STYLE GUIDE - May 2021 Update - Western Communications
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WESTERN COMMUNICATIONS
STYLE
GUIDE
May 2021 Update2 Western’s Style Guide is designed to offer consistency to publications and materials. While developed specifically for Communications work, the guide is made available to all members of the Western community for use as a helpful reference, if desired. Style rules for formal material such as letters, invitations, certificates and the like can differ from these guidelines. If not listed in this guide, Western follows Canadian Press (CP) on matters of style and the Oxford Canadian Dictionary of Current English on matters of spelling. Deviations and variations on these specific to Western can be found in the following guide. We consider this a living document, one that can be updated as warranted. Please forward any questions, comments, additions and/or concerns to newseditor@uwo.ca. Western consulted dozens of professional and university style guides in its research. Portions of guides issued by Ryerson University, York University and the Associated Press, which addressed general and widespread issues most eloquently, were used.
3
abbreviations/acronyms Alert WesternU
Spell out the first reference with abbreviation in Alert WesternU app – powered by Everbridge – is
parentheses, then abbreviate afterward. the university’s emergency mass-notification
Organizers hope the event can be held in system that issues safety messages in the event of
the University Community Centre (UCC). campuswide emergencies.
If booked, or otherwise busy, the event will
move from the UCC to University College.
alumni
Alumna (s.), alumnae (pl.) for women who
Aboriginal attended the university;
Do not use. Use Indigenous or Indigenous Peoples. Alumnus (s.) and alumni (pl.) for men who
attended the university;
Alumni for a group of men and women who
Aboriginal Peoples
attended the university; and
Do not use. Use Indigenous Peoples or Indigenous.
Alumx (s. and pl.) for an acceptable gender-neutral
option for those who attended the university. Use
active vs. passive voice when requested in limited cases when alternative
wording is overly awkward or clumsy. Clarity
Active voice shows the subject doing the action. is a top priority; gender-neutral use of alumx
“Jane loves Western.” Jane is the subject who is unfamiliar to many readers. Clarify in text, if
is doing the action, which in this case, is loving necessary.
Western.
Alumni definition follows the Alumni Association
Passive voice makes the object the subject. This Constitution definition that defines three separate
sentence would read, “Western is loved by Jane.” classifications that entitle members to belong
The subject of the sentence becomes Western, but to the Alumni Association: Alumni, a graduate of
it isn’t doing anything. Rather, Western is only the Western or Honorary Degree recipient; Alumni
object of Jane’s love. (non-degree), a current or past student with five or
Passive voice is not incorrect; it’s just not the best more full-time credits from Western; and Associate
way to phrase your thoughts. Sometimes passive Alumni, awarded at the discretion of External
voice can be awkward, vague and wordy. Utilizing Relations/Alumni Association Board. Do not use
active voice can tighten writing. any of them terms.
Never use alum.
affiliated colleges In alumni-centred publications, alumni are referred
to by full name, degree and graduation year if
Use full name for first reference. After crediting as applicable on first reference and by last name
Western students, be sure to credit students as only in subsequent references. You may include
from these institutions in stories as you would from program, but it is not necessary.
specific faculties.
Jane Smith, BA’85, MBA’00, is taking risks in
Brescia University College (Brescia) her latest role as chair and CEO. In July 2009,
Huron University College (Huron) Smith made the transition from president of
King’s University College (King’s) the organization …
Jane Smith, BA’97 (English and Writing
affiliations Studies), is open to talking about her new
For external use, start with Western or Western book.
University as the main affiliation, followed by
faculty/unit, department and then all other John Smith, who attended Western before
affiliations, if necessary. Try and limit to no more being called in service of his country, will be
than two. Too many affiliations may please internal honoured by the university next week.
audiences, but they confuse and lose readers (and
will get cut by external media anyway).
Contain listing of partner universities and
Angela Armitt Award for Excellence
organizations to a separate paragraph low in the in Teaching by Part-Time Faculty
release or story.
For internal use, consider audience and address
accordingly.4
Bachelor of Arts Cronyn Observatory - CO
» See Degrees entry. Delaware Hall Residence - DHR
Dental Sciences Building - DSB
Bachelor’s Degree Dr. Don Rix Clinical Skills Building - CSB
» See Degrees entry.
Elborn College - EC
Elgin Hall Residence - ELHR
Beryl Ivey Garden
Elginfield Observatory - EO
Board of Governors (Board) Environmental Science Western Field Station - ESW
Avoid BOG. Use Western Board of Governors if Essex Hall Residence - EHR
clarity is needed.
FIMS & Nursing Building - FNB
Fraunhofer Project Centre for Composites
Brescia University College (Brescia) Research - FPC
» See affiliated colleges entry
Gibbons Lodge - GL
Graphic Services Building - GSB
building codes
Codes used only in conjunction with room The Arts & Humanities Building - AHB
numbers. For official building names (first and Health Sciences Addition - HSA
second reference), see Building Names entry.
Institute For Chemicals & Fuels from Alternative
3M Centre - 3M Resources - ICFAR
Advanced Facility For Avian Research - AFAR Insurance Research Lab For Better Homes - IRL
Alexander Charles Spencer Engineering Building - SEB International and Graduate Affairs Building - IGAB
Althouse Faculty of Education Building - FEB Ivey Spencer Leadership Centre – ISLC
Alumni Hall - AH John Labatt Visual Arts Centre - VAC
Alumni House Residence - AHR Josephine Spencer Niblett Law Building - LB
Amit Chakma Engineering Building - ACEB Kresge Building - KB
Arthur and Sonia Labatt Health Sciences Building - HSB Lambton Hall Residence - LAHR
Ausable Hall Residence - AUHR Lawson Hall - LWH
Bayfield Hall Residence - BAHR Light Detection and Ranging Research Facility - LIDAR
Beaver Hall Residence - BHR London Hall Residence - LOHR
Biological and Geological Greenhouses - BGG Material Sciences Addition - MSA
Biological and Geological Sciences Building - BGSB McIntosh Gallery - MG
Biotron - BIO Medical Sciences Building - MSB
BMO Bank of Montreal Building - BMO Medway Hall Residence - MHR
Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel - BLWT Middlesex College - MC
Chemistry Building - CHB Molecular Biology Laboratory - MBL
Claudette Mackay-Lassonde Pavilion - CMLP Museum of Ontario Archaeology - MOA
The Collider - COL Music Building - MB
Collip Building - CB Natural Sciences Centre - NSC5
North Campus Building - NCB Westminster Hall - WH
Ontario Hall Residence - OHR Wind Engineering, Energy & Environment - WINDEEE
Perth Hall Residence - PHR
Photoperiod Laboratory - PPL building codes (additional related
Physics and Astronomy Building - PAB structures)
North Electrical Sub-Station - NESS
Platts Lane Estates - PLE
East Electrical Sub-Station - EESS
Power Plant - PP
West Electrical Sub-Station - WESS
Richard Ivey Building - IVEY
South Electrical Sub-Station - SESS
Robarts Research Institute - RRI
Mogensen Building - MOG
Saugeen Maitland Hall Residence - SMHR
Windermere Manor Conference Centre - WMCC
Siebens-Drake Research Institute - SDRI
Windermere Manor Hotel - WMH
Social Sciences Centre - SSC
Convergence Centre- CC
Somerville House - SH
Stiller Centre - SC
Spencer Hall - SPH
National Research Council Integrated Materials
Staging Building - STAB
Technology Institute - IMTI
Stevenson Hall - STVH
Books Plus- BP
Support Services Building - SSB
Sydenham Hall Residence - SYHR building names
Talbot College - TC Capitalize the proper name of buildings, including
the word ‘building,’ if it is an integral part of the
Taylor Library - TL proper name. The following is a list of oft-referred
TD Stadium - TDS buildings on the Western campus. Building name
for first reference (second reference).
Thames Hall - TH
Thompson Engineering Building - TEB 3M Centre (3M Centre)
Thompson Recreation and Athletic Centre - TRAC Advanced Facility for Avian Research (AFAR)
University College - UC Alumni Hall (Alumni Hall)
University Community Centre - UCC Amit Chakma Engineering Building
Weldon Library - WL Arthur & Sonia Labatt Health Sciences Building
(Health Sciences Building)
West Valley Building - WVB
The Arts & Humanities Building (old Ivey building,
Western Centre for Public Health & Family temporary home to faculty during University
Medicine - PHFM College renovations) (Arts Building)
Western Child Care Centre - WCCC Biological & Geological Sciences Building (B&G
Western Continuing Studies - WCS Building)
Western Interdisciplinary Research Building - WIRB Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research
Centre (Biotron)
Western Science Centre (Laurene O.Paterson) - WSC
Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel (BLWTL)
Western Student Recreation Centre - WSRC
Chemistry Building (Chemistry Building)
Western Student Services Building - WSSB
Claudette MacKay-Lassonde Pavilion (Green
Western Tennis Club - WTC Building)6
Collip Building (Collip Building) Robarts Research Institute at Western University
(Robarts)
Cronyn Observatory (Cronyn)
Somerville House (Somerville House)
The D.B. Weldon Library (Weldon Library)
Spencer Engineering Building (Spencer
Dental Sciences Building (Dental Sciences Engineering Building)
Building)
Spencer Hall (Spencer Hall)
Dr. Don Rix Clinical Skills Learning Building (Clinical
Skills Building) Stevenson Hall (Stevenson Hall)
Elborn College (Elborn) Lawson Hall (Lawson Hall)
Elginfield Observatory (Elginfield) Social Science Centre (Social Science Centre)
FIMS & Nursing Building Support Services Building (SSB)
Please note, some confusion can occur Talbot College (Talbot College)
because the FIMS & Nursing Building houses
the Arthur Labatt Family School of Nursing. TD Waterhouse Stadium (TD Waterhouse)
Gibbons Lodge Residence (Gibbons Lodge) Thames Hall (Thames Hall)
Harold W. Siebens Centre (Siebens Centre) University College (UC)
Health Sciences Addition (Health Sciences University Community Centre (UCC)
Addition)
Western Centre for Public Health and Family
International & Graduate Affairs Building (IGAB) Medicine (Family Medicine)
Ivey Business School Toronto Campus, Tangerine Western Interdisciplinary Research Building
Leadership Centre (ING Centre)
Western Student Recreation Centre (recreation
J. Gordon Thompson Recreation and Athletics centre)
Centre (Thompson Centre)
Western Student Services Building (Western
John George Althouse Faculty of Education Student Services Building)
Building (Althouse)
Westminster Hall (Westminster Hall)
John Labatt Visual Arts Centre (Visual Arts Building)
Josephine Spencer Niblett Law Building (Law bulleted lists
Building)
The introductory sentence is usually an
Kresge Building (Kresge Building) independent clause and ends with a colon. Each
bulleted item should begin with an uppercase letter
Laurene O. Paterson Building, Western Science
and end with a semicolon until the last entry, which
Centre (Western Science Centre)
should end in a period.
Material Sciences Addition (Material Sciences
Addition)
Canadian Intercollegiate Athletic
McIntosh Gallery (McIntosh) Union (CIAU)
Medical Sciences Building (Medical Sciences 1961-1978. National governing body of university
Building) sport in Canada. Became Canadian Interuniversity
Athletic Union (CIAU) in 1978.
Middlesex College (Middlesex College)
Music Building (Music Building)
Canadian Interuniversity Athletic
Natural Sciences Centre (Natural Sciences Centre) Union (CIAU)
North Campus Building (North Campus Building) 1978-2001. National governing body of university
sport in Canada. Became Canadian Interuniversity
Physics & Astronomy Building (Physics & Sport (CIS) in 2001.
Astronomy Building)
Richard Ivey Building (Ivey)7
Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) Chemical Reactor Engineering Centre (CREC)
2001-2016. National governing body of university CIBC Centre for Human Capital & Productivity
sport in Canada. Became U Sports in 2016.
Economic Policy Research Institute (EPRI)
Geotechnical Research Centre
Campus Community Police Service
(CCPS) Holocaust Literature Research Institute
Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR)
centres / institutes Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative
The Africa Institute Resources (ICFAR)
Applied Electrostatics Research Centre (AERC) Institute for Earth and Space Exploration
(Western Space)
Autism Centre of Excellence Never ISEE.
Biotron Experimental Climate Change Research Institute for Research in Ontario Archaeology
(Biotron)
International Centre for Olympic Studies (ICOS)
Bone & Joint Institute
National Centre for Audiology
Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory
National Tax Centre
The Brain and Mind Institute
Northern Tornadoes Project (NTP)
BrainsCAN
Particle Technology Research Centre (PTRC)
The Canada-U.S. Institute
WindEEE Research Institute (WindEEE)
Canada-United States Law Institute
Western Centre for Functional and Metabolic
Canadian Centre for Activity and Aging Mapping (CFMM)
Centre for Advanced Materials and Biomaterials
Research (CAMBR) CFI
Centre for American Studies Canada Foundation for Innovation in first reference.
CFI thereafter.
The Centre for Environment & Sustainability
Centre for Education Research & Innovation (CERI) CIHR
Canadian Institutes of Health Research in first
Centre for Inclusive Education reference. CIHR thereafter.
Centre for Planetary Science and Exploration (CPSX)
Centre for Population, Aging and Health Child and Youth Development Clinic
(CYDC)
Centre for Research & Education on Violence
Against Women & Children
Centre for Research on Migration and Ethnic
Class of …
Relations Capitalize and use full, not abbreviated, date.
Centre for Research & Teaching of Canadian Native The Class of 1979 gathered to honour their
Languages retiring professor.
On Twitter, use hashtags and year for classes.
Centre for the Study of International Economic
Relations #WesternU2017, #WesternU2013
Centre for the Study of Theory & Criticism On Facebook, consider contacting the Class of
Facebook Group for the year(s) in question and
Centre for Transitional Justice and Post-Conflict asking them to distribute your message.
Reconstruction
Centre for Translational Cancer Research8
community-engaged learning CUPE Local 2361
Preferred term over ‘service learning’ or ‘volunteer CUPE Local 2361 in all references.
service learning.’ CUPE Local 2361 represents employees in Facilities
A credit or non-credit activity, local or abroad, Management who are engaged in the maintenance
which involves community partners or and service of buildings and grounds at the
organizations working directly with students on University. CUPE stands for Canadian Union of
projects of interest to the community. Public Employees, but unnecessary to use in any
reference.
Convocation
Capitalize in all references to Western’s CUPE Local 2692
Convocation. CUPE Local 2692 in all references.
CUPE Local 2692 represents the employees in the
Hospitality Services Department at Western. CUPE
co-op stands for Canadian Union of Public Employees,
Do not use unless part of a previously existing but unnecessary to use in any reference.
proper name (e.g. Engineering Summer Co-op,
MLIS Co-op). Use internship. Western does not
have any official co-op programs. currency
» See internship and work-integrated learning Canadian currency is assumed in most cases.
(WIL) entries. When clarity is required, however, CAD is the code
established by the International Organization for
Standardization to represent the Canadian dollar; it
counsellor is composed of the country symbol CA (Canada) and
the currency symbol D (dollar).
counselling
Even though the code already contains the symbol D
for dollar, use a dollar sign for reader clarity.
course titles The code is placed before the dollar figure.
Capitalize and italicize. CAD $30 million
Commonly used codes, include CAD (Canada), CNY
courtesy titles (China yuan renminbi), EUR (Euro), GBP (British
pounds) and USD (U.S. dollars).
Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss and
Ms. in newspapers, magazines and media releases.
They should be avoided in all other uses unless cutlines/captions for photos
deemed culturally necessary for specific documents.
Cutlines/captions are treated as an independent
» See Dr./PhD entry. element, with all names and references requiring
first-use rules. Do not assume a reader will read
both the story and the cutline.
coworking
DAN Department of Management
CTA-UWO
and Organizational Studies
Clinical Teachers Association of UWO in first
reference. CTA-UWO thereafter.
CTA-UWO represents Clinical Academic Faculty
with full-time appointments in the Schulich School
of Medicine & Dentistry.9
datelines When abbreviating a degree, omit periods and
punctuation marks.
City outside London, Ont., where story takes
place is written in all caps. Inside Canada, use BA, MA, PhD and LLB
city and province when necessary for clarity. In
United States, follow AP guidelines on cities who Within a graduate profile, shorten as much as
standalone; all other cities require state. Outside possible, degree and year of graduation without a
Canada/United States, follow AP guidelines on cities space between the two.
who standalone; all other cities require country. Jane Smith, MA’10, is now pursuing doctoral
HONG KONG – Forty-two undergraduates work at Harvard University.
and post-graduates, representing six Western offers the following degrees under the
faculties and affiliated colleges, celebrated following names. Both long and abbreviated
the culmination of their time at Western as versions are offered here. (Updated August 2017.)
the university held its ninth annual Hong
Kong convocation ceremony May 26 in the
Grand Ballroom of the Conrad Hong Kong. Undergraduate Degrees
MATTOON, Ill. – Four Western alumni have • Bachelor of Arts - BA
found a new home in the Heartland. • Bachelor of Arts (Human Ecology) - BA(HEc)
• Bachelor of Education - BEd
• Bachelor of Engineering Science - BESc
dates • Bachelor of Fine Arts - BFA
Write all information in Time, Day/Date, Location order. • Bachelor of Health Sciences - BHSc
The meeting has been moved to 9:30 a.m. • Bachelor of Management and Organizational
Tuesday, Nov. 11 in University College 2130. Studies - BMOS
• Bachelor of Medical Sciences - BMSc
Abbreviate names of months more than five letters • Bachelor of Music - BMus
when followed by a date. (Jan. 1, Feb. 1, March 1, • Bachelor of Musical Arts - BMusA
April 1, May 1, June 1, July 1, Aug. 1, Sept. 1, Oct. 1, • Bachelor of Science - BSc
Nov. 1 and Dec. 1.)
• Bachelor of Science (Foods and Nutrition) -
Do not use suffixes -st, -nd, -rd, -th. BSc (FN)
Use year only when referring to one other than the • Bachelor of Science (Human Ecology) -
current year. BSc(HEc)
The group first met on April 5, 2009. They have • Bachelor of Science in Nursing - BScN
accomplished little since that date. At a Sept. 13 • Bachelor of Social Work - BSW
meeting, they hope to get back on track. • Bachelor of Theology - BTh
• Juris Doctor - JD
days of the week
Graduate Degrees
Spell out. Never abbreviate days of the week.
• Doctor of Musical Arts - DMA
• Education - Professional - MPEd
Dean
• Education - Professional - EdD
» See Titles entry. • Executive Master of Business Administration
- EMBA
degrees • Graduate Diploma - GDip
It is acceptable to spell out the degree or to • Master of Arts - MA
abbreviate it, depending on the context. When • Master of Business Administration - MBA
spelling out a degree, use upper case. • Master of Clinical Science - MClSc
There are many baccalaureate degrees. • Master of Clinical Dentistry - MClD
He earned a Bachelor’s Degree. She is • Master of Data Analytics - MDA
working toward a Master’s Degree. • Master of Divinity - MDiv
She has a Bachelor of Arts in English. He has • Master of Education - MEd
a Master of Arts degree. • Master of Engineering - MEng
• Master of Engineering Science - MESc
• Master of Environment & Sustainability - MES10
• Master of Financial Economics - MFE Edward G. Pleva Awards for
• Master of Fine Arts - MFA Excellence in Teaching
• Master of Health Information Science - MHIS
• Master of Laws - LLM email
• Master of Library and Information Science - Not e-mail or Email.
MLIS
• Master of Management of Applied Science -
MMASc emerita/ emeritus/ emeriti
• Master of Media in Journalism and Use professor emerita for female; professor
Communication (MMJC) emeritus for male; and professors emeriti for a
• Master of Music - MMus group of like or mixed genders.
• Master of Nursing - MN
• Master of Physical Therapy - MPT enrol, enrolment, enrolled, enrolling
• Master of Public Administration - MPA
• Master of Public Health - MPH Eskimo
• Master of Science - MSc Do not use. The term Inuit replaces the term
• Master of Science in Foods and Nutrition - Eskimo in all cases.
MScFN
• Master of Studies in Law - MSL
• Master of Science in Nursing - MScN esports
• Master of Science in Occupational Therapy - Use when referring to competitive multiplayer
MSc(OT) video gaming. Use alternate forms like eSports
• Master of Social Work - MSW or e-sports only if part of a formal name. Proper
nouns are spelled the same regardless of where
• Doctor of Dental Surgery - DDS
they occur in the sentence, so still use lower case
• Doctor of Medicine - MD to start. (Think iPad, for example. You would never
• Doctor of Philosophy - PhD write it as IPad.)
departments Facebook posts
Capitalize when referring to departments as Keep engagement and conversation in mind
standalone words. and try to alternate between promotion and
e.g. Film Studies, Biology, Philosophy. conversation. Links and photos are optional but
can help your posts reach more people and achieve
higher engagement.
Distinguished University
Professorships (DUP) faculties
Use full name for first reference (second reference).
Dr./PhD
For newspaper, magazines and media releases, Faculty of Arts and Humanities (Arts and Humanities)
continue Western’s long-established practice of Allowed to use & for web and social purposes,
following Canadian Press journalistic standard of but write out and in paragraph form.
using Dr. only in cases of a medical practitioner
and/or dentist, and then only in the first reference. Don Wright Faculty of Music (Music)
Subsequent references are last name only. If
necessary for clarity or to establish academic Faculty of Education (Education)
credentials, use PhD following the first reference. Faculty of Engineering (Engineering)
Dr. John Smith performed the first-of-its-kind
School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS)
operation. Smith said it was his crowning
achievement. Faculty of Health Sciences (Health Sciences)
Western University professor Jane Smith,
Faculty of Information and Media Studies (FIMS)
PhD, now works in Guam as a consultant.
Allowed to use & for web and social purposes,
For all other purposes (proposals, speeches, etc.), but write out and in paragraph form.
Dr. can be used in terms of academic credential at
the writer’s discretion. Faculty of Law (Law)11
Ivey Business School (Ivey) First Peoples
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Capitalize in all instances.
(Schulich / Schulich Medicine & Dentistry) First Peoples is an all-encompassing term that
Note: It is acceptable to use ‘Schulich Medicine’ includes Inuit, First Nations and Métis.
or ‘Schulich Dentistry’ as short-forms verbally
or in text, but it is not appropriate to identify
a separate ‘Schulich School of Medicine’ or first-year
‘Schulich School of Dentistry.’ Holds true for second-year, third-year, etc.
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Windsor Frosh
Campus (Windsor Campus) Do not use.
Faculty of Science (Science)
Faculty of Social Science (Social Science) full-time
faculty gender
When referring to faculty in a general sense, use The term ‘gender’ is not synonymous with ‘sex.’
lowercase. Gender refers to a person’s social identity while sex
The Faculty of Science is one of many refers to biological characteristics.
faculties at Western. Not all people fall under one of two categories
for sex or gender, according to leading medical
The words faculty and school should be lowercase organizations.
when referring to a specific faculty or school when
Avoid references to “both sexes/genders,” “either
the name is not written out in full.
sex/gender” or “opposite sexes/gender” as a way
The Faculty of Engineering offers optional to encompass all people.
internships. The faculty accepts applications
in September.
Capitalize when referring to faculties as standalone
gender-neutral pronouns
words. In stories about people who identify as neither
male nor female or ask not to be referred to as he/
Western offers several strong faculties
she/him/her, they/them/their is acceptable as a
including Science, Law and Engineering.
singular and-or gender-neutral pronoun.
Clarity is a top priority; gender-neutral use of a
singular they is unfamiliar to many readers.
FAQ
If they/them/their use is essential, explain in
Stands for ‘frequently asked questions’. Do not use
the text that the person prefers a gender-neutral
FAQs, as that is redundant.
pronoun. Be sure that the phrasing does not imply
more than one person.
Following AP and CP Style, we do not use other
First Nation(s)
gender-neutral pronouns such as xe or ze.
Capitalize in all instances.
First Nation is a term used to describe Indigenous
Peoples of Canada who are ethnically neither Métis Global and Intercultural
nor Inuit. This term came into common usage in Engagement Honour
the 1970s and 1980s and generally replaced the Global and Intercultural Engagement Honour
term Indian, although unlike Indian, the term First recognizes students’ engagement in international
Nation does not have a legal definition. education and intercultural activities during
While First Nations refers to the ethnicity of First their time at Western. Once achieved, the honour
Peoples, the singular First Nation can refer to a appears on the student’s official transcript upon
band, a reserve-based community or a larger tribal graduation as a complement to their degree.
grouping and the status Indians who live in them.12
hashtags hyphen
Use hashtags (#WesternU, #ldnont) on Twitter, Use a hyphen when you join two words to form a
LinkedIn and Instagram posts. compound modifier.
Western’s official hashtag is #WesternU. Use it to First-year course; part-time studies;
reach the Western Twitter community as Western government-mandated budget cuts.
Communications monitors this hashtag and will
As a rule, a hyphen should not be used to join a
retweet internal postings from it.
prefix to a root/base except to avoid doubling a
Do not use @WesternU. This is reserved for vowel, tripling a consonant, duplicating a prefix or
customer service for the public to ask us direct when the context is confusing or causes ambiguity.
questions.
Exceptions are noted in this guide under the word.
Be sure to check to see if listed. If not, default to
health care above rule.
Health care (n.) health-care (adj.) Use a hyphen with the prefix ‘re’ where the word
would otherwise be confusing.
re-coiled the rope (as opposed to recoiled
Hellmuth Prize for in horror)
Achievement in Research
re-covered a chair (as opposed to recovered
from an illness).
holistic
Never hyphenate -ly modifiers.
Not wholistic.
Internationally known researcher
honorary degrees Imaging Pathogens of Knowledge
Translation facility (ImPaKT)
honour/honor
Use Canadian spelling of the word – honours – in
ImpactWX Chair in
all instances with the lone exception of its use
in the phrase ‘honorary degree(s).’ This follows Severe Storms Engineering
a unanimous recommendation of the Senate
Committee on Academic Policy and Awards Indian
(SCAPA) in April 2019.
The term Indian refers to the legal identity of a
First Nations person who is registered under the
hospitals Indian Act. The term Indian should be used only
Children’s Hospital when referring to a First Nations person with status
under the Indian Act, and even then, only within its
London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC) legal context.
University Hospital (University Hospital) Aside from this specific legal context, the term
Victoria Hospital (Victoria) Indian in Canada is considered outdated and may
be considered offensive.
St. Joseph’s Parkwood Institute (Parkwood)
In the United States, however, the term American
St. Joseph’s Health Care London (St. Joseph’s) Indian and Native Indian are both in current and
Regional Mental Health Care London (RMHC- common usage.
London) Use term for people and/or institutions from the
country of India.
Regional Mental Health Care St. Thomas (RMHC-
St. Thomas)
South Street Hospital (South Street). Closed Indigenous
January 2013.
Capitalize in all instances.
Indigenous is a term used to encompass a variety
Huron University College (Huron) of the original peoples of Canada.
» See affiliated colleges entry13
Indigenous Peoples international learning
Capitalize in all instances. Learning activities at home or abroad that focus
The term Indigenous Peoples is an all- on other countries or cultures, or any educational
encompassing term that includes the First Peoples activity (credit or non-credit) that occurs abroad.
of Canada. At Western, international learning encompasses
exchange programs, study abroad, summer
The term Indigenous Peoples is generally used study abroad, Alternative Spring Break (ASB),
in an international context. The title of the United international internships, research abroad,
Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous international community engaged learning, faculty-
Peoples is a prime example of the global led international learning experiences, field schools
inclusiveness of the term Indigenous Peoples. and courses with a global or intercultural focus.
Information Technology Services (ITS) internationalization
Changed to Western Technology Services (WTS) in The active pursuit of activities that support the
2017. incorporation of an international perspective into
all aspects of teaching and learning.
Innu
Internet
Capitalize in all instances.
Innu are a First Nations group located in italics
northeastern Quebec and central Labrador.
Italicize the titles of books, journals, periodicals,
newspapers, pamphlets, proceedings, collections,
internship theses, dissertations, plays, movies, television
shows, operas, oratorios, paintings, drawings,
A catch-all term used for external, general sculptures and other works of art.
audiences, including media. Use covers all
internships, co-ops, and practicums.
» See co-op and work-integrated learning (WIL) IUOE Local 772
entries IUOE represents the university’s Operating
Engineers and those individuals engaged primarily
as their helpers in the main Power Plant and other
Inuit remote plants.
Capitalize in all instances.
Inuit is the contemporary term for Eskimo. Refers Ivey Business School,
to specific groups of people generally living in the Hong Kong Campus
far north who are not considered the legal identity
of Indians under Canadian law. Ivey Business School, Mumbai Campus
Insurance Research Lab Ivey Tangerine Leadership Centre
for Better Homes Formerly the ING Direct Leadership Centre.
Do not use ‘Three Little Pigs,’ a shorthand
nickname for the facility during its proposal and
construction phase. J.W.
Western Mustangs mascott.
intercultural learning
King’s University College (King’s)
Preferred term over ‘cross-cultural learning.’
» See affiliated colleges entry
Learning at home or abroad that involves exposure
to, and increased understanding of, cultures other
than the student’s own.
Lawson Health Research Institute
(Lawson)14
LGBT, LGBTQ Master’s Degree
Acceptable in all references as an abbreviation for See Degrees entry.
lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender, or lesbian, gay,
bisexual, transgender and questioning and/or queer.
measurement
In quotes or formal names of organizations, other
forms such as LGBTQIA and other variations are Canadian Press suggests using metric for most
acceptable with the other letters explained. In measurements, although it stresses clarity
recent years, initials have been added to represent as key to the decision. Much of that clarity is
intersex, asexual, pansexual, polyamorous, and at the writer’s discretion taking audience into
sometimes with a * at the end. consideration.
In most cases, when an imperial figure must be
used, it should be accompanied by its metric
Libraries equivalent. If exact measurements are not required,
Full library name for first reference (second round figure to the nearest whole number.
reference). Do not change quotations to reflect style, simply
Archives and Research Collections Centre (ARCC) refer to metric in parenthesis.
C.B. ‘Bud’ Johnston Library (Business Library) “The float was nearly 100-feet (30-metres)
tall,” said John Smith. “No wonder it couldn’t
Education Library (Education Library) clear that underpass.”
John & Dotsa Bitove Family Law Library (Law Among the exceptions are more conventional
Library) references – personal height and weight, two-by-
Music Library (Music Library) fours, quarter-inch screws, etc.
Allyn and Betty Taylor Library (Taylor) Smith, who was a 7-foot, 350-pound
linebacker for the 1948 Mustangs football
Map and Data Centre (Map and Data) team, never fully embraced the change of
The D.B. Weldon Library (Weldon) coaches and transferred the next season.
Speed and distance are expressed in kilometres/
hour and kilometres.
London
Avoid using Ont. unless needed for clarity. But Do not mix imperial and metric measurements
keep your audience in mind. For example, a story when possible.
involving several international cities or a press
release targeting an international audience might
require the use of ‘London, Ont.’ mental health
Western alumni traveled to London this past Do not describe an individual as ‘mentally ill’ unless
weekend to celebrate Homecoming. pertinent to a story and diagnosis is properly sourced.
The research study has taken Western When used, identify the source for the diagnosis.
scientists around the globe from Paris to Wherever possible, rely on people with mental
Berlin to Moscow and back to London, Ont. illness to talk about their own diagnoses.
Use the hashtag #ldnont on Twitter, LinkedIn and Mental illness is a general condition. Specific
Instagram posts. disorders are types of mental illness and should be
used whenever possible:
He was diagnosed with schizophrenia,
Main Campus according to court documents. She was
Main Campus refers to the London campus of diagnosed with anorexia, according to her
Western University, excluding affiliated university parents. He was treated for depression.
colleges. Do not use derogatory terms, such as insane,
crazy/crazed, nuts or deranged, unless they are
Marilyn Robinson Award part of a quotation essential to the story.
for Excellence in Teaching Avoid descriptions that connote pity, such as
afflicted with, suffers from or victim of. Rather, he
has obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Master of Arts
Avoid using mental health terms to describe non-
See Degrees entry. health issues. Don’t say that an awards show, for
example, was schizophrenic.15
Métis Native
Capitalize in all instances. Avoid use when possible.
The term refers to a collective of cultures and Capitalize in all instances.
ethnic identities that resulted from unions between The term does not denote a specific ethnicity (such
Indigenous and European people in Canada. as First Nation, Métis, or Inuit). In Canada, the
This term has general and specific uses, and the term Indigenous is generally preferred to Native. In
differences between them are often contentious. the United States, the term Native American is in
It is sometimes used as a general term to refer common usage to describe the original people of
to people of mixed ancestry, whereas in a legal North America.
context, Métis refers to descendants of specific
historic communities. Some may feel Native has a negative connotation
and is outdated. This term can also be problematic
in certain contexts, as some non-Indigenous
Middlesex College Clock Tower Peoples born in a settler state may argue that they,
The five-story clock/bell tower atop Middlesex College. too, are Native.
Middlesex County Memorial Tower
NSERC
The 126-foot-high Middlesex County Memorial
Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council
Tower sits atop University College, built in 1923, one
in first reference. NSERC thereafter.
of the first buildings to be constructed at Western.
The tower houses a water tank which is no longer
in use. The tower of University College was erected
numbers
in 1924 in memory of the soldiers from Middlesex
County who died in the First World War. As a rule, spell out numbers between zero and nine,
use numerals for 10 and higher or lower than zero.
months Always spell out a number that begins a sentence.
Spell out when referring to the month generally. That is, unless it is a year. If the number is large
Abbreviate names of months more than five letters or would be cumbersome to spell out, reword the
when followed by a date. (Jan. 1, Feb. 1, March 1, sentence so the number doesn’t begin it. The goal
April 1, May 1, June 1, July 1, Aug.1, Sept. 1, Oct. 1, is readability.
Nov. 1 and Dec. 1.) Always use numerals for the following: Ages; days
Let’s get together in September. of the month; degrees of temperature; dimensions;
house numerals; percentages; proportions; scores;
Let’s meet on Sept. 5. serial numbers; speeds; sums of money; time of
Let’s meet in May, perhaps somewhere day; votes; and years.
around May 5.
Northern Tornados Project (NTP)
Mustangs Northern Tornados Project in first reference and
Use in reference to athletes and athletic teams, but NTP beyond.
not for general student population. Can use Mustang Include some version of the following boilerplate
when referring to a single athlete, but try to avoid. somewhere in story:
“Northern Tornadoes Project is a partnership
names between Western and ImpactWX, a Toronto-
Always give the first name or initial of person the based social impact fund.”
first time they appear in a story. Follow with use Reference the ImpactWX Chair in Severe Storms
of last name only, unless needed for clarity (for Engineering
instance, quoting multiple members of a family
with the same last name).
online
Ontario Council on University
Research (OCCUR)16
Ontario University Athletics (OUA) Pierre Morrissette Institute
1997-present. Ontario governing body of university for Entrepreneurship
sport with merger of Ontario Universities Athletics Sub-brand of Western Entrepreneurship. Housed
Association (OUAA) and Ontario Women’s within the Ivey Business School, the Institute
Intercollegiate Athletics Association (OWIAA). provides students with in-class opportunities to
develop entrepreneurship skills, and is the leading
Ontario Universities Athletics space for entrepreneurial research.
Association (OUAA)
Ended in 1997. Became Ontario University Athletics Propel
(OUA).
Western’s drop-in startup coworking space, located
in Western Student Services Building.
Ontario Women’s Intercollegiate
Athletics Association (OWIAA) Please note that the Propel brand is slowly being
phased out. When referring to Western’s startup
Ended in 1997. Became Ontario University Athletics coworking physical space on campus, continue
(OUA). to use Propel. When referring to Western’s
overall startup programming, use Western
OPSEU Local 102 Entrepreneurship.
OPSEU Local 102 represents employees in the
Campus Community Police Service engaged as
University Police Special Constables. PMA
Professional Management Association in first
OWeek reference. PMA thereafter.
Never O-Week. The PMA represents full-time employees
engaged on a permanent basis in managerial and
part-time professional roles across the university.
Not part time.
postdoctoral
Paul Davenport Theatre postgraduate
postsecondary
per cent
Two words. Always use figures and decimals, practice (noun or adjective)/practise
avoid spelling out numbers and fractions unless (verb)
necessary for clarity.
1 per cent, 2.5 per cent, 0.6 per cent, 30 per professor
cent, a third of a per cent Never capitalize unless part of an official name
In marketing piece, you may use the symbol % or chair.
as it’s much easier to read and recognize when Western University professor John Smith
comparing a number of statistics in one sentence, may understand the book better than anyone
paragraph or in a bullet list. on Earth. Even though Smith couldn’t make it
through the work his first time around.
Physical distancing For newspapers, magazine and media releases,
do not distinguish between assistant professors,
Use when possible. Although ‘social distancing’ associate professors and full professors unless it is
and ‘physical distancing’ have been used in relevant to the story.
interchangeably during the COVID-19 pandemic, For all other purposes (proposals, speeches, etc.),
the preference is to use physical distancing. Can use titles at the writer’s discretion.
use social distancing in quotations or official
names. Never abbreviate as prof.
professor emerita (female)
professor emeritus (male)
professors emeriti (group)17
province abbreviations quotes
The names of provinces, territories and districts Double quotations marks should be used only in
may be abbreviated when they follow the name of a cases of direct quotations no matter the length.
city, town, village or geographical feature. Single quotation marks should be used in cases of
Wawa, Ont. colloquial and emphasis.
Mount Robson, B.C.
It is not necessary to use the provincial race
abbreviation after the names of well-known cities Capitalize the proper names of nationalities,
such as Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa and peoples, races and tribes.
Fredericton. However, since the same name is often
shared by several places in Canada and other parts Note that black and white do not name races and
of the English-speaking world (e.g. Perth, Windsor, are lowercase.
Hamilton), add the appropriate abbreviation in The term black is acceptable in all references
cases where doubt could arise. in Canada and the United States. In the United
The following abbreviations are used officially for States, African-American is also used; in Canada
the names of provinces and territories in Canada. African-Canadian is used by some people but not
The right-hand column lists the two-character by others.
symbols recommended by Canada Post for use
with mailing addresses. For all other purposes, use
the traditional provincial abbreviations:
residences
The following is a list of residences on the Western
Province Traditional Canada Post campus.
Alberta Alta. AB Alumni House
British Columbia B.C. BC Delaware Hall
Manitoba Man. MB Elgin Hall
New Brunswick N.B. NB Essex Hall
Newfoundland N.L. NL London Hall
and Labrador Medway-Sydenham Hall
Northwest N.W.T. NT
Ontario Hall
Territories
Perth Hall
Nova Scotia N.S. NS
Nunavut Nun. NU Saugeen-Maitland Hall
Ontario Ont. ON
Prince Edward P.E.I. PE Research Ethics Board
Island
Quebec Que. QC Richmond Gates (The Gates)
Saskatchewan Sask. SK
Yukon Territory Y.T. YT Robarts Research Institute (Robarts)
As a standalone, use Western’s Robarts Research
Institute or Western University’s Robarts Research
PSAC Local 610 Institute in first reference, then Robarts in all
PSAC Local 610 represents registered graduate subsequent references.
students who are engaged in supervised teaching- In referring to individual associations, use ‘Western
related activities across the various faculties and University researcher’ or ‘Western researcher’ in a
schools. lede then use full location in second paragraph.
Western University researcher John Smith
PSAC Local 610 – Unit 2 has discovered a new way. Smith and his
team at Western University’s Robarts
PSAC represents Postdoctoral Associates at the Research Institute unlocked the secret …
university, who are engaged in research and are
employees of the university. In all other materials, reference Robarts is tied to
the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. On18
first reference, use the full name Robarts Research SSHRC
Institute, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry,
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
Western University. In subsequent references, use
in first reference. SSHRC thereafter.
Robarts.
startup
SAGE
Select Administrative Group Employees in first Student Experience
reference. SAGE thereafter.
SAGE represents university employees engaged
in administrative roles that may require access study abroad
to confidential employment and labour relations An umbrella term referring to any for-credit
information, necessitating their exclusion from the learning activity abroad including full-degree,
University of Western Ontario Staff Association exchange and Letter of Permission programs as
bargaining unit. well as experiential or community engaged learning
abroad for credit.
said/says
For newspapers and media releases, use said in time
all cases. Use figures except for noon and midnight. Use a
colon to separate hours from minutes.
schools 5 p.m.
See Faculties entry. 10:30 a.m.
Write all information in Time, Day/Date, Location
order.
Schulich School of Medicine &
Dentistry - Windsor Campus The meeting has been moved to 9:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 11 in University College 2130.
(Windsor Campus)
temperature
Senate
Use Celcius unless in a quotation or necessary for
university Senate (Senate).
scientific explanation (e.g. Kelvin). In most cases,
when an imperial figure must be used, it should be
Skillset accompanied by its metric equivalent.
Western researchers braved 130-degree F
(54 C) heat to get the necessary research.
Social distancing
Avoid use when possible. Although ‘social
distancing’ and ‘physical distancing’ have been they/them/their
used in interchangeably during the COVID-19 See gender-neutral pronouns entry.
pandemic, the preference is to use physical
distancing. Can use social distancing in quotations
or official names. The Western Experience
Capitalize the ‘T’ in ‘the.’
SOGS
Society of Graduate Students in first reference.
Three Little Pigs
SOGS thereafter.
Do not use.
See Insurance Research Lab for Better
Southwestern Ontario Homes.
spaces
Use one space after punctuation – unless you’re
working on a typewriter, in which case, why are you
still using a typewriter.19
titles can help your posts reach more people and achieve
higher engagement.
In general, confine capitalization to formal titles no
matter placement in sentence.
President John Smith and Vice-President U Sports
(External) Jane Smith addressed the media. 2016-present. National governing body of
John Smith, University President and Vice- university sport in Canada.
Provost, and Jane Smith, Vice-President
(External), addressed the media. U15
The Vice-President (External) will speak next Use in first reference and beyond when referring to
week. Canada’s leading research-intensive universities.
Members included Western, Alberta, British
The President thought better of that second
Columbia, Calgary, Dalhousie, Laval, Manitoba,
piece of pie.
McGill, McMaster, Montreal, Ottawa, Queen’s,
A formal title is one “that denotes the scope Saskatchewan, Toronto, and Waterloo.
of authority, professional activity or academic
activity,” as the Associated Press describes it. UC Hill
Think about Provost & Vice-President (Academic),
Vice-President (Resources & Operations), Vice-
President (External). University
In general, lower case informal titles no matter For external audiences, use Western University in
placement in sentence. first reference, then Western on second reference.
Never abbreviate as WU. For internal audience, use
The team was sure to thank Western researcher Western in all references.
Charles Darnay for his efforts on the project.
Although The University of Western Ontario
An informal title is one that serves primarily remains the university’s official name, do not use
as occupational descriptions: astronaut Chris The University of Western Ontario (or UWO) in any
Hadifeld, movie star Rachel McAdams, professor reference.
David Bentley.
Uppercase the word ‘University’ in all cases as
A final determination on whether a title is formal a standalone noun when referring to Western
or informal depends on the practice of the University. Lowercase when referring to all other
organization conferring it. universities.
Use last name as second reference and do not
repeat title after first reference. University Drive Bridge
When including a descriptor in the title, especially
for Western titles, parenthesis should be used.
University Librarian
Vice-President (External)
The position no longer exists, and has been
changed to Vice-Provost and Chief Librarian. Chief
Toronto Librarian is acceptable as first reference.
Never use Ont. Use the hashtags #Toronto or #YYZ
on Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram posts. The Six is an University Research Board (URB)
acceptable second reference in stories about Drake.`
USC
travel, traveler, travelled, travelling University Students’ Council in first reference. USC
thereafter.
tweet, tweets, tweeted
Verb for posting something to Twitter. Do not UWOFA
capitalize. University of Western Ontario Faculty Association
in first reference. UWOFA thereafter.
Twitter UWOFA represents full-time professors of the
university (other than clinical faculty) and also part-
Keep engagement and conversation in mind time faculty with duties equivalent to teaching at
and try to alternate between promotion and least 0.5 degree credit course in each of two of the
conversation. Links and photos are optional but last three fiscal years.20
UWOFA-LA Western Institute for Neuroscience
University of Western Ontario Faculty Association – Research (Neuroscience Institute)
Librarians and Archivists in first reference. UWOFA- Do not use WIN or WINR.
LA thereafter.
UWOFA-LA represents those employees of the
Western International
university performing the work of librarians and
archivists.
Western Libraries
UWOSA Use when speaking of the entire university libraries
system. Refer to Libraries entry for the name of
University of Western Ontario Staff Association in
individual libraries within the system.
first reference. UWOSA thereafter.
Use Western Libraries’ when requiring a possessive.
UWOSA represents employees engaged in
administrative and research support roles
employed on a continuing or sessional (e.g. Western Technology Services (WTS)
academic year) basis.
Formerly Information Technology Services (ITS).
Changed in 2017.
von Kuster Hall
Western University
Watts Lab for Smart Grid and
Innovation DG Control Studies
Windsor Campus
(Watts Lab)
Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry - Windsor
Campus (Windsor Campus)
web addresses
When writing web addresses, do not include work-integrated learning (WIL)
http://www. Underline when possible.
Internal term used to cover experiences like
Visit uwo.ca for more details. internships, co-ops, and practicums. Use internship
when writing for external, general audiences,
website including media.
Wellness Education Centre WORLDiscoveries
Sub-brand of Western Entrepreneurship. Western’s
technology transfer and business development
Western Accelerator office. Note only one d and it is capitalized.
Sub-brand of Western Entrepreneurship. Western’s
startup accelerator program. Located in Somerville year
House, the program runs three times a year.
Use year only when referring to one other than the
current year.
Western Award of Excellence The group first met on April 5, 2009. They
have accomplished little since that date. At
Western Entrepreneurship a Sept. 13 meeting, they hope to get back on
track.
Use when speaking of the entire university
entrepreneurship ecosystem. This includes Propel, When writing a range of years, write the first year
WORLDiscoveries, Pierre Morrissette Institute for in full followed by the last two digits of the second
Entrepreneurship, and the Western Accelerator. year.
He worked at Western from 2001-08.
Never abbreviate as WE.
Western Humanitarian Award21
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