VISUAL IDENTITY GUIDE

Editorial Style—A Quick Guide

The UA Editorial Style Manual presents our editorial style in detail. Some of the major points are summarized below. Contact the Office of Marketing Communications at 348-5767 or requests@ur.ua.edu with any questions or comments.

Our Name

When to use "The": The University's full, official name is "The University of Alabama," with the uppercase "t" in "The." The following list includes all official names in which the article must be capitalized:

• The University of Alabama
• The University of Alabama at Birmingham
• The University of Alabama in Huntsville
• The University of Alabama System
• The Board of Trustees of The University of Alabama

When using "University of Alabama" as an adjective, use "the" with a lowercase "t," following these examples:

• the University of Alabama campus
• the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences
• the University of Alabama Office of Undergraduate Admissions

Other names for The University of Alabama: Uppercase "University" when using it as a short form of "The University of Alabama" (noun) or "University of Alabama" (adjective). Do not capitalize "The" before "University" alone, unless it begins a sentence or heading.

• Call for more information about the University's programs and services.
• That is a University-sponsored event.
• That's what makes our university unique.
• This university opened in 1831.

Never capitalize "the" in the phrase "the Capstone."

While "UA" is an acceptable short form, avoid "U of A."

Board of trustees: Short forms of the name of our board of trustees are not capitalized; capitalize the names of other such boards only when you use their complete, formal names:

• The board of trustees met Monday.
• The University's board of trustees will meet again Wednesday.
• Auburn's board of trustees met with UA's board of trustees last week.

Names of Our Divisions

As described in Wordmark and Identifiers, most major divisions of the University have approved identifiers. These identifiers are shortened forms of the divisions' names—for example, "Arts & Sciences" for "College of Arts and Sciences," and "Health Sciences" for "College of Community Health Sciences."

These identifiers will be used on stationery and some publications, but they do not represent changes in divisional names. The full names of those divisions still stand and should be used in addresses and at least on first reference in text.

A list of approved identifiers is available from the Office of Marketing Communications or University Printing Services; to discuss the creation of a new identifier, contact the director of Marketing Communications at 348-8316.

Addresses

Box numbers: Campus box numbers (870___ numbers) are not post office box numbers, so leave off "P.O." both in text and in addresses provided on stationery and in publications.

FAX, fax, or Fax: For readability, "fax" is presented in small caps on our stationery. In text, in addresses printed elsewhere, and anywhere the surrounding copy is not all caps, use "fax," not "FAX." When the word appears at the beginning of a sentence or in a heading, use "Fax." The term is a shortened, altered form of "facsimile," not an acronym.