UMKC, University of Missouri system

The one, statewide, four-campus University of Missouri is the University of Missouri system. System is not capitalized because it is not part of the official name.

Capitalize the word "University" when it refers to one of the campuses. Capitalize the names of colleges, schools, divisions and centers when using their full, proper name. Capitalize a shortened form of the name when referring to an entity on this campus. (An exception to AP style.)

"Office" is capitalized when it is the full, proper name of an office: "Office of University Communications." In second reference, when not using the full name, it's "the UMKC communication office."

First Reference	Second Reference
Board of Curators	the curators
University of Missouri-Columbia	UMC, UM-Columbia or Columbia campus
University of Missouri-Kansas City	UMKC, UM-Kansas City; Kansas City campus
University of Missouri-Rolla	UMR, UM-Rolla or Rolla campus
University of Missouri-St. Louis	UMSL, UM-St. Louis or St. Louis campus
University of Missouri system	UM system

Official Name/First Reference	Second Reference
University of Missouri-Kansas City	UMKC; the University
College of Arts and Sciences	the College
School of Computing and Engineering	Computing and Engineering School, SCE, the school
Conservatory of Music and Dance (NEW 2006)	the Conservatory
Henry W. Bloch School of Business and Public Administration	the Bloch School
School of Dentistry	the Dental School; the school
School of Education	the Education School; the school
School of Graduate Studies	Graduate Studies
School of Law	the Law School; the school
School of Medicine	the Medical School; the school
Kansas City  Repertory Theatre	KC Rep; the Rep
School of Biological Sciences	Biological Sciences School; the school
School of Nursing	the Nursing School; the school
School of Pharmacy	the Pharmacy School; the school
Department of	Department; the department
Office of	Office; the office
Center of	the center
Swinney Recreation Center	Swinney Rec, SRC
University of Kansas City (UMKC predecessor)	UKC

UMKC Building Names
Also important to a strong institutional identity is the use of correct names and consistent references to campus buildings. Listed below are the official names of UMKC buildings, the abbreviations used for those buildings in class schedules, etc., and the specific building location. The building location is imiportant to use when shipments are being delivered to a department or school by a delivery service or commercial shipper.

UMKC Editorial Standards Guide

 

Jump to letter: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q S T U W X

A

Abbreviations

BEFORE A NAME
Abbreviate the following titles when used before a full name outside direct quotations: Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., the Rev., Sen., and certain military designations. Spell out all others except Dr., Mr., Mrs. when used before a name.

AFTER A NAME
Abbreviate junior or senior after a name. Abbreviate company, corporation, incorporated and limited when used after the name of a corporate entity. Do not use a comma after the designation. Correct: "the Center for Money Studies Inc."

Abbreviations/acronyms in parentheses
Do not follow an organization's name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses. If an abbreviation or acronym would not be clear on second reference, do not use it.

 

Academic degrees

In general usage, spell out the degrees in lowercase letters, using an apostrophe: bachelor's degree, master's degree. For a doctorate, use "doctorate in <name of field>." Use degree abbreviations only when the need to identify individuals by degree on first reference would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use abbreviations only after the full name of a person. "Mike Jones, M.F.A."

Generally, most grammar and style guides indicate periods for all academic degrees. In the academic world, however, MBA is preferred over M.B.A.

In UMKC publications the degree/year format preferred is a parenthetical phrase with degree abbreviation followed by last two digits of the year.
           John Q. Smith (B.A. '81)
           Joanne Smith (B.S. '92, M.F.A. '98)

 

Academic departments

Capitalize the proper names of departments.
             Examples: Department of Theatre; the Theatre Department

General references to the same department are not capitalized:
"the department."

 

Academic Titles

See entry under "Titles."

 

Address

VOLKER CAMPUS
The official mailing address for all UMKC schools, divisions and departments located on the Volker campus is

5100 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110-2499

HOSPITAL HILL CAMPUS
Use these as the return address on all correspondence.

School of Medicine, 2411 Holmes Street
School of Dentistry, 650 E. 25th Street
School of Nursing, 2220 Holmes Street   (To be changed after HSB construction is complete in 2007)

EXCEPTION
The only exception to this rule is when mail is delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to the building. (Example: UMKC Residence Hall), or in the case of music, theater or Conservatory events that are primarily dependent on people attending a specific location.
Example:  "the Performing Arts Center, 4949 Cherry."

Otherwise, refer in printed materials to "our mailing address" and "our location address," or "our building address."

 

Address abbreviations

Abbreviate avenue, boulevard and street in numbered addresses. Correct: Epperson House is on Cherry street. The address is 5200 Cherry St."

 

Adviser

Preferred spelling, all uses. Use in place of "advisor."

 

Alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae

Alumnus (alumni as plural) refers to man or a woman who has attended a school. Alumna (alumnae as plural) is a woman who has attended a school. Alumni refers to a group of men and women.

B

Black

Acceptable in all references. The term "black" is lower case. The term "African American" is used when requested. Don't hyphenate African American unless used as an adjective.

            Example: "He is an African-American scholar."

 

BkMk Press

Capitalize as indicated.
Pronounced "bookmark."

 

Board of Curators

Always capitalized, if used as a complete phrase. Secondary reference is lowercase, as in "the curators."

 

Board of directors, board of trustees

Lowercase if not used with the full title of the organization.

Brand, UMKC
             UMKC's brand refers to the UMKC brand system, which includes the logo and the characteristics
             UMKC that are authentic to the institution itself and relevant to the needs of students, faculty/staff
             and alumni. The official guide to specifications and uses is at http://www.umkc.edu/brand.

C

Campus designations

Volker campus, Truman campus, Hospital Hill, Columbia campus, Rolla campus, St. Louis campus.

 

Chair, Chairperson, Chairman, Chairwoman

"Chair" or "chair person" is suitable for all general references to the person leading a group. If a formal title of a specific group, "chairman," "chairwoman" or "chairperson" may be substituted.

 

Child care, child-care

Two words, unhyphenated, unless used as an adjective.
Examples:
           "Child care is a growing industry."
          "Glenda is a child-care expert."

 

Complement/Compliment

           "Complement" means completes something or helps bring it to completeness. "Compliment"
          refers to  an expression of thanks, admiration or appreciation.

      "That tie complements the suit."
      "Thanks for the compliment on the suit."

 

Compose, Comprise

          Think of compose as more general than comprise, which includes specific things. Also, while
         "composed of" is correct, "comprised of" is not correct.

      "The salad was composed of strawberry gelatin, cream cheese and crushed pretzels."

                  "His argument comprised five areas."

 

Coordinating Board for Higher Education

Sometimes misused as Coordinating Board of ...

 

Coursework

At UMKC, it's one word.

 

Curators

Capitalize the full, proper title of the governing body: "Board of Curators." Do not capitalize "the curators" or "the board."

 

Curators' Professor

Always a plural possessive, always capitalized, even after a name.

D

Dean

Capitalize only when used as a formal title before the full name.
Example:
          "Dean Mike McIntosh."

             When a formal title follows a name, the title is lower case because it serves the purpose of  adding
           information about the person rather than emphasizing the title and name relationship.
            Example:
                        "Mike Samuel McIntosh, dean of the School of Architectural Studies, says..."

Despite/In spite of
            When referring to something happening even in the face of certain circumstances,  "Despite" is correct

Dr.

In first reference, UMKC style is to use the academic degree initials. i.e., "Bill Montgomery, M.D." or "Stan Reaser, Ph.D." For clarity to the public, Associated Press and UMKC style is to reserve "Dr." before the name for someone who is a practitioner of healing arts - not for holders of doctoral degrees. Exception: UMKC commencement and Convocation programs.

E

E-mail

The "e" is not capitalized unless it's the first word of a sentence.
Examples: "My e-mail didn't get through."  "E-mail is a great tool."

 

Emerita, emeriti, emeritus

Emeritus denotes a male; emerita, a female; emeriti denotes either gender. Place the word after the formal title, capitalizing when used before a name, but not after.

 

Equity biographies

Exceptions to title styles are allowed in accordance with rules of the actors' union. Check with the information specialist for the Rep, 816 235-1579, for more specific guidelines.

F

Flarsheim Hall

The official name of this building is the Robert H. Flarsheim Science and Technology Hall. Flarsheim Hall is suitable for most purposes.

 

Fundraiser; fundraising,

Current usages of these terms is to not hyphenate them. Correct usage of these word depends on the context and whether it's serving as a noun or as a compound modifier.
Examples:
"Fundraising is difficult."
"Let's go to that fundraiser."
"They planned a fundraising campaign."
"A fundraiser was hired."

 

Faculty

Refers to a teacher or a body of teachers within a school or university.  Often, "faculty" is used to indicate more than one. When indicating plural, however, it is clearer to non-academic audiences to say "faculty members are..."

G

Grade Point Average

In general, spell out on first reference; G.P.A. or GPA after that. Usually, the abbreviation GPA can be used with figures:
"He earned a 3.99 GPA in biology."

H

Health care

Two words. If used as an modifier, hyphenate. Example:
"He is in favor of health-care reform."

I

Internet

A reference to a decentralized network of host computers. Always capitalized if referring to the worldwide network. Lowercase if referring to simple networks.

Imply, Infer
           These similar words are not interchangeable. "Imply" is a suggestion. "Infer" means to decide on
           something from facts or evidence.
                     "Are you implying that I'm guilty?"
                    "From what you said, I infer you think I'm guilty!"

K

Kansas City, Mo.

This is the proper abbreviation when referring to the city. Don't use KCMO or K.C., Mo. When referring to the city and the area surrounding it, use Greater Kansas City area.

 

Kansas City Repertory Theatre

Spell as indicated. On second reference, write in entirety or use "the Rep."

L

Logo

There are specific policies regarding the use of the University of Missouri, its official seal and the UMKC logo and its use in conveying the UMKC brand. For specific information, go to www.umkc.edu/brand.

M

Midwest

"Midwest" is preferred: "Missouri is in the Midwest." For adjectives: "Missouri is a midwestern state."

 

Midnight

This term stands alone. Do not put a "12" in front. "12 a.m." also is acceptable.

 

Missouri Relay Phone Numbers

When using a University phone number for response or more information in printed materials, a requirement of the Americans With Disabilities Act is that additional phone numbers be listed.

"People with speech or hearing impairments may contact the University by using Relay Missouri, 1-800-735-2966 (TT) or 1-800-735-2466 (voice). "

A truncated version is acceptable:
Missouri Relay:  1-800-735-2966 (TT); 1-800-735-2466 (voice)

 

Months

Capitalize in all uses. When used with a specific date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov., Dec. Do not abbreviate March, April, May, June or July.

N

Noon

This term stands alone. Do not put a "12" in front of it. "12 p.m." also is acceptable.

O

off of, off

Off will work nicely, as in "Get off my back!" "Off of " is redundant and a bulky construction.

 

online

Use "online" in all references, rather than "on-line."

P

Percent

One word. Do not use % unless in tabular material. Percent takes a singular verb when standing alone or when a singular word follows an "of" construction.
"She collected 50 percent to win the election."
Percent takes a a plural verb when a plural word follows an "of" construction.
"More than 40 percent of the students came to the meeting."

 

Pierson Auditorium

Formerly referred to as "Pierson Hall," this room is in the University Center. Include reference to University Center to avoid having those unfamiliar with UMKC looking for a "Pierson Auditorium" building.

 

p.m., a.m.

Lowercase and use periods. Avoid redundancies such as "8 p.m. tonight." If your seminar is from 10 in the morning to 6 in the evening, write "10 a.m. -6 p.m." rather than 10-6. Most people won't show up at 10 p.m., but it always helps to be clear.

Q

Quadrangle, the Quad

A UMKC reference to the area on the Volker campus bounded by Scofield Hall, Newcomb Hall, Royall Hall, Haag Hall and Flarsheim Hall. If used as a general reference to a rectangular green space at a university or college, use as lower case: "Notre Dame's quadrangle."

S

Seasons

Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter. Capitalize only if part of a formal name: "Kansas City Spring Festival." At UMKC, Fall Semester, Winter Semester and Summer Session are formal names.

Other uses: "Fall 2007; "Winter and Summer 2007"

 

State names

When using with an address for mailing purposes, such as when listing a University address, it's acceptable to use the two-letter state codes designated by the U.S. Postal Service.

In running text, use regular (Associated Press) abbreviations, such as Kan., Mo., Ark., Neb., Okla., Ill.

Eight states are never abbreviated in running text: Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Maine, Ohio, Texas, Utah.

T

That/Which

"That" is used to restrict meaning and "which" is used to elaborate.
         "The bonds that are to be used for the new building will be paid in 2010."
          "The bonds, which were issued in 2000, will be paid off in 2010."

 

Titles

Confine capitalization to formal titles used directly before an individual's name. Lowercase and spell out titles used alone: "The vice chancellor for academic affairs issued a memo." Lowercase and spell out titles in constructions that set them off from a name by commas: "The UM System president, Bill Johansen, was available for questions after the meeting."

FORMAL TITLES

Capitalize formal titles when they are used immediately before one or more names: President Teddy Roosevelt, Pope Benedict.

A formal title generally is one that denotes a scope of authority, professional activity or academic accomplishment so specific that the designation becomes almost as much an integral part of an individual's identity as a proper name itself: Gov. Smith. Other titles serve primarily as occupational descriptions: anchorperson Katie Couric, humorist Dave Barry.

ABBREVIATED TITLES

The following formal titles are capitalized and abbreviated as shown when used before a name outside quotations: "Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Rep., Sen." and certain military ranks. Spell out all except "Dr." when they are used in quotations.

PAST AND FUTURE TITLES

A formal title that an individual formerly held, is about to hold or holds temporarily is capitalized if used before the person's name, but do not capitalize the qualifying word: former President Carter, interim Vice Chancellor Mary Smith.

LONG TITLES

Separate a long title from a name by a construction that requires a comma: "Agapito Mendoza, vice provost for affirmative action and academic personnel, asked for the application forms."

UNIQUE TITLES

If the title applies only to one person in an organization, insert the word "the" in a construction that uses commas:
"Joe Jefferson, the deputy secretary, spoke to the group."

ACADEMIC TITLES

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as professor, dean, president, chancellor, chairman, etc., when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere: "former Chancellor and Provost Eleanor Brantley Schwartz;" or "George Russell, former chancellor, spoke at the event."

Lowercase modifiers such as "political science," as in "political science Professor Ben Martin" or "department" in "department Chairman Burton Dunbar."

COMPOSITION TITLES

Apply these guidelines to book titles, movie titles, opera titles, play titles, poem titles, song titles, television program titles, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art.

Capitalize the principal words, including prepositions and conjunctions of four or more letters in all examples.

Capitalize an article - a, an, the - or words of fewer than four letters only if it is the first or last word in the title.

Italicize major works and the names of magazines, books, journals and newspapers: Time magazine.

Capitalize the names of motion pictures, radio and TV programs: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Frazier.

Quote marks around the names of articles appearing in magazines, newspapers or journals, i.e., "Analysis of Antitoxins in Pharmacology," or the names of art exhibitions, i.e., "Still Life: Photography at Its Best."

COURTESY TITLES

Use "Mr.," "Mrs.," "Miss" only in obituaries, in reference to couples, in direct quotations or where essential for effect, as in editorials and critiques. In particular, do not use the terms with surnames after first reference.

Refer to married women by their first names and surnames and without the term "Mrs." unless only the husband's first name is known. Refer to single women by the first names and surnames without the term "Miss" or "Ms."

DOCTOR, DR.

In news releases and other materials prepared for media use, comply with industry-wide standards of style. "M.D." or "D.D.S." or "Ph.D." after a name makes it clear for the reader. When writing for general audiences, reserve "Dr." only for practitioners of the healing arts (including osteopaths, dentists, psychologists, optometrists and chiropractors).

In general, the preferred form for mention of academic degrees is to use a phrase such as "Jim Phillips, who has a doctorate in physics ...."

In articles and materials prepared for academic audiences or on-campus use, or in materials where the credentials of the person are necessary to establish credibility, the title "Dr." may be used for holders of Ph.D. or honorary degrees.

However, care should be taken that the individual's specialty is stated in first or second reference. The only exception would be a story in which the context left no doubt that the person was a dentist, psychologist, chemist, etc.

Do not continue the use of "Dr." in subsequent references.

LEGISLATIVE TITLES
Use "Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens." as formal titles before one or more names in regular text. Spell out and capitalize these titles before one or more names in a direct quotation. Spell out and lowercase "representative" and "senator" in other uses.

Spell out other legislative titles in all uses. Capitalize when they are used before a name. Lowercase in other uses.

Add "U.S." or "state" before a title only if necessary to avoid confusion.

Do not use legislative titles before a name on second reference unless they are part of a direct quotation.

MILITARY TITLES

Check with the AP Stylebook for specific rules regarding military titles.

 

MUSIC TITLES

Check with the the Conservatory of Music and Dance for specific guidelines on musical composition titles, 816-235-2229.

RELIGIOUS TITLES

Consult the AP Stylebook for specific guidelines on use of religious titles.

 

toward, towards

It's "toward," not "towards."

 

try and/try to

Correct: "She will try to pass the test."

Incorrect: "She will try and pass the test."

U

University of Kansas City

Prior to being UMKC, the University was the private University of Kansas City. UKC (often referred to by its alumni as "KCU,") was chartered in 1929, but classes were first held in fall 1933. The anniversary year for UKC/UMKC is officially 1933.

 

U.S., United States

Use the abbreviated form for the United States as an adjective, but the full name when used as a noun. Examples: "The U.S. policy is under scrutiny." "The United States is joining the cause."

 

use, utilize

Grammar experts note no discernible reason to substitute "utilize" for "use," because they have the same meaning. Rene Cappon, in Guide to Good Writing" says "Why choose the longer and ugly word over the short and crisp one? Use use."

W

Web site

Use as two words: "web site."

 

World Wide Web

On second reference, it's acceptable as "the Web."

X

X-ray

It's "X-ray," always capital "x."

Language About Disabilities
A disability is defined as a functional limitation. That includes any physical, sensory or mental condition.

To avoid reinforcing negative images and myths, use words and images that cast persons with disabilities in a positive light. For instance:

• Avoid tear-jerking stories. Instead of writing a story that makes the reader feel sorry for the person with a disability, focus on issues that affect that person's quality of life.
• Avoid portraying someone as a victim. Using phrases such as "victim of" or "suffers from" sensationalizes the situation. A better way of saying the same thing would be "a person who has multiple sclerosis" or "a man who had polio."
• Avoid labeling people. Instead of saying, "the retarded," or "the deaf," say "people with mental retardation" or "people who are deaf." Mention the person first, not the disability. For instance, use "a girl who is deaf," not "a deaf girl."
• Emphasize a person's abilities, not limitation. As an example, say "uses a wheelchair," rather than "confined to a wheelchair." Outdated, negative terms have been replaced with more positive terminology.

Some examples are listed.

Use	Don't Use
cleft lip, cleft palate	hare lip
congenital disability	birth defect
Down's syndrome	Mongol or Mongoloid
disability	handicap
mental illness	crazy, maniac, lunatic, demented
short stature	dwarf, midget
without speech	mute, dumb
blind	partially sighted
persons with disabilities	special
learning disabilities	slow learner, retarded

Also avoid these terms: handicapable, mentally different, physically inconvenient and physically challenged.

Avoiding Sexist Wording
Use these guidelines to avoid offending a reading audience:

Use a gender-neutral term when speaking generically about people.

Instead of	Use
mankind	people
manpower	personnel
mothering	nurturing
to man	to operate

 

Avoid gender-marked titles. Use neutral terms when sensible ones are available.
 

Instead of	Use
chairman	moderator
foreman	supervisor
mailman	postal worker

If you are speaking of someone who holds a position and you know the gender, use the appropriate pronoun. Examples:
          "The head nurse filed his report."
          "The doctor conducted her study."

To avoid the awkward "his/her" structure, recast to plural.

From
          "Each student must meet with his adviser."
To
          "Students must meet with their advisers."
 

1. Address your readers directly in the second person.

   From
              "The applicant must mail his form by Thursday."
   To
            "Mail your form by Thursday."
    

2. Replace third person singular possessives with articles.

   From
            "Each child wrote in his notebook."
   To
            "Each child wrote in a notebook."
    

3. Write your way out of the problem by using the passive voice. (This should be a last-ditch effort, because it is usually preferable to use the active voice in writing.)

   From
             "Each trainer developed his tests."
   To
            "The tests were developed by each trainer."
    

4. Use a third person singular pronoun to refer to a third person singular antecedent, unless you are sure your audience is as willing as you are to break the rules of English grammar.

            "Every student should do his or her homework thoroughly."
            "All students should do their homework thoroughly."
    

5. Avoid "s/he," "he/she," and "his/her." They look awkward and interfere when someone is trying to read a text aloud. If you can't apply one of the other guidelines, use "he or she," and "his and hers."