Writing Style Guide
This guide is intended for use by anyone writing for or about Laramie County Community
College. It covers basic guidelines that will observed on the website, in the Talon,
news releases, advertisements and other publications produced by the 怡春院视频 Marketing
& Communications Department. 怡春院视频 employees are encouraged to use this guide for reference
when producing materials for students, employees, the media and the public.
This guide contains information that is specific to 怡春院视频 and the college environment. For many terms, there is more than one 鈥渃orrect鈥 version, but adhering to the guide will create consistency.
A
academic degrees
associate degree, not associate鈥檚
bachelor鈥檚 degree
master鈥檚 degree
doctorate degree, PhD
No apostrophe in Bachelor of Arts or Master of Science.
If mention of degrees is necessary to establish someone鈥檚 credentials, the preferred
form is to avoid abbreviation and use instead a phrase such as: John Jones, who has
a doctorate in psychology.
Use abbreviations as BS, MA, and PhD only when the need to identify many individuals
by degree would make the preferred form cumbersome. Use these abbreviations only after
a full name, never after just a last name.
When used after a name, set it off by commas. John Snow, PhD, spoke.
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. Pam Jones, PhD Right:
Dr. Pam Jones, a chemist.
academic departments
Use lowercase except for words that are proper nous or adjectives: the department
of history, the history department, the department of English, the English department,
or when department is part of the official and formal name: University of Connecticut
Department of Medicine. See
campus structure, departments and divisions.
Academic Quality Improvement Program
The program the college uses for institutional accreditation. AQIP is acceptable on second reference.
academic titles
Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, chairman, etc., when they precede a name. Lowercase elsewhere. Lowercase modifiers such as department in department Chairman Jerome Wiesner.
ACES
The formal title is Adult Career & Education System. ACES is acceptable on second
reference.
The center provides combined training in academics, communication skills and job-specific
basic computer skills, among others.
acronyms
Use acronyms sparingly, replacing them with the appropriate common noun when possible. Always spell out on first reference unless noted otherwise. The acronym may be used directly after first reference. It is no longer necessary to provide the acronym in parenthesis after the name: The college recently opened its Integrated Systems Training Center. ISTC operates on an open-entry basis.
addresses
See the AP stylebook.
Laramie County Community College
1400 E. College Drive
Cheyenne, WY 82007
Laramie Campus
1125 Boulder Drive
Laramie, WY 82070
Eastern Laramie County Outreach Center
P.O. Box 580
Pine Bluffs, WY 82082
advisor
Not adviser.
Administration Building (AB)
Houses the President鈥檚 Office, Business Services, Human Resources, Accounting, etc. See buildings.
Agriculture Building (AG)
See buildings.
alumnus, alumni, alumna, alumnae
Use alumnus [alumni in the plural] when referring to a man who has attended a school. Use alumna [alumnae in the plural] for similar references to a woman. Use alumni when referring to a group of men and women.
Andrikopoulos Business & Technology Building (BT)
Use on first reference. Full name: Anthony G. and Barbara F. Andrikopoulos Business & Technology Building. Dedicated in August 2006. See buildings.
AQIP
See Academic Quality Improvement Program.
arena (AREN)
Capitalize when referring to the indoor arena on campus. Use 怡春院视频 if needed for clarity. The rodeo will be held in the 怡春院视频 Arena. Do not use 怡春院视频 College Arena; it is redundant.
Arp Building (Arp)
Not an acronym. The building is named after the Arp family, which donated the majority of land the college now occupies. Houses the Children鈥檚 Discovery Center. See buildings.
Arts & Humanities
See divisions.
Student Government Association
SGA is acceptable on second reference.
athletic director
Use the singular athletic unless otherwise in a formal title.
athletic program
Lowercase unless Golden Eagles Athletics or Athletic Department. 怡春院视频 reintroduced its athletic program in 2002 after eliminating its teams in 1992. The program consists of the following,which are lowercased with the exception of Esports:
Esports
men鈥檚 soccer team
men鈥檚 basketball team
women's basketball
women鈥檚 soccer team
women鈥檚 volleyball team
rodeo team
audiovisual
One word. Capitalize when referring to the campus department that deals with the production
of sound and visual works for the college. AV is acceptable on second reference. The
Audiovisual
Department recorded the president鈥檚 speech.
B
board of trustees
Always lowercase: Laramie County Community College board of trustees. Acts as a collective noun and takes a singular verb. The board of trustees is holding its first meeting.
bookstore
Capitalize when referring to the college鈥檚 bookstore. There is one located on the Cheyenne campus. The students will pick up supplies at the 怡春院视频 Bookstore.
Blue Arches
Identifies the entryway into the Community College Center on the north end of campus.
buildings
All proper names of buildings should be capitalized and use an ampersand when needed.
Fine Arts Building, Career & Technical Building. Retain capitalization in informal
instances when building is assumed: The class will be held in Fine Arts. When used
with a room number,
abbreviate only upon second reference: The meeting will be held in Fine Arts, Room
123. It then will move to FA 165.
Administration Building (ADM)
Agriculture Building (AG)
Andrikopolous Business & Technology Building (B)
Arena (AREN)
Arp Building (Arp)
Auto Body (AB)
Auto Tech (AT)
Career & Technical Building (CT)
Center for Conferences & Institutes (CCI)
Central Plant North
Clay Pathfinder Building (PF)
College Community Center (CCC)
Education & Enrichment Center (EEC)
Fine Arts Building (FA)
Flex Tech (FT)
Health Science Building (HS)
Ludden Library
Plant Operations Building (PM)
Prentice/Surbrugg Health Sciences Building (HS)
Recreation & Athletic Complex (RAC)
Residence Hall (RH)
Science Center (SC)
Student Services Building (SS)
Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium (AUD)
The Training Center (TC)
C
cafeteria
Lowercase. Preferred term is dining room.
canceled
Not cancelled.
campuswide
One word. Like statewide.
campus structure
The college is made up of six service areas. Capitalize the formal name and use an
ampersand (&).
President鈥檚 Office or Office of the President
Business Services
Instructional Services
Integrated Technology Services
Student Services
Workforce & Community Development
Career & Technical Building (CT)
Houses the Adult Career & Education System, Integrated Systems Training Center, the Career Center, UW Outreach and auto body courses. The name was changed in 2008 from Construction Trades Building. See buildings.
catalog
Capitalize when used with a year. The 2008-09 Catalog is available online. Lowercase in other uses.
Campus Safety
怡春院视频鈥檚 Campus Safety is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week by calling 307.630.0645.
Center for Conferences & Institutes (CCI)
CCI is acceptable on second reference. See buildings.
Central Plant North
The newer plant on campus that was completed in 2009. See buildings.
Children鈥檚 Discovery Center
CDC is acceptable on second reference, but avoid the use of acronyms.
class descriptions
Any information regarding class or course descriptions must be exactly the same as the information provided by Instructional Services in the current 怡春院视频 catalog. See class names.
class names
Lowercase classes and courses unless using the specific and complete title or if the name carries a proper noun or numeral. Biology 1001, the biology course, Western Civilization.
Clay Pathfinder Building (PF)
Houses admissions and the Student Hub. See buildings.
clubs and teams
Lowercase campus clubs unless you use the specific and complete title. Across Cultures Club, Sonography Club, Speech and Debate Team, Wingspan. But: speech team, student newspaper club.
college
Capitalize only when part of a proper name. Dartmouth College, Laramie County Community College. But: Thousands of students attend the college.
College Community Center (CCC)
Houses Emporium, Dining Room, Student Lounge and 怡春院视频 Playhouse. CCC is acceptable on second reference. See buildings.
community college
Always spell out unless needed for space in ads, posters or flyers. Western Wyoming CC. Capital letters and no periods. See college.
courses
See class descriptions or class names.
curriculum
Singular. Curricula is the plural form.
D
dates
Do not use ordinal numbers: 12th, 22nd. The event will be held from April 10-12.
dean鈥檚 list
See honor roll.
departments
Capitalize formal and complete names of campus departments. The word department may be dropped if the meaning still makes sense. The 怡春院视频 Foundation, Scholarships & Financial Aid, Marketing & Communications Department. See academic departments, campus structure, divisions.
Dining Services
The on-campus service that provides meals for the campus community.
dollar amounts
See prices.
E
Eastern Laramie County Outreach Center
An outreach center, not a separate campus. Its office address:
Eastern Laramie County Outreach Center
P.O. Box 580
Pine Bluffs, WY 82082
307.432.1678
Lowercase, except at the beginning of a sentence.
Esther and John Clay Fine Arts Gallery
Located in the Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium. Holds art shows throughout the year. Admission is free.
ESL
English as a Second Language. ESL is acceptable on second reference.
events
When listing information for an event, list time and then date.
F
Fine Arts Building (FA)
See buildings.
first annual
Do not use. Say first or inaugural instead. See AP Stylebook.
Flex Tech (FT)
See buildings.
G
GEAR UP
No hyphen. The acronym is acceptable on first reference for Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.
GED
The acronym is acceptable on first reference for General Educational Development. No periods. See HSEC or HiSET.
Golden Eagles
The college mascot, whose official name is Talon. Use in the plural form when used as a modifier. Golden Eagles Athletics. Golden Eagles volleyball camp.
GPA
The acronym is acceptable on first reference for grade point average. No periods.
Greenway
The Greater Cheyenne Greenway is a system of paths that serve as a gateway to the parks and neighborhoods of the community. The Greenway runs though campus.
Gymnasium
Capitalize when referring to the room in the Physical Education Building. Use 怡春院视频 if needed for clarity. The event will be held in the 怡春院视频 Gymnasium. Gym also is acceptable. See buildings.
H
Hathaway Scholarship
Created by the state and approved by the Legislature in March 2006. The scholarships, which are merit- and need-based, may be used at the University of Wyoming or any state community college.
Health Science Building (HS)
Not Health Sciences. HS is acceptable on second reference. The building opened in 2009. See buildings.
Health Sciences & Wellness
See divisions.
High Plains Register
An annual literary and arts magazine published by students. Do not italicize or place
in quotes.
Avoid use of the acronym HPR, substituting the word magazine or publication instead.
home school
Also, home schooled, home schooler.
honor roll
Always lowercase. The president鈥檚 list, vice president鈥檚 list. Students who earn president鈥檚 list honors must have a cumulative grade point average of 4.0; those who earn vice president鈥檚 honors must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 to 3.99.
HVAC/R
Acceptable upon first reference. Stands for Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration.
IJK
L
Laramie Campus
The college is moving away from using Albany County Campus or ACC to describe the campus in Laramie, Wyoming. The preferred label for this campus is: the Laramie campus. The college opened the facility in 2006 at 1125 Boulder Drive, Laramie, Wyoming.
Laramie County Community College
Spell out upon first reference. Subsequent references can be abbreviated to 怡春院视频. When referring to 怡春院视频 as the college, leave college lowercased.
Ludden Library
Full name: Randall W. and Yvonne D. Ludden Library. Dedicated in June 2006. See buildings.
M
Mall
The walkway separating the north and south sides of campus. It runs from the Residence Halls to the Flex Tech Building. The Mall is part of the Greenway.
Multipurpose Room/Gym
No hyphen. Capitalize when referring to the room in the Recreation & Athletic Complex. Use 怡春院视频 if needed for clarity. The event will be held in the 怡春院视频 Multipurpose Room. MPR is acceptable on second reference. See buildings.
my怡春院视频
my怡春院视频 is the college's student portal providing access to email, announcements, software, class registration and more. It should be written with lowercase "my" and uppercase "怡春院视频" always.
N
O
off campus, on campus
Hyphenate only when used as a modifier. The meeting was held off campus. The on-campus event went smoothly.
offices
Capitalize formal and complete names of campus offices; lowercase informal names and incomplete designations. The President鈥檚 Office, the Counseling & Advising Office. But: the secretary鈥檚 office, the division office.
online
One word, no hyphen.
Outreach & Workforce Development
P
Pathways
怡春院视频 has 8 Pathways, which group related programs and may allow students to explore
the different programs within that Pathway for one or more semesters without wasting
credits, time or money. The Pathways are:
Agriculture & Equine
Business & Accounting
Communication & Creative Arts
Health Sciences & Wellness
Human & Public Services
Information Technology
Science, Technology, Engineering & Math (STEM)
Trades & Technical Studies
phone numbers
See telephone numbers.
Plant Operations Building (PO)
See buildings.
president鈥檚 list
See honor roll.
prices
Use dollar sign. Do not use decimal point for even dollar amounts.
Right: $99 or $149.50
Wrong: $99.00 (add reference under cost and dollar amounts)
programs
Lowercase academic programs. The equine studies program, the surgical technology program. Any information regarding program descriptions or requirements must be exactly the same as the information provided by Instructional Services in the current 怡春院视频 catalog.
Q
R
Registered trademark symbol (庐)
Use only when mandated. Not necessary for press releases or other journalistic uses, such as the 怡春院视频 website or Wingspan. When used, use only for first reference, and place in superscript to avoid confusion and to create consistency.
Residence Hall (RH)
Capitalize when referring to on-campus housing at 怡春院视频. The college has three individual residence halls, Foundation Hall, Blue Hall and Gold Hall. See buildings.
room numbers
Use figures and capitalize room only when used with a figure: Room 149. No space between the building and room number: Room SC304.
S
Science Center (SC)
Not Science Building. See buildings.
Security
See Campus Safety.
SEEK
Summer Educational Experiences for Kids. SEEK is acceptable upon second reference.
semester
Lowercase. Capitalize fall, spring and summer only if the are followed by the year. Do not use semester between the term and the year; it is redundant. Right: Fall 2007, Summer 2008. Wrong: Winter Semester 2007.
school year
2007-08 school year, 2000-01 basketball season. Do do not use a back slash or m dash.
student-athlete
student classifications
Do not capitalize freshman, sophomore, junior, senior or graduate student.
student handbook
Capitalize when used with a year. 2007-08 Student Handbook. The handbook is updated yearly and is available online.
SGA
Use Student Government Association on the first reference. SGA is acceptable upon second reference.
Surbrugg Prentice Auditorium (AUD)
May abbreviate to SPA or auditorium. See buildings.
T
Talon
Full name: The Laramie County Community College Talon. Talon or Talon magazine is
acceptable on first reference. Do not italicize or place in quotes. The magazine is
published by the 怡春院视频 Marketing & Communications Department.
Talon is also the official name of Golden Eagles mascot.
telephone numbers
Use a period to separate numbers. Do not use a 1 before toll-free numbers: 307.778.怡春院视频, 800.522.2993. For news releases, follow AP style: 307-778-怡春院视频.
Laramie County Community College
307.778.怡春院视频 or 800.522.2993
Laramie Campus
307.721.5138
Eastern Laramie County Outreach Center
307.432.1678
time
Use lowercase a.m. and p.m., with periods. Always use figures, with a space between the time and the a.m. or p.m.: 鈥淏y 6:30 a.m. she was long gone.鈥 If it's an exact hour, no 鈥:00鈥 is required. "The event starts at 7 p.m.."
theatre
Use theatre, and not theater. 怡春院视频 Theatre Club. But: theatre instructors, theatre classes.
titles
See the AP stylebook.
The Training Center (TC)
Not The Training Center Building. See buildings.
U
Union Pacific Centennial Room
Do not use U.P. Centennial Room. Located in the Center for Conferences & Institutes. Comprises of rooms 129 and 130. See buildings.
University of Wyoming
UW is acceptable on second reference.
V
vice president鈥檚 list
See honor roll.
W
website
One word. Use a period at the end if the site falls at the end of a sentence.
Use lccc.wy.edu for 怡春院视频's website. Do not use "www." in front of it.
Sites should not be underlined in print materials. Do not capitalize letters within
the address unless absolutely necessary for readability.
Western Undergraduate Exchange
WUE is acceptable on second reference, but avoid the use of acronyms. The Western
Undergraduate Exchange is a program through which students in participating states
may enroll in designated institutions and programs in other participating states at
a reduced tuition level.
Participating states include: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho,
Montana,
Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
Wyoming community colleges also extend the WUE rate to Nebraska students.