Editorial Style Guide

Do not capitalize anniversary. The formal name of Texas State’s 125th anniversary is TXST 125.

Lowercase with periods. Avoid the redundant 9 p.m. tonight or 10 a.m. in the morning. Refer to the "times" entry.

The accreditation organization of the McCoy College of Business. AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is the name of the organization. On first reference, correct usage is the full name of the organization, AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business; on second and continuing references, it is acceptable to use AACSB International or AACSB.

Use abbreviations and acronyms with care. Using abbreviations that are not well known or using too many abbreviations can confuse your readers.

• Refer to the AP Stylebook to see if an abbreviation or acronym is widely recognized. Widely recognized abbreviations include: FBI, EU, US, CIA, IRS, NASA, NATO. If an abbreviation or acronym is listed as “acceptable in all references,” it may be used.
• Only use well-known abbreviations, such as TXST or those recognized by the AP Stylebook, in headlines and link copy.
• Using an acronym for a college, center, institute, or department is usually not necessary. For example, instead of shortening the Center for Feline Excellence to CFE, use “the center” on second reference.
• When using unfamiliar acronyms, spell out the terms the first time they appear in text and introduce the acronym in parenthesis: the Science, Technology, and Advanced Research (STAR) Park.
• Do not introduce an acronym if the term only appears once in your text.
• Limit the number of abbreviations and acronyms used in copy. Using too many can make it hard for your reader to keep track of their meanings.

Be wary of using abbreviations and acronyms on social media. Always ask yourself if your audience will know what an acronym means before using it. 

Lowercase names of degrees, fellowships and the like: a master’s degree; a doctorate; a fellowship; a master of business administration. Please note the capitalization and punctuation used in the following examples:

• associate degree (not associate’s)
• bachelor’s degree
• bachelor of arts
• bachelor of fine arts
• bachelor of music
• bachelor of science
• master’s degree
• master of arts
• master of science
• doctorate
• doctoral degree

Refer to the Texas State University Catalog for a full list of undergraduate degrees and graduate degrees, as well as their abbreviations. 

Abbreviations: Use an abbreviation such as B.A., B.F.A., B.M., B.S., M.A., M.B.A., M.F.A., M.S., M.S.W., Ph.D., or Ed.D. only if writing out the full name of the degree is too cumbersome for the context (such as in an advertisement), on second reference after you have written out the full name of the degree, and after a full name, set off by a comma: Jane Doe, M.A. ’97, won the award.

Cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude, and with distinction receive no special treatment in running copy: She graduated magna cum laude.

The university’s style for academic titles follows that of the Chicago Manual of Style, 17th Edition.

In general, capitalize a formal title used directly before a name. Lowercase and use commas to set off a title following a name. Lowercase and spell out titles when not used with names.

Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as chancellor, dean, president, chair, professor, associate professor, assistant professor, etc., only when they directly precede names. Lowercase elsewhere.

Note the capitalization and format of these examples:

• the professor; John Smith, professor of literature; Professor Smith; professors Smith and Jones
• the chair; Ann Jones, chair of the Department of Finance and Economics; Professor Jones
• the provost; Bob Williams, provost and vice president for Academic Affairs; Dr. Williams
• the president; Jane Smith, president of Texas State University; Dr. Smith or President Smith
• the dean; John Jones, dean of the College of Education; Dean Jones
• named professorships: Joe Williams, Texas State’s Roy F. and Joann Cole Mitte Chair in Creative Writing; James Jones, McCoy Endowed Chair in Business    

Exceptions: In formal contexts, such as a displayed list of names and titles in an annual report, titles are usually capitalized even when following a name. Exceptions may also be called for in promotional or other contexts for reasons of courtesy or politics, as long as capitalization is handled consistently within a document or suite of documents.

Accept means to receive; except means to exclude: Everyone accepted the invitation except for Mary.

Don’t spell out the full name of these entrance examinations, even on first reference.

Use figures for ACT, SAT, and similar test scores. Do not add commas to SAT or other scores that reach into the thousands: His SAT score was 1200. Her GRE composite score was 2070.

Use the abbreviations Ave., Blvd., and St. only with numbered addresses: 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Spell them out and capitalize when part of a formal street name without a number or with just a block number: Pennsylvania Avenue, the 1200 block of Pennsylvania Avenue. Lowercase and spell out when used alone or with more than one street name: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania avenues. Exception: Abbreviations are acceptable on maps if space is limited.

All shorter words (road, alley, lane, drive, etc.) are always spelled out in running text or address listings: 601 University Drive. It’s acceptable to abbreviate these words on a map if space is limited.

Always use figures for an address number: 7 Green St.

Spell out and capitalize first through ninth when used as street names; use figures with two letters for 10th and above: 1202 Sixth St.; 100 12th St.

Abbreviate compass points used to indicate directional ends of a street or quadrants of a city in a numbered address: 222 E. 42nd St.; 600 K St. N.W. Do not abbreviate if the number is omitted: East 42nd Street; K Street Northwest.

Refer to the "streets" entry for the proper spelling of the names of streets on the Texas State campuses.

A center at Texas State that trains first-responding law enforcement officers. Write out the full name on first reference and use ALERRT on subsequent references.

Not adviser. Used when referring to a person who offers advice in an academic setting on degree programs, course work, etc. (This is a deviation from AP style.)

Affect is always a verb: Your vote will affect the outcome. Effect is used most often as a noun but is sometimes a verb: We aren’t sure what that effect will be, but we hope it will effect positive change.

No final “s” is needed.

The formal name is the Albert B. Alkek Library. Alkek Library is also acceptable on first reference. The building was opened in 1990 and named in 1991 in honor of Alkek, a Houston oilman and philanthropist.

Never allright or alright.

To be selected as the best (as at a sport) within an area or organization. Capitalize when part of a formal name: All-Sun Belt Conference, All-American, but lowercase when used generally: all-conference.

The name of the university’s song. Capitalize the first letters of each word and enclose this song title in quotation marks.

If not referring to the name of the Texas State school song, lowercase the term alma mater, which refers to a school or university one has attended and is also the general term for a school or university’s song.

In most instances, use gender-inclusive terms for graduates of Texas State:

• alum — a graduate of any gender
• alums — graduates of any gender

You may also use these terms:

• alumni — a group of graduates
• alumna — a graduate who is a woman
• alumnus — a graduate who is a man

Do not use alumni to refer to an individual graduate: He is a Texas State alum OR He is a Texas State alumnus NOT He is a Texas State alumni.

Someone who attended the university but did not graduate is a former student.

The formal name and preferred usage is the Texas State Alumni Association. Use the full name on first reference. When referring specifically to Texas State's alumni association, Alumni Association (capped) is acceptable on subsequent references. When referring generally to an alumni association, always lowercase.

Use between when referring to two items; use among when referring to more than two items.

Use only if it is part of an official title, if there are space constraints, or if “&” would improve legibility in a logo; otherwise, spell out the word “and.”

You may use the symbol “&” instead of the word “and” if necessary.

And or but may begin a sentence. This approach can be useful in providing a transition, but it shouldn’t be overdone.

Anxious has a more negative meaning than eager. Someone is anxious if they are extremely uneasy or worrying about some contingency. Someone is eager if they are enthusiastic or have an impatient desire or interest.

Preferred spelling (rather than archeology).

Avoid overusing “as well as” in place of “and”; the phrase “as well as” has the sense of “too” or “also,” rather than simply “and.”

Athletic is an adjective; athletics is a noun: He attended an athletic event. Athletics are exercises, sports, or games engaged in by athletes.

Capitalize all three words. San Marcos is part of the Austin Metropolitan Area.

Capitalize the word “award” only when it is part of the official name of an award.

Not barbeque or Bar-B-Q, unless it is in the formal name of a business. BBQ may be used if space is an issue.

Use “because” to note a cause-effect relationship. Avoid using “as” in place of because: He went because he was told; not as he was told. Use “since” to note a time element: He has been sick since Tuesday.

“Better” refers to quality. “More” refers to quantity. This book is a better book than the last one I read. I need to buy more books.

A room located on the west concourse of Bobcat Stadium. The room is a hospitality area for former Texas State letterwinners and is open during halftime of all home football games.

Capitalize Black as an adjective in a racial, ethnic, or cultural sense: Black people, Black culture, Black literature. African American is acceptable for an American Black person of African descent. Follow the person’s preference. 

Texas State University is governed by The (capitalize “The”) Texas State University System Board of Regents; the Board of Regents is acceptable on second reference.

Capitalize when referring to the Texas State mascot or a Texas State student. Lowercase when referring to the animal in general.

When referring to a Texas State athletic team, use "the Texas State Bobcats." Never refer to a women's team as "the Lady Bobcats." All Texas State student-athletes are Bobcats.

Capitalize this official name of the location where the Bobcat baseball team plays.

Bobcat Buck$ is a convenient, secure purchasing feature for students' BobcatCard (student ID). It is a prepaid, university-managed flexible spending account for purchases both on and off campus.

The Texas State community’s largest annual student-run public service event in which students participate in neighborhood cleanups, nursing home cleaning, school playground work, and green space and river cleanups.

A memorial service that honors students, staff, faculty, and alumni who died during the year.

(Frequently referred to as the West Campus Athletic Complex) Texas State's women's soccer team uses this facility as do several club sports, including lacrosse.

Capitalize all three words in this official name of the location where the Bobcat softball team plays.

Texas State’s 30,000-seat football stadium. In November 2003, the field was renamed Jim Wacker Field in honor of the former football coach who died that year.

A program that all incoming first-year students are required to attend prior to the start of the fall semester to help ease their transition into college life.

A Texas State student ID card

Capitalize the name of Texas State’s Bobcat mascot.

Capitalize only proper nouns: spring break, winter break, Thanksgiving break.

Capitalize the word “building” as part of the name: the J.C. Kellam Administration Building, the Supple Science Building. When referring to a room in a building, give the building’s name and the room number and capitalize “Room”: Flowers Hall, Room 234; Old Main, Room 102.

• Academic Services Building (North or South), ASB
• Agriculture Building
• Alkek Library, Alkek
• Alkek Teaching Theater, Alkek Theater
• Arnold Hall, Arnold
• Avery Building (never Avery Hall)
• Bexar Hall, Bexar
• Blanco Hall, Blanco
• Bobcat Ballpark
• Bobcat Soccer Complex
• Bobcat Softball Stadium
• Bobcat Stadium, the stadium
• Bobcat Tennis Complex
• Bobcat Village
• Boko’s Living Room
• Brazos Hall
• Brogdon Hall, Brogdon
• Bruce and Gloria Ingram Hall, Ingram Hall
• Butler Hall
• Campus Services Building (Round Rock Campus)
• Centennial Hall, Centennial
• Central Receiving
• Chautauqua Hall, Chautauqua
• Chautauqua and Gaillardia Complex
• Chemistry Building
• Child Development Center, the center
• College Inn
• College of Education Building, Education Building
• Colorado Building
• Comal Building
• Commons Dining Hall, Commons
• the Den
• Denise M. Trauth and John L. Huffman Hall, Trauth-Huffman Hall (formerly the Undergraduate Academic Center)
• Derrick Hall, Derrick
• Elena Zamora O’Shea Hall
• Elliott Hall, Elliott
• Encino Hall
• End Zone Complex, EZC
• Evans Auditorium
• Evans Liberal Arts Building, Evans
• Falls Hall, Falls
• Falls and Sayers Complex
• Family & Consumer Sciences Building, FCS Building
• Fire Station Studio
• First Five Freedom Hall
• Flowers Hall, Flowers
• Harold M. Freeman Aquatic Biology Building, Freeman Building
• Freeman Center
• Gaillardia Hall, Gaillardia
• Glade Theatre
• Harris Dining Hall, Harris
• Hill House
• Hines Academic Center, Hines
• Horticulture Center
• Jackson Hall, Jackson
• J.C. Kellam Administration Building, JCK
• Jim Wacker Field at Bobcat Stadium, Wacker Field
• Joann Cole Mitte Art Building, JCM
• Jones Dining Center, Jones
• Jowers Center, Jowers
• Lampasas Building, Lampasas
• Lantana Hall, Lantana
• Laurel Hall, Laurel
• LBJ Amphitheater, amphitheater
• LBJ Student Center Ballroom
• LBJ Parking Garage
• LBJ Student Center, LBJSC
• LBJ Teaching Theater
• Live Oak Hall (not Live Oak Studios)
• Mainstage
• Math/Computer Science Building, MCS
• Emmett and Miriam McCoy Hall, McCoy Hall
• The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
• Medina Building, Medina
• Mesquite Hall, Mesquite
• Minifie Academic Atrium (in McCoy Hall)
• Roy F. & Joann Cole Mitte Complex, Mitte Complex
• Music Building
• Music Building recital hall, recital hall
• Nueces Hall, Nueces
• Old Main
• Outdoor Center
• Paws-n-Go
• Pecan Building
• Pecos Building
• Pedernales Building, Pedernales
• Performing Arts Center
• Physical Plant
• Recital Hall
• Recycling Center
• Retama Hall, Retama
• Richard A. Castro Undergraduate Admissions Center
• River House
• Roy F. Mitte Technology and Physics Building, RFM
• Sabinal Building, Sabinal
• San Jacinto Hall, San Jacinto
• San Marcos Hall
• Sayers Hall
• Science Greenhouse
• Sewell Park, Sewell
• Smith Hall, Smith
• Smith House
• Sterry Hall, Sterry
• Strahan Arena at the University Events Center, Strahan
• Student Recreation Center, SRC
• Student Health Center, Health Center
• Jerome H. and Catherine E. Supple Science Building, Supple Science Building
• Taylor-Murphy History Building, Taylor-Murphy
• Theatre Center
• Thornton International House
• Tower Hall, Tower
• Trinity Building, Trinity
• University Bookstore
• University Camp
• University Events Center
• University Press/West Warehouse
• West Campus Practice Field
• West Campus Competition Field
• William W. and Elizabeth Adamson ROTC Building, Adamson Building
• Willow Hall

• The bullet takes the place of punctuation, such as commas or semicolons, between items. Don’t use punctuation at the ends of bulleted items that are not sentences. There is also no need for a concluding period at the end of a bulleted list, even when that list continues a sentence.

• When your bulleted items are sentences, capitalize the first letter of each and use appropriate end punctuation. When they consist of single words or phrases, lowercased without punctuation is best.

• Keep your bulleted lists consistent. If some of the items in a list are sentences, make all of them sentences. If some items begin with verbs, begin all items with verbs. Use the same verb tense within each sentence. In short publications, such as brochures, try to structure all your lists the same way, either sentences or not. In longer works, some variance is acceptable.

Use dining hall or name the hall specifically: Commons Dining Hall, Harris Dining Hall, Jones Dining Center, the Lair, or the Den.

Note the preferred spellings.

• In general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Capitalization does not confer prestige or importance; it’s what you say about a discipline or program that conveys quality or prestige to the reader. 
• Academic disciplines: Do not capitalize the names of disciplines except for those that are derived from proper nouns: American history, English composition; criminal justice, engineering technology. 
• Compositions: For books, journals, newspapers, and other freestanding publications as well as stories, poems, articles, etc., refer to section 8.159, Principles of headline-style capitalization, in the Chicago Manual of Style.
• Informal documents and forms: Do not capitalize the titles of forms or informal documents: exemption request form, housing contract, leave request, etc.
• Popular names: Some places and events lack officially designated proper names but have popular names that are the equivalent: the Quad, the Square, etc. This practice should not, however, be interpreted as a license to ignore the general practice of lowercasing the common noun elements of a name when they stand alone: the center, the river, the street
• Birds, animals, and plants: Capitalize only the part of the name that is a proper noun; do not capitalize any words that are not proper nouns: Guadalupe bass, red-shouldered hawk, great blue heron, blind salamander, Texas wild rice. When using scientific names, capitalize the genus and lowercase the species: little blue heron, Egretta caerulea.
• Titles: Refer to the "academic titles" and "titles" entries.

All one word. All lowercase unless used at the beginning of a sentence.

Capitalize names of centers at Texas State when using the formal name (Center for International Studies). Lowercase “center” when not using the full formal name: The center opened in 2005.

Formal names of centers at Texas State University include:

• Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center (ALERRT)
• Center for Archaeological Studies
• The Clinic for Autism Research, Evaluation, and Support
• Center for Communication, Collaboration, and Creativity
• Center for Diversity and Gender Studies
• Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation
• Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship
• Center for International Studies
• Center for Professional Sales
• Center for Research, Public Policy, and Training
• Center for Texas Music History
• Center for Texas Public History
• Center for the Study of the Southwest
• Child Development Center
• Community Health and Economic Resiliency Research (CHERR) Center for Excellence
• Edwards Aquifer Research & Data Center
• Forensic Anthropology Center
• Freeman Center
• Gilbert M. Grosvenor Center for Geographic Education
• Institute for Government Innovation
• James and Marilyn Lovell Center for Environmental Geography and Hazards Research
• LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research
• Materials Application Research Center (MARC)
• Mathworks
• Testing, Evaluation, and Measurement Center (TEMC)
• Texas Center for Geographic Information Science
• Texas Justice Court Training Center
• Texas School Safety Center
• Texas State Small Business Development Center
• The Education Institute
• The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment
• Translational Health Research Center
• William P. Hobby Center for Public Service
• Xiphophorus Genetic Stock Center

Capitalize both words when referring to this region.

Use this term to describe the head of an academic department at Texas State. Do not use chairman or chairwoman unless they are part of an official title. 

A professor who holds the chair in a discipline should be referred to as the professor of the discipline, keeping the name of the chair capitalized, even in shortened, casual references: Ann Wiliams, McCoy Endowed Chair in Accounting, led the discussion, or Ann Williams holds the McCoy Endowed Chair in Accounting.

The hill that Old Main and Hill House sit on.

Use check in as a verb: Check in the equipment after using it.

Hyphenate check-in as a noun or an adjective: The check-in is at the conference. The check-in materials are at the front desk.

Use checkout as one word when used as a noun or attributive noun: Please pay at the checkout. She works at the checkout counter.

Use check out as two words when used as a verb: Please check out by noon.

A day care center and teacher training facility located near San Marcos Hall on West Campus. Avoid using CDC on second reference when the communication will be received outside the university community, because CDC is a well-known abbreviation for Centers for Disease Control. Use “the center” on second reference instead.

In prose, do not capitalize, even when referring to specific classes: the class of 1989, class of ’89; 50th reunion class.

Don’t capitalize freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, graduate, postgraduate, postdoctoral, nondegree, or any similar designation, unless it is part of a title, a headline, or the official name of an organization.

No hyphen required. Use as an adjective to describe coed residential halls or programs. Don’t use this term as a noun to refer to a woman student.

Capitalize the formal names of Texas State’s colleges. Lowercase when referring to the colleges generally or when not using the formal name: the business college. When referring to more than one college, do not capitalize “colleges”: the colleges of Applied Arts and Health Professions. The formal names of Texas State University colleges are:

• College of Applied Arts
• College of Education
• College of Fine Arts and Communication
• The Graduate College (Always use "The" with the name of the college and always capitalize, even in the middle of a sentence.)
• College of Health Professions
• College of Liberal Arts
• College of Science and Engineering
• Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business (McCoy College of Business can be used on first reference; McCoy College is OK in subsequent references.)
• Honors College

Capitalize the first letter after a colon if the clause that follows forms a complete sentence. Exceptions: titles of papers, articles, chapters, and books, where the first word after colons will always be capitalized. Colons will usually go outside of quotation marks, but it depends on their use.

• Simple series: Use a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: red, white, and blue. This comma, called the serial or Oxford comma, is an exception to AP Style.
  • In places where character count is an issue (on social media or web advertising applications such as Google Ads), the serial comma may be omitted. 
• Adjectives: Use commas to separate a series of adjectives of equal rank: Enjoy this warm, sunny day.
• Compound predicate: Don’t use a comma when there is a compound predicate, e.g., when the subject of the joined sentences is the same but it is not repeated in the second clause: The university offers many degree programs and is the site of various centers.

• Conjunctions: Use a comma when a conjunction (and, but, or, yet, for, while, nor) joins two clauses that could stand alone as sentences. Don’t include a comma if the two sentences are very short.

• Dates and places: Use commas to set off dates and places, after both the year (January 1, 1980, is his date of birth) and the state (Dallas, Texas, is where he was born).

• Introductory clauses: Use a comma to set off long introductory phrases and clauses but not short ones.

• Nonessential clauses: Use a comma before a clause starting with “which” but not before a clause starting with “that.” (“Which” usually introduces a nonessential clause, which is a bit of extra information like this that is not essential to the sentence’s meaning. “That” usually introduces an essential clause that includes information necessary to the sentence.)

• Quotation marks: Always place commas (and periods) inside quotation marks.

• Titles: Use commas to set off an identification or title following a name: Sue Smith, director of the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, called the meeting.

• Capitalize as part of a name for a specific event: Fall 2022 Commencement
• Lowercase in all other uses: fall commencement, commencement parking, commencement ceremonies, commencement

Do not abbreviate. Capitalize when part of a formal name: the House Appropriations Committee.
Do not capitalize committee in shortened versions of long committee names: the Special Senate Select Committee to Investigate Improper Labor-Management Practices, for example, became the rackets committee.

An all-you-care-to-eat dining facility located in Commons Hall.

Comprise means to contain or to include all. The whole comprises the parts: The College of Liberal Arts comprises nine departments. Compose means to create or put together: The College of Liberal Arts is composed of nine departments.

Use them as appropriate for your audience, avoiding them in more formal communications.

Contractions are acceptable.

Always use the “of.” Never use “a couple people” or something similar. Also, a phrase such as this takes a plural verb: A couple of people were at the table.

Avoid including course numbers. Capitalize the important words when using the formal name of a course: Introduction to Creative Writing, Editing for Clear Communication. Do not capitalize if using the course’s informal name: a biology class.

Two words. Not coursework.

Hyphenate this term.

No hyphen. (This is a deviation from AP style.)

Named in 2008 for Texas State alumnus and benefactor Darren Casey, this facility is located on the corner of Charles Austin and Aquarena Springs drives. It is the base office for Texas State Athletics. The facility houses the internal and external operations of the department, including facilities, athletic marketing, media relations, compliance, the Bobcat Club, and the business office.

Hyphen (-): 

• Use a hyphen to join compound nouns: mother-in-law.
• Compound modifiers (two or more words that modify a noun):
  • Use a hyphen if it's necessary to make the meaning clear: small-business owner, well-known actor, full-time job, state-of-the-art facility
  • Do not use a hyphen when the modifiers are commonly recognized as one phrase and the meaning is clear: third grade teacher, public land management
  • Do not use a hyphen when the compound modifier includes the word “very” or ends in “-ly”: a very big university, a highly qualified professor.
  • Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated when they appear after a noun: he works full time, the schedule is up to date. 
  • Clarity is key. If you think confusion could result from leaving the hyphen out, use it.

Hyphen (-) or en dash (–):

• Use either a hyphen or an en dash (one or the other within a document or suite of documents) to separate ranges of items, such as times, dates, or quantities.
• To make an en dash: In Microsoft Word, select Insert and then Symbol. Then choose Special Characters. Select en dash and Insert. On Mac keyboards, type option+dash to create an en dash.
• Examples: There will be 30-50 people there. The event runs October 10–15. 6 a.m. – 9 a.m. (include a space before and after the hyphen or en dash in ranges of times). If you use “from” in a range of time, follow it with “to” rather than a dash: Check-in is from 9 a.m. to noon.

em dash (—):

• Use in place of commas to set off a section of the sentence that requires special emphasis.
• Place one space before and after the em dash.
• In Microsoft Word, select Insert and then Symbol. Then choose Special Characters. Select em dash and Insert. On Mac keyboards, type option+shift+dash to create an em dash.
• Example: The em-dash — a very important typographical element — should not be overused.

• Year alone: Years are expressed in numerals and are an exception to the general rule that a figure is not used to start a sentence: The year is 2013. 2008 was an important year. 
• Year abbreviated: In informal contexts, the first two digits of a year can be replaced by an apostrophe (not an opening single quotation mark): the class of ’58 (not ‘58).
• Academic year or ranges of years: Use 2007-08 or 2007-2008, but be consistent with the style you choose within your document or suite of documents.
• Centuries: Lowercase and spell out numbers less than 10: the first century; the 19th century. Hyphenate only when the century forms a compound modifier: 18th-century architecture.
• Decades: Use numerals to indicate decades of history. Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals that are left out; show plural by adding the letter s: the 1990s (not 1990’s); the Roaring ’20s.
• Month and day: Spell out the names of all months, unless you need to abbreviate the names to save space. Never add “nd,” “rd,” “st,” or “th” to a date: Classes start August 20. The application deadline is Sept. 1.
• Month, day, and year: Separate the date and year with a comma: September 1, 2008, or Sept. 1, 2008. Do not add “nd,” “rd,” “st,” or “th” to the date. When a date appears in the middle of a sentence, follow the year with a comma: July 4, 1776, is Independence Day.
• Month and year: Spell out the name of the month and do not include commas: October 2008. 

• Abbreviate months according to AP Style: Jan., Feb., March, April, May, June, July, Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec.
• Never add “nd,” “st” or “th” to a date.
• You do not have to use the day of the week with a date.
• You may cut the year from the date if the event is happening in the current calendar year.
• Abbreviate days of the week only if necessary: Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur., Fri., Sat., Sun. 
• If an event is occurring within the next week, you may use just the day of the week without the date. 
• You may leave the periods out of am/pm: 7 am, 8 pm

Capitalize when used as a formal title before a name: Dean Jane Smith. Lowercase otherwise: Jane Smith, dean of the McCoy College of Business. 

Should always be lowercased when used in a sentence.

Located on the first floor of the Academic Services Building South, the Den is a food-court-style dining hall.

Capitalize names of academic departments when using the formal name (Department of Biology). Usage of the formal name is preferred, but if the order of the words in the formal name must be reversed, drop the “of” and retain the capitalization (the Biology Department). Lowercase, except for words that are proper nouns or adjectives, when referring to departments in a general way: one of the best biology departments; the English department. Formal names of Texas State University departments:

• Department of Accounting
• Department of Aerospace Studies
• Department of Agricultural Sciences
• Department of Anthropology
• School of Art and Design
• Department of Biology
• Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry
• Department of Communication Disorders
• Department of Communication Studies
• Department of Computer Science
• Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
• School of Criminal Justice and Criminology
• Department of Curriculum and Instruction
• Department of Engineering Technology
• Department of English
• Ingram School of Engineering (NEVER the Bruce and Gloria Ingram School of Engineering)
• School of Family and Consumer Sciences
• Department of Finance and Economics
• Department of Geography and Environmental Studies
• School of Health Administration
• Department of Health and Human Performance
• Department of Health Informatics and Information Management
• Department of History
• Department of Information Systems and Analytics
• School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• Department of Management
• Department of Marketing
• Department of Mathematics
• Department of Military Science
• School of Music
• St. David's School of Nursing
• Department of Organization, Workforce, and Leadership Studies
• Department of Philosophy
• Department of Physical Therapy
• Department of Physics
• Department of Political Science
• Department of Psychology
• Department of Respiratory Care
• School of Social Work
• Department of Sociology
• Department of Theatre and Dance (note the -re spelling)
• Department of World Languages and Literatures

Capitalize names of administrative and other departmental offices at Texas State when using the formal name (Office of Disability Services). Lowercase “office” when not using the formal name: The marketing office publishes these guidelines. Formal names of offices at Texas State University include:

• Office of Audits and Analysis
• Auxiliary Services
• Bobcat Club
• Budget Office
• Campus Recreation
• Career Services
• Center for Professional Excellence
• Counseling Center
• Dean of Students Office
• Department of Housing and Residential Life (DHRL on second reference)
• Education Abroad Office
• Environmental, Health, Safety, Risk and Emergency Management
• Financial Aid and Scholarships
• General Accounting Office
• Human Resources
• Instructional Technologies Support
• International Student and Scholar Services
• LBJ Student Center
• Materials Management Department
• Office of Athletic Academic Services
• Office of Continuing Education
• Office of Disability Services
• Office of Distance and Extended Learning
• Office of Facilities Planning, Design and Construction
• Office of Institutional Research
• Office of Media Relations
• Office of the President
• Office of the University Registrar
• Office of Professional Development
• Office of Undergraduate Admissions
• Office of University Marketing
• Parking Services
• Payroll Office
• Purchasing Office
• Student Business Services
• Technology Resources
• Texas State Alumni Association
• Texas State Athletics
• Travel Office
• University Health Services
• University Planning and Assessment
• University Police Department

Not different than.

Avoid “cafeteria.” Use “dining hall” (lowercased) or name the hall specifically: Commons Dining Hall, Harris Dining Hall, Jones Dining Center, the Lair Food Court, and the Den.

When writing directions to campus, abbreviate Interstate 35 as IH-35. Capitalize Exit and do not use # or number. Example: From IH-35 take Exit 206.

Lowercase east, west, north, or south when used as a directional reference: Go south for the winter. Capitalize for a region: Central Texas, the West Coast.

Individuals and groups could prefer either people-first language (a person who uses a wheelchair) or identity-first language (an autistic woman); if you're writing about a specific person or group, ask them for their preferred terminology. If you are unable to determine a group's preferences or are writing more generally, use a mix of person-first and identity-first language.

Avoid ableist language. For example, turn a blind eye, fall on deaf ears, lame, and crazy are phrases that can be easily replaced: deliberately ignored, willfully ignored, lousy, ridiculous.

Refer to the AP Stylebook's disabilities entry or the National Center on Disability and Journalism's Disability Language Style Guide for in-depth recommendations on specific terms. 

Do not capitalize the names of academic disciplines or major or minor areas of study, except those derived from proper nouns. When the name of the discipline is used as part of a title, such as that of a department, capitalization is necessary, but don’t use it when speaking of the discipline in general terms: I studied American history and English at Yale; Graduate students in biology must complete six hours of thesis or nonthesis research. Following are instructions for applying to the doctoral program in physical therapy.

not disassociate

The administration of Texas State University is divided into several divisions. Capitalize the names of these divisions, which include:

• Academic Affairs
• Athletics
• Finance and Support Services
• Global
• Information Technology
• Marketing & Communications
• Research
• Round Rock
• Student Success
• University Advancement

• Dr. may be used on first reference before the name of a person who holds a doctorate. Unless the context makes it clear that the person is not a medical doctor, the person’s specialty should be stated in the first or second reference.
• Do not use both Dr. and Ph.D. with a name. NOT Dr. Jane Williams, Ph.D. Use either Dr. Jane Williams or Jane Williams, Ph.D.
• Avoid using Dr. before the last name in subsequent references; last name only is preferred.
• Do not use Dr. before the name of a person who holds an honorary doctorate.

No hyphen in terms such as African American, Asian American, Mexican American, and other terms used to describe a person's heritage.

The abbreviation e.g. stands for exempli gratia, which means for example. The abbreviation i.e. stands for id est, which means that is or in other words. So e.g. is used to cite an example from a longer series, while i.e. clarifies exactly what is included in the series.

A sign made by holding up the right hand in the shape of a Bobcat paw that is usually made while saying, “Eat ’em up, Cats!”; use quotation marks around this term when referring to the hand signal and use an apostrophe, not an opening single quotation mark, before ’em.

There is no apostrophe in Edwards, and “Aquifer” should be capitalized.

Located in the Freeman Aquatic Biology Building, this center provides a public service in the study, understanding, and use of the Edwards Aquifer. EARDC is acceptable on second and subsequent references within a document.

Use three periods (no spaces between them, but a space on each side) to signify that something has been left out of a direct quote or that the writer is leaping from one topic to another. A complete sentence will have its own period, followed by a space, then the ellipsis, another space, and then the next sentence.

No hyphen. Lowercase unless it is at the beginning of a sentence or to be consistent with a capped headline style.

This classification is awarded by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Texas State was classified as an Emerging Research University in 2012. Capitalize each word.

One retired from professional life but permitted to retain as an honorary title the rank of the last office held. Emeritus status is not automatic; it is an honor conferred, usually upon retirement. Use the descriptor after the title. Examples: One person, by gender and placement: Professor Emeritus John Doe; Professor Emerita Mary Smith; Jane Doe, professor emerita. Multiples by gender: professors emeriti (for all men or mixed group); professors emeritae (for all women). Reference to all the faculty and staff who hold emeritus status is, simply, “the emeriti.” 

Note: At Texas State, a person may choose either professor emerita or professor emeritus as a title; follow the person's preference.

Emojis may or may not be appropriate for your social media account depending on the account’s purpose and voice. Make sure your use of emojis matches the voice and tone you’ve chosen for your account, and be consistent with your use of emojis.

Located in the south end zone of Bobcat Stadium. It is home to Bobcat football. Capitalize each word of this formal name.

Capitalize only “English.” ESL is acceptable on second and subsequent references within a document.

“Ensure” means to assure or guarantee. “Insure” means to protect against risk or loss with insurance.

Use it to mean a right to do or have something. Do not use it to mean titled.

Every day is an adverb: I study every day. Everyday is an adjective: I wore my everyday shoes.

Exclamation points have a different connotation on social media than they do in print. You may use exclamation points on social media to convey friendliness and excitement and soften the voice of your messages, but limit your exclamation points to one per sentence.

Examples:

• We love everyone's #TXSTnext photos. Keep them coming!
• Our username is txstateu!

Capitalize Exit when using with directions: From IH-35 take Exit 206.

Faculty can be singular or plural. If you are uncomfortable using faculty as a plural noun, you can use faculty members.

“Farther” refers to physical distance: We walked farther today than we did yesterday.
“Further” refers to an extension of time or degree: We need to look into this further.

Capitalized only when used with the complete name of a government agency or a business: Federal Trade Commission, Federal Express. Otherwise use lowercase: federal government.

Use “fewer” for individual items: Fewer than 100 people attended. Use “less” for bulk or quantity: My new car uses less gas.

The Fighting Stallions is the formal name (note the italics) of the statue that presides over the western end of the Quad and has been a landmark on campus since 1952. The statue was donated to the university by well-known American sculptor Anna Hyatt Huntington (1876–1973) and her husband. In the early 1970s, the 17-foot-tall statue was the focal point of the campus free speech zone, and it remains a student gathering spot today. 

This is the official name of the university’s financial aid office. Note that office is not part of the official name, so when used with this phrase, “office” should not be capitalized.

This former city hall/fire station, built in 1915, was purchased and restored by attorney Anthony “Lucky” Tomblin in 1984. Texas State purchased the recording studio from Tomblin in 1993 and established the first sound recording technology program in higher education in the Southwest.

The term gets hyphens when used as a modifier before a noun but no hyphens when used after a noun: There will be food served on a first-come, first-served basis. It is first come, first served.

A 12-month period used for bookkeeping. The fiscal year for the state of Texas and Texas State begins September 1 and ends August 31.

Forego means to go before. Forgo means to abstain from.

Do not capitalize the titles of forms or informal documents: exemption request form, housing contract, leave request, etc.

Founders Day is May 10, based on the day Gov. Joseph Sayers signed the law establishing Texas State University. No apostrophe is necessary in this descriptive term.

Acceptable on all references. Do not refer to them as frats or their members as boys.

The area on the Quad between Evans and Derrick halls by the Fighting Stallions statue. In this area, students may play music, set up booths and tables, and protest.

Harold M. Freeman donated this ranch, located north of San Marcos on Ranch Road 12, to the university in 1981. The Freeman Center serves as an educational laboratory where classes are taught and faculty and students conduct research.

Terms denoting student classification are lowercased and never abbreviated. Use freshman when referring to one first-year student, freshmen when writing about more than one. Use freshman (singular) as a modifier: That is generally considered a freshman course. She lives in the freshman dorm with 400 other freshmen.

Hyphenate only when used as a compound modifier: He works full time. She has a full-time job.

Both are always one word.

The name of the official school flower. This wildflower grows throughout Texas. Its color is maroon and gold, which are also Texas State’s school colors. The names of plants and flowers should be lowercased, except for words that are proper nouns.

Established in 1925 by the editors of The Pedagog to honor outstanding and accomplished students. At halftime of the homecoming football game each year, the award is given to 12 students. The name of the award was derived from the gaillardia, the official school flower.

Make your writing as inclusive and gender-neutral as possible when representing Texas State or its programs or services. To make your language inclusive: 

• Ask for and use a person’s pronouns. The use of pronouns such as they, ze, or xe should be respected. Note: When they is used in the singular, it takes a plural verb: Taylor said they need a new car. 
• Use the second person (you and your): You have many options when choosing your major. 
• Use plural nouns and pronouns: Students have many options when choosing their majors. 
• Use they/them/their as a singular gender-neutral pronoun with indefinite antecedents (e.g., anyone, everyone, someone) or when the subject’s gender is unknown (e.g., a person, the student, the winner).
  • Everyone returned to their seats.
  • The winner must bring their ID to claim the prize.
  • Note: If you are writing in very formal contexts in which the singular they may not be accepted, rewrite sentences to avoid the use of pronouns. Avoid using he or she; these constructions are awkward to read and exclude people who are gender nonbinary. Refer to section 5.255, Techniques for achieving gender neutrality, of the Chicago Manual of Style for more information. 

An outdoor theatre located on West Campus next to Blanco Hall. 

Operated by The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment to allow visitors to tour Spring Lake.

The name of the Texas State fight song; use quotation marks around the names of songs.

Either is acceptable, just be consistent within your document or suite of documents.

Use the capital letters A, B, C, WP, etc., with no quotation marks. No apostrophe is required in the plural: He made two As and two WPs.

A graduate is an alum.

A graduate student is working toward an advanced degree beyond the bachelor’s.

Someone who attended the university but did not graduate is a former student.

Always use "The" capitalized when writing about The Graduate College at Texas State.

Always use the “from”: He graduated from Texas State in 2012. Wrong: “He graduated Texas State in 2012.” Also avoid the passive “He was graduated from Texas State in 2012.”

The formal name of the body within Student Government made up of representatives of all graduate students at Texas State University, as selected by each college dean.

This club’s members are individuals who have included Texas State in their estate plans. Deferred or planned gifts are arranged during people’s lifetimes and are given to the university usually after the donors’ deaths or the deaths of their beneficiaries.

An all-you-care-to-eat dining facility located in West Campus. It was named to honor Thomas Green Harris, the first president of Southwest Texas Normal School (1903 – 1911).

People do not “head up” committees; they head them.

Use healthcare as a noun or adjective. (This is a deviation from AP Style.)

A sign made by holding up the left hand in the shape of the state of Texas with the two outside fingers pointing down toward the palm to indicate the location of the university; use quotation marks around this term when using it to describe the hand signal.

The university magazine; italicize the name.

Hyphenate as a noun or adjective. Do not hyphenate Hip Hop Congress, the name of a student organization.

This is a broad term for people from Spanish-speaking countries. Be specific when possible: Spanish, Mexican, Puerto Rican, Peruvian, etc. Latino, Latina, or Latinx are sometimes preferred. Follow the person’s preference. 

Use HSI on second reference. Texas State received recognition as a Hispanic-Serving Institution in 2011. To receive the HSI designation, an institution must have an enrollment of undergraduate full-time equivalent students that is at least 25 percent Hispanic. The designation makes Texas State eligible to apply for grants that expand opportunities and academic offerings for all students.

“Historic” means important, momentous, or history-making. A historic meeting will take place on Tuesday. “Historical” refers to any event in the past.

Capitalize when referring to Texas State Homecoming. Lowercase otherwise.

One word, lowercased.

A study lounge, coffeehouse, and art gallery located in the Lampasas Building on the San Marcos Campus.

If Honors College is preceded by "the" in a sentence, lowercase "the": the Honors College  

No periods: Texas State ID card.

Use “important” with “more” or “most” rather than “importantly”: Most important, we have a plan for the future.

Not “in regards to.” Better yet, just use “regarding.”

Hyphenate when used as a modifier before a noun. However, use “Texas resident” or “nonresident” to describe these types of tuition rates at Texas State.

Abbreviate incorporated or limited when used following a business name.

Part of the College of Science and Engineering; NEVER the Bruce and Gloria Ingram School of Engineering.

Capitalize names of institutes at Texas State when using the formal name. Lowercase “institute” when not using the formal name: The institute is the best on campus.
Formal names of institutes at Texas State University include:

• Institute for Global Business
• Institute for Government Innovation
• Institute for the Study of Invasive Species
• LBJ Institute for STEM Education and Research
• Richter Research Institute
• The Education Institute

Not foreign students.

“It’s” is the contraction of it is: It’s time to go. “Its” is the possessive form of it: The university is proud of its history.

The official name of the field inside Texas State’s 30,000-seat football stadium. In November 2003, the field was renamed Jim Wacker Field in honor of the former football coach who died that year. Capitalize as shown.

A dining facility named to honor Billy Mac Jones, the fifth university president (1969 – 1973).

An athletic complex named to honor Milton Jowers, the school’s basketball coach from 1946 to 1961.

Not judgement.

Use kick off as a verb; use kickoff as a noun or adjective.

Texas State’s student radio station (89.9 FM). Capitalize as shown and identify as a radio station.

A food-court-style dining facility located in the LBJ Student Center.

“Lay” is an action word. It takes a direct object: Please lay the book on the table. “Laid” is the form for its past tense and its past participle: She laid/had laid the book on the table. Its present participle is “laying”: She is laying the book on the table.

“Lie” indicates a state of reclining along a horizontal plane. It does not take a direct object: Please lie down on the floor. Its past tense is “lay”: He lay down on the floor. Its past participle is “lain”: He had lain on the floor. Its present participle is ‘lying’: He is lying on the floor.

When “lie” means to make an untrue statement, the verb forms are lie, lied, lying.

LBJ Student Center is the full name of this building, named to honor Lyndon Baines Johnson, the 36th president of the United States who graduated from the university in 1930. LBJSC or “the student center” is acceptable on second and subsequent references. The university’s Welcome Center is located within the student center.

TXST 125’s theme is The Legacy of Tomorrow. Do not set the phrase in italics or use quotation marks.

Capitalize when preceded by the name of a state. Retain capitalization when the state name is dropped but the reference is specifically to that state’s legislature.

“Lend” is a verb: Please lend me your book. “Loan” is a noun: I got a loan from the bank.

Use “less” for bulk or quantity: My car uses less gas than yours does. Use “fewer” for individual items or people: There are fewer people here today.

A living-learning community is a group of students living together based on a common interest, while taking one or more classes together.

“Log in” and “log on” are verbs; login, logon, and logoff are nouns: You must log in using your login. Log on to the website. People log in to, but they don’t log onto or log into.

Always hyphenate this adjective.

“Loose” is an adjective: My tooth is loose. “Lose” is a verb: Don’t lose your lunch money.

Preferred spelling; used when writing about the St. David's School of Nursing.

The Manske Roll is a legendary San Marcos pastry similar to a cinnamon roll.

Lowercase when writing in general about the music, a band, or a musician. Capitalize when used with a specific band or event: Feria del Mariachi, Mariachi Vargas.

A hospitality room in Strahan Arena at the University Events Center where pre-game events, halftime receptions, and other special events are held.

A program that develops model programs, including summer math camps, to engage K-12 students in high-level mathematics.

Known for decades as Aquarena Springs Resort, this property came under the stewardship of Texas State University in the mid-1990s. Now known as The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment, the focus is on developing and promoting programs and techniques for ensuring sustainable water resources for human needs, ecosystem health, and economic development.

Not momento

No hyphen is needed when used as a noun or an adjective.

Not miniscule

• Use $ and figures for all amounts in excess of 99 cents. Do not use a decimal and zeroes for whole-dollar amounts. Example: The book costs $14.
• Spell out cents in amounts less than $1. Example: The hamburger costs 99 cents.
• For amounts of more than $1 million, use the $ and numerals up to two decimal places: Example: a $4.2 million budget, a $1 million donation 

• Always capitalize the names of months.
• When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate Jan., Feb. Aug., Sept. Oct., Nov., and Dec.: She was born on Jan. 5, 1980.
• Spell out all names of months when using alone or when using with a year but not a date: I'm going on vacation in September. President Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963.
• When a sentence uses a month and a year, do not separate them with a comma

Use last name only on second and subsequent references. As a general rule, spell and punctuate people’s names the way they prefer them to appear.

Don’t use spaces between initials.

Abbreviate junior or senior after a person’s name. Terms such as Jr., Sr., II, III are not set off by commas when used in a name unless the person prefers that the comma be included.

Capitalize the names of nationalities, peoples, race, tribes, etc.: Arab, American, Black, Indigenous, Japanese, Jewish, Nordic, Sioux, etc. Lowercase white. Do not use colored.

NCAA is acceptable on first reference. Texas State is in Division I in all sports. The Bobcats play football in the NCAA's Football Bowl Subdivision.

The preferred term, rather than freshman orientation or transfer orientation, for these Texas State programs: New Student Orientation for freshmen or New Student Orientation for transfer students. Capitalize first letters of each word when referring to the specific Texas State event. Do not capitalize when talking about such events in a general sense: Many universities hold new student orientations.

Use as the abbreviation for “number” in conjunction with a figure to indicate position or rank: No. 1 choice.

No hyphen.

No hyphen.

No hyphen.

No hyphen. The term applies to anyone who did not go directly from high school to Texas State. Nontraditional can apply to anyone who transferred from another school, went to a community college first, or took time off, for example. Avoid use of this label unless it is essential to the clarity of the communication.

Hyphenate when using as an adjective, but not as an adverb. Examples: I want to live off campus. The club will have an on-campus meeting.

Do not use “okay.”

This building was the first classroom building at Southwest Texas State Normal College.

A phrase denoting pride in being a Bobcat alum. Use title case capitalization: Once a Bobcat, Always a Bobcat

Not on-line.

The headquarters for the Outdoor Recreation Program at Texas State. This center houses equipment rentals and reservations for University Camp and the Adventure Trip Program.

The university gives this award to an outstanding senior woman based on leadership, scholarship, character, potential, and loyalty. 

These are two different groups at Texas State. Double-check which one is correct when you encounter it in text.

Note spelling and capitalization. Located in the Performing Arts Center, which opened in February 2014.

A small, on-campus convenience store located near the Evans Liberal Arts building.

The Pedagog was the official yearbook of the university. It was the oldest tradition, and it recorded the first year of the school’s existence. In 1975, when most colleges and universities were phasing out their yearbooks, the university administration dropped the Pedagog. It was reinstated in 1984 then discontinued in 1999.

Capitalize in all references.

You may spell out the word "percent" or use the symbol "%" in text. Be consistent in your document or suite of documents.

Opened in February 2014. Capitalize all three words. Contains the Patti Strickel Harrison Theatre and the Recital Hall.

Porter House Review is an online literary journal produced in conjunction with Texas State University’s M.F.A. program in creative writing.

Hyphenate when used with a word to mean after: post-game, post-graduate, post-election. Do not hyphenate with other uses: post office.

“Presently" means in a little while or soon. "Currently" means now. In most cases you don’t need to use currently. “We are revising the plan” is better than “We are currently revising the plan.”

Capitalize before a name: President Jane Smith. But lowercase elsewhere: Dr. Jane Smith, president of Texas State University; the president of the university. 

The name of the official residence of the president of Texas State University. Capitalize both words.

Two words as a noun; hyphenated as a compound adjective: problem-solving skills.

For names of speakers or presenters listed on an event program, use the full name and title on first reference and the full name only in subsequent references.

Try not to use program in place of major or department. Program often implies a separate administration or faculty. When describing a student’s activities, it may be best to use department, major, or degree program rather than simply program.

Capitalize the word “program” only when part of a formal name.

"Prospective" means likely to be or become, or potential: a prospective student.

"Perspective" refers to physical or mental viewpoints: We'll have a better perspective from the bridge. College will help you gain a broader perspective.

The tree-lined mall near the center of the San Marcos Campus: Students often pass through the Quad on their way to class.

Avoid using this term for 125th anniversary. 
If you do use this term, always accompany it with an explanation: Texas State’s quasquicentennial, or 125th anniversary, will begin on May 10, 2024.
 

Periods and commas always go within the quotation marks; dashes, colons, semicolons, and question marks go within the quotes when they apply to the quoted matter and outside when they apply to the whole sentence.

Not reknowned. “Renown” means well-known: He is a renowned expert in physics. There is no such word as reknowned.

The supervising body of Texas State residence halls. RHA is acceptable on second and subsequent references.

The preferred term for on-campus university housing; avoid using dormitory or dorm.

Not residence assistant. RA is acceptable on second and subsequent references. 

Note the accent marks over the e’s. 

This tagline is retired and no longer authorized for use.

Use the following form when referring to rooms in buildings: Building, Room Number.
Example: Old Main, Room 102; Evans Liberal Arts building, Room 102.

ROTC stands for Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, but the abbreviation ROTC is acceptable in all references.

Use Air Force ROTC (AFROTC on second reference) when referring to Texas State’s aerospace studies program and Army ROTC (AROTC on second reference) when referring to the university’s military science program.

Capitalize terms like army, air force, or navy when referring to the forces of the United States: U.S. Army, the Air Force.

Formerly the Round Rock Higher Education Center. Capitalize all words of the formal name: Texas State Round Rock Campus. Use Round Rock Campus on second reference. Students at the Round Rock Campus can earn bachelor’s and master’s degrees and certificates in many subject areas. Located north of Austin in Round Rock, the campus opened in 2005.

A room in the End Zone Complex where meetings and special events are held.

Capitalize all three words when referring to the Texas State campus in San Marcos.

The springs are the headwaters of the San Marcos River. Texas State is the only campus in Texas on which a river begins and flows. The small dam below Kerbey Lane Cafe was built in 1849 by Edward Burleson, one of the founders of San Marcos and a commander during the Texas Revolution, to power a gristmill. The springs are on the Balcones Fault Zone.

Capitalize only those words that are part of the full official name of a scholarship or fellowship. The word “scholarship” or “fellowship” may or may not be included in the name. Following are some examples of well-known scholarships and fellowships:

• Rhodes Scholarship, Rhodes Scholar
• Fulbright Scholarship, Fulbright Scholar
• Graduate Council Fellowship, Graduate Council Fellow
• Truman Scholarship, Truman Scholar

Names of Texas State scholarships include:

• McCoy Scholarship of Distinction 
• McCoy Scholarship of Excellence 
• Lone Star Scholarship
• National Distinction Scholarship
• National Hispanic Scholarship
• President’s Honor Scholarship
• Terry Foundation Scholarship
• Texas State Achievement Scholarship
• Texas State Distinguished Scholarship
• University Scholars (Refer to it as the University Scholars award.)

The official names of other university scholarships should be double-checked with the Financial Aid and Scholarships office or with the department, college, or other entity that handles the scholarship program.

Several academic departments at Texas State carry the designation of “school.” Their names should be written as follows:

• School of Art and Design
• School of Criminal Justice and Criminology
• Ingram School of Engineering
• School of Family and Consumer Sciences
• School of Health Administration
• School of Journalism and Mass Communication
• School of Music
• St. David's School of Nursing
• School of Social Work

Lowercase “school” in other uses, such as graduate school.

Spell out on first reference and in headlines. Use STAR Park on second reference.

Lowercase fall, spring, summer, and winter in all uses. For a semester, do not add “of”: fall 2006 semester, not fall of 2006 semester.

Not Sessoms (no “s” at the end) Drive or Street. 

Originally Riverside Park, this park was renamed in 1946 to honor mathematics professor S.M. Sewell. In 1916, Sewell led the campaign to clean the river and create the park.

Hyphenate when used as a noun or an adjective: sign-up sheet. Do not hyphenate when used as a verb: I’ll sign up tomorrow.

Use “since” to note a time element: He has been sick since Tuesday. Use “because” to note a cause-effect relationship: He went because he was told he would get extra credit for the class.

All one word. All lowercase unless used at the beginning of a sentence: Smartphones are becoming more and more common. Just about everyone has a smartphone.

Do not refer to sorority members as girls. Use "women" or "sorority members."

Do not capitalize.

In 1849 Edward Burleson built a dam to power a gristmill, thus forming Spring Lake. Spring Lake is home to The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.

San Marcos’ courthouse square. Students and San Marcos residents commonly refer to this area as “the Square,” so it is acceptable to capitalize it with a lowercase “the” preceding it. 

Always use the full name. Part of the College of Health Professions.

One word when used as a noun or an adjective to describe a new business venture.

No hyphen.

Formerly Strahan Coliseum. Strahan Arena or Strahan is acceptable on second reference. 

The name is pronounced "Stran" (rhymes with "bran"). The arena is named to honor Oscar W. Strahan, who was instrumental in the building of the university's first gym. He served as athletic director at Texas State for 42 years, from 1919 to 1961. He coached football, basketball, and track and field.

The proper spellings for names of streets adjacent to the Texas State University campus are provided below for your reference.

• Academy Street
• Adolfo Barrera Drive
• Aquarena Springs Drive/Loop 82
• Bobcat Way
• C.M. Allen Parkway
• North Comanche Street
• Concho Street
• County Road 173 (to University Camp)
• Edward G. Gary Street — Edward Gary Street is also an acceptable reference.
• Elm Street
• Elvin Holt Drive
• North Fredericksburg Street
• South Fredericksburg Street
• North Guadalupe Street
• South Guadalupe Street
• Hill House Circle
• West Holland Street
• James Street
• Lindsey Street
• Live Oak Street
• Llano Circle
• Lueders Court
• North LBJ Drive
• South LBJ Drive
• Matthews Street
• Moon Street
• Moore Street (Ranch Road 12)
• North Street
• Old Main Drive
• Pecan Street
• Peques Street
• Pickard Street
• Pleasant Street
• Ranch Road 12
• Russell Circle
• Sessom Drive (not Sessoms)
• Smith Drive
• State Street
• Student Center Drive
• Talbot Street
• Texas Highway 21 (Horticulture Center/Traffic and Safety Center)
• Tomás Rivera
• University Boulevard
• University Drive
• Vista Street
• West Woods Street
• Woods Street

The name of the Texas State dance team.

SACA is acceptable on second and subsequent references.

Always spelled out, never an acronym or abbreviated. Capitalized before a name: President John Smith. Otherwise in all lowercase. The student body president is the elected representative of all students and chief executive officer of the Student Government.

Always spelled out, never an acronym or abbreviated. Capitalized before a name: Vice President Jane Smith. Otherwise in all lowercase. The student body vice president is an elected representative of all students and chair of the Student Senate and Graduate House.

Always spelled out, never an acronym or abbreviated. Student Government is the body comprised of Senators and Graduate Representatives elected or selected to represent the student body of Texas State University and provide the programs and services it finds important to students.

Medical facilities on the San Marcos and Round Rock campuses are Student Health Centers. University Health Services is the department that provides healthcare services to TXST.

On second or subsequent reference, SLAC is acceptable. 

“SRC” is acceptable on second reference and subsequent references. In informal communications, “the rec center” is also acceptable on second reference.

The formal name of the body within Student Government made up of the elected representatives of all students at Texas State University.

Hyphenate this term.

Always two words.

Texas State Athletics is in NCAA Division I and a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

The name of the university's athletic logo featuring the Bobcat head.

A trademarked, copyrighted name for a tutoring program offered by the Student Learning Assistance Center. Both words must be capitalized.

The computer lab in McCoy Hall used by business students to experience real trading and investing. It was funded by a $1.5 million donation by alumnus T. Paul Bulmahn, chairman and president of ATP Oil & Gas Corp.

No apostrophe is needed in "teachers" in this usage because there is no possessive meaning.

Separate each series of numbers with a period: 555.555.5555. (This is a deviation from AP style.) Do not use “1” before long-distance or toll-free numbers: 800.555.5555.

This facility is home to Texas State's women's tennis team and is located on Sessom Drive across from the J.C. Kellam Administration building.

TOEFL is acceptable on second reference.

Capitalize all three words when referring to this area that stretches along IH-35 from Round Rock to San Antonio.

A program that develops model programs, including summer math camps, to engage K-12 students in high-level mathematics.

Use Texas State University on first reference. Texas State or TXST may be used on second reference or in headlines for variety or when space does not permit the use of the full name. Only use TXST when your audience is already familiar with its meaning. Always uppercase all letters of TXST. 

Never use TSU. 

For guidance on how to use TXST as a hashtag on social media, refer to our Social Media Guidelines.

Capitalize only Thanksgiving.

“That” is used to introduce an essential clause (one that cannot be eliminated without changing the meaning): This is the restaurant that I told you about. Use “which” to introduce a nonessential clause: We ate at the new restaurant, which had received a good review in the newspaper. An essential clause must not be set off from the rest of the sentence by commas; a nonessential clause must.

Use “that” when referring to inanimate objects or animals. Use “who” when referring to people.

This building, easily recognized for its drum shape, is located on Moon Street. It houses several classrooms, lecture/recital teaching theatres, a studio theatre, a full costume and scene shop, and a main theatre.

In formal names, take care to use the spelling used by the entity:

• Texas State’s Department of Theatre and Dance
• the Glade Theatre
• Theatre Center
• LBJ Student Center Teaching Theater
• Alkek Teaching Theater

a.m. and p.m. are used lowercase with periods in both lists and sentences. 

Do not use :00 for times on the hour. Examples: 5 p.m. or 5:30 a.m.

To avoid confusion, use noon and midnight instead of 12 p.m. and 12 a.m. Do not use 12 noon or 12 midnight.

• The university’s style for titles follows AP style. Capitalize a formal title used directly before a name. Lowercase and use commas to set off a title following a name. Lowercase and spell out titles when not used with names. Do not capitalize job titles such as officer, assistant, or accountant when used before a name.

• In formal contexts as opposed to running text, such as a displayed list of names and titles in an annual report, titles are usually capitalized even when following a name. Exceptions may also be called for in promotional or other contexts for reasons of courtesy or politics, as long as capitalization is handled consistently within a document or suite of documents. A title used alone, in place of a personal name, is capitalized only in such contexts as a toast or a formal introduction, or when used in direct address.

• Academic: Refer to the "academic titles" entry.

• Compositions: Titles of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, brochures, movies, paintings, sculptures, plays, record albums, operas, and other freestanding or long musical works are italicized. Titles of short stories, articles, chapters, poems, songs, and other shorter works as well as radio and television shows are enclosed in quotation marks, not italicized. 

• Legislative: Capitalize and spell out governor, senator, and representative when used before a name (Governor Joe Smith) for most purposes, including letters and advertisements; abbreviating to Gov., Sen., and Rep. according to AP style is acceptable in a news article. Just be consistent throughout your document or publication. Do not use legislative titles before a name on second reference unless part of a direct quotation.

• Occupational: Titles of persons holding offices such as those listed below are rarely used before names, often because of their length. Preferred usage is to lowercase occupational titles and use commas to set them off following names. Note the capitalization and format of the following examples:
  • the vice president; Sue Jones, vice president for Finance and Support Services
  • the associate vice president; John Williams, associate vice president for Enrollment Management and Marketing
  • the director; Jane Smith, director of University Marketing
  • the registrar; Jim Williams, registrar
  • the chief executive officer; John Doe, the chief operating officer of XYZ Corporation

• Social: Social titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., Mx., and Dr. may be omitted in most contexts with no loss of respect. When an academic degree or professional designation follows a name, social titles are always omitted. When used, social titles are always abbreviated, whether preceding a full name or surname only.

Texas State University’s College of Education developed the Tomás Rivera Mexican American Children’s Book Award to honor authors and illustrators who create literature that depicts the Mexican American experience. The award was established in 1995 and was named in honor of Dr. Tomás Rivera, a distinguished alumnus of Texas State University.

Texas State Intensive English language program. Spell out on first reference and use TSIE on second and subsequent references.

Use “Texas resident” or “nonresident” to describe these types of tuition rates at Texas State.

The official name for Texas State's 125th anniversary celebrations. Always uppercase all letters of TXST. Do not add a “th” to the end of TXST 125.

#TXST125
The official hashtag for TXST 125 social media content.
 

Brand campaign name:

• TXST NEXT is the acceptable capitalization of the brand campaign name.

NEXT vs. next:

• It is appropriate for the word “next” to be all caps when it is used to emphasize a statement: Texas State University is the catalyst of what's NEXT.
• It is inappropriate for every usage of the word “next” to be all caps: The leadership meeting is next Friday.
• We encourage writers to use their best judgment on the issue of capitalization for the word “next.”

#TXSTnext:

• When used on social media, commonly accepted practices in the channel applies: I'm #txstnext; Mechanical Engineering is #TXSTnext
• When the hashtag is used in print, use either #TXSTnext or #TXSTNEXT, depending on your design.

Always two words.

This is not a synonym for unusual. It means one of a kind. Something cannot be “more unique” or “most unique.”

The abbreviation U.S. is acceptable as a noun or adjective for United States.

The preferred guideline for Texas State marketing materials is to lowercase “university” when used alone and capitalize it only when used as part of a proper name: Texas State University, Harvard University; Texas State is a great university. However, in some more formal contexts, capitalizing the word “University” when it stands alone but refers specifically to Texas State University is acceptable.

A 126-acre recreation area on the Blanco River near Wimberley. 

In TXST 125 content, use Texas State University or TXST when referring to the university at any point in time. 

You may mention a previous university name if relevant to the story: 

• Lyndon B. Johnson graduated from Texas State University, then called Southwest Texas State Teachers College.
• On May 10, 1899, Gov. Joseph Sayers signed the law establishing Southwest Texas State Normal School. 

Previous university names include:

• 1899: Southwest Texas State Normal School 
• 1918: Southwest Texas State Normal College 
• 1923: Southwest Texas State Teachers College 
• 1959: Southwest Texas State College 
• 1969: Southwest Texas State University 
• 2003: Texas State University-San Marcos 
• 2013: Texas State University
   

 UPD is acceptable on second reference.

The official student newspaper of Texas State.

If you bold or italicize the URLs in your document, be consistent.

Unveiled in 2013 outside Old Main. Bill and Sally Wittliff donated the 18-foot statue to celebrate Texas and Mexico's shared cowboy heritage. Capitalize Vaquero when used as the name of the statue. Lowercase vaquero when referring to a Mexican cowboy.

No apostrophe.

Do not hyphenate. Capitalize before a name: Vice President Ann Johnson. Lowercase after a name: Bill Smith, vice president for Student Affairs. 

Lowercase web. The web is a subset, not a synonym for, the internet.

Don't use "http://" or "www" with web addresses unless it is required for the URL to work. 

Lowercase and one word. Also, webcam, webcast, webmaster, webpage are lowercased and one word.

The balcony on the second floor of the End Zone Complex at Bobcat Stadium.

Capitalize. This part of the San Marcos Campus was the San Marcos Baptist Academy until 1979, when the university purchased the land and buildings.

Formal name is Jerry D. and Linda Gregg Fields Bobcat Stadium West Side Complex. Use West Side Complex on second reference.

“Who’s” is the contraction for “who is”: Who’s there? “Whose” is possessive: Whose book is that?

Do not capitalize.

The Southwestern Writers Collection, the Southwestern & Mexican Photography Collection, the Lonesome Dove Collection, and the Texas Music Collection are known collectively as The Wittliff Collections. Whenever possible, refer to The Wittliff Collections as a whole. Use a plural verb with "The Wittliff Collections" and a singular verb when referring to the institution as "The Wittliff." Always use "The Wittliff Collections" as the first reference in text.

Hyphenate.

Not ya’ll; it’s abbreviating you all, not ya all. Use only in a direct quote.