Ithaca College Editorial Standards
Contents: Academic Degrees; Acronyms; Ages, Events, and Movements; Alphabetization; Awards;
Compound Modifiers; Computer/Internet Terms; Course Titles; Numbers and Numerals; Personal,
Organizational, and Place Names; Plurals; Possessives; Serial Comma; Spelling; Sports Terms;
“The”; Time, Date, and Calendar Designations; Titles and Offices; Titles of Works; “U.S.”
This guide is by no means an exhaustive collection of the college’s editorial policies, but it does
attempt to cover the most common or problematic issues found in copy for publications and websites.
Note: In general, the first styling of a place, program, or unit is the full, formal name of the unit and
is preferred for first reference. Other listings may be used for subsequent references.
Academic Degrees
Full names of degrees are lowercase; abbreviations are uppercase and take periods:
bachelor of science degree in chemistry, bachelor’s degree in chemistry, B.S. in chemistry
master’s degree in music, master of arts in music education, M.A. in music education, holds two
master’s degrees
master of business administration, M.B.A.
doctorate in English, Ph.D.
[NB: As at many other colleges and universities, “Dr.” is used to designate the holder of a medical,
not an academic, degree. To pithily indicate the possession of a doctorate, the following format may
be used: history professor Emily Reynolds, Ph.D.]
Degrees and Class Years
George Doe ’67
George Doe ’97, M.S. ’98
Judy Smith Doe, M.B.A. ’04, has been promoted to vice president.
the class of 1992, the class of ’92, the senior class
If there is a discrepancy between the graduation year in Advance and in the registrar’s records, go by
the preferred year in Advance. In most cases, editors/writers should fact check with the source to see
what the alumnus/a considers his or her graduation year.
Acronyms
The following acronyms may be listed without the spelled-out version, in appropriate contexts—i.e.,
where the audience will immediately recognize the reference and/or where spelling it out only adds
confusion.
ALANA: African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
GED: general equivalency diploma
GPA: grade point average
HEGIS: Higher Education General Information Survey
HOME: Housing Offering Multicultural Experience
IC 20/20: The college's strategic plan to transform the student learning experience
ICC: Integrative Core Curriculum
ICNYC: IC's program in New York City
INVOLVED: [Intelligently navigating volunteer opportunities and leadership values for the
educationally determined]
LGBT: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association
PECS: portable equipment center and services
Ages, Events, and Movements
Ages
the Bronze Age, Iron Age, Ice Age
the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation
the nuclear age, the information age [Chicago recommends lowercasing modern periods]
Events
American Revolution, Industrial Revolution
the baby boom, baby boomers
the civil rights movement
the cold war
the Great Depression, the Depression
Prohibition
September 11; 9/11
Movements
art deco, art nouveau
baroque
impressionism
modernism, postmodernism
Romanesque [uppercased because derived from a proper noun]
romanticism, romantic
Alphabetization
We alphabetize letter by letter, as in dictionaries, rather than word by word, as in telephone
directories. In the letter-by-letter system, alphabetizing continues up to the first comma or
parenthesis; word spaces and all other punctuation marks are ignored. Exception: Institutional
Advancement alphabetizes lists of donor names word for word.
Abbreviations
Acronyms and other abbreviations are alphabetized as they appear, not according to their spelled-out
versions: FBI, Fears, Saint-Gaudens, St. Denis. Numerals that begin entries, however, are
alphabetized as though they were spelled out.
Personal Names
Family names containing particles (de, von, la, etc.) are alphabetized according to traditional or
national usages: Beauvoir, Simone de; Beethoven, Ludwig van; de Gaulle, Charles. Compound
family names are alphabetized according to the first element: Lloyd George, David; Vaughan
Williams, Ralph.
Personal names that serve as names of businesses or organizations are usually alphabetized under the
first name or initials: Franziska Racker Centers, J. C. Penney Company, John Heinz Institute of
Rehabilitative Medicine. Exception: Institutional Advancement alphabetizes personal names that
serve as organization names by the last name. Example: Walt Disney Company appears under the
D’s.
Sample alphabetized list using these principles:
Simone de Beauvoir
Ludwig van Beethoven
Peter Dabson
Anne Da Cunha
Michael C. Daniels
Dave Smith’s Auto Service
John and Marcia Dean-Smith
Matthew L. DeCarlo
Edward Decker Jr.
D P Dough
FBI
February in July Ski Center
Ferris Bueller Day Care Services
Franziska Racker Centers
Mary Lamson
David Lloyd George
Michael O’Brien
Sandra Olson
Dave Smith
10 Downing Street
Ralph Vaughan Williams
Awards
Specific names of awards, prizes, and medals are capitalized. Categories within those prizes are
lowercased.
Academy Award for best actress, best actress Oscar
Alpha Epsilon Rho Award for audio documentary
Dean’s Award
dean’s list
Emmy Award, a regional Emmy Award, three Emmys for directing
Los Angeles Times Book Award [NB: Do not italicize names of periodicals if they’re part of an
award name.]
Purple Heart
College and University Designations
We use ACE’s Accredited Institutions of Postsecondary Education as our reference guide for the
official names of colleges; commonly cited institutions are listed below. The searchable/sortable list
is available at www2.acenet.edu/resources/memberdirectory/ [NB: The SUNY institutions are treated
a bit differently, following common usage.]
State University of New York at Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Stony Brook; SUNY Albany, etc. (on
second reference)
State University of New York College at Cortland, Fredonia, etc.; SUNY Cortland, Fredonia, etc.
(second reference). Exception: Since Buffalo has both a state college and a state university,
use Buffalo State and SUNY Buffalo, respectively, on second reference to avoid confusion.
University of California, Los Angeles
University of North Carolina at Greensboro
University of Wisconsin–Madison
Compound Modifiers
As a general guideline, compound modifiers are open or hyphenated before the noun, and open after
the noun: she was well known; a well-known authority on British history. If there’s a chance of
ambiguity, it’s better to hyphenate: a high school reunion, graduate studies programs, a thoughtprovoking lecture, a first-year student, an off-campus apartment, non-English-speaking nations.
Compounds that include proper nouns or “ly” adverbs are never hyphenated in either position:a
Supreme Court justice, Middle Eastern countries, a rarely invoked section of Chicago.
Compound terms with “American”—African American, Hungarian American, Native American,
etc.—are always open, whether noun or adjective.
Computer/Internet Terms
database, download
email, but e-book, e-blast, e-commerce, e-newsletter
hardwired, hypertext
HomerConnect
Intercom; the “Welcome to Ithaca College” article in Intercom; the Ithaca College Student
Handbook [an online document], the student handbook
the Internet
log-in (n.), log in (v.); log-on (n.), log on (v.); log-out (n.), log out (v.)
online (no hyphen), off-line
URL, URLs; ithaca.edu [NB: (1) “http://” is not needed; (2) normal sentence punctuation should be
used (Find out about our offerings at ithaca.edu.), with exceptions made for ad copy. Do not
include the www on any websites (internal or external), unless that particular site will not
work without it. When a URL must be broken over a line in printed works, break the link
before rather than after a slash (/).
the World Wide Web, the web; web page, web designer; website, webcast, webmaster
website titles: lowercase and roman when generic: home page, Ithaca College home page, art history
home page; title case, roman, and quotes when substantive: the “Guide to Ithaca, NY” page.
Software and Languages
Official names of computer software, networks, languages, and the like are capitalized; generic terms
are not: Microsoft Word, a word-processing program; Internet Explorer, a browser. Common IC
examples: Web Profile Manager, Faculty Home Page Builder, Major Finder, PowerPoint.
Course Titles
Official names of courses are title case (also called headline style): Cases in Contemporary
Management, the contemporary management course; Introduction to Photography, the introductory
photography course.
Forms, Plans, and Tests
Forms
College Admissions Forms
College Scholarship Service Profile application, the Profile application, CSS Profile
Common Application
Free Application for Federal Student Aid, FAFSA [It should not be referred to as the FAFSA
application.]
On-Campus Forms
travel authorization form, expense report form, health certification form
Plans
Bonus Bucks [the specific dollar amounts that are included as part of most student board plans and
that can be used to buy food on campus]
ID Express
institutional plan, the college’s strategic plan [“Ithaca College Institutional Plan” when referring to
the document itself]
campus master plan, facilities plan [“Ithaca College Master Plan Report”]
Tests
ACT
Graduate Management Admission Test, GMAT
Graduate Record Examination, GRE
New York State Teacher Certification Examinations
SAT; SAT subject test(s)
Test of English as a Foreign Language, TOEFL
Numbers and Numerals
Spell out numbers one through nine and their corresponding ordinals, and use numerals for larger
numbers: e.g., three blind mice, 24 blackbirds baked in a pie; the second out of the ninth inning, the
21st century. Such multiples as one hundred or nine thousand may also be spelled out. When the
number begins a sentence or course title, spell it out: Twenty-five students are taking TwentiethCentury American Drama this semester.
If the same category contains numbers both above and below nine, use numerals within that
category: The two tennis players had each won 14 matches and lost 7.
Use a comma in numbers with four or more digits—e.g., 3,256—unless the numbers refer to pages or
addresses.
Currency
If a number is spelled out, then the currency amount is as well: Cigars used to be five cents each.
Those tickets cost $35.
If fractional dollar amounts are included, then zeros must be used for whole dollars: Tickets are $35
for the general public, $20 for students. but Tickets are $35.00 for the general public, $29.50 for
students.
Percentages
Use numerals for percentages, even in running text. The percent symbol (%) may be used in tables,
but in non-scientific running text, write out the word: Only 6 percent of the residents filled out the
survey.
Personal, Organizational, and Place Names
Use the biographical and geographical sections of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary for the
preferred spelling of names, including the use of diacritics.
Personal and Organizational Names
Do not use a comma before Jr. or roman numerals that are part of the name: John F. Kennedy Jr.,
Richard III.
Maiden names precede married names and are not placed in parentheses or quotation marks:
Elizabeth Smith Brown ’90.
Do not use “Inc.” or “Ltd.” in running text unless absolutely necessary; when they must be included,
do not use a comma: Time Inc. publishes Time magazine.
Use diacritics for proper names whenever feasible: Héctor Vélez-Guadalupe (Vélez on second
reference). However, if certain diacritics (e.g., haceks) can’t be typeset or replicated on a website, it’s
better not to use any accents at all: either Dvořák or Dvorak, but not Dvorák.
Place Names
the Arctic, Arctic Circle, arctic breezes blowing through Ithaca
the Bay Area
Central America, Central American countries, central Europe (unless referring to the political
division)
central New York, upstate New York
the Commons, the downtown Ithaca Commons, the Town of Ithaca (as a political entity)
the Continent [Europe], continental breakfast
DeWitt Park
the earth, Earth
the East, the East Coast, eastern; the Middle East; eastern Europe (unless referring to the political
division)
the Finger Lakes
Jönköping University in Sweden
the Midwest, midwestern, a midwesterner
New York State, the state of New York; Washington State, the state of Washington
the North/the South, northern/southern (but Northern/Southern in Civil War contexts); the Northwest,
northwestern, the Southern Tier, South Florida, southern Florida, Southern California
the Old World, the third world, the iron curtain
the West, West Coast, western United States; the Western world (considered as a cultural entity)
Plurals
Latin-Based Words
We use the first plural listed in Webster’s.
alumnus, alumni; alumna, alumnae [NB: “Alumni” is not singular, despite common usage. “Alum”
should be used only in informal contexts.]
curriculum, curricula
professor emeritus, professors emeriti; professor emerita, professors emeritae
President Emerita, when title comes before the name. (President Emerita Peggy Ryan Williams)
Letter Grades
Plurals of letter grades do not take an apostrophe before the s: She gave out more As than Bs this
semester.
Names
When a generic term is capitalized as part of an official name, the plural used with another name is
also capitalized: Mounts Baker and Rainier, Cayuga and Seneca Lakes, the Berlin and London
Symphony Orchestras.
Possessive
In general, for possessives of singular nouns add an apostrophe and an s; for plural nouns ending in s,
add only an apostrophe: the professor’s lecture, the three professors’ impressive credentials. This
general rule also applies to proper nouns: Dickens’s novels, Marx’s theories, the Williamses’
reception.
Serial Comma
To avoid ambiguity, use commas to separate all items in a series: a, b, and c.
If the items contain internal punctuation or are complex, use semicolons instead of commas: He
thanked his wife, Linda; his parents, Herb and Doris Miller; and his children, Joshua, Jennifer, and
Jacob.
Spelling
In the case of alternate spellings or plurals, we use the first entry in Webster’s.
advisor
birthdate
catalog
check-in (n.), check in (v.)
checkout (n.), check out (v.)
coauthor, cochair, cocurricular, coeditor, coworker
coursework, classwork, fieldwork
cross country (noun), cross-country (adj.)
dialogue, monologue
dietitian
extracurricular
first-year student, rather than freshman
flier [one that flies]; flyer [an advertising circular]
freelance
full-time, part-time [adj. or adv.]
fundraising, fundraisers
health care
in residence, artist in residence, fellow in residence, professional in residence
lifestyle
“like”: catlike, childlike, bell-like, Truman-like
“long”: hourlong, daylong, weeklong, yearlong, semester-long
midsemester, mid-19th century, mid-19th-century literature
multicultural, multidisciplinary
nonprofit, nondegree, nondonor, nonsmoking; non-English major, non-music major
on campus, off campus [adv.], on-campus, off-campus [adj.]: The master class takes place on
campus. She lives in an off-campus apartment.
online, off-line
phonathon
preconcert, premed, prelaw, preoptometry, preregistration
sight-reading, sight-singing
Social Security number
theater, theatergoer, unless when used in the context of Ithaca College Theatre
Ithaca College Theatre, Department of Theatre, Ithaca College theatre major: Theatre should be
spelled RE whenever referencing the Ithaca College theatre department or programs, and in
any text that runs in conjunction with said terms. It should be spelled ER in all other
instances.
toll-free number, number is toll-free
underrepresented
upperclass student, rather than upperclassman [returning students where applicable]
vice president
website, worksite
“wide”: worldwide, citywide, campuswide, university-wide, college-wide
Sports Terms
all-American (adj. and noun), unless it’s part of official name, e.g., GTE All-America Team, but
GTE academic all-American
Bomber or Bombers—either may be used attributively: Bomber gridiron staff, Bombers football
game
IC awards: Iris Carnell Senior Female Athlete of the Year, Ben Light Senior Athlete of the Year.
Usage: She received the Iris Carnell Senior Female Athlete of the Year award; she is the Iris
Carnell senior female athlete of the year.
coach of the year, New York State crew coach of the year, ECAC coach of the year
NCAA Woman of the Year award, she was named woman of the year
NCAA Division III Outdoor Track Championships, NCAA track championship
NCAA regionals, ECAC playoffs, the “final four”
preseason, postseason
RBI (singular), RBIs (plural)
region 3 of the NCAA, NCAA eastern region
runner-up, runners-up
Learfield Sports Directors’ Cup [presented by the National Association of College Directors of
Athletics (NACDA) and formerly known as the Sears Directors’ Cup and the United States
Sports Academy Directors’ Cup]
“The”
With some exceptions—e.g., titles of books, plays, and operas—“the” is generally not capitalized,
even if it’s part of a nickname or the official name of a company, group, or periodical.
The Old Man and the Sea, The Chicago Manual of Style
The Last Supper, The Marriage of Figaro
the New York Times, the New Yorker
the Ithacan, the Cayugan
the Swedish Nightingale, Catherine the Great
the Park Foundation, the Gap, the Beatles
the League of Women Voters
the Statue of Liberty, the Oval Office, the Bois de Boulogne
Time, Date, and Calendar Designations
Time
Do not use zeros in even hours and lowercase a.m. and p.m.: 3 p.m., 12:30 a.m. The abbreviations may
be omitted if the context is clear: The morning flight to Philadelphia leaves at 10:15.
Use the word “noon” for the midday hour—it is neither 12 a.m. nor 12 p.m.; 12 m. is
accurate but extremely obscure. Midnight is properly 12 p.m., but using the word rather
than the numerals eliminates the possibility of confusion.
Dates
Follow the format month-day-year and use cardinal numbers, not ordinals: On May 5, 2004, she
received her diploma.
No comma is used when only the month and year are used: She received her diploma in May 2004.
Decades use numerals, with no apostrophe before the s: The 1960s were a time of hope as well as
upheaval. People nowadays are surprisingly nostalgic for the ’80s and even the ’90s.
Inclusive years take an en dash and the second year may be abbreviated: the academic year 1998–99,
the Civil War of 1861–64. Note the exceptions, however, for multiples of 100 and 1,000: the
academic year 2000–2001, the fiscal year 2001–2. [NB: In book titles and optionally in headings, use
the format 2001–2002: Ithaca College Undergraduate Catalog, 2001–2002.]
Calendar
Days of the week and months of the year are uppercased; the four seasons are lowercased: Monday,
November, summer.
Holidays or specially designated time periods are uppercased: the Fourth of July, Rosh Hashanah,
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Latino Heritage Month.
Titles and Offices
Title Case
The primary rules for capitalizing words in title case—e.g., for titles of books or academic courses,
or in displayed headings—include the following:
Uppercase the first and last words, no matter what part of speech.
Uppercase “major” words—e.g., nouns and pronouns, verbs, adverbs, and adjectives.
Lowercase articles.
Lowercase the conjunctions and, but, for, or, nor.
Lowercase prepositions, regardless of length. There are only a few exceptions: when the prepositions
are used as conjunctions, adverbs, or adjectives or when they are stressed. [NB: The latter
exception should be used sparingly; it is, however, appropriate for the following college
programs: IC After Dark, the film series Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen.]
Examples:
The Case for Sustainability: Four Things to Think About
Your Legacy but Their Future
Analysis of Music since 1900
Gearing Up for the Discussion concerning the Business School
For compounds requiring a hyphen, always capitalize the first element. Capitalize subsequent
elements unless they are prepositions or sharps and flats in music composition names.
Examples:
Anti-Establishment Methods for Stopping Under-the-Counter Transactions
A Run-of-the-Mill Performance of the E-flat Piano Sonata
Academic and Professional Titles
Do not capitalize titles in mailing addresses in running text: For more information contact the
coordinator of music admission, School of Music, . . .
In general, titles before a name are capitalized when they may be seen as part of the name or as a
form of address; when they act as appositives (that is, when they modify the name), they are
lowercased. (Note, however, that Chicago makes exceptions for named professorships. Note, also,
that titles don’t have to be used every time—once a title has been given, the last name is sufficient,
and often preferred, for subsequent references.) Representative examples are given below.
Administration/Staff
Ithaca College president Thomas Rochon; President Thomas Rochon; President Rochon; the
president
provost and vice president for educational affairs Benjamin Rifkin; Provost Rifkin; the provost
music school dean Karl Paulnack; Dean Karl Paulnack; Dean Paulnack, the dean
associate dean Barbara Howard; Barbara Howard, the associate dean
vice president for finance and administration Gerald Hector; Vice President Gerald Hector; Vice
President Hector; the vice president
President Emeritus Ellis Phillips Jr., former college president Ellis Phillips Jr., former president
Phillips
President Emerita Peggy Ryan Williams
associate vice president of information technology services and chief information officer Keith McIntosh; Keith
McIntosh, the associate vice president of information technology services and chief information officer
head coach Mike Welch, football coach Mike Welch, Coach Mike Welch, Coach Welch
director of student financial services Lisa Hoskey; Lisa Hoskey, the director of student financial services
Faculty
professor of management William Tastle; William Tastle, professor of management
associate professor of exercise and sport sciences Greg Shelley, associate professor Greg Shelley
Dana Professor of Anthropology Michael Malpass; Michael Malpass, Dana Professor of
Anthropology
professor emerita of writing; professor emerita Mary Ann Rishel; Professor Rishel
Military, Religious, and Civil
General Omar Bradley, General Bradley, the five-star general Omar Bradley
the pope, Pope Francis
the Reverend John Foster, Rev. Foster, the minister
John Kerry, secretary of state; the secretary of state; Secretary of State Kerry; Secretary Kerry
Titles of Works
Titles of cultural works take title case. In general, shorter works are roman and use quotation marks,
while longer ones are italicized. If the title of an italicized work is included within another, use
quotation marks: My Life in New Zealand: How I Learned to Love “Lord of the Rings.”
Art
With the exception of a few classical pieces, titles of artworks are italicized: Leonardo da Vinci’s
Mona Lisa, The Thinker by Rodin, Untitled by Anonymous, North Dome by Ansel Adams,
the Venus de Milo.
Full names of exhibitions are italicized: The Other Side of Us at the Handwerker, the Handwerker’s
faculty art exhibit.
Regularly appearing cartoons and comic strips are italicized: Dilbert, Doonesbury.
Film, Television, and Radio
Titles of movies are italicized.
Titles of TV and radio series are italicized; individual episodes are roman and quotes: “The One with
the Monkey” episode of Friends.
Foreign Titles
Titles in a foreign language should be sentence style, i.e., the first word and anything capitalized in
running text in that language should be uppercased: Le rouge et le noir, Die Fledermaus.
Musical Compositions
Song titles are roman and quoted, while the titles of long musical compositions, like operas, are
italicized: the “La vendetta” from The Marriage of Figaro, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from
Carousel, Finlandia. NB: Generic names of musical compositions are capitalized but not quoted or
italicized: Symphony in B Major, Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, the Adagio movement from
the Fifth Symphony, the Jupiter Symphony
Publications
Titles of short stories and poems are roman and quoted; novels and long poems are italicized, but
generic sections are roman and lowercased: Frost’s “Stopping by Woods,” Dante’s Inferno,
chapter 3 in The Catcher in the Rye.
Plays of all lengths are italicized: act 1 of Romeo and Juliet.
Magazines, journals, and other periodicals are italicized; sections or individual articles are roman and
quoted: the “Talk of the Town” department in the New Yorker.
Titles of websites are generally set in roman without quotation marks and capitalized headline-style,
but titles that are analogous to books or other types of publications may be styled accordingly. Titled
sections or pages within a website should be placed in quotation marks. Specific titles of blogs—
which are analogous to periodicals—should be set in italics; titles of blog entries (analogous to
articles in a periodical) should be in quotation marks
Marketing Communications publications
ICView - the magazine of Ithaca College [There should not be a space between IC and View, and ICView
should be italicized]
Ithaca College Fuse - the magazine for prospective students of Ithaca College, italicized
U.S.
Use the abbreviation in running text only as an adjective; otherwise, spell it out: He was born in the
United States. The cost for one night’s stay at the Montreal hotel was quoted in U.S. dollars.
OFFICIAL NAMES AND PLACES AT ITHACA COLLEGE
Contents: Academic Units; Acronyms; Associations, Groups, and Organizations; Buildings and
Rooms; Campus Events; Divisions, Offices, Centers, Outdoor Areas, and Services; Grants,
Fellowships, and Scholarships; Programs, Institutes, and Series
Academic Units
Ithaca College, Ithaca, the college, IC [usually reserved for informal contexts]
the Ithaca Conservatory of Music, the conservatory
Schools
School of Business in the Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable
Enterprise, School of Business in the Park Center [second reference], the business school, the
school
Roy H. Park School of Communications, the Park School, the communications school
School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, HSHP
School of Humanities and Sciences, H&S
School of Music
the Schools of Business, Communications, Health Sciences and Human Performance, Humanities
and Sciences, and Music [In this context “Roy H. Park” may be dropped from the official
styling.]
Departments
Department of Biology, the biology department [This system of capitalization holds for the other
departments as well. Check the college directory (ithaca.edu/offices) for complete listings. The
following department listings present common acronyms or other idiosyncrasies.]
Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, the ESS department, ESS
Department of Health Promotion and Physical Education, HPPE
Department of Strategic Communication
Department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, SLPA
Department of Sport Management and Media, SMM
Department of Television-Radio, television-radio department, TV-R
Department of Theatre Arts, theatre arts department
Department of Therapeutic Recreation and Leisure Services, TRLS
Majors and Minors
Note: With the obvious exception of proper nouns and adjectives (e.g., English, German area
studies), majors and minors are lowercase. The following is by no means an exhaustive list but serves
to highlight some of the newest or most problematic-to-style majors and minors. A complete list of
majors and minors can be found in the undergraduate catalog (ithaca.edu/catalogs).
Business
business administration
accounting/professional accountancy (B.S./M.B.A.)
legal studies
Communications
film, photography, and visual arts
integrated marketing communications
communication management and design, CMD [formerly organizational communication, learning,
and design, OCLD]
HSHP
outdoor adventure leadership, OAL
sport media [formerly sports information and communication]
speech-language pathology with teaching certification (formerly teaching students with speech and
language disabilities, TSSLD) (M.S. program only)
H&S
aging studies
classical studies
culture and communication
German area studies
Italian studies
Jewish studies
Latin American studies
mathematics-economics, mathematics-physics [with a hyphen]
musical theatre
Native American studies
philosophy-religion
planned studies
theatre arts management
Music
music in combination with an outside field
performance/music education (four-and-a-half-year program)
Acronyms
The following acronyms may be listed without the spelled-out version, in appropriate contexts—i.e.,
where the audience will immediately recognize the reference and/or where spelling it out only adds
confusion. [15.2]
ALANA: African American, Latino, Asian American, Native American
FERPA: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
GED: general equivalency diploma
GPA: grade point average
HEGIS: Higher Education General Information Survey
HOME: Housing Offering Multicultural Experience
IC 20/20: The college's strategic plan to transform the student learning experience
ICC: Integrative Core Curriculum
ICNYC: IC's program in New York City
LGBT: lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender
NCAA: National Collegiate Athletic Association
PECS: Portable equipment center and services
Associations, Groups, and Organizations
Associations
AACSB International (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business)
Ithaca College Alumni Association, the alumni association
Ithaca College Athletic Hall of Fame [formerly Ithaca College Sports Hall of Fame], the athletic hall
of fame, the hall of fame
National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Student Government Association, student government, SGA
Students Today, Alumni Tomorrow (STAT) [formerly Student Alumni Association, SAA]
Boards
Board of Regents of the State of New York, New York State Education Department
Ithaca College Alumni Association Board of Directors, the alumni board
Ithaca College Board of Trustees, the board of trustees, the board, the trustees
Student Activities Board, SAB
Committees
Academic Policies Committee, APC
Bias-Related Incidents Committee
College Marketing Advisory Committee, CMAC
Diversity Awareness Committee, DAC
Education Policy Committee [committee of the board of trustees]
First-Year Experience Coordinating Committee
Premedical Sciences Advisory Committee, the premed advising committee
Councils
Administrative Assembly, the assembly
Deans’ Council
Faculty Council
Graduate Council
Interfraternity Council
President’s Council, PC
President’s Roundtable
Staff Council
Musical Groups
Ariadne String Quartet, the string quartet, the quartet
Ithaca Brass, the faculty brass quintet
Ithacappella
Ithaca Wind Quintet
the Ithaca College Symphony Orchestra, the symphony orchestra; the Ithaca College Jazz Workshop,
the jazz workshop, the workshop [This system of capitalization holds for the other ensembles
as well.]
[When ensembles are used as course titles, they are capped, e.g., Opera Workshop]
Student Groups
[Reference http://icosemaorgs.orgsync.com/ for most up-to-date listing]
African-Latino Society
Asian Culture Club
Bureau of Concerts, BOC
Catholic Community Visioning Team [name of student organization], Catholic community;
Emerging Scholars Program
Protestant Community at Ithaca College [name of student organization], Protestant community;
Hillel [name of student organization], Jewish community
Deans’ Hosts [name of the group, in business school], deans’ host [person in the group]
Dean’s Student Advisory Council [in business school]
the Ithacan, the Cayugan
Kuumba Repertory Theater
Park Peer Advising
Park Productions [formerly the Pro Unit], professional production unit
Peer Advisors [program in business school],
Peer Volunteer Corps
Pre-Law Society
President’s Hosts [name of the group], a president’s host [person in the group], a tour guide
Buildings and Rooms
Note: The following are full names of buildings, as well as alternative or subsequent-reference
designations.
Buildings
Non-Residence Halls:
Alumni Hall
Athletics and Events Center (A&E Center on second reference or in abbreviations)
Campus Center [comprising Phillips Hall and Egbert Hall]
Center for Health Sciences, health sciences center, CHS
Center for Natural Sciences, natural sciences center, CNS
Center for Public Safety and General Services, public safety/general services building
central services building, the warehouse
Ceracche Athletic Center, Ceracche Center
Clinton B. Ford Observatory, Ford Observatory, the observatory
compost facility
Dillingham Center for the Performing Arts, Dillingham Center
Fitness Center
Friends Hall
Gannett Center (Formal name is the Caroline Werner Gannett Center)
J. David Hammond Center for Student Health Services, Hammond Health Center, the health center
Laurence S. Hill Center, Hill Center
Ithaca College London Center, London Center
Ithaca College James B. Pendleton Center, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program, L.A. Program (on
second reference or in a listing)
Job Hall
Muller Chapel, the chapel (Formal name is the Herman E. and Florence S. Muller Memorial Chapel,
only used in formal circumstances.)
Muller Faculty Center, Muller Center
Dorothy D. and Roy H. Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise, Park Center for
Business and Sustainable Enterprise, [NEVER just Park Center or Park Center for Business]
Roy H. Park School of Communications, Park Hall
Office of Facilities Building [includes administration, grounds, wash bay: #19, 18, 17, respectively,
on the campus map]
Becky and Dan Robinson Waterfront, Robinson Waterfront, the waterfront
Ward Romer Boathouse, Romer Boathouse, the boathouse
Harold F. and Lois M. Smiddy Hall, Smiddy Hall
Robert B. Tallman Rowing Center, Tallman Rowing Center
Textor Hall
James J. Whalen Center for Music, Whalen Center for Music, Whalen Center
Peggy Ryan Williams Center, PRW on second reference
Rothschild Place, formerly the administration annex
Williams Hall
Residence Halls
Bogart Hall
Boothroyd Hall
Circle Apartments, the Circles; Circle Apartments community center [no longer referred to as
College Circle Apartments]
Clarke Hall
Eastman Hall
William V. Emerson Hall, Emerson Hall
Garden Apartments
Hilliard Hall
Holmes Hall
Hood Hall
Landon Hall
Lyon Hall
the Quads, Quad apartments
Rowland Hall
Tallcott Hall
the Terraces, Terrace 1, Terrace 2, etc.
the Towers, East Tower, West Tower
Rooms and Areas within Buildings
Athletics and Events Center, A&E Center
aquatics pavilion
Edgar “Dusty” Bredbenner Jr. and Barbara Northrop Bredbenner Gallery of Champions
Dicker Family Promenade
David and Kathy Giannotti Strength Training Facility
Glazer Arena
David Lord Conference Room
McClung Family Athletic Training Center
Shelley's Concourse
Williams Plaza
Kurt and Kim Wolfgruber VIP Room
Wolfgruber Family Classroom [wet classroom]
Alumni Hall conference room
Campus Center
Egbert Hall
Buttermilk Falls Meeting Room [formerly south meeting room]
Campus Center Dining Hall
Cayuga Lake Meeting Room [formerly the conference room]
Clark Lounge
DeMotte Room
Grand Central Café
ID office
information desk
Ithaca College Campus Store [official name], the campus store [when used in its generic sense]
Ithaca Falls Meeting Room [new second-floor meeting room]
Klingenstein Lounge
McDonald Lounge
recreation center
Six Mile Creek Meeting Room [formerly the seminar room]
Taughannock Falls Meeting Room [formerly north meeting room]
Phillips Hall
Campus Center food court, the food court
Emerson Suites, Emerson Suite A/B/C, Emerson Lounge
IC Square
La Vincita
Mac’s General Store, Mac’s, Mac’s convenience store
north foyer
Phillips Hall annex
recreation center
Center for Health Sciences
activities of daily living lab, ADL lab
CHS coffee cart
Robert R. Colbert Sr. Wellness Clinic, the wellness clinic
physical and occupational therapy clinic, OT/PT clinic
Dillingham Center
Clark Theatre, the theatre
Dillingham Center box office, the box office
Hoerner Theatre, the theatre
Gannett Center
Handwerker Gallery, the gallery, the art gallery
the Ithaca College library, the library
Hill Center
Ben Light Gymnasium, the gym
Job Hall
Job Hall board room
Park Center for Business and Sustainable Enterprise
Café @ the Business School
Carl Sgrecci Classroom, Sgrecci Classroom
Dr. Robert W. Baker Sr. Atrium, Baker Atrium
Park Hall
Café @ the Park School
Joe and Carolyn Camp Editing Suite
Digital Equipment Corporation Media Research Lab
Philip H. Dougherty Newsroom
Gannett Journalism Lab
Michael and Lola G. Hanna Broadcast Center
Dr. John Keshishoglou Center for Global Communications Innovation
Gustav E. “Skip” Landen Pro Unit Suite
Doris B. Luck Audio Suite
Dana K. Miller Memorial Workroom
Richard Morris ’81 Generations Fund Radio Workroom
Park Center for Independent Media, PCIM
Park Hall Auditorium
Park Hall lobby
Jessica Savitch Broadcast Studio
Rod and Carol Serling Studio
SSC&B Lintas: New York Conference Room
Smiddy Hall
Center for Trading and Analysis of Financial Instruments, the trading room
Don Collins Memorial Computer Lab
Ithaca College Writing Center, writing center
Sir Alexander Ewing–Ithaca College Speech and Hearing Clinic, the speech and hearing clinic
Terraces
Terrace Dining Hall
Towers
Sub Connection
CFCU Community Credit Union, the credit union
Towers Concourse
Towers Dining Hall
Whalen Center
Chamber music rooms
David and Alice Berman Chamber Music Rooms
Brown Family Jazz Chamber Music Room
Col. Arnald D. Gabriel Chamber Music Room
Herman E. Muller Jr. Chamber Music Room
Classrooms and studios
Borg-Warner Recording Suite, the recording studio, recording studio control room A
Arnold and Lucy Broido Classroom, the “smart” classroom
Justin and Shirlee Davidson Faculty Piano Studio
George King Driscoll Faculty Piano Studio
John Kinyon Music Education Resource Room, music education resource room
David and Evelyn Sass Music Technology Classroom, the music technology classroom
Sony Music Recording Studio, recording studio control room B
Carl and Helene Wickstrom Music Education Center, the music education center
Concert halls and rehearsal halls
Walter Beeler Rehearsal Hall, the rehearsal hall
Ford Hall
Hockett Family Recital Hall, the recital hall [Never use Hockett Recital Hall.]
Nabenhauer Recital Room
Theodore Presser Foundation Rehearsal Hall, Presser Rehearsal Hall, the rehearsal hall
Conference rooms
David J. Hyslop Conference Room
Celia Slocum-Blair Music Education Conference Room; Jennie W. Tallcott Music
Education Conference Room; the music education conference rooms
Suzuki Seminar Room
Miscellaneous spaces
Robert W. and Natalie Baker Walkway, the Baker Walkway, the walkway
Friends of Ithaca College Greenroom and Reception Suite, Friends greenroom, the
greenroom
box office, Whalen Center box office, School of Music box office
Shirley and Chas Hockett Library of Ensemble Music, the ensemble music library
Karel Husa Gallery
Robert A. Iger Lecture Hall, Iger Lecture Hall, the lecture hall
Philip J. Lang Dressing Room
Max and Judy Levine Music Office
M&T Bank Observation Balconies
Craig McHenry Lobby, McHenry Lobby, the lobby
Charles G. Rooke Balcony
Lea N. Siciliano Practice Room
Peggy Ryan Williams Center
Founder’s Room
William and Angela Haines Forum room, Haines Forum
Campus Events
Academic Affairs/Provost
Commencement, Commencement weekend
Community Picnic [immediately following Convocation]
Convocation
Finals Week
Investment Challenge
James J. Whalen Academic Symposium, Whalen Symposium
orientation, continuing orientation, summer orientation, transfer orientation
student recognition banquet
Alumni
Alumni Weekend
Admissions
An Inside Look [program for accepted ALANA students]
Ithaca Today [program for accepted students]
open house
IC Peers
myIthaca [note lowercase M, even at the beginning of a sentence]
Business
Business Idea Competition
Business Plan Competition
Communications
Golden Doorknob Awards
Izzy Award
Jessica Savitch ’68 Award of Distinction for Excellence in Journalism
S'Park Media Mentor Awards
Music
Choral Composition Contest
Commencement Eve Concert
Founder’s Day Concert in the Park, Founder’s Day concert
Heckscher Foundation Composition Prize
Walter Beeler Memorial Composition Prize, Walter Beeler Memorial Commission Series
Student Affairs and Campus Life
Alternative Spring Break
Celebration of Service
Community Plunge
Cross-Cultural Leadership Retreat
Fall Welcome
Family Weekend
Jumpstart: Community Plunge, ECHO (Experiencing Connections by Heading Outdoors), Lead-In,
and SCC (Sustainable Community Challenge)
Leadership Weekend
Polar Plunge
Professionals Symposium
Service Saturdays
Women in Leadership Experience
Divisions, Offices, Centers, Outdoor Areas, and Services
Divisions
Division of Enrollment Management [which encompasses the Office of Admission, the Office of Institutional
Research, the Office of Career Services, and the Office of Student Financial Services]
Division of Finance and Administration
Division of Institutional Advancement and Communication [which includes the Office of Strategic Marketing
and Communications]
Division of Human and Legal Resources [formerly Division of Legal Affairs]
Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life [formerly Office of Student Affairs and Campus Life]
Offices
Office of Alumni Relations, alumni relations office [This system of capitalization holds for other
offices as well. Further listings present common acronyms or other idiosyncrasies. Consult
the college directory for complete listings.]
Office of Assessment [in the provost’s office]
Office of Assistant Counsel and Equal Opportunity Compliance [formerly Office of Affirmative
Action]
Office of Career Services, career services office
Office of Campus Center and Event Services [formerly two offices: the Office of the Campus Center
and Conference and Event Services]
Office of Extended Studies
ID office
Office of Facilities, facilities
Office of Public Safety, public safety office
components: Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S), Parking and Traffic
Services
Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs [which replaces the Office for New Student
Programs, Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, and Office of Multicultural
Affairs]
Office of Student Accessibility Services
Office of Student Financial Services [replaces Office of the Bursar and Office of Financial Aid]
Centers
Center for Counseling, Health, and Wellness
Center for Educational Technology, educational technology center
Center for Faculty Excellence
Center for Health Promotion
Center for LGBT Education, Outreach, and Services; LGBT education, outreach, and services center,
LGBT center
Center for Life Skills at Longview
Center for Student Leadership and Involvement, student leadership center, CSLI
Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, CSCRE
Center for Teacher Education, teacher education center, CTE, the center
Center for Trading and Analysis of Financial Instruments, trading room
duplicating center
language center [in the library]
Ithaca College James B. Pendleton Center, Ithaca College Los Angeles Program, L.A. Program (on
second or short reference)
Linden Center for Creativity and Aging [in ICGI]
London Center
Park Center for Independent Media
recreation center [in Phillips Hall]
service request center [in facilities]
Student Activities Center
Ticket Center Ithaca [in Center Ithaca on the Commons; used to be Ticket Center at Clinton House]
writing center
Outdoor Areas
academic quad [the open area bounded by the Campus Center in the east and Dillingham Center in
the west]
Campus Center quad [the area between the back of the Campus Center and the Fitness Center]
free speech rock
parking lots: E/F/G/S/etc. lot [e.g., F lot]
Sports Facilities
Allen Field, Freeman Field, Wood Field, Yavits Field
Athletics and Events Center [see Buildings and Rooms and Rooms and Areas within Buildings]
Higgins Stadium
Hill Center pool, the swimming pool; the outdoor pool
Jim Butterfield Stadium, Butterfield Stadium, the stadium
Wheeler Tennis Courts
Services
Academic Enrichment Services
access services [in the library]
cashiering services [in the bursar’s office]
Dining Services
Financial Services
General Administrative Services
Information Technology Services, ITS
components: Enterprise Application Services; Infrastructure and Communication Services;
Technology and Instructional Support Services
multimedia services [in the library]
Patrol and Security Services [unit within the Office of Public Safety]
reference and instruction services [in the library]
technical services [in the library]
Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Grants
Ithaca Access Grant
Ithaca Opportunity Grant
National Science Foundation grant, Keck Foundation grant, Guggenheim grant
Fellowships and Scholarships
Dana Teaching Fellowship, Dana teaching fellow, Dana fellow
Emerson Foundation Endowed Scholarship and Internship Fund, Emerson scholarship, Emerson
scholar
Fulbright scholar
Ithacan Scholarship [don’t italicize Ithacan in this case]
Leadership Scholar Program
National Merit Recognition Award, National Merit finalist, Merit Scholarship [given by the National
Merit Scholarship Corporation] [Note: The correct term for a generic, non-needs-based award
is “merit-based scholarship”; “Merit Scholarship” is trademarked by the National Merit
Scholarship Corporation.]
President’s Scholarship, ALANA Scholarship
Park Scholar Award, Park scholar
Martin Luther King Scholar Program
MLK scholar
Programs, Institutes, and Series
Programs
Note: These stylings are based on context and usage.
physics-engineering 3-2, 3-2 engineering program [note, we no longer offer chemistry-engineering
3-2]
Access to College Education program, ACE program
Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program, CSTEP
community service program
Curricular Options in Mathematics Programs for All Secondary Students (COMPASS)
environmental studies program
Exploratory Program, exploratory student [never “exploratory major”]
health promotion and substance abuse prevention program
HSHP Preprofessional Program [previously Health Sciences Preprofessional Program]
Higher Education Opportunity Program, HEOP
Ithaca Achievement Program, IAP
Ithaca College Honors Program
IC Preview (a 3-week pre-first year summer bridge from high school to college life organized by
Academic Enrichment Services)
Ithaca College Annual Fund; Ithaca College Annual Fund for Music; Ithaca College Annual Fund for
Athletics, etc. Use full name on first reference, then abbreviate to IC Annual Fund, IC Annual
Fund for Music, or Annual Fund, Annual Fund for Athletics, etc. (Note: Annual Fund, not annual fund);
Parents Annual Fund does not have “Ithaca College” as part of its formal name.
Ithaca College wellness program
Ithaca Seminar program, an Ithaca seminar
Jewish studies program
Leadership Scholars Program, leadership scholar
Low-Income Tax Clinic, LITC, low-income taxpayer clinic
Martin Luther King Scholar Program, MLK Scholar Program, MLK scholar, MLK scholarship
Network Days; Network Nights
physical activity, leisure, and safety (PALS) program, PALS program, PALS courses
Park Scholar Program, Park scholar, Park scholarship
Partnership in Teaching program, Partnership in Teaching
planned studies program
Project Look Sharp, the Look Sharp program, PLS
Residential Learning Communities
School of Business Professions Program
suicide awareness and prevention program
Summer College for High School Students
Tuition Assistance Program, TAP
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program, VITA
Washington Semester Program, the Washington program, the program in Washington, D.C.
women’s studies program
Institutes
Ithaca College Chamber Music Institute, Chamber Music Institute, the institute
Ithaca College Flute Institute, Flute Institute, the institute
Ithaca College Gerontology Institute, the Gerontology Institute, the institute
Summer Institute (Incoming HEOP scholars are required to participate and attend a four-week sesssion mandated
by the State Education Department and offered by the Office of State Grants)
Student Leadership Institute
Summer Music Academy
Summer Piano Institute
Suzuki Student Institute and Suzuki Teacher Institute [together making the Suzuki Institutes], the
institutes
Series
[Official names of series are capitalized; individual lectures and series “themes” are capitalized and
put within quotation marks. If the word “series” isn’t part of the official name, it should not be
capitalized and need not be used.]
Concerts
Robert G. Boehmler Community Foundation Series
Shirley and Chas Hockett Chamber Music Concert Series
Louis K. Thaler Violinist Series
Rachel S. Thaler Concert Pianist Series
Films
Cinema on the Edge
Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, FLEFF
Out of the Closet and Onto the Screen
Women Direct
Lectures and Workshops
[Official names of workshops/workshop sessions are title case.]
C. P. Snow Lecture Series
Department of Writing Distinguished Visiting Writers series
Distinguished Speaker in the Humanities Series
Gerontology Institute Distinguished Speaker Series
Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Workshop Series
Ithaca College Gerontology Institute Visiting Scholars Series
Jessica Savitch Distinguished Journalism Lecture Series
Jewish Studies Lecture Series
Marjorie Fortunoff Mayrock Lecture series, the Mayrock lecture series
Physics Café series
Park Distinguished Visitor series
Sustainability Café series
Miscellaneous
faculty workload project
Global Video series [Handwerker]
InVisible Histories project
Northeast Wind Symposium
Karel Husa Visiting Professor of Composition
Skip Landen Professional in Residence series, professional in residence Daniel Reeves
Rev. 9/25/15