Writing

Style Guide

East Tennessee State University’s Office of University Marketing and Communication (UMC) is responsible for overseeing the writing, design, and production of all official university publications.

To achieve an institutional standard in publications, UMC provides these stylistic recommendations for writers to apply to written material for internal and external audiences. Such publications include brochures, newsletters, webpages, fliers, and more. Many of these recommendations are based upon the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook, which UMC staff use in producing materials for external news media, but some recommendations differ from AP for university publication purposes. Some of the recommendations are based upon longstanding practice at our university. These guidelines do not apply to academic writing, such as research papers or journal articles, which does not fall under UMC’s purview and for which discipline-specific styles apply, such as the APA, Chicago Manual of Style, or other established style.

The University Name

“East Tennessee State University” should be spelled out in full on first reference, and the acronym “ETSU” may be used in second and subsequent references. ETSU may be used in headings/subheadings. To provide variety when repeatedly referring to ETSU, “the university” with a lowercase u may be used.

Locations 

“East Tennessee State University” and “ETSU” are used to refer to the main campus in Johnson City, Tennessee.

ETSU has the following off-campus instructional sites:

  • ETSU at Kingsport Allandale, located at 1501 University Boulevard in Kingsport, Tennessee
  • ETSU at Sevierville, located at 2025 Red Bank Road in Sevierville, Tennessee
  • Nave Center, located at 1000 Jason Witten Way in Elizabethton, Tennessee (commonly prefaced by “the”)
  • ETSU/Eastman Valleybrook, located at 122 Pickens Road in Kingsport, Tennessee
  • Pellissippi State Community College, located at 10915 Hardin Valley Road in Knoxville, Tennessee
  • James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home

Several ETSU entities, including Quillen College of Medicine, Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy, the Medical Library, several additional health sciences programs, and more, are located on the campus of the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home. As prescribed by Congress, “James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home” must be written in full on first reference; on second reference, it may be referred to by the acronym “JHQVAMC,” or, more simply, “the VA campus.”

Acronyms

Acronyms are everywhere in academia, but writers should not assume readers will automatically know what the letters stand for in an acronym, and should also avoid “alphabet soup.”

Spell out the name of East Tennessee State University in the first reference; the acronym ETSU may be used in the second reference.

Spell out the names of organizations, legislative acts, or other terms in the first reference, with acronyms given in parentheses. Acronyms may be used on second reference. Examples:

  • Student Government Association (SGA)
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Preview and Orientation Leaders Organization (POLO)

In some cases, the acronym is the primary way an entity or concept is identified. In such instances, the acronym may be given first, with the full name given in parentheses afterward. Examples:

  • Strong BRAIN (Building Resilience through ACEs Informed Networking) Institute (SBI)
  • CARE Women’s Health (Center for Applied Research and Evaluation in Women’s Health)
  • STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)

Do not use periods in acronyms.

Academic Degrees

In wording regarding academic degrees, “bachelor’s,” “master’s,” “associate” (note no possessive), and “doctoral” degrees are lowercased. “Bachelor of Arts,” “Master of Science,” “Doctor of Philosophy,” and the like are capitalized. For example, “a bachelor’s degree in music” or “the Master of Business Administration degree.”

Degree abbreviations may be used, such as B.A., BSW, M.S., MBA, MSN, Ph.D., Ed.D., and DNP. Two-letter abbreviations have periods, while three-letter abbreviations in all caps have no periods and those that include both capital and lowercase letters have periods.

Academic and Professional Titles

On the first reference to a person, give the full name and capitalized title, such as “Dr. Pat J. Doe, Assistant Professor, Department of Mathematics.” If the person holds a doctoral degree, place “Dr.” in front of the name instead of the degree abbreviation after the name. If the individual has a short title, such as “ETSU President Dr. Brian Noland,” it is acceptable to place the capitalized professional title before the name. However, if the person has a long professional title, it is easier for both the writer and reader if the title and department are placed after the name. On second reference, refer to that person by last name only (“according to Jones”).

In news releases, UMC follows AP Style in lowercasing professional titles given after names, such as “Dr. Pat J. Doe, assistant professor, Department of Mathematics,” or titles given informally before names, such as “engineering professor Dr. Chris Brown.”

Formal titles of certain officials are capitalized and spelled out in full before the first name, such as “President Joe Biden,” “Vice President Kamala Harris,” or “former Vice President Mike Pence.”

Titles of most other elected government officials are abbreviated before names, such as “Gov. Bill Lee,” “Sen. Marsha Blackburn,” “Rep. Diana Harshbarger,” or “Lt. Gov. Randy McNally.” In more formal writing, such as in programs or invitations, these titles may be written like “The Honorable Bill Lee, Governor of the State of Tennessee.”

Courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms.) are generally not used, except in more formal writing, such as in programs and invitations.

Military titles follow the conventions provided by AP Style, such as “Gen. Joe Black,” “Vice Adm. Chris Brown,” “Lt. Col. (Ret.) Jane Smith,” or “2nd Lt. John Greene.”

President’s Cabinet: The names and official titles of members of the President’s Cabinet are:

Board of Trustees

  • Charles. E Allen, JR
  • Janet Ayers
  • Steven DeCarlo
  • Dr. Steph Frye-Clark, Faculty Trustee
  • Dorothy Grisham
  • Dr. Linda Latimer
  • Ron Ramsey
  • Aamir Shaikh, Student Trustee
  • Melissa Steagall-Jones
  • Tony Treadway

Building Names

Most ETSU academic buildings and residence halls may be referred to by the last name(s) of the person(s) for whom they are named before “Hall” or other building designation, such as “Rogers-Stout Hall,” “Burleson Hall,” or “Luntsford Apartments.” It is acceptable to use the full name of the building, such as “Harry D. Powell Observatory.” In one exception, “Burgin E. Dossett Hall” and “Nell Jennings Dossett Hall” should be given in full on first reference to avoid confusion, because they hold the same last name.

Some specific building names about which there are often questions include:

  • Amphitheatre
  • Ballad Health Athletic Center (formerly called the Mini-Dome)

  • Basler Center for Physical Activity – second reference: CPA

  • Borchuck Plaza and Memorial Fountain

  • Brooks Gymnasium (Memorial Hall) – second reference: Brooks Gym

  • Buccaneer Ridge – second reference: Buc Ridge

  • ETSU Foundation Carillon and Alumni Plaza
  • James and Nellie Brinkley Center (formerly the Millenium Center)

  • D.P. Culp Student Center
  • Ronald and Edith J. Carrier Center – second reference: Carrier Center
  • The Cave – includes the Knoxville TVA Credit Union Stage
  • Martha Street Culp Auditorium – second reference: Culp Auditorium
  • East Tennessee Room
  • Mary V. Jordan Multicultural Center – second reference: Multicultural Center
  • Dr. Patricia Robertson Pride Center – second reference: Pride Center
  • Governors Hall – note no apostrophe, as this is plural, not possessive
  • William B. Greene Jr. Stadium – second reference: Greene Stadium
  • King’s Corner Classic Sweets and Treats – second reference: King’s Corner
  • Niswonger Digital Media Center

  • Martin Center for the Arts
  • Bert C. Bach Theatre
  • ETSU Foundation Grand Hall
  • Powell Recital Hall
  • Tindall Lobby
  • Pride Walk
  • University Commons
  • University School (Alexander Hall)

Among the ETSU-operated buildings on the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center at Mountain Home campus (see “The University Name” above) are:

  • Charles Ed Allen Hall (Building 2) – houses the College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences’ Physical Therapy, Orthotics and Prosthetics, and Occupational Therapy programs
  • Wilsie S. Bishop Hall (Building 60) – houses the Interprofessional Education and Research Center (IPER)
  • Building 119 – houses medical school research and teaching facility departments
  • Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy (Building 7)
  • Carl A. Jones Hall (Building 1) – houses several Quillen College of Medicine academic departments
  • William L. Jenkins Forensic Center (Building 6) – houses the Division of Forensic Pathology and the Center of Excellence in Inflammation, Infectious Disease, and Immunity
  • Ned R. McWherter Hall (Building 52) – houses Quillen College of Medicine’s Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences
  • Medical Library (Building 4)
  • Stanton-Gerber Hall (Building 178) – houses Quillen College of Medicine

College, School, Office, Department, and Program names

ETSU has 10 colleges:

On first reference, a college name should be given in full, preceded by “East Tennessee State University” or “ETSU.” Examples: “East Tennessee State University College of Nursing,” “ETSU Quillen College of Medicine,” or “ETSU College of Arts and Sciences.” On second reference, the name or acronym of the university may be dropped. For variety when making multiple references to a college, “the college” may be used with the lowercase c, or the capitalized, shortened name of a college may be used, such as “Public Health” or “Business and Technology.”

Academic departments must be given in their official form and capitalized on first reference (“Department of Music”), but may be lowercased and referred to informally on second reference (“the music department”).

Academic departments, as well as centers and chairs of excellence, should generally be identified in some way with their colleges. For example: “the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Sciences in the ETSU College of Public Health” and “the Clemmer College of Education and Human Development Department of Curriculum and Instruction.”


When the name of an entity and the college name are both long, they may be placed separately within the text. For example, “Department of Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology” could appear in one paragraph, and a later paragraph could say, “The department is housed within ETSU’s College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Health Sciences.”

When referring to a field or discipline and not a specific college or department, such as “nursing” or “psychology,” use the lowercase letter unless it is a word that must be capitalized, such as “English” or “Spanish.” For example, “Pat Green is a philosophy major.”

Ampersands are not used in the names of colleges, departments, or other entities, such as “College of Business and Technology,” “Department of Sociology and Anthropology,” or “Center for Early Childhood Learning and Development.” While ampersands are often used in graphics like college logos, they should not be used in text or headings.

Common Words and Phrases and Miscellany

  • alumni/alumna/alumnus
    “Alumni” refers to a group of individuals who are graduates of ETSU, both men and women. “Alumna” is the singular feminine form, and “alumnus” is the singular male form.
  • active vs. passive voice
    Use active voice (the subject acts upon its verb) rather than passive voice (the verb acts upon the subject) as much as possible, especially in marketing and recruitment materials.
  • brevity
    Say what is needed in as few words as possible.
  • course titles
    Use title case and place in quotation marks, such as “Introduction to Cultural Anthropology.”
  • coursework
    “Coursework” is always one word.
  • email
    “Email,” short for “electronic mail,” is one word and is not hyphenated and not capitalized unless used at the beginning of a sentence.
  • esports
    “Esports,” short for “electronic sports,” is one word and is not hyphenated. In general use, esports is not capitalized unless it begins a sentence or is used in a formal name, such as “ETSU Esports Team.”
  • etc.
    Avoid using “etc.”
  • freshman/freshmen/first-year student
    “Freshman” is singular, “freshmen” is plural, and “first-year student(s)” may be used as a gender-neutral alternative.
  • fundraiser
    Per AP Style, “fundraiser” (one word, no hyphen) is used as both noun and adjective.
  • gender
    Use an individuals preferred pronouns when indicated. If not writing about a specific person, try to use gender-neutral and inclusive wording as much as possible. Gendered pronouns may be avoided by using gender-neutral nouns (“a student should” or “people are”); using plural form (“when students arrive, they …”); using the singular “they,” which has gained widespread acceptance; or other techniques. Use gender-neutral words like “server” instead of “waiter” or “waitress,” or “flight attendant” instead of “stewardess.”
  • headlines/headings
    In accordance with AP Style, UMC uses sentence case in news headlines, such as “ETSU announces early voting site on campus.” UMC also uses single quotation marks within headlines, such as “Alumni Association hosts ‘Real World 101’ crash course on life after graduation.” In newsletters and other forms of publications, title case (capitalizing the first letters of major words) and double quotation marks may be used if desired in headlines or headings; consistency is required throughout.
  • health care
    “Health care” is always two words. Likewise, “day care” and “elder care” are also two-word terms.
  • livestream
    “Livestream” is one word, with no hyphen.
  • phone numbers
    Phone numbers should be constructed with parentheses around the area code: (423) 439-1000.
  • theatre/theater 
    “Theatre” is the official spelling for the ETSU Department of Theatre and Dance, the Bert C. Bach Theatre, and the Bud Frank Theatre. In publications, ETSU uses “theatre” and not “theater” in general references, such as “majoring in theatre” or “theatre seating.” In news releases, UMC uses “Theatre” in formal program or facility names but “theater” in general use in accordance with AP Style.
  • skill set
    “Skill set” is two words, not hyphenated.
  • state names
    In general, the names of states are spelled out in full and not abbreviated. In keeping with AP Style, UMC will not specify Tennessee with the names of municipalities within the state in news releases for which a Tennessee city, most commonly Johnson City, is in the dateline. In rare instances, UMC will abbreviate state names in datelines outside Tennessee, according to AP Style. The AP lists 30 major U.S. cities with which the state does not need to be specified; some of these are Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, and Seattle. UMC specifies the name of the U.S. capital as Washington, D.C., with the added abbreviation as a general rule, differing from AP Style, which only adds the abbreviation when the city might be confused with the state. In sentences, place a comma between a city and state name, and another comma after the state name except at the end of the sentence. For example, “The student from Bristol, Virginia, is a senator in the Student Government Association.”
  • web
    Use “web” (lowercased) as the short form of the World Wide Web (capitalized). AP Style specifies other similar terms: “website,” “webpage,” “webcam,” “webcast,” “web address,” and “web browser.”
  • web addresses/URLs
    In most instances, do not include “https://www” in URLs (uniform resource locators, or web addresses). Examples include etsu.edu or ETSUBucs.com.   
  • well-being
    “Well-being” is hyphenated.

Dates and Times

Spell out months and days of the week. In most instances, years should be specified only if the year in question is any year other than the current year. Dates should not include numeric abbreviations, such as 2nd for second or 9th for ninth, or constructions using “nd,” “rd,” “st,” or “th” (21st, 3rd, or similar). For example, “ETSU researchers made the discovery on August 15, 2019,” “The concert will be held on Wednesday, April 20,” and “She expects to complete her degree in December 2024.” In news releases, UMC will conform to AP Style on month abbreviations in date constructions, such as “Jan. 13.”

When giving a date within a sentence, a comma should follow both the numeric date of the month and the year (if included). For example, “The lecture on Friday, June 14, will focus on the author’s latest book” or “The attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, resulted in the death of more than 2,400 Americans.”

When specifying a time at the top of an hour, use only the numeral without the “:00” (“8 p.m.” instead of “8:00 p.m.”). Always include a space before “a.m.” or “p.m.,” which should be in lowercase letters with periods. Use “noon” and “midnight” instead of “12 p.m.,” “12 a.m.,” “12 noon,” or “12 midnight.” Do not use military time.

Examples: “The concert will be held Tuesday, February 15, at 2 p.m.” and “The dedication ceremony on Wednesday, March 2, begins at noon.”

Numerals

According to the AP Stylebook, “In general, spell out one through nine. … Use figures for 10 or above and whenever preceding a unit of measure or referring to ages of people, animals, events or things.” Numbers at the beginning of a sentence should be spelled out. Examples: “the child is 5 years old,” “the 7-year-old,” “Thirty people were involved,” “they ran 3 miles,” and “space is available for 150 people.”

Other common examples: “21st century,” “4.7% interest,” “2 million people,” “$1.5 billion,” “ETSU is ranked No. 1,” “first grade,” “10th grader,” “the 1990s,” “Class of ’21” (note the apostrophe direction), and “9/11” (acceptable in all references to the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks).

Publication Titles

In publications, ETSU italicizes the titles of books, magazines, journals, and newspapers, and places in quotation marks such items as plays; song/album titles; lecture, article, or project titles; and movie, television show, and radio program titles. Examples include Great Expectations, Journal of Accountancy, Good Housekeeping, “Star Wars,” “Yellow Submarine,” “The Resident,” the “Today” show, and “All Things Considered.” In news releases, UMC will keep with AP Style in placing book titles in quotation marks, but giving titles of magazines, journals, and newspapers in plain text with no quotation marks.

Punctuation

ETSU follows most standard rules of punctuation. A few notes:

  • Ampersand: As a general rule, avoid using ampersands in writing text and headings. Example: “Department of Sociology and Anthropology,” not “Department of Sociology & Anthropology. Exception: “A Q&A will follow the lecture.” Ampersands may be permissible in some graphics.
  • Colon: Use only one space following a colon.
  • Comma: ETSU uses the Oxford comma in publications and webpages. In news releases, though, UMC conforms to AP Style by omitting the last comma in a series of items, unless including the last comma is needed for clarification.
  • Percent: ETSU uses the percent sign with percentages (“15% of those polled”).
  • Period: Use only one space after a period. In abbreviated names, such as “C.J. Smith,” there is no space between the period of the first letter and the second letter.
  • Semicolons: Use semicolons to join two closely related independent clauses in one sentence. Also, use semicolons rather than commas to separate items in a series when one or more of those items contains a comma. For example, “The students in the band come from Johnson City; Nashville; Duluth, Georgia; Millikin, Colorado; Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada; and Nagoya, Japan.” 

Trademarked Brand Names

Capitalize and use the proper trademark symbols, if necessary, with trademarked brand names. Failure to do so can result in legal and financial penalties to the university. Some specific examples:

  • GI Bill® -- Must have the registered trademark symbol each time it is used
  • 3MT® -- Shortened form of Three Minute Thesis, a competition founded at the University of Queensland
  • Zoom

In many cases, alternate words may be used (unless referring to the specific trademarked product), like “artificial grass” instead of “AstroTurf,” “adhesive bandage” instead of “Band-Aid,” “tissue” instead of “Kleenex,” “plastic foam” instead of “Styrofoam,” “petroleum jelly” instead of “Vaseline,” or “refrigerator” instead of “Frigidaire.”

More Quick Tips

  • In abbreviated names, such as “C.J. Smith,” there is no space between the period of the first letter and the second letter.
  • Use only one space after a period, and one space after a colon.
  • Proofread carefully, and if possible, ask a colleague to proofread.
  • Read written material aloud; this can help illuminate errors. It also helps to work on something else and then come back to the project with fresh eyes.
  • Eliminate unnecessary words, including hyperbole, redundancies of wording or phrasing, “please” (when giving instructions), and editorializing (words that reflect the writer’s opinion, such as “wonderful program” or “fabulous speaker”).
  • Some of the rules in this style guide may be bent in certain cases, including the creation of graphics and social media posts. For instance, Twitter limits tweets to 280 characters/spaces, so abbreviated words, ampersands, and other techniques help writers include necessary information.
Revised December 2022

Copy Library

What is copy? 


  • Marketing copy is a useful tool that educates prospective students and provides resources and details to help ETSU increase awareness of our programs and initiatives. 
    Different types of marketing copy include: 
  • Long-form: articles or posts that contain more copy than average, generally 1,000 words or more 
  • Short-form: includes less text, usually between 500 and 800 words. 
  • Web content: may include staff biographies, company history and service descriptions, as well as blogs and online magazine articles 
  • Public relations: refers to copy designed for public-facing mediums, such as press releases and company statements 


Many elements make for good, effective marketing copy, including: 

  • A clear call-to-action: Good marketing copy convinces readers to take the next step of engagement and answer the call to action right away. 
  • Easy-to-read sentences and tone: Copy should be easy to read, intriguing, and persuasive. 
  • Solutions to reader problems: Successful marketing copy speaks to the intended audience, addressing specific concerns, needs, or interests and identifies a problem and offers a solution. 
  • Emotional reactions: To maintain readers' attention, marketing copy can be emotional, humorous, or shocking. Surprising readers or initiating strong feelings can help make your message memorable. 

Creating copy for social media

Twitter

Use a clear and consistent brand voice: Your tweets should reflect the ETSU voice and messaging. The voice should be consistent across all tweets. This helps make your tweets more recognizable. When it is relevant, you can tag the official ETSU Twitter account for reach at @etsu. 

Example: The official ETSU Twitter account consistently uses a friendly and welcoming tone in its tweets, such as this one:

"The region has seen record-breaking warmth in recent weeks. But resist the urge to plant spring flowers: https://bit.ly/3SGLKw6. #ScienceSunday” 

  • Use hashtags to join conversations and increase visibility 
    • #BucsGoBeyond, #ETSUTough, #AtTheMartin, #Appalachia, #AppalachianHighlands, #ETSUPride365, #ETSU 
  • Use multimedia to increase engagement: Including photos, videos, and other multimedia in your tweets can increase engagement and make your tweets more visually appealing. Be sure to include alt text for accessibility. 
  • Monitor and respond to mentions: Keep an eye on mentions of your university account on Twitter and respond to any that are relevant. This helps build relationships with your audience and can help manage your brand reputation. 

LinkedIn

LinkedIn is a great tool for professional networking. It allows us to connect with colleagues, peers, and industry professionals. LinkedIn provides a platform to showcase skills, experience, and accomplishments, as well as search for job opportunities and industry insights. 

  • Share relevant and engaging content: Share updates that are relevant to  our ETSU community, such as updates on research, news about alumni or faculty, or career resources. It can be beneficial to tag fellow faculty or staff and use relevant hashtags. 
  • Engage with our community: Respond to comments, share updates from alumni or partners, and participate in relevant groups or conversations. 
  • Use visuals to make your updates draw attention: Use images, videos, or infographics in your updates to make them stand out on the LinkedIn feed. 

Instagram

Instagram is a great tool for programs, colleges, and departments to reach a diverse audience, showcase program offerings, and engage with current and prospective students through images and videos. 

  • Determine your audience: Before starting a university-affiliated Instagram account, it's important to know your target audience. Is it prospective students, current students, alumni, faculty, or the general public? Your content and messaging will vary based on your audience. 
  • Create a consistent brand image: Your Instagram profile should be consistent with our university's brand image, including colors, logo, and overall aesthetic. This will help to establish trust and credibility with our audience. Consider using templates and filters shared from UMC. 
  • Use hashtags: Hashtags are a great way to increase your visibility and reach on Instagram. Use relevant hashtags that align with our university's values and goals; for example, #BucsGoBeyond, #Appalachia, #ETSUTough, #ETSU Pride365, #ETSU, etc. 
  • Showcase campus life: Instagram is a visual platform, so use it to showcase our campus, student life, and events. Highlight student organizations, athletic events, concerts, or anything that can show the vibrant campus life at our university. 

Here are some examples of prompts to help engage your audience on Instagram:

  • Share a photo of your favorite spot-on campus! 
  • Show your school spirit in ETSU Blue & Gold #ETSUPride365! 
  • Tag @etsu for reach and to lead prospective students to the official ETSU account. 
  • Tell us about your favorite memory at our university. 
  • Share a photo of an ETSU sports event or competition that you attended. 

Facebook

Similar to Instagram, Facebook is a great tool for programs, colleges, and departments to reach a diverse audience, showcase program offerings, and engage with current and prospective students through images and videos but also allows for more text and conversation. 

  • Share relevant content: Share content that is relevant to your audience, such as updates about ETSU, news and events, student success stories, and research highlights. 
  • Use visuals: Images, videos, and infographics to make your posts more engaging and eye-catching. 
  • Engage with your audience: Respond to comments and messages from your audience in a timely manner. Encourage engagement by asking questions and starting conversations. 
  • Consistency: Be consistent with your posting schedule and messaging to keep your audience engaged and informed. 

 

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