian Weekly, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Time magazine).
• MAGIC (Meaningful Activities with Gusties In the Community)
• Maine: Do not abbreviate.
• majors: Use lowercase for subjects except in cases with a proper noun, such as English, French, and Scandinavian studies:
  accounting
  accounting, public
  art education
  art history
  art studio
  athletic training
  biochemistry and molecular biology
  biology
  biology honors
  biology/life science teaching
  chemistry
  chemistry ACS
  chemistry teaching
  classics
  classics honors
  communication arts/literature teaching
  communication studies
  communication studies honors
  computer science
  computer science honors
  dance
  earth science/space teaching
  economics
  elementary education
  English
  gender, women, and sexuality studies
  environmental studies
  French
  French teaching
  geography
  geography honors
  geology
  German
  German teaching
  health education
  Health education teaching
  health fitness
  history
  history honors
  individualized distributive
  international management
  Japanese studies
  Latin
  Latin honors
  management
  mathematics
  mathematics honors
  mathematics teaching
  music
  music education
  music honors
  music education honors
  nursing
  philosophy
  philosophy honors
  physical education
  physical education teaching
  physics
  physics honors
  physics teaching
  political science
  political science honors
  psychology
  psychology honors
  religion
  Russian studies
  Scandinavian studies
  social studies teaching
  sociology and anthropology
  sociology and anthropology honors
  Spanish
  Spanish teaching
  theatre
• marketing and communication; the Office of Marketing and Communication (formerly College Relations, Marketing and Public Relations, and Public Affairs)
• Market Place, Gustavus Adolphus Market Place (first ref.), Dining Service servery
• Mass.: abbreviation for Massachusetts
• master of arts degree
• master’s degree, M.A., M.S., M.B.A., M.F.A., etc. (use of periods optional—just be consistent)
• mathematics department, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, math department (informal)
• Mattson Hall, P.A. Mattson Hall (first ref.)
• MAYDAY! Conference (all caps for poster and display use, but lowercase in text)
• Md.: abbreviation for Maryland
• media relations: responsibility of the Office of Marketing and Communication
• media services: audio-visual and instructional resource services, part of the Instructional and Media Services unit of GTS (not media relations, which are handled by the Office of Marketing and Communication)
• Merit Scholar, National Merit Scholarship Program finalist
• MIAC, Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (athletics conference to which Gustavus belongs): "MIAC Conference" is redundant.
• Mich.: abbreviation for Michigan
• mid: Combine with common words, hyphenate with capped words ("midsummer," but "mid-July").
• midnight (not 12 a.m. or 12 midnight)
• Miller Analogies Test
• Minn.: abbreviation for Minnesota
• Minnesota Student Educational Loan Fund Program (SELF)
• MINITEX
• minority: Use specific reference when possible and appropriate (Asian American, Mexican American) or, alternately, "person of color."
• minors only: Use same rules as for majors:
  coaching
  Greek
  Latin American, Latino, and Caribbean studies
  neuroscience
  peace studies
  Russian (but, Russian studies is a major)
• Mission Statement (capitalized when referring to the official document of the College)
• Miss.: abbreviation for Mississippi
• MnPALS (Public Access Library System)
• Mo.: abbreviation for Missouri
• Model United Nations (MUN)
• Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures, Department of; formerly Department of Modern Foreign Languages and Literatures
• Moe Lecture (in gender, women, and sexuality studies), Robert and Karin Moe Visiting Lectureship (first ref.)
• Mont.: abbreviation for Montana
• more than/over: Use "over" for spatial relationships.
• morning praise: also known as matins, a service of morning song and prayer, generally observed in Christ Chapel on Wednesdays during the school term, except during Lent
• multicultural programs, Office of Diversity Development and Multicultural Programs
• music department, Department of Music
• Myrum Baseball Field, Myrum Field, baseball field

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N
 

• natatorium, swimming pool
• National Merit Scholarship Program, Merit Scholarships
• National Collegiate Gymnastics Association (NCGA): national governing body to which the Gustavus gymnastics team belongs. Gymnastics is the only varsity sport at the College not currently affiliated with the NCAA.
• Native American (referring to an American Indian; when referring generally to any native-born American, lowercase "native")
• N.C.: abbreviation for North Carolina
• NCAA: Divisions are denoted by Roman numerals—I-A, I-AA, II, and III (Gustavus teams are in Division III).
• NCUR, National Conference on Undergraduate Research (first ref.)
• N.D.: abbreviation for North Dakota
• Neb.: abbreviation for Nebraska
• the Net (short for the Internet; note that both terms are capitalized)
• Nev.: abbreviation for Nevada
• news services, now media relations, part of the Office of Marketing and Communication (not media services, which are provided by GTS)
• NeXT: computer system
• N.H.: abbreviation for New Hampshire
• N.J.: abbreviation for New Jersey
• N.M.: abbreviation for New Mexico
• Nobel Conference^® . . . [use Roman or Arabic numerals following or Arabic numerals before to indicate which one], Nobel Conference series: Registration mark should be included in display usages, as the name has been licensed since 1984 and is used with permission of the Nobel Foundation.
• Nobel Hall of Science, Alfred Nobel Memorial Hall of Science (first ref.), Nobel Hall, science hall
• nonsexist language: Masculine nouns and pronouns are no longer considered generic; he, his, chairman, forefathers, sportsmen, mankind, etc. should not be assumed to include women. Even assuming inclusion, the masculine construction may prove awkward: "Man, like other mammals, breast feeds his young." There is almost always a better word. Alternately, the sentence may usually be rewritten, either 1) to eliminate the pronoun (e.g., instead of "Each doctor treats his patients with care," consider "Each doctor treats patients with care") or 2) in the plural (if this does not alter the specific meaning of the sentence; e.g., try "Doctors treat their patients with care"). Use "his or her" and "he or she" when appropriate, but avoid overusing them. Use generic nouns: photographer, not cameraman; supervisor, not foreman; representatives, not congressmen; nurse, not male nurse. (These suggestions barely scratch the surface. There are several recent publications on nonsexist writing, the most comprehensive of which may be The Handbook of Nonsexist Writing, by Casey Miller and Kate Swift.)
• nontraditional students, Non-Traditional Students (their special-interest organization)
• noon (not 12 p.m. or 12 noon)
• nordic skiing (Note lowercase "n.")
• Eric Norelius: Swedish immigrant pastor credited with founding the school that would become Gustavus Adolphus College in Red Wing, Minn., in 1862. (Note that we have adopted the more conventional spelling of his Christian name, which was generally spelled "Erik" in early documents.)
• Norelius Hall (Named residence halls may carry only the surname, even in first ref.; see also: "Gibbs," "Pittman," "Rundstrom," "Sohre," "Sorensen," "Uhler," and "Wahlstrom" hall entries.)
• North Hall
• not only/but also: If you use the former, also use both words of the latter; a comma between phrases is not necessary.
• numbers: Use a comma in numbers of four or more digits except in dates, addresses, and page numbers. In casual expressions and when rounding large numbers, spell out (thanks a million, nearly one thousand people). Use cardinal numbers in dates (August 7, not August 7th). (See also: "fractions.")
• nursing consortium, Minnesota Intercollegiate Nursing consortium
• N.Y.: abbreviation for New York
• NYSP: National Youth Sports Program (summer outreach program)

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O
 

• observatory, Olin Hall Observatory
• occupational descriptions: informal, never capped--astronaut John Glenn, basketball coach Mark Hanson. (However, cf. "Coach" as a formal and familiar title denoting scope of authority, which is capped in referring to a head coach: Coach Hanson. The word "Chief" is used similarly.)
• OCLC (Online Computerized Library Cooperation, formerly Ohio Computerized...)
• offices: Like departments, they are capped only if formal names are given (e.g., Office of Admission, but admission office). The words "Office of ..." precede most formal names, but there are some exceptions among Gustavus administrative areas.
• Ohio: do not abbreviate
• Okla.: abbreviation for Oklahoma
• Old Main
• Olin Hall, F.W. Olin Hall for Physics, Mathematics, and Computer Science (first ref.), mathematics and computer science building, physics building
• ombudsperson
• online (adjective or adverb, no hyphen): online catalog, apply online
• opening convocation
• orchestras at Gustavus: the Gustavus Symphony Orchestra, the Gustavus Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gustavus Wind Orchestra (formerly the Gustavus Band), the Vasa Wind Orchestra (formerly the Adolphus Band)
• Ore.: abbreviation for Oregon
• Orgullo Latino Association (OLAS): Latino pride organization
• orient (verb): not "orientate"
• Orient (noun, referring to the Far East)
• Oriental: Asian is preferred when referring to nations or nationalities; Oriental remains appropriate in reference to rugs.
• orientation, Orientation (capped when referring to the program of activities for incoming Gustavus students preceding the start of fall semester)
• OTC: Olin Technology Center (first ref.); OTC Classroom
• "Our Story" Conference: annual PASO event

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P
 

• Pa.: abbreviation for Pennsylvania
• Pan Afrikan Student Organization: an organization representing the entire African diaspora; formerly the Black Student Organization
• Parents Committee (currently inactive)
• Parents Weekend: Note no apostrophe; however, it's now officially Family Weekend
• peace studies (minor), Peace Studies program (interdepartmental program)
• Peer Assistance Center, housing the Office of Alcohol and Drug Education
• Peer Assistants (PAs)
• Pell Grant, Federal Pell Grant Program, Pell award
• Peterson House
• Phi Beta Kappa Room, Almén-Vickner Phi Beta Kappa Room (first ref.)
• Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholar
• Ph.D., Ph.D.s, PhD, PhDs
• philosophy department, Department of Philosophy
• physical plant, Physical Plant Department (exception to the "office" rule)
• physics department, Department of Physics
• Pittman Hall (formerly Valley View Hall)
• PLUS Program, Federal Direct Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students Program
• p.m. (See: "a.m.")
• political science, Department of Political Science
• pool, Lund aquatic center
• possessives: For singular proper names not ending in "s," form the possessive by adding 's; for names ending in "s" and for plural names, use only an apostrophe: Aarsvold's computer, but Jones' typewriter; the Joneses' house. A note about possessives: "Proper" style reserves possessives for ownership by a person. Even though this rule is widely ignored (by us as well—we frequently refer to Gustavus' traditions, for example), itâs still not considered proper by many grammarians to use possessives such as "Gustavus' president" or "Minnesota's governor" (they prefer alternate constructions, like "the president of Gustavus," or "the Minnesota governor"). For more information about this rule, see the section on possessives in Modern American Usage, by Wilson Follett.
• post office, campus post office, Office of Postal Services
• postseason
• postsecondary
• postgame
• Prairie View Hall
• pre-professional and specialized programs:
  actuarial science
  architecture
  arts administration
  church vocations
  dentistry
  engineering
  law
  materials science
  medicine
  ministry
  occupational therapy
  optometry
  pharmacy
  physical therapy
  teaching elementary
  teaching secondary
  teaching college
  veterinary medicine
• pre-law
• pre-med, premedical (It's not consistent, but apparently "premedical" is used commonly enough to be accepted by Webster's)
• premier/premiere: "Premier" is an adjective (meaning chief or foremost or, alternately, first) with a specific noun use as the title of a government leader. "Premiere" is a verb, noun, or adjective referring to a first performance.
• preseason
• pre-seminary: Avoid "pre-sem."
• Presidents Dining Room (note no possessive)
• President's House
• Printing Services, Office of Printing Services
• professorships, named: Capitalize complete titles, even when printed alone or after the professor's name: "William Freiert, the Dorothy Peterson, Mildred Peterson Hanson and Arthur Jennings Hanson Professor in Liberal Studies." (Some are so long that they’re awkward regardless of construction.) The conferred title "Distinguished Professor of . . ." is considered to be a named professorship and therefore is also capitalized in all uses. (Refer to full list under "endowed chairs.")
• provost's office, Office of the Provost, Office of the Vice President for Academic Affairs.
• psychology (major offered, but not minor)
• psychology department, Department of Psychology
• public affairs office, now known as "special events" and part of the Office of Marketing and Communication
• publications office, now part of the Office of Marketing and Communication

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Q
 

• quotation marks: Use double marks to 1) enclose the exact words of a speaker; 2) set off a character or word when it represents itself rather than its usual meaning (e.g., The word "it's" is frequently misused; Hester Prynne wore the letter "A" on her dress); or 3) indicate titles of short stories, essays, and other short works. Single marks are used for quotes within quotes (e.g., "Hester Prynne wore the letter 'A' on her dress").
• Quran or Qur'an (preferred over Koran)

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R
 

• Reading Break: informally, fall break
• registrar's office, Office of the Registrar
• religion department, Department of Religion
• religious titles: the Reverend Brian T. Johnson, or the Rev. Craig Johnson. (Note use of the word "the"; note also that some denominations use or prefer other titles instead: "Sister," "Father," "Elder," "Pastor," etc.—refer to the AP Stylebook.)
• Renaissance: capped as a specific period in European history; otherwise, lowercased
• residence halls (preferred over "dormitories")
• residential life, Office of Residential Life (not housing office)
• résumé (Note accent marks.)
• retreat center, Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations Retreat Center (formerly, the Sorensen House)
• R.I.: abbreviation for Rhode Island
• Roberts Rink, Don Roberts Ice Rink (first ref.), Lund Arena
• rooms: Capitalize names when they are official room names (Scandinavian Room, Phi Beta Kappa Room, Alumni Hall, etc.) but not when they are simply locations or informal names (Nobel auditorium, library conference room). When a room number is listed with a building name, capitalize "Room" (e.g., Olin Hall, Room 103).
• Rouser, the Golden Gustie Rouser: athletics department newsletter
• rouser, "Gustie Rouser" (fight song)
• Rundquist Conference Room (in the Jackson Campus Center)
• Rundstrom Hall
• Russian studies (major); Russian (minor); Russian Language and Area Studies program; Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures
• Rydell Professor/Professorship, Drs. Robert E. and Susan T. Rydell Professor/Professorship at Gustavus Adolphus College (first ref.)

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S
 

• SAT score
• S.C.: abbreviation for South Carolina
• Scandinavian studies (major), Department of Scandinavian Studies
• Schaefer Fine Arts Center, Harold and Ruth Schaefer Fine Arts Center (first ref.—note only one "f"), fine arts center; three divisions: -Music Wing, -Art Wing, -Communication Studies/Theatre Wing
• Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT)
• science hall, Alfred Nobel Hall of Science (first ref.), Nobel Hall of Science
• sculptor-in-residence
• S.D.: abbreviation for South Dakota
• secondary education, Secondary Education program: not a major; licensure is recommended by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and the Office of the Registrar to the Minnesota Board of Teaching upon completion of requirements for each teaching major.
• second-semester courses, Spring-semester courses
• security, Safety and Security (not Security Department)
• senior (referring to a fourth-year student)
• senior class gift
• service-learning (hyphenated in all uses)
• sexist language (See: "nonsexist language.")
• shop buildings
• Sjostrom House
• SMILE, Southern Minnesota Inter-Library Exchange
• social science center, A.H. Anderson Social Science Center (first ref.), Anderson Social Science Center
• Social Security
• sociology department, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
• Sohre Hall
• sophomore
• Sorensen Hall
• south mall (south of Christ Chapel, between Anderson Social Science Center and Nobel Hall)
• Southwest Residence Hall
• Spanish (major); Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Spanish department (informally)
• speech department: former name of communication studies department
• sports information, Office of Sports Information
• Spring Break (both officially and informally!)
• Sr.: A comma is not necessary (Henry Benson Sr.).
• Stafford Student Loan Program, Federal Stafford Student Loan Program (formerly the Guaranteed Student Loan Program), renamed the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) in 1992: But, see "Federal Direct Student Loan Program." Gustavus used the Stafford Loan Program prior to 1994 and the Federal Direct Loan Program since.
• state names: spell out or use AP-standard abbreviations in sentences; use two-letter postal abbreviation in listings and addresses only (a ZIP code properly includes a two-letter state code AND five or nine numbers).  Set state off with commas when used with a town or city in text.
• "Statement of Student Responsibilities" (document)
• "Statement of Student Rights" (document)
• street, avenue, road, etc.: Abbreviations are permissible; however, the unabbreviated form is appropriate in formal "display" usage such as invitations.
• Student Activities Office (SAO) (See also: "Leadership Center.")
• student affairs office, Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
• student-athlete (noun and adjective, to be consistent with NCAA style)
• student conduct code: three documents—the "Statement of Student Rights," the "Statement of Student Responsibilities," and "Student Judicial Procedures"—known collectively as Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Judicial Procedures
• student employment (Avoid "work-study.")
• Student Financial Assistance, Office of (now officially the Office of Financial Aid again)
• student handbook, Gustavus Guide
• "Student Judicial Procedures" (document)
• student newspaper, the Gustavian Weekly
• Student Organizations Suite (in the Jackson Campus Center), also known as the Gustie Den
• Student Senate
• student teacher (noun use), student-teaching (adjective)
• student union: used informally to refer to both the O.J. Johnson Student Union and the former Dining Services Building
• summer programs, Office of Summer Programs
• Swedish House, Svenska Huset (razed after the 1998 tornado; known in the '60s as the Holly House, although that name was subsequently applied to another structure, now also razed), now part of the Carlson International Center and officially named the Barbro Osher Svenska Huset
• Swanson Tennis Center, Lloyd O. Swanson Tennis Center (first ref.), indoor tennis facility (informally, the tennis bubble)
• Swedish (language study, not a major), Department of Scandinavian Studies

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T
 

• telecommunications, Office of Telecommunications (part of the Core Services unit of GTS)
• telephone numbers: Don't enclose area code in parentheses; use hyphens (preferred), periods, or “slash and dash”: 507-933-7650, 507.933.7650, or 507/933-7650.
• Tenn.: abbreviation for Tennessee
• tennis center: We have two, although the first is usually the one implied: 1) Swanson Tennis Center (and Brown Outdoor Tennis Complex), Lloyd O. Swanson Tennis Center (first ref.), tennis bubble (informal); 2) Gibbs Tennis Center, Karen Gibbs Tennis Center (first ref.), outdoor courts adjacent to North and Sorensen halls.
• 1009 House, Ten-O-Nine House
• Texas: Do not abbreviate.
• that/which: "That" is a restrictive pronoun; it serves to identify the noun preceding it (e.g., "The lawn mower that is in the garage doesn't work"—identifying one mower among implied others). "Which" is used with nonrestrictive clauses, which add information rather than define or limit what has gone before and are almost always set off with commas (e.g., "The lawn mower, which is in the garage, doesn't work"—where identification of a particular mower is not an issue).
• theatre ("British" spelling used at Gustavus): Use "theater" in generic use, and follow the particular usage of other schools, troupes, or organizations.
• theatre (facility), Evan and Evelyn Anderson Theatre, Anderson Theatre
• theatre department, Department of Theatre and Dance
• Third World (noun and adjective): "Developing nations" is preferred.
• TIAA-CREF retirement plan
• ticket center, Gustavus Ticket Center (See also: "Information Center.")
• times of day: Use p.m. and a.m. (lowercase with periods—small caps are permissible if available); using :00 is not necessary. Use "en" dashes to indicate inclusive times when used without words like "from" or "between." "Noon" and "midnight" are lowercased and stand alone (i.e., not 12 noon): 8–10 a.m., 8:30 a.m.–noon; but, from 8 to 10 a.m., between 8:30 a.m. and noon.
• Title [followed by Roman num.]: sections of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (e.g., Title IX)
• titles (people): Capitalize official titles before names: Dean of Students Hank Toutain ("Dean" is also considered an official title), Associate Professor Jim Welsh. Lowercase (and note subtle differences in) occupational descriptions before names (geology professor Jim Welsh, department chair John Clementson). Use lowercase for titles after names (Hank Toutain, dean of students) in text copy, although titles following names are often capitalized in display use (e.g., in mastheads, programs, etc.).
• titles, royal (Swedish): Proper form of address for the king or queen is His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf and Her Majesty Queen Sylvia. Swedish equivalents are HM (Hans Majestät) and HKH (Hans Kunglig Höghet): HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. (Note placement of Roman numerals between names.) HRH (His or Her Royal Highness) is properly used for addressing royals other than the king or queen (e.g., the prince and princesses).
• Touring and Activity Period, touring week: the weeklong break following January Term
• toward (not towards)
• trustee(s), Gustavus Adolphus College Board of Trustees, board of trustees
• Twinflower: newsletter of Friends of Linnaeus Arboretum

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U
 

• Uhler Hall
• United States (not abbreviated when a noun:
  ". . . came to the United States in 1956"), U.S. (adjective: ". . . exchanged her U.S. currency")
• UNIX
• upperclassmen: Replace with gender-neutral term such as "returning students" when practical. Consider, also, using "sophomores, juniors, and seniors," when this isn't too wordy. Do not use "upper class students," as it can be misconstrued as a reference to social class. (The adjective "upperclass" has been suggested, but be aware that it is not yet officially accepted by the folks at Webster's, although "upperclassmen" is!)
• URL (Uniform Resource Locator): e.g., gustavus.edu (If a conventional "www" address, the "http://" and the "www" may be dropped when referring to a College URL; if not, include the "http://": http://hellowalk.gustavus.edu. Follow site conventions for others.). Avoid using gac.edu. URLs may be boldfaced or placed in angle brackets in running text (avoid italicizing) to avoid confusion with other punctuation. Remember that they are case-sensitive.
• username (computer user ID)
• Utah: Do not abbreviate.

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V
 

• Va.: abbreviation for Virginia
• varsity squad (reference to intercollegiate athletics teams)
• Vasa Wind Orchestra; formerly the Adolphus Band
• VAX, VAX mail
• vespers
• vice president
• Vickner Hall, Edwin J. Vickner Hall of Language Arts (first ref.)
• Vt.: abbreviation for Vermont

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W
 

• Wahlstrom Hall (razed in 2005)
• Walker House
• Wallenberg Auditorium (all refs.; named for the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation), Nobel auditorium (formerly Johansson Auditorium)
• Wallenberg Lecture/Lectureship, Raoul Wallenberg Memorial Lecture/Lectureship (first ref.)
• WAN: wide area network (computer network)
• Wash.: abbreviation for Washington; state of Washington or Washington state, to distinguish from the city (not Washington State—that's the name of a university)
• Washington, D.C. (Set D.C. off with commas when using with Washington in a sentence.)
• the Web (short for World Wide Web); but, website, webcast, webcam, webmaster
• Wednesday Conversation
• which (See: "that/which.")
• white (referring to race): "Black" is capitalized because it formally denotes a race;"white," on the other hand, is more often used generically, i.e., to mean "not Black," "not Hispanic," etc.
• Wis.: abbreviation for Wisconsin
• women's studies: now gender, women, and sexuality studies (major and minor), Gender, Women, and Sexuality Studies program (interdepartmental program)
• Womyn's Awareness Center
• work-study: But, "student employment" is preferred.
• writer-in-residence
• Writing Center
• W.Va.: abbreviation for West Virginia
• Wyo.: abbreviation for Wyoming

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X
 

• x: used occasionally to denote former students who are non-graduates in alumni references (e.g., Gerald Thayer x56), although the current practice of the alumni office is to simply list the expected class year for all attendees

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Y
 

• yearbook, the Gustavian
• the Yellow Sheet
• Evelyn Young Dining Room
• Gus Young Court, performance court, basketball court

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Z
 

• ZIP code (not zip code, Zip Code, or Zip code): A ZIP code properly includes two capital letters designating the state and five or nine digits—when abbreviating a state in running text, use accepted AP abbreviations.