Editorial Guide

Daylong, monthlong, yearlong, decadeslong, and lifelong are all one word, no hyphen. Hyphenate semester-long (adj.).

Compounds ending in wide are not hyphenated unless they are long and cumbersome.

Example:

statewide referendum, worldwide pandemic, countywide office; but university-wide institute.

Instead of A.D., use C.E. Instead of B.C., use B.C.E.

Lowercase, with periods. Use figures to designate time using a.m. and p.m.: 4 p.m.

For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12.

Wrong: Avoid redundancy such as 10 a.m. this morning.

See also time.

In most cases, acronyms and abbreviations should be spelled out on first reference, then on second and subsequent references an abbreviation/acronym is acceptable.

An abbreviation/acronym generally should not begin a sentence, although there are exceptions, such as NASA and DNA.

Example:

International Student and Scholar Services supports the education and development of nonimmigrant students and scholars to enable them to achieve their academic and professional goals. ISSS provides advice, counseling and advocacy regarding immigration, cross-cultural and personal matters.

Do not follow an organization’s full name with its abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes. If an abbreviation/acronym would not be clear on second reference without doing this, then avoid using the abbreviation/acronym.

Wrong: The English Language Center (ELC) provides excellent language instruction in a friendly, supportive atmosphere.

Right: The English Language Center provides excellent language instruction in a friendly, supportive atmosphere. Students from all over the world have been coming to the ELC since 1978.

When an acronym is spelled out, the words are not capitalized except for those that are proper nouns themselves or part of a proper noun.

Use an en-dash when writing out an academic year.

Example:

Online applications are available for the 2025–26 academic year.

The official acreage for the Vanderbilt campus is 340.7 acres.

Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd. and St. only with a numbered address: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number: Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues. All similar words (alley, drive, road, terrace, etc.) are always spelled out. Always use figures for an address number: 9 Morningside Circle. Spell out and capitalize First through Ninth when used as street names; use figures with two digits for 10th and above: 7 Fifth Ave., 110 21st Ave. N.

See also streets.

Lowercase.

Example:

the administration, the Biden administration, the president’s administration

Not advisor. Exceptions may include formal titles and the formal names of boards.

Examples:

Professor John Geer, senior advisor to the chancellor, is helping develop efforts to educate the Vanderbilt community and the public about initiatives designed to defend and strengthen democracy.

In his role as senior advisor on inclusion and community outreach, Dr. André Churchwell advises the chancellor on issues affecting the Vanderbilt and Nashville communities.

The Vanderbilt Law School Board of Advisors plays a crucial role in carrying out the school’s mission of providing an unparalleled legal education to students and an intellectually vibrant community in which faculty can pursue teaching and scholarly excellence.

Once you declare a major, you will be assigned an adviser in the appropriate academic department.

Immersion Vanderbilt advisers provide guidance for students to complete their final culminating project.

Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings.

Affect, as a noun, is a technical term used in psychology and psychiatry.

Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company.

Effect, as a noun, means result: The effect was overwhelming. It was a law of little effect.

Do not hyphenate as a noun or an adjective: African Americans, African American students, African American studies. Black may also be used as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense; capitalize Black in this usage.

See also Black.

Use figures. When used as a modifier or a noun, use hyphens: A 5-year-old boy received the award. The camp is for 3-year-olds. The boy is 5 years old. The boy, 7, has a sister, 10. Applies also to inanimate objects, animals, etc. The 8-year-old building is scheduled for demolition this week.

See also numbers.

Never alright.

All-American when referring specifically to an individual.
Example:
All-American Larry Leathers or he is an All-American

All-America when referring to the team.
Example:
Phillip Brown was named to the All-America team or he was an All-America selection

Capitalize when referring specifically to the Vanderbilt Alumni Association. Use the full, formal name Vanderbilt Alumni Association on first reference; the Alumni Association (retaining capitalization) is acceptable on subsequent references. References to city-based chapters of the Vanderbilt Alumni Association should follow this format: name of city then “Vanderbilt Chapter,” such as “the Nashville Vanderbilt Chapter,” or “the Nashville chapter of the Vanderbilt Alumni Association.”

Alumnus refers to a man; plural is alumni. Alumna refers to a woman; plural is alumnae. Use alumni when referring to a group that includes both men and women. Note that individuals who attended Vanderbilt but did not complete a degree should not be referred to as alumni. Correct references are “former student” or, for example, “John Doe, who attended Vanderbilt from 1970 to 1972 ...”

Exception: Vanderbilt Divinity School uses alumni/ae for the plural.

One of the descendants of the Indigenous peoples of North America. Avoid the potentially derogatory term Indian. Do not hyphenate as a noun or adjective.

Example:

Native American students voiced their approval.

See also Indigenous.

Spell out the word and instead of using the ampersand symbol (&) in running text. Exceptions include phrases such as “R&D” and corporate or institutional names that are generally abbreviated such as AT&T or Texas A&M. Note that there is no space on either side of the ampersand with these initialisms. Use the ampersand when it is part of a company’s formal name, such as Johnson & Johnson, or when the ampersand is part of a composition title, such as U.S. News & World Report.

Avoid using an ampersand for College of Arts and Science or other Vanderbilt entities when referencing them in running text.

According to Athletics comms, Anchor Down is a motto/cheer/slogan, using Title Case, and can be followed by a period or an exclamation point. As a hashtag, it is #AnchorDown, CamelCase with no punctuation. (8/22_jgs)

Example:

The Anchor Link web portal helps students explore and manage involvement in student organizations, activities and events.

Do not use the phrase first annual. An event cannot be described as annual until it has been held at least two successive years. In the first year of an event, describe it as the first, not first annual. Alternatively, the first year of an event may be described as inaugural. The designation of an event’s year (second annual, etc.) should not be capitalized as part of its title in running text.

Wrong: The first annual Alumni Cheerleading Reunion will be held this year during homecoming weekend.

Right: The first Alumni Cheerleading Reunion will be held this year during homecoming weekend.

Right: The ninth annual Flulapalooza flu vaccination event took place in the fall.

Right: Leonard Garment spoke at the inaugural Curb Lecture.

Use antennae as plural unless referring to a metal device used for transmitting and receiving electronic signals, in which case antennas is an acceptable plural.

OMITTED FIGURES: The ’20s were a rip-roaring time in American popular culture. Note that there is no apostrophe before the s when referring to decades. OMITTED LETTERS: It’s a great time to be alive; Don’t step on my blue suede shoes; rock ’n’ roll; gone fishin’.

PLURALS OF A SINGLE LETTER: Mind your p’s and q’s. In the introductory class, 15 students earned B’s and 25 earned C’s.

Do not use with multiple-letter combinations unless they are abbreviations using periods.

Example:

List URLs at the end of news releases. Everyone in this office must learn the ABCs of media relations. The department awarded many Ph.D.’s last year.

Be sure to use the apostrophe (which looks like a 9) and not the single open quote (which looks like a 6) or the prime symbol (which is straight, not curly).

Note that the apostrophe is not used to denote the plural of a personal name: The Smiths and Campbells left Tuesday. The Joneses left Wednesday. The Edwardses left Thursday.

See also possessive.

Short for application. App is acceptable on first reference. An app is a program that runs inside another service. Many cellphones allow applications to be downloaded to expand their functions. Names of apps are capitalized without quotation marks or italics.

This is the preferred spelling.

Do not hyphenate as a noun or an adjective.

Example:

Fifty Asian American students attended the meeting.

AVBA is acceptable on second or subsequent references.

Avoid this medical terminology; use no symptoms, without symptoms or the like.

Example:

Campuswide approaches to safety and the practice of physical distancing are important because individuals can be COVID-19 positive without symptoms.

Example:

Vice Chancellor for Athletics and University Affairs and Athletic Director Candice Storey Lee is Vanderbilt’s first female athletic director and the first African American woman to head an SEC athletics program.

Lowercase. Vanderbilt Athletics may be used to describe the program. The department is led by the vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director.

Example:

Thank you for supporting our athletics department.

Vanderbilt Athletics has instituted numerous checks and balances to maintain a culture of high ethics.

See also coach and team.

Capitalize when part of the official name of the award.

Example:

Each year the Writing Studio conducts the competition for the Henrietta Hickman Morgan Memorial Award for first-year writers.

The Chancellor’s Cup award is given annually for “the greatest contribution outside the classroom to undergraduate student-faculty relationships in the recent past.”

Short for Commodores. Be sure the apostrophe is curly (not straight) and points down (not up).

Exception: For Vanderbilt Athletics communications, do not use the apostrophe: Dores.

Instead of A.D., use C.E. Instead of B.C., use B.C.E.

Abbreviation for “Before the Common or Current Era.” Use instead of B.C.

Example:

Users should back up their files at the end of each day. The backup files may come in handy, so keep backups in a convenient location.

Example:

Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Cheek is director of the Bass Military Scholars Program. In addition to scholar recruitment, Cheek designs and implements programming to engage the Bass Military Scholars in the life of the Vanderbilt community as leaders and mentors.

Uppercase when referring to the religious text. However, lowercase when used as a figure of speech. Do not italicize.

Example:

The Harvard Medical Encyclopedia is the hypochondriac’s bible.

The course will discuss the Bible as literature.

Lowercase in all instances.

On second reference, Black Cultural Center is acceptable. Avoid using the acronym BCC or BJJBCC.

Example:

The director of the Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center is faculty head of house for Stambaugh House. His work with the Black Cultural Center is one facet of his life at Vanderbilt that he brings to his role as a mentor for first-year students.

Note there is no apostrophe.

Use the capitalized term as an adjective in a racial, ethnic or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature, Black studies, Black colleges. Do not use as a noun. African American is also acceptable for those in the U.S.; however, the terms are not necessarily interchangeable. Follow an individual's preference if known, and be specific when possible and relevant.

See also African American.

Acceptable for second reference to Bishop Joseph Johnson Black Cultural Center.

 No apostrophe after Graduates.

(v. and n.) Lowercase. Italicize the title of a named blog. Place blog entries within quotation marks.

Example:

The Vanderbilt financial report will be ready for next week’s Board of Trust meeting.

The board meets on Tuesday.

Link to a list of Vanderbilt Board of Trust members

Instead use the Vanderbilt University Residence.

See also Vanderbilt University Residence.

.

In general, lowercase: the chemistry building. Uppercase when it is the formal name of the building: the Baker Building.

Abbreviation for “Common or Current Era.” Use instead of A.D.

Lowercase: The lecture is in Featheringill Hall on the Vanderbilt campus.

Formerly called the Commons Reading, the Campus Reading is part of the programming for all new undergraduate students. It is not referred to as a program or initiative, but can be referred to as a "tradition."

Example:

An annual tradition, the Campus Reading is a book sent to incoming first-year undergraduate students the summer before they arrive on campus. The reading is discussed on The Ingram Commons and across campus during the students’ Vanderbilt Visions groups and in other contexts.

One word, no hyphen. Compounds ending in wide are not hyphenated unless they are long and cumbersome.

Example:

statewide referendum, worldwide pandemic, countywide office; but university-wide institute.

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HEADINGS AND TITLES: Capitalize the first and last word and all nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs (including forms of be, such as is), adverbs and subordinating conjunctions (although, because, if, when, etc.). A preposition functioning as an adverb should be capitalized: Commodore Nation Tunes In to Follow the Team. Lowercase articles (the, a, an), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, or, for, nor), and prepositions (about, by, in, of, under, toward, through, etc.) regardless of length, unless they are the first or last words. Lowercase the to in infinitives: It Is Better to Give. If the first element of a word is a prefix that could not stand by itself as a word, do not capitalize the second element unless it is a proper noun or proper adjective: Co-director Jones Will Lead the Seminar, Pre-major Advisers Meet with New Students.

For headlines and subheads on news releases, only the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized.

Avoid using this term unless in a direct quotation in reference to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Instead, use phrasing such as the coronavirus relief bill, the coronavirus aid bill, the coronavirus rescue package, etc., for the U.S. government’s $2.2 trillion package to help businesses, workers and a health care system staggered by the coronavirus. Do not refer to it as a stimulus, a stimulus package, etc. The measure was passed to replace money lost in the collapse of the economy, rather than to stimulate demand.

Not catalogue.

On first reference, use Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Precede with national, federal or U.S. if needed for clarity. On second reference, the CDC is acceptable and takes a singular verb (e.g., the CDC is …).

One word, lowercase.

Capitalize when part of the full, formal name.

Example: The Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center was founded in 1978.

On second reference, capitalize a shortened version of the name.

Example: Programs provided by the Women’s Center are described on their website.

Never capitalize when the word center is used alone.

Example: The center invites participation by the entire campus community.

Note that the comma before and is required for the name of this program. The acronym for the center is CLACX, pronounced “clacks."

Note that the word well-being should be hyphenated in other uses.

Use for references to this unit of the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries. This building, located at the east end of Library Lawn, also houses Divinity Library and Special Collections and University Archives.

See also Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries.

Lowercase: the first century. See numbers for further guidance.

Preferred title for the presiding officer of a department or committee. Avoid chairperson.

Example:

Vanderbilt's newest endowed chair holders were honored at the event.

Lowercase unless preceding a name.

Example:

The meeting provided a chance for students to meet the chancellor and to discuss the university's goals and priorities.

The session features a discussion with Chancellor Daniel Diermeier.

Preferred second reference for Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Always use the full name on maps.

Capitalize Civil Rights Movement when referring to the specific push, mainly in the 1950s and ’60s, for equal rights and justice for Black people under the law in the United States. Lowercase when writing generally about civil rights movements or a civil rights movement that is not this specific one. Lowercase other uses, such as civil rights legislation, civil rights leaders.

Capitalize when referring to a specific class: the Class of ’94. Note: Use an apostrophe, not an opening single quotation mark.

Education may occur on campus and/or through enhanced virtual/alternative platforms.

Example:

In-person classes were suspended for the summer sessions, and all teaching continued through virtual/alternative strategies.

On-campus, in-person teaching resumed, based on public health status and safety protocols.

Although we are offering in-person instruction, we also are planning for all courses to be delivered by virtual/alternative platforms.

Retain the hyphen when forming nouns, adjectives and verbs that indicate occupation or status: co-chair, co-author, co-sponsor, co-founder, co-captain. Use no hyphen in other combinations: coeducation, coexist, corequisite. Note: cooperate, coordinate and related words are exceptions to the rule that a hyphen is used if a prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel.

See also prefixes.

.

Use lowercase except when it's substituting for a name.

Example:

According to football coach Clark Lea, the team is ready for Saturday’s game.

When Coach Lea speaks, his players listen.

The defensive end has informed Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea of his decision.

Clark Lea, head football coach at Vanderbilt, discussed the upcoming season.

This name is no longer used to describe Vanderbilt’s residential college initiative.

See residential college system.

The most frequent use of a colon is at the end of a sentence to introduce lists, tabulations, texts, etc.

FIRST WORD AFTER A COLON: Capitalize if a proper noun. Capitalize if the first word is the start of a complete sentence.

WITH LISTS: Do not use a colon to set off a list of single words or simple phrases. Do not use after forms of the verb “to be.” A colon may be used to set off a bulleted list or a list composed of long phrases.

Example: Other topics covered during the fellowship included: distance learning, training teachers to use technology and integrating technology into classrooms in a meaningful way.

EMPHASIS: The colon may be used to add emphasis.

Example: He had only one hobby: eating.

IN A SERIES: Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not put a comma before the conjunction in most simple series: The flag is red, white and blue. She goes to school, plays league soccer and takes violin lessons.

Put a comma before the concluding conjunction in a series if an integral element of the series requires a conjunction: I had orange juice, toast, and ham and eggs for breakfast. The School of Engineering, the College of Arts and Science, and Peabody College are involved in the new initiative.

IN COMPOUND SENTENCES: Use commas to separate independent clauses of a compound sentence: The group has ambitious plans for expanding the volunteer services they provide, and members are actively recruiting among their peers. Be careful to distinguish between a compound sentence (two or more independent clauses) and a compound predicate (two or more verbs having the same subject). Do not use a comma with a compound predicate. She attended three meetings that morning and in the afternoon went to class. (The subject of the sample sentence is she and the verbs are attended and went.)

WITH NAMES: Set off a title with commas but not the designations Jr. or II: Kate Daniels, professor of English, is the chair of the committee. John Smith Jr. and Pat White II are also on the committee.

WITH LOCATIONS: Use commas to set off the elements in addresses and names of geographical places or political divisions. The people in Cincinnati, Ohio, are friendly.

WITH DATES: When month day, and year are included in a date in running text, use commas before and after the year: On Sept. 12, 2022, all candidates were interviewed. Do not use a comma if only the month and year are mentioned: Five candidates were on campus in September 2022 for a series of interviews.

Capitalize when referring to the Vanderbilt event. Lowercase general references.

Example:

The Vanderbilt Commencement ceremony will be streamed live.

A university’s commencement is a special opportunity.

See The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt.

See The Commons Center.

Comprise means to contain, to include all, to consist of. The whole comprises the parts. Never say “is comprised of.” One option to eliminate that incorrect phrase is to replace it with “is composed of.”

Wrong: Vanderbilt is comprised of 10 schools.

Right: Vanderbilt comprises 10 schools.

Right: The United States comprises 50 states.

Continual means habitual, frequently recurring. Continuous means ongoing, without interruption.

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Capitalize official course titles in running text. No italics or quotation marks are necessary.

Example:

Frank was hoping to get into a new management course, Online Consumer Behavior.

When listing a course number with the departmental abbreviation, put a space between the abbreviation, the course number and the course name.

Example:

ME 2190 Dynamics

If listing the department name with the course number, capitalize the department name.

Example:

Mechanical Engineering 2190 Dynamics

See classes, courses, instruction

One word.

Italicize and use v. for versus.

Example:

Brown v. Board of Education was one of the cornerstones of the Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

Never use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. Use Dr. only when the person is a medical doctor and use only on first reference.

COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019, is caused by a virus named SARS-CoV-2. When referring specifically to the virus, the COVID-19 virus and the virus that causes COVID-19 are acceptable. But, because COVID-19 is the name of the disease, not the virus, it is not accurate to write a new virus called COVID-19.

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Use for general references to the English department’s creative writing offerings, which include both the undergraduate curriculum and the MFA program (note the use of lowercase). Use MFA Program in Creative Writing for references specifically to the MFA program (note that MFA does not have periods when referring to the Vanderbilt program, but periods should be used when using the abbreviation for the master of fine arts degree, M.F.A.).

See also MFA Program in Creative Writing.

Use numerals to refer to credit hours.

Example:

She is enrolled in a 3 credit hour course. (Note that no hyphens are used.)

No italic.

No italic; the plural is curricula vitae. Also referred to as CV; plural: CVs.

Example:

He requested a curriculum vitae from each applicant and within a week had received three curricula vitae via email. He marked each CV with the appropriate code and put them all in a file labeled CVs.

The em-dash expresses a pause, an abrupt change in thought or a parenthetical statement; it may be used instead of a colon to precede a list. It separates a word, phrase or clause from the rest of the sentence.

Example:

Some parents started the day with high levels—they hit the ground running—while others had a blunted daytime cortisol level.

In every sense—educational, philosophical, practical—the partnership works.

Spacing, em-dash: There should be no space on either side of the dash. Tumors require supply lines—new blood vessels—to support their growth and spread.

The en-dash (which is half the length of an em-dash, but longer than a hyphen) is used to indicate a range or route (where it can stand for the word to). It also may express a connection between two things of equal weight (standing in for the words and, to, or versus).

Example:

Date and time ranges: March–May, 1–2 p.m.

Page ranges: pp. 11–15

Routes: New York–London flight

Two words of equal weight that are associated but shouldn’t be hyphenated: mother–daughter relationship

Compound adjectives in which one of the parts of the compound is composed of more than one word or a hyphenated word: Civil War–era document, pre–World War II policy, North Carolina–Virginia border, Pulitzer Prize–winning author, high-priority–high-pressure tasks

Do not combine a preposition with a dash when indicating a range.

Example:

Right: The exhibit will be on display from March 2 through April 10. Or: The exhibit will be on display March 2–April 10.

Wrong: The exhibit will be on display from March 2–April 10.

See also hyphen.

Always use Arabic figures, without st, nd, rd or th.

When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, commas are required before and after the year.

Example:

He was born May 25, 1960, in Wichita.

When including a day of the week with the date, use a comma after the day and after the date.

Example:

The reception will be Friday, Sept. 10, at 5 p.m.

When a phrase refers to a date but not a year, then do not use a comma with the date.

Example:

The exhibit will open Feb. 15 at the Vanderbilt University Fine Arts Gallery.

When referring to just the month and year, then do not use a comma.

Example: The program began in May 1999 with 10 participants.

When writing a span of dates, do not combine a preposition with a hyphen.

Wrong: Spring break will be from March 7-14.

Right: Spring break will be March 7-14.

Right: Spring break will be from March 7 through March 14.

Spell out the names of months when used alone or with a year alone. When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.

For more formal uses, do not abbreviate months.

See also months and days.

On second reference, Recreation and Wellness Center or the center may be used. In most instances, avoid using an acronym.

Do not abbreviate days of the week unless in tabular format.

When writing a day and date, use a comma after the day and after the date.

Example:

The reception will be Tuesday, Nov. 5, at the Vanderbilt University Art Museum.

Do not set off days or dates with commas when they stand alone.

Example:

The reception will be Nov. 5 at the Vanderbilt University Art Museum.

For publication on a website, include the date, not just the day, so that the information remains timely and clear. For example, if you write John Smith died on Monday, that statement will be outdated and confusing within a week. Instead, write John Smith died on Monday, Jan. 26.

Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name. Lowercase in other uses.

Example:

During the ceremony, Dean Pamela R. Jeffries will present the award.

Pamela R. Jeffries, dean of the School of Nursing, will attend the conference.

The dean has published many books on the subject.

Vanderbilt’s deans:

• Jeffrey R. Balser, Dean of the School of Medicine
• Camilla Persson Benbow, Dean of Peabody College
• André Christie-Mizell, Dean of the Graduate School
• Chris Guthrie, Dean of the Law School
• Pamela R. Jeffries, Dean of the School of Nursing
• John Kuriyan, Dean of School of Medicine Basic Sciences
• Timothy P. McNamara, Dean of the College of Arts and Science
• Yolanda Pierce, Dean of the Divinity School
• Melissa Rose, Dean of Blair School of Music
• Krishnendu Roy, Dean of the School of Engineering
• Thomas J. Steenburgh, Dean of Owen Graduate School of Management

 See also the University Leadership webpage for a list of deans and university officers.

Use figures to indicate decades of history. When abbreviating, precede with an apostrophe, not an opening single quotation mark. (The apostrophe resembles a 9; the opening single quote mark resembles a 6.) Form the plural by adding the letter s, no apostrophe.

Example:

Wrong: not 20’s or 1960’s

Right: ’20s, ’60s, 1960s

In most circumstances, when referring to Vanderbilt alumni and denoting their Vanderbilt degrees, list the earned degree abbreviation (no periods) after the name, followed immediately by an apostrophe (no space) and the last two digits of the degree year, all within commas.

Example:

Tiana Clark, MFA’17, is on the rise as one of poetry’s most exciting new voices.

Lowercase degrees if spelled out: bachelor of arts, master of science, doctorate, doctor of philosophy. Do not follow the name of a degree with the word degree. Use an apostrophe in the short form: bachelor’s degree, master’s.

Wrong: He earned a master of arts degree in anthropology.

Right: He earned a master of arts in anthropology.

Right: He earned a master’s degree in anthropology.

Right: Those receiving doctoral degrees should arrive by 9 a.m.

Try to avoid the abbreviations B.A., B.S., M.S., etc., but if you do abbreviate degrees, then be sure to use periods after all the letters (with the exception of MBA, no periods). An exception to this recommendation is degree information that follows the name of a Vanderbilt alumnus within running text to designate that person’s Vanderbilt degree and year. For this style, see degree designations (Vanderbilt alumni).

An alternative to listing degree abbreviations is to use a phrase describing the degree, for example, “John Jones, who has a doctorate in psychology, ...”

Do not precede a name with a courtesy title for an academic degree and follow it with the abbreviation for the degree in the same reference.

Wrong: Dr. Robert Smith, M.D., is chair of the department.

Right: Dr. Robert Smith is chair of the department.

Only people with an M.D. are referred to as Dr. and then only on first reference. People with Ph.D.’s are not referred to as Dr., nor are their names typically followed by their degrees.

Plural: M.A.’s, Ph.D.’s

See also MBA and MFA Program in Creative Writing.

 Capitalize the full, formal name of the university’s administrative divisions, offices and departments.

Example:

Office of Undergraduate Admissions

A shortened version (i.e., dropping “Division of,” “Office of,” etc.) may be used on second reference and should be capitalized.

Example (for second reference):

Undergraduate Admissions

Lowercase other forms.

Example:

undergraduate admissions office

Capitalize only when using the full, formal name of a department (that is, Department of …). Lowercase other forms.

Example:

the Department of History — the history department; the Department of Sociology — the sociology department; the Departments of History and Sociology — history and sociology departments; the Department of English — the English department; the French and English departments.

See also division and program.

Not dialog.

Diermeier, an internationally renowned scholar of political science and managerial leadership, began his tenure as the ninth chancellor of Vanderbilt on July 1, 2020. Formerly provost and dean of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago, and a longtime professor at Stanford University and Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, Diermeier was selected by the Vanderbilt Board of Trust in fall 2019 to lead Vanderbilt.

Use figures and spell out inches, feet, yards, etc.

Example:

He is 5 feet 6 inches tall; the 5-foot-6-inch man; the 9-by-12 rug.

In general, lowercase north, south, southeast, etc. when they indicate compass directions. Capitalize when they designate regions.

Example:

When the coach’s latest recruit moved east from California to enroll at Vanderbilt, he made a promise to himself. He would become the best player in the Southeast.

Preferred terms, rather than handicapped. Use “people first language” that describes what a person has, not who the person is. For example, rather than writing “she is autistic,” instead write “she has autism.”

Use neutral language. Avoid using victim of, suffers with, afflicted by, wheelchair-bound, etc.

Instead use:

people with disabilities, people without disabilities, she has autism, he has a physical disability, person with a brain injury, people with mental illness, accessible seating, accessible parking, the disabled community

Instead of using normal, consider using typical or without disabilities.

Use separate instead of special in such phrases as separate bathroom, separate bus.

Use the disc spelling for phonograph records and related terms (disc jockey), optical and laser-based devices (a Blu-ray disc or compact disc) and for disc brake. Use disk for computer-related references, such as hard disk; medical references, such as a slipped disk; and science-related references, such as the disk of the Sun.

To describe the doctor of philosophy degree, use doctoral degree or doctorate. Use the adjective doctoral for such uses as doctoral program, doctoral candidates. People with Ph.D.’s are not referred to as Dr., nor are their names typically followed by their degrees.

Example:

She will receive her second honorary doctorate during the ceremony.

The doctoral program is world renowned.

He received a doctoral degree in 1995.

Use residence hall instead of dorm when referring to Vanderbilt student living quarters.

This term describing an alum who earned two (double) or three (triple) degrees at Vanderbilt should be capitalized. Be sure the apostrophe is curly (not straight) and points down (not up).

Example:

Patrick Taylor, a Triple ’Dore who studied engineering at Vanderbilt, is a member of the Student Media Hall of Fame.

One word.

May be used as a title before the name of a medical doctor on first reference. Do not continue to use the title with subsequent references. Avoid using “Dr.” as a title before the name of an individual who holds a doctorate.

See Vanderbilt Dyer Observatory.

Lowercase unless starting a sentence.

Lowercase unless starting a sentence.

Lowercase unless starting a sentence.

Bronson College is acceptable for second reference. Avoid using the acronym EBI.

Takes singular verb.

Example:

Each of the residence halls on The Ingram Commons houses first-year students.

Each of the students is invited to the dinner.

Capitalize and do not precede with the if used as the proper name of the planet, especially in context with other planets.

Example:

Martian meteorites may have carried microbial life from Mars to Earth.

The Earth and environmental sciences are aimed at understanding Earth’s dynamic history.

Dan Morgan, senior lecturer in Earth and environmental sciences, studies ice and how it has changed over hundreds of thousands of years.

Lowercase in more general, nontechnical uses and in idioms.

Example:

She is down to earth.

Paul Conkin’s book explores how Americans can craft policies that may preserve a healthy earth.

Capitalize this phrase describing the region of the state.

See also regions.

Takes singular verb.

Example:

Either of the two rooms has sufficient lighting.

Three dots (periods) used to indicate a pause or to indicate word(s), sentence(s) or paragraph(s) omitted from quoted material.

Spacing: Ellipses should be preceded and followed by a space: I ... have trouble ... collecting my thoughts. If the words preceding an ellipsis constitute a grammatically complete sentence, a period should precede the ellipsis: I had a very good time. ... But I wouldn’t want to go back.

(n. and v.) Lowercase, no hyphen.

A tenured faculty member who has served the university with distinction over a period of years, and whose status remains active until retirement, may, upon recommendation of the appropriate dean, the provost and the chancellor, be awarded the title “emeritus” or “emerita” by the Board of Trust. This is a faculty appointment. In rare instances, a non-tenure-track faculty member or a non-faculty administrator (including a Board of Trust member) may be appointed emeritus or emerita. Not all retired faculty are emeriti or emeritae.

Note that the official titles for faculty emeriti and emeritae that are approved by the Board of Trust may or may not match exactly the person’s titles before retirement.

SINGULAR AND PLURAL FORMS

emeritus = singular for a person who identifies as male

emerita = singular for a person who identifies as female

emeriti = plural for more than one person identifying as male or for a mixed-gender group

emeritae = plural for more than one person identifying as female

FORMAT

Place after the academic rank.

— academic rank + emeritus or emerita + of + department/field designator

Example: professor emeritus of English

— academic rank + emeriti or emeritae

Example: professors emeriti

CAPITALIZATION

If the title is used after the name, lowercase the title and set off with commas.

Example:

Nancy Lorenzi, professor emerita of biomedical informatics, is a founding member of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics.

Richard McCarty, dean emeritus of the College of Arts and Science and professor emeritus of psychology, was vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost from July 2008 until June 2014.

If the title is used before the name, capitalize the title. However, if possible, avoid placing very long titles before the name.

Example:

Professor Emerita of Biomedical Informatics Nancy Lorenzi is a founding member of the International Academy of Health Sciences Informatics.

Special Appointment Titles

Special appointment titles are capitalized whether used before or after the faculty name. Emeritus or Emerita is placed at the end of the special title (without commas) and is capitalized.

This includes endowed chairs/professorships, University Distinguished Professor, Distinguished Professor, University Professor, Centennial Professor, Chancellor’s Professor, Cornelius Vanderbilt Professor, and certain professorships named by the Board of Trust for a benefactor, such as Kenan Professor of English, or for someone important in Vanderbilt history, such as Landon C. Garland Professor of Physics.

Example: Houston Baker, University Distinguished Professor of African American and Diaspora Studies and English Emeritus

ORDER OF LISTING FOR MULTIPLE TITLES

Some emeriti and emeritae retain multiple titles in retirement. When listing multiple titles, use the following order after the name:

dean, named or other special title, professor title with major field or departmental designator

Example:

Joseph H. Hamilton, Landon C. Garland Distinguished Professor of Physics Emeritus and professor emeritus of physics, was a leader on the team that discovered and named elements 115, 117 and 118.

Linda Norman, dean emerita of the School of Nursing and Valere Potter Menefee Professor of Nursing Emerita, helped the school become one of the top graduate nursing programs in the country.

OTHER USES

The plurals emeriti and emeritae may be used alone as nouns.

Example:

The ceremony honored emeriti from the College of Arts and Science.

Emeritae from the School of Engineering joined alums from the school for the virtual discussion.

.

Avoid using the acronym ESB.

See also Innovation Pavilion and Wond’ry.

Use ensure to mean guarantee. Use insure to mean indemnify.

Example:

They want to ensure the accuracy of the report.

Vanderbilt University does not insure industry sponsors against claims or losses resulting from intellectual property infringement that might occur in the course of conducting research.

On first reference use Annette and Irwin Eskind Family Biomedical Library and Learning Center. For headlines: Eskind Library. For second and subsequent references: Eskind Library or Eskind Family Biomedical Library and Learning Center.

An essential (or restrictive) clause is one that is essential to the meaning of the sentence, i.e., it identifies and/or specifies the subject. No comma should be used with an essential clause. A nonessential (or nonrestrictive) clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence but provides additional information. In general, that introduces essential clauses and no comma is used. Use which to introduce nonessential clauses, and set off the clause with commas. Nonessential clause: The book, which has a red cover, has sold many copies. Essential clause: The book that has a red cover has sold many copies. However, the book that has a blue cover is not selling well.

See also that vs. which.

Use sparingly (and never in multiples). Never use in news communications.

.

The word faculty is a collective noun, singular in form but identifying a group of individuals. Use with singular verb if emphasizing the faculty acting as a unit: The Owen School faculty combines academic prestige with the real-world experience of top practitioners. Use a plural verb if emphasizing faculty members individually: Vanderbilt faculty have been quoted often in recent news reports regarding the issue.

Lowercase. Use head of house, head of college, or faculty head on second reference.

Example:

All faculty heads of house live year-round on The Ingram Commons in apartments located in the houses.

She will become faculty head of West House in the fall.

She is the first physician to be a head of house on The Ingram Commons.

Faculty Head of College Sarah Igo helps foster dialogue and discovery outside the classroom.

Sarah Igo, faculty head of college, lives among the students of E. Bronson Ingram College.

Sarah Igo, faculty head of E. Bronson Ingram College, is also director of the American Studies program.

Lowercase senate is acceptable on second reference.

Example:

The Faculty Senate passed a resolution that will further faculty involvement in violence prevention efforts. The resolution calls for all faculty senators to participate in the VU PETSA training module. A formal partnership between the senate and the Green Dot initiative also will be established.

Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specific term, for example, fall 2022.

Example:

The application deadline for fall 2023 is January 1.

He spent the fall semester studying in Germany.

The first lecture of the spring 2023 semester addressed sustainability.

See also seasons.

Farther refers to physical difference: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: They decided to research the issue further before making a decision.

Lowercase unless part of a proper name.

Example:

Free Application for Federal Student Aid; Federal Aviation Administration; federal taxes; federal loan program; federal government

Lowercase.

Example:

She is a fellow of the American College of Physicians.

He is a Guggenheim fellow.

Capitalize if part of the proper name of the fellowship.

Example:

She received a Guggenheim Fellowship last year.

The goal of the Michael B. Keegan Traveling Fellowship is to develop future leaders through world travel and experiential learning. Vanderbilt students interested in the Keegan fellowship must submit an application, a proposal for a plan of study/travel, a resume and letters of recommendation. A committee of former Keegan fellows, faculty and staff selects the winner.

Use fewer to describe number of items, less to describe quantity.

Wrong: There were less student complaints this year. Of the 500 offers sent out, less than 200 were returned.

Right: There were fewer student complaints this year. Of the 500 offers sent out, fewer than 200 were returned.

Right: She has fewer classes to take, but less time to take them.

First-year is preferred. Note that first-year is hyphenated as an adjective. Do not use first-year alone as a noun; instead use first-year as a modifier before a noun, such as, first-year students.

Example:

All first-year students are required to take certain placement tests.

All first-year residence halls have been designated as substance-free areas.

The university’s fiscal year runs July 1 through June 30, and carries the numerical designation of the latter year, e.g., July 1, 2022, through June 30, 2023, constitutes FY23 (other forms: FY 2023, fiscal year 2023, fiscal 2023). FY acceptable on second reference.

Use international students instead.

Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases are usually italicized. A word that is listed in a standard English dictionary (such as Webster’s New World College Dictionary, fifth edition) is probably familiar enough to not require italics.

Do not abbreviate for cities or for military installations.

Example:

Fort Lauderdale; Fort Meade

March 17, the anniversary of the founding of Vanderbilt University in 1873.

Spell out amounts less than one, using hyphens: two-thirds, four-fifths, etc. Use figures for precise amounts more than one, converting to decimals whenever practical: 1.5 miles, not 1 1/2 miles.

First Amendment Center acceptable on second reference and in headlines.

Use first-year instead.

Example:

The first-year experience at Vanderbilt introduces new students to the university community.

Use first-year student/first-year students instead.

Example:

First-year students are welcomed to campus during Move-In Day.

.

Hyphenate as an adjective: She is a full-time employee. Otherwise, two words, no hyphen: He works full time.

One word, no hyphen.

Example:

Nashville is a community with a strong tradition of charitable fundraising.

The telethon represents a yearlong fundraising effort.

For information about fundraising, please email the director.

Comprehensive land-use planning initiative, launched in 2015, that provides a vision for Vanderbilt’s footprint and a basis for campus stewardship that enhances the university’s mission.

Example:

The residential colleges will be built to align with the university’s Academic Strategic Plan and FutureVU, an initiative to enhance the places on campus where community members live, work and learn.

.

Capitalize when part of the name of a Vanderbilt garage.

Example:

Terrace Place Garage, South Garage, Central Garage

Use to describe men and women attracted to the same sex, though lesbian is the more common term for women. Preferred over homosexual except in clinical contexts or references to sexual activity. Include sexual orientation only when it is pertinent to a story, and avoid references to “sexual preference” or to a gay or alternative “lifestyle.”

Abbreviation for Graphics Interchange Format. Use all uppercase unless used as a file name extension.

The first Tuesday after Thanksgiving is known as Giving Tuesday, when individuals are encouraged to make donations to nonprofits. Note that we do not follow the GivingTuesday organization's style of using no spaces between the words unless we are referring to the organization or the movement.

GO THERE is acceptable for second and subsequent references. No quotation marks or italics are needed, but note the use of all capital letters.

Example:

The aim of the GO THERE campaign is to create a campus culture in which community members can have brave dialogue and honest self-reflection in order to support their own mental health and well-being and that of their fellow students, faculty and staff.

GO THERE is a campuswide campaign to foster a culture of openness, honest reflection, and brave dialogue about mental health and well-being.

More than 100 members of the Vanderbilt community gathered to hear their colleagues’ personal stories as part of the GO THERE mental health campaign.

No periods and all capitals. It is acceptable on first reference to either use GPA or to spell out grade point average (lowercase).

Capitalize letters used for course grades (A, B, C, D, F, I) and grade names such as Incomplete and Pass. Do not use quotation marks or italics with grades. Form the plural by adding apostrophe-s.

Example:

He received three B’s last semester.

Formerly known as Senior Day, this event occurs annually on the Thursday before Friday's Commencement ceremony and features a well-known speaker and activities for graduates, their families and friends.

One word, no hyphen.

.

Use accessible parking instead.

See disabled.

For news releases, only the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized in headlines and subheads.

See also capitalization and titles of works.

Two words in all uses.

Example:

As a health care provider, she is interested in health care.

Acceptable for second reference to the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries, which include 10 campus libraries.

See also Central Library and Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries.

See dimensions.

.

Not hi-tech.

Try to find other solutions to problems with gendered pronouns. When possible, rewrite the sentence to avoid the problem. They/them/their are acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun if rewriting is not feasible.

Example:

Instead of writing A patient should fill his prescription immediately after his appointment, instead write Patients should fill their prescriptions immediately after appointments.

                  See also pronouns and gender identity.

Use a, not an, as the indefinite article before the word.

Example:

A historic event is an important occurrence, one that stands out in history. Any occurrence in the past is a historical event.

Capitalize the names of widely recognized epochs in anthropology, archaeology, geology and history: the Bronze Age, the Dark Ages, the Middle Ages, the Pliocene Epoch.

Capitalize also widely recognized popular names for periods and events: the Atomic Age, the Great Depression, Prohibition.

Lowercase century.

Capitalize only the proper nouns or proper adjectives in general descriptions of a period: ancient Greece, classical Rome, the Victorian era, the fall of Rome, the fall of Saigon.

Not capitalized except when preceded by the name of the university (Vanderbilt Homecoming), used with the year as part of the name of a specific homecoming (Homecoming 2019), or used as part of the formal name of the event (Reunion/Homecoming Weekend). Lowercase other uses (homecoming game, homecoming parade).

See also Reunion.

.

One word.

When using general terms, honors are in lowercase.
Example:
all-league, all-state, all-county, all-conference

When using specific terms, honors are capitalized.
Example:
All-SEC, All-East Region

Lowercase house unless used as part of the full, formal name, such as Hank Ingram House, Stambaugh House, etc.

See URL, URLs.

Hyphens are used inside words to separate their parts from each other. This includes using the hyphen between the parts of a compound word, where two or more words express a single concept.

COMPOUND MODIFIERS: When a compound modifier—two or more words that express a single concept—precedes a noun, use hyphens to link all the words in the compound except the adverb “very” and all adverbs that end in “-ly”: a full-time job, a know-it-all attitude, a very well-known person. But: federally funded research.

WITH FRACTIONS: Use a hyphen when writing out fractions: The measure requires a two-thirds vote to pass.

SUSPENSIVE: He received a 10- to 20-year sentence in prison. The camp is open for 8- to 12-year-old children.

WITH TIME/DATE/NUMBER SPANS: Use an en-dash instead of a hyphen.

 See also dash.

Short for identification. Do not use periods (Wrong: I.D.)

Capitalize only the formal name of the initiative itself, Immersion Vanderbilt, which is coordinated through the Office of Experiential Learning and Immersion Vanderbilt. Do not capitalize related uses of the word immersion. Do not capitalize the word pathways or the names of the six immersive experience pathways.

Include refers to a partial listing. For example, do not say “participants included” and then list all the participants.

See also colons in the punctuation and formatting guide.

Use for first reference. For second reference, Office for Inclusive Excellence is acceptable. For subsequent references, Inclusive Excellence is acceptable. Note the use of for in the office name. The office is led by William H. Robinson. Robinson is vice provost for academic advancement and executive director of the Provost's Office for Inclusive Excellence, and professor of electrical engineering and computer engineering.

Use the capitalized term as an adjective to refer to original inhabitants of a place.

Use on first reference. Note the use of lowercase. For second and subsequent references, IRA is acceptable.

Example:

The Ingram Scholars Program was founded in 1993 by then-Chairman of the Board of Trust E. Bronson Ingram, who sought to create a program that would provide students with opportunities to use their skills and education to contribute to solutions for problems facing society.

Ingram Scholars engage in 20 hours of civic and community service each month and also design and implement projects that address significant societal challenges.

No space between initials in personal names: T.S. Eliot.

Instead use urban core.

If its location is referenced, the Innovation Pavilion should be described as adjacent to the Engineering and Science Building.

See also Engineering and Science Building and Wond’ry.

Use insure to mean indemnify. Use ensure to mean guarantee or make certain.

Example:

They want to ensure the accuracy of the report.

Vanderbilt University does not insure industry sponsors against claims or losses resulting from intellectual property infringement that might occur in the course of conducting research.

Avoid using interface as a verb.

Example:

Instead of The students interface with their teachers, try An interface is created between students and teachers. Or try using interact instead: The students interact with their teachers.

Preferred phrase, instead of foreign students.

Always lowercase.

Always lowercase.

Italicize the names of books, journals, newspapers, magazines, podcasts, named blogs, the names of specific ships and other vessels, art exhibits, individual works of art (paintings, drawings, photographs, statues, etc.), movies, television series, plays, complete musical works (e.g., operas, tone poems, music albums), unless the name of the work includes a musical form (e.g., symphony, quartet). Exception: Use italics for a complete musical work’s nickname.

Example:

His book was reviewed in Time and the Chicago Sun-Times.

Nashville Opera’s artistic director John Hoomes will discuss Bizet’s audience favorite Carmen at the Steve and Judy Turner Recital Hall.

The program includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 41 (the Jupiter Symphony) and one of Beethoven’s Razumovsky quartets.

Her favorite horror movie is Hitchcock’s Psycho.

Last semester, Vanderbilt University Theatre performed Euripides’ Iphigenia.

One of the items on display is a dollar bill signed by servicemen aboard the USS Missouri.

 Use italics when a word is used to signify the word itself instead of being used to convey the word’s meaning.

Example:

The word strategy appears 12 times.

 Do not italicize an apostrophe + s used at the end of a title to indicate the possessive case unless the possessive is part of the title

Example:

Madame Bovary’s themes are revealed in this scene.

 Do not italicize words from other languages that are commonly used in English.

Example:

His lectures had a certain je ne sais quoi that left students feeling inspired.

Her play captured the zeitgeist of the era.

 See also capitalization, quotation marks, and titles of works.

The contraction it’s = it is: It’s good to see you. In contractions, the apostrophe replaces letters that are left out in order to contract the word: do not contracts to don’t with the apostrophe replacing the o of not. In it’s, the apostrophe replaces the letter i from the word is.

The possessive of it is its: Its length is manageable. Remember that pronouns do not form the possessive with apostrophes: his, hers, its, ours, yours.

Use for first reference to the Vanderbilt library system. Treat as a plural noun: Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries are made up of 10 campus libraries. Options for subsequent reference are Vanderbilt Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt’s Heard Libraries, Heard Libraries, Vanderbilt libraries, Vanderbilt’s libraries, the library, the libraries (note use of lowercase). Refer to the chart below for a list of the 10 divisional libraries within the system.

See also Central Library and Heard Libraries.

Abbreviation for Joint Photographic Experts Group. Use all uppercase unless used as a file name extension. (File extensions .jpeg and .jpg are interchangeable.)

Abbreviate as Jr. and Sr. with no comma between the name and the Jr./Sr.

Example:

Cal Turner Jr. founded the program in moral leadership.

He will deliver the keynote lecture for the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative Series.

For alphabetical listings by last name, follow this format: Doe, John, Jr. Likewise, with the designation II: Doe, John, II.

Education term describing the range of primary and secondary education in several nations, including the U.S., that is, kindergarten through 12th grade. Note the use of a hyphen, not an en-dash.

Use for second reference to Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Kennedy Center may be used for first reference, if it’s in the lead or headline. In that case, use full title on second reference.

Often the preferred term for a person from a Spanish-speaking land or culture or whose ancestors were from a Spanish-speaking land or culture or from Latin America. Latina is the feminine form. Follow the person’s preference. Use a more specific identification when possible, such as Cuban, Puerto Rican, Brazilian or Mexican American.

On first reference, use Rep. and Sen. before the name. Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in other uses. When including party and state affiliation, set off with commas (not parentheses) and use AP abbreviation for the state. In a direct quotation, spell out and capitalize titles such as senator, representative and governor before a name.

Example:

Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., is the first woman elected to the U.S. Senate from Tennessee.

“There’s always one senator that stands out above the rest, and the last few years that’s been Senator McCain,” said Alexander.

Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander attended the conference along with former Gov. Bredesen and former Gov. Don Sundquist. Former U.S. Sen. Bill Frist will lead a first-of-its-kind academic experience at Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

See gay.

 Acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer. Other forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are also acceptable with the other letters explained. I generally stands for intersex, and A can stand for asexual, ally or both.

Acceptable second reference to any Vanderbilt library.

See also Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries.

RUN-IN LISTS: For a listing that runs in with text, use either numerals or italic letters within parentheses. Data are available from three groups: (1) students attending the first session of the conference, (2) presenters for all sessions and (3) conference staff. Generally, a comma is sufficient to separate the items listed. Use a semicolon if the items themselves contain commas.

VERTICAL LISTS, BULLETED OR NUMBERED: Use a bulleted list if the order of the items is not significant; use a numbered list if the items are to be considered in a particular order.

Introduce the list with a grammatically complete sentence followed by a colon. Each entry in the list should begin with a capital letter whether or not the entry is a complete sentence. No period is required at the end of entries unless one or more of the entries is a complete sentence, in which case a period should be used at the end of all the entries. Items in a list should be syntactically similar; for example, each might begin with a verb ending in -ing.

Example:

The coaches look for several characteristics when recruiting players:

• Talent and skill in the sport

• Sufficient academic preparation

• Positive attitude

If a list completes the sentence that introduces it, then the items begin with lowercase letters, commas or semicolons are used to separate each item, and the last item ends with a period.

Example:

A coach may be interested in recruiting a player if the athlete

• displays a solid understanding of the fundamentals of the sport,

• has sufficient academic preparation to meet the requirements of Vanderbilt classes,

• maintains a positive attitude.

Lowercase. Note that there is no “e” at the end.

One word, no hyphen, in all uses.

Example: Use your VUnetID to log in. If your login is unsuccessful, contact VUIT.

Use log on to, not log onto.

Example:

log on to our site, to execute a logon, the logon command

See degrees (academic).

In general, do not capitalize academic majors or minors unless they include a proper noun.

Example:

She earned her bachelor’s degree in anthropology.

He majored in English literature.

She has a minor in chemistry.

Example:

The Wond’ry features two makerspaces outfitted with state-of-art equipment to take your idea from concept to prototype.

Watch the spelling; may be called the Women’s Center (uppercase) on second reference.

See also center.

See The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt.

Instead use face mask/covering, face masks/coverings.

Maymester is the preferred term to describe the courses offered in the interim between spring semester final exams and the beginning of summer session courses.

No periods. Note that the correct article to use before MBA is an.

Example:

She received an MBA from Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management.

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management maintained its position in this year’s rankings of accredited MBA programs.

Capitalize as a second reference to Vanderbilt University Medical Center. When referring to other medical centers or medical centers in general, lowercase.

Example:

Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s campus at One Hundred Oaks makes high quality health care more accessible. The Medical Center provides many services at this convenient location.

Duke has also banned smoking from its medical center.

There has been a decrease in sponsored research at other medical centers.

See also Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Use for references specifically to the MFA program at Vanderbilt (note that MFA does not have periods in this usage). Use creative writing program (note the use of lowercase) for general references to both the MFA program and the undergraduate creative writing concentration, both of which are offered by the Department of English.

When referring to the Vanderbilt master of fine arts program, do not use periods in MFA. However, when referring to the master of fine arts degree, spell out the name of the degree if possible, or if an abbreviation is used, then use periods: M.F.A.

Example:

She earned an M.F.A. while working full time at a Nashville music-business office.

The inaugural issue of Nashville Review, a literary journal edited by students in the MFA program, appeared in spring 2010.

The Vanderbilt MFA Program in Creative Writing has been ranked among the top 15 programs in the country by Poets and Writers magazine.

Capitalize this phrase describing the region of the state.

See also regions.

Do not put a 12 in front of it. See also a.m., p.m. and noon.

Example:

The celebration will begin at midnight.

So spelled, not miniscule. Means “very small.”

Use for first reference and on maps. For second reference, use Children’s Hospital. Do not use Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital.

Some months are abbreviated when used in an exact date: Nov. 11, 1918. Months with fewer than six letters in their names are not abbreviated.

The following are abbreviated: Jan. Feb. Aug. Sept. Oct. Nov. Dec.

The following are not abbreviated: March April May June July

Months are spelled out when used alone or with the year only: January 1993; notice that there is no comma between the month and the year.

On second reference, Moore and the college are acceptable.

See also residential college system and Warren and Moore colleges.

In general, use over to describe spatial relationships; use more than with figures.

Example:

The airplane flew over the mountains. The cost was more than $300. More than 400 Vanderbilt students participated in Alternative Spring Break.

Spell out in all uses, including the names of communities and mountains.

Uppercase for the event name (note the capital “I”). However, lowercase when used generically, such as, the move-in process, the move-in experience.

Example:

Contact the Office of Housing and Residential Experience for more information about move-in and Vanderbilt residence halls.

The Move Crew is a group of student volunteers who assist new students during Move-In Day.

Vanderbilt's mascot; note that the “C” is not followed by a period.

In general, do not hyphenate words beginning with this prefix.

Example:

multifaceted, multipurpose, multicultural

One word. The running of two or more programs on one computer at the same time. Also now used to refer to human beings who are working at two or more tasks simultaneously.

Avoid the fairly common mistake of using myself when me is the correct word.

Wrong: The report will be delivered to the chancellor and myself.

Right: The report will be delivered to the chancellor and me.

The word myself is a reflexive/intensive pronoun that is correctly used in a construction such as She wrote the report herself, I will exclude myself from the voting, They did it for themselves, where the pronoun refers to the same person as the person who is subject of the sentence.

Named chairs and professorships are always capitalized in faculty titles, whether preceding or following the name of the faculty member. The named chair is a position that the faculty member holds, whereas the named professorship is the title of the chair holder. Thus, the correct language indicates that one holds a chair in, and is a professor of.

Example:

Stephen Fesik holds the Orrin H. Ingram II Chair in Cancer Research.

Stephen Fesik is the Orrin H. Ingram II Professor of Cancer Research.

Orrin H. Ingram II Professor of Cancer Research Stephen Fesik has been awarded a National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award for his proposal to push the boundaries of drug discovery.

Stephen Fesik, the Orrin H. Ingram II Professor of Cancer Research, is the first investigator from Vanderbilt to receive the coveted National Institutes of Health Director’s Pioneer Award.

On first reference, use the person’s full first name and last name and title. Do not use a courtesy title (such as Mr. or Ms.), except for medical doctors and then use Dr. only on first reference. On second reference, use only the last name, without title and without courtesy title.

Example:

With the recently announced NSF funding, Professor Xenofon Koutsoukos will continue his research on next-generation design. Koutsoukos is taking a new approach.

Sport names are lowercase unless they begin a sentence. Do not capitalize the name of the sport when referring to a Vanderbilt team.

Example:

Vanderbilt football, Vanderbilt baseball

• Nashville safer-at-home order (generic reference) OR Safer at Home order (official name)
• Roadmap for Reopening Nashville OR Roadmap for Reopening Nashville plan
• the Nashville reopening plan, the Nashville plan

No hyphen.

Takes a singular verb.

Example:

Neither of the students is available.

Names of newspapers and periodicals are italicized.

Capitalize the in a newspaper’s name if that is the way the publication prefers to be known, for example: The Tennessean, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Denver Post, The Star Ledger, The Plain Dealer, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Boston Globe. In cases where the paper’s location is needed for clarity but is not part of the official name, use parentheses to indicate location.

Example:

The editor of The Tennessean will participate in the panel discussion. The article about Coach Stackhouse in The Huntsville (Ala.) Times caught the student’s attention.

On second reference, use Zeppos College. Zeppos College opened to upper-division students in fall 2020 as part of the university’s residential college system. The residential colleges for sophomores, juniors and seniors are Zeppos, Warren, Moore, E. Bronson Ingram, and Rothschild, with an additional residential college scheduled to open in 2024. The distinctive tower adjacent to Zeppos College is called West End Tower. Zeppos College is named for Nicholas S. Zeppos, Vanderbilt’s eighth chancellor (2008–19).

Use as the abbreviation for number in conjunction with a figure to indicate position or rank.

Example:

The university also rose three spots to No. 12 in the High School Counselors rankings, a key measure of the perception of the university’s value to students.

In general, do not use a hyphen when forming a compound: nonprofit, nonexistent. Use a hyphen, however, before proper nouns or in awkward combinations: non-nuclear, non-English-speaking.

See also prefixes.

.

Not hyphenated. However, a hyphen is used when “non” modifies a compound, for example: non-tenure-eligible faculty, non-tenure-track position.

Do not put a 12 in front of it. See also a.m., p.m. and midnight.

Example:

The meeting begins at noon.

Spell out whole numbers below 10 or at the beginning of a sentence; use figures for 10 and above. For ordinals, spell out first through ninth; starting with 10th, use figures. Exception: for percentages, dimensions and ages, use figures, even for 1–9.

Use an en-dash to indicate a range: 10 a.m.–5 p.m., April 5–11.

If you must start a sentence with a number, spell the number out. Exceptions: A numeral-and-letter combination may start a sentence, such as 3D, 401(k), 4K. When writing a span of numbers, do not combine a preposition with a hyphen or en-dash.

Right: The classroom could accommodate 15–25 people. Or: The classroom could hold from 15 to 25 people. He published his articles between May 5, 1967, and April 11, 1971.

Wrong: The classroom could hold from 15–25 people.

Example:

If you work in an open environment, be sure to maintain a distance of at least 6 feet from other individuals.

A 6-foot distance should be maintained.

Maintain 6 feet of separation for physical distancing requirements.

See also credit hours.

Hyphenated when used as an adjective before a noun. Otherwise, no hyphen is used.

Example:

Exploring sites off campus enables students to develop a better understanding of the challenges.

On-campus markets offer numerous grab-and-go options.

On-campus research activities were ramped down in mid-March as part of efforts to protect our community and slow the spread of COVID-19.

Individuals will return to campus based on the core activities they support and their demonstrated need to be on campus.

In order to protect the safety of our community, all work that can be conducted remotely will continue to stay off campus.

Hyphenated in all uses.

The names of university offices are uppercase when the full, formal name is used. A shortened form (i.e., “Office of” is dropped) used on second reference is also uppercase.

Example:

Staff from the Office of Undergraduate Admissions have begun the process of reviewing applications. Once Undergraduate Admissions completes the review, then letters are mailed out to applicants.

 A “reversed” version of the full, formal name is lowercase.

Example:

The undergraduate admissions office has received a record number of applications.

Note the use of for in the name of this group.

Example:

Town halls co-sponsored by the Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion opened up a space for authentic dialogue to build trust and respect within the Vanderbilt community.

One word.

Hyphenated in all uses.

See Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks.

One word.

Vanderbilt’s financial aid program, launched in the fall of 2009, which meets 100 percent of a family’s demonstrated financial need with no loans.

The Vanderbilt University Medical Center prefers this spelling over orthopedics, so use orthopaedics when referring to VUMC departments, personnel, etc. When using in a general sense, use orthopedics.

Example:

The Department of Orthopaedics will sponsor a lecture Nov. 10.

Use over to describe spatial relationships: The airplane flew over the mountains. Use more than with figures: The cost was more than $300.

Lowercase, with periods. Use figures to designate time using a.m. and p.m. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12. Avoid redundancy: not 10 a.m. this morning.

Example:

The lecture begins at 11 a.m., followed by a reception at 1 p.m. The committee meets at noon.

See also time.

Place a period outside a closing parenthesis if the material inside is not a sentence: I will leave at noon (if I finish this punctuation guide). Place the period inside the closing parenthesis if the material inside is a complete sentence: (This is an independent parenthetical sentence, and therefore the period comes before the closing parenthesis.)

Example:

Prospective students can experience Vanderbilt in person on our beautiful parklike campus in the heart of Nashville.

Hyphenate as an adjective: She is a part-time employee. Otherwise, two words, no hyphen: He works part time.

Abbreviation for portable document format. Use all uppercase unless used as a file name extension.

Example:

His assistant emailed a PDF of the schedule. The file name is schedule.pdf.

Spell out the word percent; do not use the symbol (%). Use figures with percentages: 9 percent, 0.6 percent. Note that in some cases, such as in tables or scientific and statistical copy, the % symbol may be appropriate.

Primary use of a period is to mark the end of a declarative or imperative sentence. It should be followed by a single space. Periods always go inside quotation marks.

See also ellipsis and parentheses.

Only use this phrase in a direct quotation. Otherwise, use the phrase protective gear instead to describe items used/worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious injuries and illnesses. Don’t use PPE. If necessary to use PPE in a direct quotation, spell it out later and explain the term.

See degrees (academic).

Do not use these terms interchangeably. A Ph.D. student is a student enrolled in a Ph.D. program. Ph.D. candidates are Ph.D. students who have completed the steps required by their programs and the Graduate School to be admitted to candidacy.

Precede the phase number with Vanderbilt when describing phases of the Vanderbilt Return to Campus Plan: Vanderbilt Phase I, Vanderbilt Phase II, Vanderbilt Phase II+, Vanderbilt Phase III, Vanderbilt Phase IV.

Example:

Vanderbilt will phase in a return of faculty, staff, postdocs and students in a coordinated process.
The phase-in is expected to take three weeks.
The phase-in process is being planned.

Captions should identify the people in a photo using appropriate designations of their position in the photo grouping set off by commas. (Note: If it is obvious who is who, positional designations may not be necessary.)
Example: Firstname Lastname, left, and his sons.

A block of text containing captions for more than one photo should indicate the photo's location before each caption using all-caps, bold lead-ins with colons:
LEFT: Caption goes here. (Name/Organization) TOP: Caption goes here. (Name/Organization) BELOW: Caption goes here. (Name/Organization)

Credits should be in parentheses with a forward slash separating the photographer's name from the organization. If all of the photos in a layout are by the same photographer, the caption can be as follows:
(Photos by Firstname Lastname/Organization)

Use instead of social distancing or socially distanced. No quote marks, no hyphen.

PROPER NOUNS: The plural is generally formed by adding -s or -es. This is true for proper names, as well. The apostrophe is not used to form the plural of proper nouns: Example: The Joneses and the Smiths spent two cold Januarys in Michigan.

LETTERS AND NUMBERS: Add -s to form the plural of numbers and capitalized multiple letters used as words: two IOUs, six YMCAs, the 1960s, the ’20s.

Use apostrophe + s to form the plural of lowercase letters used as words, single capitalized letters used as words, and abbreviations with periods: M.A.’s and Ph.D.’s, x’s and y’s, the three R’s

For plurals of proper nouns that include a generic term (that is, a common noun), lowercase the plural generic term: Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, Warren and Moore colleges, lakes Erie and Ontario. Exception: plurals of formal titles preceding full names are capitalized: Presidents Jimmy Carter and Gerald R. Ford. Or, when appropriate, repeat the generic term instead, and use uppercase: Warren College and Moore College.

See also departments, academic.

Italicize the name of a podcast series. Place names of individual episodes within quotation marks.

Use for second reference to Vanderbilt University Police Department. VUPD may also be used on second reference.

Form the possessive of singular nouns by adding apostrophe + s: teacher’s building’s, child’s, witness’s.

Plural nouns ending in s form the possessive by adding an apostrophe: teachers’, buildings’, witnesses’.

Plural nouns not ending in s form the possessive by adding apostrophe + s: children’s, women’s.

PROPER NOUNS: Use only an apostrophe to form possessive for singular proper names ending in -s: Dickens’ novel.

When a proper noun is set in italic type, the possessive ending is not set in italic. Example: Some were surprised by Newsweek’s cover.

Words beginning with the prefix post- are usually closed, no hyphen, unless the root word is a proper noun.

Example:

postdoctoral, postgame, postgraduate, post-Reagan

Exceptions include: post-graduation, post-traumatic
 

Do not use this acronym. Instead use the phrase protective gear to describe items used/worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious injuries and illnesses. If necessary to use PPE in a direct quotation, spell it out later as personal protective equipment and explain the term.  

Words beginning with the prefix pre- are usually closed, no hyphen, unless the root word is a proper noun. Do not hyphenate double-e combinations with pre- and re-.

Example:

preadmission, preeminent, preempt, preexist, pregame, premed, prelaw, prerequisite, preseason, pre-Columbian

See also prefixes.

Generally, do not use a hyphen when using a prefix with a word starting with a consonant. Use a hyphen if the prefix ends in a vowel and the word that follows begins with the same vowel, except for cooperate and coordinate and double-e combinations with pre- and re-. Do use a hyphen before capitalized words or numerals or in awkward constructions that might be misleading or difficult to read such as non-nuclear.

Example:

antebellum, antiwar movement, multistory building, non-nuclear plant, nonprofit organization, postdoctoral research, pre-1914, pre-Columbian, preelection debate, pretrial hearing, reestablish, rename

Capitalize only as a formal title before one or more names: President Biden, Presidents Ford and Carter. Lowercase in all other uses: the president; George Washington, first president of the United States.

The use of product names or companies may be construed as a tacit endorsement by the university, thus raising conflict-of-interest questions and other problems. Use generic titles or descriptions whenever possible.

Example:

Use tissue, not kleenex.

Capitalize before a name; lowercase elsewhere. However, a named professorship is always capitalized. Always identify faculty by their academic rank and department in published materials. The form is professor, associate professor or assistant professor of followed by the applicable field.

Example:

Professor of Sociology Holly McCammon; Professor Holly McCammon; Holly McCammon, professor of sociology; she is a professor of sociology; she is a professor in the Department of Sociology.

Jane Landers, Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Professor of History; Jane Landers holds the Gertrude Conaway Vanderbilt Chair in History

See also titles (academic and administrative) and named chairs.

References to interdisciplinary academic programs are treated in the same manner as academic departments: only the full, formal name is capitalized; other forms are lowercase. Academic program names begin with “Program in”; academic department names begin with “Department of.”

Example:

The Program in Women’s and Gender Studies examines gender and sexuality as social constructs.

The women’s and gender studies program offers an interdisciplinary graduate certificate in gender studies.

She majored in women’s and gender studies.

Other types of programs within the university (such as, scholarship programs, dual-degree programs, and certificate programs) sometimes have the word program as part of the full, formal name, and in those cases the word program should be capitalized.

Example:

Ingram Scholars Program, Bass Military Scholars Program, Law and Business Program, Carpenter Certificate Program

Find a way to accomplish clear and concise wording without disregarding an individual’s personal pronoun preferences. They/them/their are acceptable in limited cases as a singular and/or gender-neutral pronoun if rewriting is not feasible.

Use this phrase instead of personal protective equipment (PPE) to describe items used/worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious injuries and illnesses.

Use single quotation marks in news headlines and for quotes within quotes. “Smart” quotes, not "straight" quotes, should be used. Semicolons and colons go outside quotation marks. Periods and commas go inside the closing quotation mark.

Quotation marks are used for dissertation and thesis titles, articles, poems, short stories, book chapters, essays, individual lectures, webinars, blog entries, TV and radio episodes (but a TV/radio program or series name is in italic), individual acts or scenes of plays, songs, and movements within a musical work. No quotation marks or italics are needed for academic course titles, apps, awards, websites, political documents (such as, the Constitution), scriptural works (such as, the Bible, the Koran, the Talmud), or musical compositions whose names contain a musical form (such as, concerto, symphony).

See also italics and titles of works.

If used, follows name and is set off by commas.

Example:

Jane Smith, R.N., coordinates the program.

See also degrees (academic).

Example:

The Roadmap for Reopening Nashville follows a four-phase approach. The Vanderbilt Return to Campus Plan acknowledges the triggers and phases of ramp-up for the city in which Vanderbilt is located and identifies which activities ramp up on campus and when.

Use numerals in conjunction with abbreviation No. (note the capital N).

Example:

Vanderbilt is ranked No. 13 among national universities on U.S. News & World Report’s 2023 Best Colleges list.

Vanderbilt is ranked No. 1 for best financial aid in the nation by The Princeton Review.

See also top number.

Does not have a hyphen unless used as an adjective.

Example:

The webcast will take place in real time; the real-time webcast.

In general, capitalize North, South, East, West, Northeast, etc., when they designate regions; lowercase when they indicate compass direction. Capitalize Middle Tennessee, East Tennessee, West Tennessee.

Example:

He drove west.

The cold front is moving in from the east.

The North was victorious.

She has a Southern accent.

A storm system that developed in the Midwest is spreading eastward.

.

 For second reference, the abbreviation RA is acceptable (plural as RAs). Note spelling of adviser with er not or.

Lowercase general references to Vanderbilt’s residential colleges and the Vanderbilt residential college system. Capitalize the full name of individual residential colleges for upper-division students (such as, E. Bronson Ingram College) and the halls of each college (such as, Barnard Hall); capitalize the first-year residential college community, The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, and the names of the 10 houses of The Ingram Commons (such as, Murray House).

See also The Commons Center, E. Bronson Ingram College, faculty head of house, houses of The Ingram Commons, The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons, Moore College, Warren College, Nicholas S. Zeppos College, Rothschild College.

Capitalize when referring specifically to Vanderbilt’s annual event.

.

On second reference, the humanities center (lowercase) and the Warren Center are acceptable.

Capitalize before a room number, but do not capitalize specific room names such as atrium, refectory, rotunda.

Example:

The class is in Room 242.

The meeting is in the atrium of the Wyatt Center.

The breakfast will be in the Divinity School refectory.

The meeting was held July 12 in the Wyatt Center rotunda.

Rothschild College opened in fall 2022 as part of the university’s residential college system and the fifth residential college on campus for sophomores, juniors and seniors (the others being Warren, Moore, E. Bronson Ingram, and Zeppos colleges). Rothschild College is named for benefactors Marieke and Jeff Rothschild, BA’77, MS’79.

Use uppercase letters without periods for this abbreviation of the French phrase répondez s’il vous plaît ( = respond if you please, please reply). Do not use the redundant phrase “Please RSVP.” An alternative is to use “Please respond by.”

Example:

RSVP by May 10. –OR– Please respond by May 10. –OR– Those interested should RSVP by May 10.

RSVP by calling (615) 000-0000. –OR– Please respond by calling (615) 000-0000. –OR– Those interested should RSVP by calling (615) 000-0000.

Abbreviate as St. in the names of saints and cities.

Exceptions: Spell out Saint in the Vanderbilt Commencement program and when referring to an entity that spells out the word as part of their formal name (such as, Saint Anselm College).

.

On second reference, the cinema and the promenade are acceptable.

Example:

Sarratt Promenade is a student gathering place on the second floor of Sarratt Student Center. Student groups and university organizations sometimes use the promenade for special events.

On second reference, Sarratt or the student center (lowercase) are acceptable.

The School of Medicine Basic Sciences comprises four departments (Biochemistry, Cell and Developmental Biology, Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, and Pharmacology), eight centers and all graduate student recruiting, training and career development of the School of Medicine. It is an independent unit that reports through Dean of Basic Sciences John Kuriyan to Vanderbilt University's provost. On second reference, use Basic Sciences.

Example:

As dean of basic sciences for the School of Medicine, John Kuriyan leads the School of Medicine's basic science departments and its associated basic science centers, institutes and programs.

The School of Medicine Basic Sciences established a Dean's Faculty Fellows program to recognize the efforts of faculty in the early stages of their careers. The inaugural recipients had been members of the Basic Sciences faculty since 2014.

Refer to the chart below.

References to “the school” or “the college” are lowercase. In general, avoid acronyms such as CAS, OGSM, VDS, VLS, VUSE, VUSN, etc.

Do not use possessive Vanderbilt’s to precede a school name; instead use Vanderbilt, for example, Vanderbilt Law School, Vanderbilt School of Nursing.

When more than one Vanderbilt school/college is mentioned in an article, publication or list, it is not necessary to precede the school/college names with Vanderbilt or Vanderbilt University if the context makes the Vanderbilt affiliation clear.

Schulman Center is acceptable on second reference.

Do not capitalize winter, spring, summer, or fall, unless part of a formal name: Winter Olympics. Do not capitalize seasons as part of an academic period: spring semester, spring break, spring 2018.

.

Lowercase: spring semester, fall semester, spring 2019, fall 2019.

IN SERIES: Use semicolons to separate items in a series when the items use internal commas. A semicolon should be placed before the conjunction in such a series.

Example:

Previous winners of the Vanderbilt Prize in Biomedical Science are Ann Graybiel, Walter A. Rosenblith Professor of Neuroscience, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Elizabeth Blackburn, Morris Herzstein Endowed Professor in Biology and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco; and Nancy Andreasen, Andrew H. Woods Chair of Psychiatry, University of Iowa.

Sesquicentennial as a noun and an adjective is capitalized, as we do with Reunion or Commencement.
Examples:

Here is a list of Sesquicentennial events.
Please join our Sesquicentennial celebration.
Vanderbilt is celebrating its Sesquicentennial.

But don't use "Sesquicentennial anniversary," as that is redundant.

Use this phrase instead of stop the spread.

One word, lowercase.

Do not use. Instead use physical distancing, physically distanced. No quote marks, no hyphen.

Punctuation marks, including periods and colons, should be followed by one space only.

Sports and Society Initiative

Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specific term: spring 2016.

Do not use. Instead use wait in line.

Spell out the names of U.S. states whether standing alone or used in conjunction with a city, town, village, or military base.

When using a city name in conjunction with a state name in a sentence, set off the state with commas.

Example:

Jane Smith plans to return to Cleveland, Ohio, to launch the new program this fall.

Do not use postal abbreviations unless giving a mailing address.

The following abbreviations may be used when abbreviations are necessary, such as for lists and tables: Ala. Ariz. Ark. Calif. Colo. Conn. Del. Fla. Ga. Ill. Ind. Kan. Ky. La. Md. Mass. Mich. Minn. Miss. Mo. Mont. Neb. Nev. N.H. N.J. N.M. N.Y. N.C. N.D. Okla. Ore. Pa. R.I. S.C. S.D. Tenn. Vt. Va. Wash. W. Va. Wis. Wyo. However, the names of the following eight states should not be abbreviated (except for postal abbreviations in mailing addresses): Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, and Utah.

One word, no hyphen.

Use abbreviation only with numbered address: 110 Webster St.

See also addresses.

Holistic network of services and resources pertaining to health and wellness available to all Vanderbilt University students comprises the Office of Student Care Coordination, the University Counseling Center, the Student Health Center, and the Center for Student Wellbeing.

Example:

He joined Vanderbilt baseball in the fall as one of four student managers.

No hyphen when used as a modifier.

Example:

Students interested in applying for study abroad programs should consult their advisers.

Do not use with ordinals.

Hyphenate and use capital T.

Lowercase; generally preferred rather than TA or TF, even on second reference.

Do not capitalize football team, basketball team, etc.

Complete telephone numbers should be provided in any written copy, including the area code and seven-digit number separated by hyphens: 615-322-2706.

Example:

Call 615-322-2706 for more information.

• Tennessee safer-at-home order (generic reference) OR Tennessee Safer at Home order (official name)
• “Tennessee Pledge: Reopening Tennessee Responsibly” — Use quotation marks.
• Tennessee reopening guidelines

In general, use that to introduce essential clauses, and do not precede that with a comma. Use which to introduce nonessential clauses, and set off the clause with commas. An essential (or restrictive) clause is one that is essential to the meaning of the sentence. A nonessential (or nonrestrictive) clause is not essential to the meaning of the sentence but provides additional information.

See also essential clauses and nonessential clauses.

Note the capitalization of “The.”

Example:

Vanderbilt received recognition for The Commons Center’s environmentally friendly construction from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Green Building Rating System.

Note the capitalization of “The.”

Example:

Students gathered on The Commons Lawn.

Use for first reference. For second reference, use The Ingram Commons. The location of The Ingram Commons should be referred to as the southeastern part (or portion, section, etc.) of the Vanderbilt University campus. Note the capitalization of The in “The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt” and “The Ingram Commons” as well as in “The Commons Center.” Use on (not in or at) in such sentences as, “students live on The Ingram Commons.”

Example:

In fall 2008, The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt welcomed its first class.

The Ingram Commons brings together all first-year students in a community of 10 residence halls known as “houses,” each guided by a faculty head of house.

First-year students live on The Martha Rivers Ingram Commons at Vanderbilt, eat at The Commons Center and occasionally share a meal at the residence of the dean of The Ingram Commons.

The Ingram Commons dining hall is open to students all night, every night, as a group collaboration and study space.

TVC acceptable on second reference. Note that The is uppercase in the clinic name.

Example:

A variety of ambulatory specialty practices of Vanderbilt Medical Group are located at The Vanderbilt Clinic. TVC offers outpatient diagnostic and treatment services.

The name of the Vanderbilt student newspaper should be italicized, and The should be capitalized and italicized as part of the publication's official name. Second and subsequent references: the Hustler.

Example:

Student-published since 1888, The Vanderbilt Hustler is Nashville's oldest newspaper. Student journalists have their share of scoops and learning experiences while writing for the Hustler.

Use theatre in reference to Vanderbilt’s Department of Theatre, as that is their preferred spelling. For general purposes, use theater. In names of programs and buildings, maintain the spelling used by that entity.

Example:

Tennessee Repertory Theatre sometimes performs in TPAC’s Polk Theater.

Plural pronouns should typically be used with plural antecedents. However, in some cases, they, them, their may be used as singular, gender-neutral pronouns, for example, when the subject is a person who does not identify as male or female. Follow the person’s preference. Also consider rewriting the sentence or using the person’s name instead of a pronoun. Note that when they is used in the singular, it takes a plural verb.

See also pronouns and gender identity.

Use 3D in all references (no hyphen). Note that a sentence may start with 3D, or with other numeral-and-letter combinations, such as 401(k).

Use figures: 11 a.m.; 3:30 p.m., except for noon and midnight. For noon and midnight, use the words noon and midnight without the figure 12.

Do not use o’clock.

When indicating a span of time, use an en-dash if not using prepositions. If using “from” use “to” instead of an en-dash:

Wrong: The open house is from 5-7 p.m.

Right: The open house is from 5 to 7 p.m. A reception honoring the artist will be held from 3 to 4:30 p.m. The meeting will be Thursday, April 8, 3–4 p.m.

See also a.m., p.m.

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as professor, dean, vice provost, etc. when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere.

Example:

Vice Provost for Research and Innovation Padma Raghavan; Padma Raghavan, vice provost for research and innovation; Associate Professor of History Brandon Byrd; Brandon Byrd, associate professor of history; Professor of Biological Sciences Katherine Friedman; Katherine Friedman, professor of biological sciences; Associate Dean Tina Iverson; Tina Iverson, associate dean of the School of Medicine Basic Sciences; Associate Professor of Percussion Ji Hye Jung; Ji Hye Jung, associate professor of percussion; Vice Chancellor for Communications and Marketing Steve Ertel; Steve Ertel, vice chancellor for communications and marketing.

Exception: Named and endowed chairs and professorships are always capitalized.

Example:

David Kosson, Gass Family Professor of Energy and Environment

Always identify faculty members by their academic ranks and departments in published materials. If a faculty member holds several academic titles, use the one that has a direct bearing on the story.

If listing multiple academic titles for a faculty member, use the following order after the name:
– dean, named or other special title, professor/instructor title with major field or departmental designator

Example:

Sarah Igo is dean of strategic initiatives for the College of Arts and Science, Andrew Jackson Professor of American History, professor of history and professor of law.

Refer to the Faculty Registry to determine primary and secondary faculy titles.

The forms for Vanderbilt titles are associate provost “for”; vice chancellor, associate vice chancellor, assistant vice chancellor “for”; dean “of” (there are some exceptions where “dean for” is used; consult the Faculty Registry for more information); chair or chairperson “of”; director “of” (there are some exceptions where “director for” is used; consult the Faculty Registry for more information); professor, associate professor, and assistant professor “of”; teacher “of”; instructor “in”; and lecturer “in”—followed by the applicable field or unit.

Additional information on faculty titles may be found in the Faculty Manual.

See also emeritus, emerita, emeriti, emeritae and named chairs.

See chart below. In general, the title of a work that is part of a whole should be placed in quotation marks, while the title of the work in its entirety is italicized. Titles of long compositions are italicized; titles of short compositions are placed in quotation marks. Titles of books, journals, newspapers, magazines, podcast series, named blogs, art exhibits, individual works of art (paintings, drawings, photographs, statues, etc.), movies, television series, plays, complete musical works (e.g., symphonies), operas, and music albums should be italicized. Titles of book chapters, articles, newspaper columns, podcast episodes, blog entries, poems, short stories, comic strips, lectures, songs, and individual episodes in a television series should be placed in quotation marks. Titles that would have italics or quotation marks in running text should be placed in single quotes for news/MyVU headlines. Note that apps, video games and websites should have title-style capitalization but no italics or quotation marks.

See also capitalization, italics and quotation marks.

Example:

The article “Cyberslacking” appeared in Newsweek.

Casablanca is a great flick.

My favorite episode of Seinfeld is “The Contest.”

Frank Sutherland’s “I Love Wine” column appeared weekly in The Tennessean.

Catcher in the Rye is a handbook for the cynical and disenchanted.

She downloaded the song “With or Without You” from U2’s album Joshua Tree.

Employees often refer to the “Dilbert” comic strip for inspiration.

The play The Meeting is a fictional dialogue.

Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony is the longest and last symphony that he composed.

He has led the audio team for games such as Rock Band VR, Dance Central and Super Beat Sports.

Hyphenated in all uses.

Use numerals to describe “top” rankings, such as top 10. Do not hyphenate as an adjective. Do not capitalize (unless at the start of a sentence).

Example:

The top 10 graduating seniors are featured in the spring issue.

Note the use of the hyphen.

Use full name for first reference. For subsequent references, TIPs may be used.

Example:

The Trans-Institutional Programs initiative provides support for cross-disciplinary research and collaboration—a core pillar of the university’s Academic Strategic Plan. The proposals that receive TIPs funding address topics of critical academic and societal interest, embrace discovery, spark learning, and position Vanderbilt as a world leader in a given area of inquiry.

Use the pronoun preferred by the individuals who have acquired the physical characteristics of the opposite sex or present themselves in a way that does not correspond with their sex at birth. If that preference is not expressed, use the pronoun consistent with the way the individual lives publicly.

Lowercase.

Example:

A tweet consists of 280 characters.

The witness was tweeting almost nonstop during the attack.

A few of his tweets were retweeted, and he also gained a few new Twitter followers as a result of the conference.

Uppercase.

Example:

Graduating students can follow Commencement activities on Twitter.

The official Twitter feed of Vanderbilt University, @VanderbiltU, keeps followers up to date on everything from midterms to the latest discoveries happening at the university.

The abbreviation is acceptable as a noun or adjective for United States. Use US, no periods, in headlines.

Example:

Collaborations between the Vanderbilt School of Engineering and the U.S. Air Force have led to exciting new discoveries.

Capitalize the name of the program, but lowercase references to the business minor itself.

Example:

Launched in 2017, the undergraduate business minor is Vanderbilt’s first minor not solely housed in one of the university’s four undergraduate schools/colleges.

Gary Kimball has been named director of the Undergraduate Business Minor program.

Although the abbreviation U.S. is acceptable as both noun and adjective, it is often preferable to spell out the name of the country as a noun.

Example:

The United States continues to experience economic growth.

Lowercase when standing alone, including references to Vanderbilt.

Do not capitalize the generic term university when plural and preceded by two or more proper nouns: Vanderbilt and Indiana universities. However, when the generic term university is plural and followed by more than one name, it is generally capitalized: Universities of California and Colorado.

Example:

The university comprises 10 schools.

Hyphenate as an adjective before a noun. If used after the noun, then two words, no hyphen.

Example:

The university-wide survey sought opinions from all Vanderbilt staff. The survey was university wide.

See also campuswide.

Hyphenate only when used before a noun.

Example:

MyVU, the Vanderbilt employee website, keeps faculty and staff up to date on campus news and events.

The report is up to date.

The annual Re:VU publication provides up-to-date facts about the university, including rankings and figures for enrollment.

One word.

May be used to describe a sophomore, junior or senior undergraduate student.

Instead use upper-division student.

Use instead of “inner city.”

Web addresses generally should not include special spacing or font treatment and should not be introduced by a colon. A URL may be broken at the end of a line if necessary, but do not add a hyphen. If a URL is at the end of a sentence, include normal ending punctuation, e.g., a period. Generally, URLs do not need the http:// or the www in front of them. But always check that all URLs work exactly as printed.

Example:

For more information on the Vanderbilt ID card, visit vanderbilt.edu/cardservices.

Explore scientific research at Vanderbilt at news.vanderbilt.edu/research.

Generally better to use use.

Use for first reference. For subsequent references, the Alumni Association (retaining capitalization) is acceptable.

Example:

Last month, Vanderbilt Athletics announced plans to send 11 student-athletes on study abroad trips that will be funded solely by the department.

For second reference, use Wilkerson Center.

Use for first reference. Acceptable second references include: the bookstore, the campus bookstore, the Vanderbilt University bookstore.

See The Vanderbilt Clinic.

Donations to this fund support COVID-19 researchers and innovators from across the university, including cross-disciplinary collaborations that address the medical, societal and interpersonal effects of the pandemic.

Use for first reference. For second reference, use either Dyer or Dyer Observatory.

Use for first or second reference to Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s campus at 100 Oaks Mall. Depending on the context, One Hundred Oaks may be used for second reference. Note that when describing the Vanderbilt facility, One Hundred Oaks is spelled out, although the name of the mall itself uses numerals, 100 Oaks Mall.

Kennedy Center is acceptable on second reference. Kennedy Center may be used for first reference, if it’s in the lead or headline. In that case, use full title on second reference.

Use Vanderbilt University Medical Center instead. VUMC is acceptable on second reference or in headlines.

On second reference, Occupational Health is acceptable.

Use Vanderbilt University Police Department instead. VUPD is acceptable on second reference or in headlines.

Unity Project and the project can be used on second reference.

Example:

In January, the university launched the Vanderbilt Project on Unity and American Democracy. The project aims to strengthen the nation's democratic institutions by advancing evidence-based research in the national discourse on unity. Drawing on ongoing research by Vanderbilt faculty and other thought leaders from across the political spectrum, the Unity Project will regularly disseminate original scholarly content aimed at supplying policymakers and the public with the tools needed to restore a more unified commitment to the nonpartisan foundations of American democracy.

See David Williams II Recreation and Wellness Center.

This framework for carefully reopening campus details how the university will ramp up various operations in orderly, sequential phases while adhering to strict safety protocols and testing their effectiveness. For second reference, the Return to Campus Plan and the Vanderbilt plan are acceptable (no italics or quotation marks). References to the phases of the plan should take the form: Vanderbilt Phase I, Vanderbilt Phase II, Vanderbilt Phase II+, Vanderbilt Phase III, Vanderbilt Phase IV.

Related: phased reopening

On second reference, Student Health is acceptable.

Appropriate first reference is Vanderbilt University. Appropriate second reference is Vanderbilt for the university and Commodores for athletic references.

Use for first reference. For second reference, use the arboretum.

Example:

The Vanderbilt University Arboretum is home to more than 6,000 trees and shrubs, representing more than 190 species.

The Vanderbilt University campus is an accredited arboretum certified by several agencies, most recently by ArbNet as a Level II arboretum.

Trees that are significant in the arboretum include elms as well as large and ancient oaks and magnolias.

Vanderbilt Hospital or VUH may be used on second reference or in headlines.

VUMC and the Medical Center are acceptable on second reference or in headlines. Do not refer to as the Med Center. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is an independent, nonprofit corporation that shares Vanderbilt University’s respected name and collaborates closely with the university through education and research. The Medical Center comprises Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Vanderbilt Stallworth Rehabilitation Hospital, The Vanderbilt Clinic, Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, and Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute, and is affiliated with Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and School of Nursing.

See also Medical Center.

VUPD acceptable on second reference or in headlines.

Preferred reference for the residence located at 211 Deer Park Drive in Belle Meade. Formerly a residence for the chancellor, the Vanderbilt University Residence is now a site for special university events.

Vandy is acceptable on second reference in Vanderbilt Athletics communications; use Vanderbilt on first reference. Vandy may also be used for social media and promotional purposes.

Can be used to refer to the Vanderbilt baseball team. Note that there is no space.

In ordinary writing, spell out versus. In court cases, use v.

Example:

Hespos and Spelke tested whether five-month-old infants from native English-speaking homes detected the tight versus loose fit concept.

The article by Herman O. Loewenstein Professor of Law Suzanna Sherry analyzes the intellectual background of Marbury v. Madison.

Use two words, no hyphen.

Do not hyphenate. All Vanderbilt vice chancellors are vice chancellors for their divisions, not of, such as, vice chancellor for administration, vice chancellor for communications. Do not capitalize the division name when it is in the vice chancellor’s title, unless the title precedes the name.

Example:

Vice Chancellor for Investments and Chief Investment Officer Anders Hall manages the university’s endowment.

Eleven faculty members from across campus were invited to serve on the Vice Chancellor’s Advisory Council to provide input to Anders Hall, vice chancellor for investments and chief investment officer.

Vanderbilt’s vice chancellors:

Steve Ertel, vice chancellor for communications and marketing

Nathan Green, vice chancellor for government and community relations

Anders W. Hall, vice chancellor for investments and chief investment officer

Eric C. Kopstain, vice chancellor for administration

Candice Storey Lee, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletic director

John M. Lutz, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations

C. Cybele Raver, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs

Sydney M. Savion, vice chancellor for people, culture and belonging

Ruby Z. Shellaway, vice chancellor, general counsel, and secretary of the university

Brett Sweet, vice chancellor for finance and chief financial officer

 An up-to-date list is also available on the Vanderbilt website.

.

One word.

This is the singular possessive form of virus. Not virus’.

Note the capitalization in the name of Vanderbilt’s online alumni community.

Use drop-in instead.

Example:

drop-in session

Acceptable second reference to Robert Penn Warren Center for the Humanities.

Acceptable forms for second reference include Warren and Moore, the colleges, Warren, Moore, the college. Note that “faculty head,” faculty head of college,” and “graduate fellow” should be lowercase when referring to these leaders within the colleges, unless preceding a name.

Example:

Opened in 2014, Warren and Moore colleges were the first residential college options for Vanderbilt students in their sophomore, junior, or senior year.

Each college is divided into two halls, with each hall led by a graduate fellow. Faculty heads of college live in the colleges and serve as mentors.

Once students enter Warren or Moore in their sophomore year, they can remain in the same college as juniors and seniors.

Moore College includes Rice Hall and Smith Hall. Warren College includes Elliston Hall and Delbruck Hall. Each hall is led by resident graduate fellows who work with the faculty head of college to facilitate leadership development and programming goals.

Use periods with D.C. and set it off with commas.

Example:

Vanderbilt’s Washington, D.C., office is located a short walk from the Capitol.

Lowercase. The following web-related compounds are treated as one word, lowercase: webcam, webcast, webmaster, webpage, website. Names of most websites are capitalized without quotation marks or italics.

Example:

Commodore fans can find schedules for all Vanderbilt sports on the web.

She serves as assistant director of web-based learning.

The department always includes its web address on its publications.

The best place to learn about web design is the web itself.

Go to the Sarratt Studio Arts website to register for classes.

Use title case, no punctuation, approximately 2–5 words. Never use "Click Here" in a web link or button.

Example:

Learn More
Give Now
Register Here

Note, however, that no hyphen is used in Center for Student Wellbeing.

Capitalize this region of the state.

Generally capitalize when referring to a part of the world.

Example:

International scholars will discuss the historic role of nationalism in the Western hemisphere during a conference at Vanderbilt.

The course will cover the style periods of classical Western music.

See also regions.

Use for second reference to Vanderbilt Bill Wilkerson Center for Otolaryngology and Communication Sciences.

Acceptable second reference for Margaret Cuninggim Women’s Center.

First reference should be the Wond’ry, Vanderbilt's Innovation Center. For subsequent references, use the Wond’ry. If its location is referenced, the Wond’ry should be described as adjacent to the Engineering and Science Building.

Example:

The Wond’ry, Vanderbilt's Innovation Center, is the campus epicenter for creativity, collaboration and entrepreneurship for students and faculty across all academic disciplines. The center hosts an abundance of programs designed to foster an interdisciplinary spirit of creation, innovation and experiential learning. The Wond’ry is adjacent to the Engineering and Science Building, an interdisciplinary research and teaching building.

See also Engineering and Science Building and Innovation Pavilion.

.

For second reference, WHO or the WHO are acceptable.

Usually called the web.

See also web.

Preferred for most uses instead of the full name of the building, Faye and Joe B. Wyatt Center for Education.

Example:

Following a luncheon held in the rotunda of the Wyatt Center, Shalala met with a group of faculty members to discuss collegiate athletics.

Hyphenate and use capital X.

yearlong — One word, no hyphen.

Full name and title: Nicholas S. Zeppos, Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Emeritus, University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science

For second reference, use Chancellor Emeritus Zeppos or Zeppos.

Do not use the shortened form “Nick Zeppos” for official references.

Capitalize the titles “Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Emeritus,” and “University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science” whether they are used before or after the name.

Lowercase “chancellor emeritus” when used without a name.

Nicholas S. Zeppos was Vanderbilt University’s eighth chancellor (2008–19). He joined the Vanderbilt faculty in 1987 as an assistant professor in the law school. He subsequently served as an associate dean and then as associate provost before being named provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs in 2002. On Aug. 1, 2007, Zeppos was named interim chancellor, and on March 1, 2008, he was named chancellor. Zeppos stepped down from the role Aug. 15, 2019, and was appointed chancellor emeritus. In November 2019, Zeppos was named Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science. He returned to teaching at Vanderbilt Law School in fall 2020.

Example:

“We are second to none in the breakthroughs we make and the boundaries we seek to break,” said Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Emeritus Nicholas S. Zeppos, who also is University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Chancellor Emeritus and University Distinguished Professor of Law and Political Science Nicholas S. Zeppos returned to teaching in fall 2020.

Use all caps for ZIP, because it is an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan; code should be lowercase.

An online collaboration tool that may be used for conducting virtual meetings or events.

Example:

The meeting was conducted virtually via Zoom.

The Zoom gathering is open to the public.

The virtual meeting on Zoom will engage participants in a conversation about which policies might be most effective for Vanderbilt.