General

• 50th anniversary

  Not 50th Anniversary.

• alumni graduation year

  When including the graduation years of alumni in sentences, the preferred style is to place commas after the person’s name and after the year (Jane Doe, ’99, now owns her own company.) For multiple graduation years use an & (Jane Doe, ’99 & ’02, said she is glad... or Jane Doe, ’99, ’00 & ’02, said she is glad...).

  It is also acceptable to not use the comma after the name and year, based on the user's discretion and personal preference. (Jane Doe ’99 now owns her own company.)

  When including the graduation years of alumni in lists, pull quotes, or internal email signatures, use Name ’XX. For example:

         Jane Doe ’99
         John Doe ’00 & ’01

         "I love Grand Valley with all my heart."
         - Jane Doe '17

        John Doe '16
        Manager
        ABC Department
  
  A closing apostrophe (’), not an opening apostrophe (‘), appears in front of the date. You may need to copy and paste a closing apostrophe from another place in your document to ensure the proper usage.

  When using a class year for a current student, use the term "Class of XXXX." For example:

  Jane Doe, Class of 2020, is a math major from Allendale, Michigan.

  The class year can be established by checking Banner and then confirming with the student.

• class year

  When using a class year for a current student, use the term "Class of XXXX." For example:

  Jane Doe, Class of 2020, is a math major from Allendale, Michigan.

  The class year can be established by checking Banner and then confirming with the student.

  For alumni graduation year usage, see alumni graduation year.

• dates

  Use Arabic numerals without st, rd, nd, or th. (The event will take place on May 13, 2011.)

• dollars

  Use Arabic numerals and the $ sign in all cases. ($5, $25, $500, $5,000, $550,000)

• Eastern Time/ET

  Grand Valley campuses are all on Eastern Time. Do not specify Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Time. (When visiting Grand Valley, remember that the university is on Eastern Time.) May be abbreviated as ET. (The event will take place in California at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).)

• fiscal year

  Uppercase when followed by a year, no comma (Fiscal Year 2000). Lowercase when used as an adjective (during the fiscal year). Also, FY2000 is acceptable. Not FY00.

• numbers

  Spell out whole numerals below 10 and use Arabic numerals for 10 and above, except with percentages (every 30 minutes; the last 2,000 years; three credits; nine hours at the 300 level; 4 percent). No superscript on ordinal numerals (30th not 30^th). Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, unless the numeral identifies a calendar year (1976 was a very good year.).

• percent

  Always spell out in sentences, including in bullet points, unless space absolutely does not allow. Use % in charts and graphs.

• phone numbers

  Put area code in parentheses (616) 331-2221, including toll free numbers (800) 748-0246.

• time

  6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Not 7:00 or 7pm or 7 PM.

• years

  Use a hyphen in a non-continuing year, such as an academic year (2012-2013, not 2012–2013). Use an endash to indicate ranges (1900–1950, not 1900-1950).

General

• academic degrees

  B.A., M.A., M.B.A., Ph.D., bachelor's degree, master's degree, doctorate, associate. The preferred form is to say somebody has a bachelor's degree in journalism or a Bachelor of Arts in journalism. Not has a B.A. in journalism, although it is correct. Associate degree is proper, not associate's degree. Correct: "I received my associate degree before my bachelor’s."

• acknowledgment

  Use acknowledgment, not acknowledgement

• acronym

  No periods between capital letters (SE, SW, NE, NW) except when referencing degrees (M.B.A.).

• addresses

  When listing an address or contact information, follow the below order. When using SE, SW, NE, NW in an address, do not use periods.

  Person's name
  Department name
  Grand Valley State University
  Office # and building name
  Street address
  City, state zip code
  Phone
  Fax
  Email address
  Web address

• alma mater

  Lowercase except when referencing it as a composition title. (He is proud to call Grand Valley his alma mater.) or (They will sing the Alma Mater at commencement.)

• alumni graduation year

  When including the graduation years of alumni in sentences, the preferred style is to place commas after the person’s name and after the year (Jane Doe, ’99, now owns her own company.) For multiple graduation years use an & (Jane Doe, ’99 & ’02, said she is glad... or Jane Doe, ’99, ’00 & ’02, said she is glad...).

  It is also acceptable to not use the comma after the name and year, based on the user's discretion and personal preference. (Jane Doe ’99 now owns her own company.)

  When including the graduation years of alumni in lists, pull quotes, or internal email signatures, use Name ’XX. For example:

         Jane Doe ’99
         John Doe ’00 & ’01

         "I love Grand Valley with all my heart."
         - Jane Doe '17

        John Doe '16
        Manager
        ABC Department
  
  A closing apostrophe (’), not an opening apostrophe (‘), appears in front of the date. You may need to copy and paste a closing apostrophe from another place in your document to ensure the proper usage.

  When using a class year for a current student, use the term "Class of XXXX." For example:

  Jane Doe, Class of 2020, is a math major from Allendale, Michigan.

  The class year can be established by checking Banner and then confirming with the student.

• and vs. &

  Using "and" is preferred over using "&" unless space is an issue in a headline. An "&" is also acceptable if it is part of a proper name (Johnson & Johnson).

Proper Names

• A. Robert Kleiner Commons

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kleiner Commons is acceptable.

• Alexander Calder Fine Arts Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Calder Fine Arts Center and Calder Arts Center are acceptable.

• Allendale Campus

  Or Grand Valley's main campus in Allendale. The Allendale Campus is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Alumni House and Visitor Center

  Use on all references. Not Visitor's or Visitors.

• Annual Schedule

  Grand Valley State University Annual Schedule on first reference. Following first reference, Annual Schedule is acceptable.

• Arend D. Lubbers Stadium

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Lubbers Stadium is acceptable.

• Arnold C. Ott Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Ott Living Center is acceptable.

• Arthur C. Hills Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hills Living Center is acceptable.

• Au Sable Hall

  Use on all references.

• Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, AWRI and Annis Water Resources Institute are acceptable.

Titles

• advisor

  Not adviser.

Proper Names

• Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Padnos International Center is acceptable.

• Battle Creek Regional Outreach Center

  Use full name on all references. The Battle Creek Regional Outreach Center is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Beckering Family Carillon Tower

  Use full name on all references. Use Beckering Family carillon when referring to the actual instrument within the tower.

• Bill and Sally Seidman Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Seidman Living Center is acceptable.

• Board of Trustees

  Not Board of Control.

• Brooks College of Interdisciplinary Studies

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Brooks College is acceptable.

• The Lynn M. Blue Connection

  Use full name -- The Lynn M. Blue Connection -- on first reference. Following first reference, The Blue Connection is acceptable.

General

• capitalization

  In general, for the best reader experience and to maintain consistency in university-related content, avoid unnecessary capitals.

  Words that are always capitalized include:

  • Proper nouns (Grand Rapids, Philomena V. Mantella, Poland).
  • Proper names (Grand Valley State University, Grand River, Fulton Street). Lowercase general terms (the university, the river, the foundation, or the street).
  • Composition titles (titles of books, movies, songs, televisions programs, lectures, speeches, etc.). 
  • Titles when used immediately before a name (President Philomena Mantella). Lowercase titles when separated from the name or when they come after the name (Gretchen Whitmer, governor of Michigan).
  • Names of schools and formal department names (the Department of Music, Theatre, and Dance). Lowercase when used as a common noun or adjective (a psychology major, economics department).

• catalog

  Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog on first reference. Following first reference, Grand Valley catalog or catalog are acceptable.

• class year

  When using a class year for a current student, use the term "Class of XXXX." For example:

  Jane Doe, Class of 2020, is a math major from Allendale, Michigan.

  The class year can be established by checking Banner and then confirming with the student.

  For alumni graduation year usage, see alumni graduation year.

• composition titles

  Capitalize and italicize composition titles such as the titles of journals, essays, books, chapters, movies, albums, songs, plays, televisions programs, radio programs, lectures, speeches, works of art, etc. (Tracy Howard, professor of writing, published an article in The Journal of Good Writing.) Quotation marks may be used for the smaller part of a greater work when referencing both. For example, if referencing both an essay title and a journal title, place the essay title in quotation marks instead of italics. (Tracy Howard, professor of writing, published the article "Punctuation is Fun" in The Journal of Good Writing.)

• Convocation

  Capitalize when referring to an event. (Incoming freshmen will fill the fieldhouse at Convocation on Tuesday.) Lowercase elsewhere. (Schools around the area will be holding their convocations soon.)

• courseware

  Not course ware.

• coursework

  Not course work.

Proper Names

• Alexander Calder Fine Arts Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Calder Fine Arts Center and Calder Arts Center are acceptable.

• Calder Residence

  Use on all references.

• Center for Adult and Continuing Studies

  Use on all references. Replaces "Continuing Education."

• Central Utilities Building - South

  Use on all references.

• Central Utilities Building

  Use on all references.

• Charles W. Loosemore Forum

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Loosemore Forum is acceptable.

• Children's Enrichment Center

  Use on all references.

• College of Computing

  Use on all references.

• College of Education and Community Innovation

  Use on all references.

• College of Health Professions

  Use on all references.

• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

  Use on all references.

• Cook Carillon Tower

  Use full name on all references. Use Cook carillon when referring to the actual instrument within the tower.

• Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, CHS and Center for Health Sciences are acceptable.

• Cook-DeWitt Center

  Use on all references.

• COVID-19

  Use COVID-19 on first reference. Following first reference, COVID is acceptable.

• Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health

  Use Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on first reference. Following the first reference, DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is acceptable. The Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is part of Grand Valley's Health Campus.

• James M. Copeland Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Copeland Living Center is acceptable.

• The Commons

  Use on all references.

• The Lynn M. Blue Connection

  Use full name -- The Lynn M. Blue Connection -- on first reference. Following first reference, The Blue Connection is acceptable.

Punctuation

• colon (:)

  Don't introduce a list with a colon unless what precedes the colon is a complete sentence. If it's not a complete sentence, don't use any punctuation before the list.

• comma (,)

  Use serial comma (a, b, and c) if the piece has a marketing or academic purpose. Do not use serial comma (a, b and c) if the piece is news writing.

Titles

• chair

  Use chairman, chairwoman, or chair.

General

• dates

  Use Arabic numerals without st, rd, nd, or th. (The event will take place on May 13, 2011.)

• decision making

  Not decision-making, unless being used as an adjective or adverb to modify a noun or verb.

• degree-seeking student; nondegree-seeking student

  Not degree seeking student or nondegree seeking student.

• dollars

  Use Arabic numerals and the $ sign in all cases. ($5, $25, $500, $5,000, $550,000)

• dorms

  Not a term we use. Use living centers.

Proper Names

• D.J. Angus

  Should be italicized with no quotation marks (D.J. Angus).

• Charles W. Loosemore Auditorium

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Loosemore Auditorium is acceptable.

• Dale Stafford Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Stafford Living Center is acceptable.

• Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health

  Use Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on first reference. Following the first reference, DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is acceptable. The Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is part of Grand Valley's Health Campus.

• Deans Council

  Not deans council.

• Detroit Center

  Use on all references. The Detroit Center is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Directors' Cup

  Not Directors Cup or Director's Cup

• Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Johnson Center is acceptable.

• Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Center for Women and Gender Equity is acceptable.

• Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

  Use full name on first reference. Note the use of "and" and then "&". Following first reference, DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is acceptable.

• Richard M. DeVos Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, DeVos Center is acceptable.

• Richard M. DeVos Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, DeVos Living Center is acceptable.

• The Depot

  Use on all references.

Titles

• department name

  Capitalize official department names (Institutional Marketing). Lowercase modifiers such as department in a phrase (I wonder what department is organizing the event).

General

• e-mail or email

  Use either, but make sure that usage is consistent throughout your publication(s). Capitalize the "E" when used as the first word in a sentence.

• e-waste

  Not ewaste. Capitalize the "E" when used as the first word in a sentence.

• Eastern Time/ET

  Grand Valley campuses are all on Eastern Time. Do not specify Eastern Standard Time or Eastern Daylight Time. (When visiting Grand Valley, remember that the university is on Eastern Time.) May be abbreviated as ET. (The event will take place in California at 10 a.m. (1 p.m. ET).)

Proper Names

• College of Education and Community Innovation

  Use on all references.

• Edward J. Frey Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Frey Living Center is acceptable.

• Ella Koeze-Weed Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Koeze-Weed Living Center is acceptable.

• L.V. Eberhard Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Eberhard Center is acceptable.

Punctuation

• emdash ( — )

  Place space on both sides of the emdash ( — ). Use to show an interrupted thought or a sudden break.

  An emdash ( — ) or an endash ( – ) may be used before the name of a speaker or writer at the end of a quotation.

• endash (–)

  Leave no space on either side of the endash (–). Use to indicate ranges. (pages, p.20–p.30. times, 10 p.m.–10:30 p.m.. dates, May 11–May 12. years, 1900–2000.) They can usually be read as "to" or "through."

  Use in lists. In this case only, put a space after the endash. Bullets are equally acceptable for lists, but the hyphen and the emdash are not.

  An endash ( – ) or an emdash (— ) may be used before the name of a speaker or writer at the end of a quotation. In this instance only, place space on both sides of the endash.

General

• fieldwork

  Not field work.

• fiscal year

  Uppercase when followed by a year, no comma (Fiscal Year 2000). Lowercase when used as an adjective (during the fiscal year). Also, FY2000 is acceptable. Not FY00.

• fund

  Capitalize when part of a formal title. (Please give to the Grand Valley Fund.) Lowercase otherwise. (Please give to the Annis Water Resources Endowment fund.)

• fundraising

  Not fund raising or fund-raising.

Inclusive Language

• first-year student(s)

  Use instead of freshman/freshmen.

• freshman/freshmen

  Use first-year student(s) instead.

Proper Names

• Edward J. Frey Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Frey Living Center is acceptable.

• Faculty Academic Senate

  Not faculty academic senate.

• Farmers Market

  Not Farmer's Market or Farmers' Market.

• Fieldhouse

  Not field house.

• Football Center

  Use on all references.

• Founders Day

  Not Founders' Day.

• Fred M. Keller Engineering Laboratories

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Engineering Laboratories is acceptable.

• Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Writing Center is acceptable.

• Frederik Meijer Honors College

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Meijer Honors College is acceptable. (Meijer Honors College curriculum, not Honors curriculum.) (Meijer Honors College classes, not Honors classes.)

• Grand Valley University Foundation

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, the foundation is acceptable. Not Grand Valley State University Foundation.

Titles

• faculty

  is a collective noun, naming a group of people, so therefore singular in form. Use a singular verb when indicating that the group acts as a unit. (The Grand Valley faculty is nationally recognized.) Use a plural verb and the term "faculty members" when indicating that the individual members of the group act separately. (Many Grand Valley faculty members are nationally recognized.)

• Fellow

  Capitalize Fellow when referring to a person being named a Fellow of a professional organization.

• formal titles

  Capitalize and spell out formal titles such as president, professor, chairman, etc. when they precede a name (President Haas). Lowercase elsewhere (The president of the university will speak).

General

• catalog

  Grand Valley State University Undergraduate and Graduate Catalog on first reference. Following first reference, Grand Valley catalog or catalog are acceptable.

• G-number

  Not Gnumber, G number, G Number, or G-Number.

• general education

  Not General Education.

• GPA

  Not G.P.A.

Inclusive Language

• gender-fair language

  Please use gender-fair, or nonsexist, language. Avoid using he/him/his as universal pronouns to refer to unspecified people in the third person. Similarly, using s/he or she/he in the same way erases people who identify outside the gender binary. For more information and strategies for ensuring your language is gender-fair and inclusive, see the National Council of Teachers of English Guidelines for Gender-Fair Use of Language and the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association Stylebook.

Proper Names

• Annual Schedule

  Grand Valley State University Annual Schedule on first reference. Following first reference, Annual Schedule is acceptable.

• Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Center for Women and Gender Equity is acceptable.

• General Education Program

  Not general education program.

• Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Niemeyer Learning and Living Center is acceptable.

• Grace Olsen Kistler Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kistler Living Center is acceptable.

• Graduate Bulletin

  Grand Valley State University Graduate Bulletin on first reference. Following first reference, Graduate Bulletin is acceptable.

• Grand Valley Apartments

  Not Grand Valley apartments.

• Grand Valley Lanthorn

  Use on all references.

• Grand Valley State University Arboretum

  Use on all references.

• Grand Valley State University

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Grand Valley is acceptable. GVSU is only acceptable if there are so many references to Grand Valley that the writing becomes tedious, and it is obvious in the text that GVSU refers to Grand Valley State University. Use lowercase "university" when not using proper name.

• Grand Valley University Foundation

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, the foundation is acceptable. Not Grand Valley State University Foundation.

• GVSU Laker Store

  Use on all references. Previously the University Bookstore.

General

• health care

  Not healthcare.

• homepage

  Not home page.

Proper Names

• Arthur C. Hills Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hills Living Center is acceptable.

• Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health

  Use Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health on first reference. Following the first reference, DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is acceptable. The Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health is part of Grand Valley's Health Campus.

• Haas, Thomas J.

  Grand Valley's fourth president, named in 2006 and retired in 2019. Refer to as President Emeritus Thomas J. Haas or Thomas J. Haas, president emeritus as appropriate. Do not use Ph.D. or Dr.

• Health Campus

  Use Health Campus on all references. The Health Campus includes the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, and the Daniel and Pamella DeVos Center for Interprofessional Health. See Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus. The Health Campus is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Health Hill

  Do not use Health Hill. Please refer to Medical Mile.

• Henry Hall

  Use on all references.

• Holton-Hooker Learning and Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Holton-Hooker Center is acceptable.

• Icie Macy Hoobler Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hoobler Living Center is acceptable.

• Jamie Hosford Football Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hosford Football Center is acceptable.

• Meijer Campus in Holland

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Holland Campus is acceptable. The Meijer Campus in Holland is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Haas Center for the Performing Arts or Haas Center is acceptable.

Punctuation

• hyphen (-)

  Leave no space on either side of the hyphen (-). Use to join words and break syllables.

  When two or more nouns that express a single concept are used as an adjective or adverb link them together with a hyphen. Do not use a hyphen to link the word "very" or adverbs that end in "ly."

  Some words which are hyphenated when used as adjectives should not be hyphenated when used as nouns. (decision-making process, decision making. on-campus students, students who live on campus.) The only exception is to retain the hyphen when a modifier follows the verb "to be." (The students are involved in service-learning.)

  Use in non-continuing numbers. (phone, 331-2221. academic year, 2010-2011.) Use in numerals such as odds, ratios, scores, and fractions.

Inclusive Language

• inclusive language

  Make every effort to ensure that you are using language inclusive of all members of our community. Review all written materials to ensure that they are easily readable and accessible to screen-readers and that they avoid language that is biased and potentially alienating to people with marginalized identities.

Proper Names

• Icie Macy Hoobler Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hoobler Living Center is acceptable.

• Sylvia and Richard Kaufman Interfaith Institute

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kaufman Interfaith Institute is acceptable.

Proper Names

• Dorothy A. Johnson Center for Philanthropy

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Johnson Center is acceptable.

• James H. Zumberge Hall

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Zumberge Hall is acceptable.

• James L. Stevenson Center for Higher Education

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Stevenson Center for Higher Education or Stevenson Center are acceptable.

• James M. Copeland Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Copeland Living Center is acceptable.

• Jamie Hosford Football Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Hosford Football Center is acceptable.

• John C. Kennedy Hall of Engineering

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kennedy Hall of Engineering is acceptable.

• Paul A. Johnson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Johnson Living Center is acceptable.

Proper Names

• A. Robert Kleiner Commons

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kleiner Commons is acceptable.

• Ella Koeze-Weed Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Koeze-Weed Living Center is acceptable.

• Fred M. Keller Engineering Laboratories

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Engineering Laboratories is acceptable.

• Grace Olsen Kistler Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kistler Living Center is acceptable.

• John C. Kennedy Hall of Engineering

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kennedy Hall of Engineering is acceptable.

• Kelly Family Sports Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kelly Center is acceptable.

• Kenneth W. Robinson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Robinson Living Center is acceptable.

• Kirkhof College of Nursing

  Use on all references.

• Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Theatre is acceptable.

• P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kindschi Hall of Science is acceptable.

• Russel H. Kirkhof Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kirkhof Center is acceptable.

• Sylvia and Richard Kaufman Interfaith Institute

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kaufman Interfaith Institute is acceptable.

• William A. Kirkpatrick Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kirkpatrick Living Center is acceptable.

General

• Lakers

  The use of the word "Lakers" alone is unacceptable. The following verbiage is permitted: "Grand Valley State Lakers," "Grand Valley Lakers," "GVSU Lakers," or "Grand Valley State University Lakers."

• liberal arts

  Specific disciplines (the humanities, social sciences, and sciences).

• liberal education

  Grand Valley State University offers this. General education and an expectation of in-depth study in at least one field normally comprise liberal education.

• living centers

  Not dorms or residence halls.

Inclusive Language

• Latinx/Latinxs

  A gender-neutral term that can replace Latino/Latina when referring to people of Latin American descent who identify outside the gender binary.

• Latinx

  Use for those of Latin American descent who do not identify as being of the male or female gender or who simply don't want to be identified by gender.

• LGBTQIA+ considerations

  Please review GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide for an extensive glossary of terms with notes on appropriate usage. The guide also contains explanations and suggestions for writing about the LGBTQIA+ community.

• LGBTQIA+ language

  The GLAAD Media Reference Guide includes an extensive glossary and considerations for writing about the LGBTQIA+ community.

Proper Names

• Arend and Nancy Lubbers Student Services Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Lubbers Student Services Center is acceptable.

• Arend D. Lubbers Stadium

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Lubbers Stadium is acceptable.

• Charles W. Loosemore Auditorium

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Loosemore Auditorium is acceptable.

• Charles W. Loosemore Forum

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Loosemore Forum is acceptable.

• L. William Seidman Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Seidman Center is acceptable.

• L.V. Eberhard Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Eberhard Center is acceptable.

• Lacks International Plaza

  Use on all references.

• Lake Huron Hall

  Use on all references.

• Lake Michigan Center

  Use on all references.

• Lake Michigan Hall

  Use on all references.

• Lake Ontario Hall

  Use on all references.

• Lake Superior Hall

  Use on all references.

• Laker Effect

  Laker Effect is the university's current marketing campaign. Always capitalize both words when used together, i.e, "My Laker Effect is making my community a better," or "I feel that is my Laker Effect," or "What is your Laker Effect?"

• Laker for a Lifetime - Capitalize as Laker for a Lifetime in headline and body copy use when referring to the initiative promoting the idea that students continue to share their Laker Effect long after graduation—continually using their skills, training, and critical and creative thinking to positively impact the world around them in both personal and professional pursuits.

  Laker for a Lifetime is the proper name of a university program. Always capitalize Laker and Lifetime.

• Laker Village Apartments

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Laker Village is acceptable.

• Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Theatre is acceptable.

• Louis Armstrong Theatre

  Use on all references.

• Loutit Lecture Halls

  Use on all references.

• Lubbers Stadium Press Box

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Press Box is acceptable.

• Lubbers, Arend D.

  Grand Valley's second president, serving from 1968 to 2001. Current title is president emeritus, capitalized if used before his name (President Emeritus Lubbers) and not capitalized if used after his name (Arend D. Lubbers, president emeritus). May also be referred to as Arend (Don) D. Lubbers.

• Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, LGBT Resource Center is acceptable.

Punctuation

• lists

  Do not use a colon between a verb and its preposition or object. (Incorrect = The ground rules are:...) (Correct = The ground rules are... and The ground rules are as follows...)

  If a vertical list is introduced by a sentence that gets completed by the list, use semicolons within the list and end the list with a period or other appropriate punctuation. Begin bulleted, numbered, or dashed points (use an endash) with lower case letters. For example: 

  The mission of the departments is to

  • support the development of its programs;
  • empower students; and
  • provide valuable research.

  If the vertical list does not complete the introductory sentence, do not use punctuation to separate the points. Capitalize the first word of each point. For example:

  The biology experiment included the following components:

  • A sealed reservoir
  • An aquarium pump
  • A plant container

General

• majors

  Majors are lowercase except for English and foreign languages.

• Medical Mile

  Only buildings on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids are part of the Medical Mile.

  Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall is not part of the Medical Mile.

  Do not refer to the area or Michigan Street as Health Hill.

  For all Grand Valley buildings located on Michigan Street in Grand Rapids, please use the following address format:

  Grand Valley State University
  On the Medical Mile
  XXX Michigan Street NE
  Grand Rapids, MI  49503

  This includes all letterhead, return envelopes, and address listings.

Proper Names

• Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Writing Center is acceptable.

• Frederik Meijer Honors College

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Meijer Honors College is acceptable. (Meijer Honors College curriculum, not Honors curriculum.) (Meijer Honors College classes, not Honors classes.)

• Health Hill

  Do not use Health Hill. Please refer to Medical Mile.

• Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Theatre is acceptable.

• Mackinac Hall

  Use on all references.

• Manitou Hall

  Use on all references.

• Mantella, Philomena V.

  Grand Valley's fifth president, named in 2019. Refer to as President Philomena V. Mantella or Philomena V. Mantella, president as appropriate. Do not use Ph.D. or Dr.

• Mary Idema Pew Library Learning and Information Commons

  Use full name on first reference. Following the first reference, Mary Idema Pew Library is acceptable.

• Maxine M. Swanson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Swanson Living Center is acceptable.

• Meadows Club House

  Use on all references.

• Meadows Learning Center

  Use on all references.

• Meijer Campus in Holland

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Holland Campus is acceptable. The Meijer Campus in Holland is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Meijer Public Broadcast Center

  Use on all references.

• Meijer

  Not Meijer Inc. or Meijer, Inc.

• Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC)

  Former name of the Muskegon Innovation Hub. See Muskegon Innovation Hub.

• Michigan Small Business Development Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, MI Small Business Development Center or MI-SBDC is acceptable.

• Michigan's West Coast

  Not Lake Michigan's West Coast. Another term for West Michigan. Includes Grand Rapids, Muskegon, Holland, and the Lake Michigan coastline.

• Milton E. Ford LGBT Resource Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, LGBT Resource Center is acceptable.

• Murray, Mark A.

  Grand Valley's third president, serving from 2001 to 2006.

• Muskegon Campus

  Or Grand Valley's campus in Muskegon. The Muskegon Campus is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Muskegon Innovation Hub at Grand Valley State University

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Muskegon Innovation Hub is acceptable. Formerly known as Michigan Alternative and Renewable Energy Center (MAREC).

• Muskegon Regional Center

  Use on all references.

• The Marketplace

  Use on all references. Not Laker Market Place, Laker Marketplace, or GVSU Marketplace.

• The Meadows

  Use on all references. Includes golf course, club house, and academy.

General

• degree-seeking student; nondegree-seeking student

  Not degree seeking student or nondegree seeking student.

• non-scientists

  Not nonscientists.

• Non-Western

  Not NonWestern, Non-western, or nonwestern.

• nonbusiness majors

  Not non-business majors.

• nonprofit

  Not non-profit.

• nonresident

  Not non-resident.

• nonstatistical

  Not non-statistical.

• nonteaching

  Not non-teaching.

• nontraditional

  Not non-traditional.

• numbers

  Spell out whole numerals below 10 and use Arabic numerals for 10 and above, except with percentages (every 30 minutes; the last 2,000 years; three credits; nine hours at the 300 level; 4 percent). No superscript on ordinal numerals (30th not 30^th). Spell out a numeral at the beginning of a sentence, unless the numeral identifies a calendar year (1976 was a very good year.).

Proper Names

• Glenn A. Niemeyer Learning and Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Niemeyer Learning and Living Center is acceptable.

• NextEd Accelerator

  Use GV NextEd Accelerator on first reference. Following first reference, Accelerator is acceptable.

• North Living Center A

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, North A is acceptable.

• North Living Center B

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, North B is acceptable.

• Northwestern Michigan College University Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, University Center is acceptable.

General

• on-campus students

  Not oncampus students.

• online

  Not on line or on-line.

• onsite

  Not on site or on-site.

• student organizations

  An official list of student organizations (along with formal names) can be found at https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage

Proper Names

• Arnold C. Ott Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Ott Living Center is acceptable.

• Office of the President

  Also, president's office is acceptable. Not President's Office.

• Office of the Provost

  Also, provost's office is acceptable. Not Provost's Office.

General

• percent

  Always spell out in sentences, including in bullet points, unless space absolutely does not allow. Use % in charts and graphs.

• postconsumer

  Not post-consumer or post consumer.

• postsecondary

  Not post-secondary.

• predental

  Not pre-dental.

• prelaw

  Not pre-law.

• premed or premedical

  Not pre-med or pre-medical.

• prepharmacy

  Not pre-pharmacy.

• prephysical therapy

  Not pre-physical therapy.

• preprofessional studies

  Not pre-professional studies.

• Presidents' Ball

  The proper name for the annual event hosted by the university president and the Student Senate president. Not "President's Ball" or Presidents Ball."

• preveterinary

  Not pre-veterinary.

Proper Names

• Barbara and Stuart Padnos International Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Padnos International Center is acceptable.

• Lubbers Stadium Press Box

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Press Box is acceptable.

• Office of the President

  Also, president's office is acceptable. Not President's Office.

• Office of the Provost

  Also, provost's office is acceptable. Not Provost's Office.

• P. Douglas Kindschi Hall of Science

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kindschi Hall of Science is acceptable.

• Paul A. Johnson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Johnson Living Center is acceptable.

• Performing Arts Center

  See below for the proper usage when referencing the Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts.

• Peter F. Secchia Hall

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Secchia Hall is acceptable.

• Robert and Mary Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center is acceptable.

• Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Grand Rapids Campus is acceptable. All Grand Valley buildings except the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, and the Center for Interprofessional Health are part of the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. See Health Campus. The Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Robert C. Pew Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Living Center is acceptable.

• Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Padnos College of Engineering is acceptable.

   

• Seymour and Esther Padnos Hall of Science

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Padnos Hall of Science or Padnos Hall are acceptable.

• Thomas J. and Marcia J. Haas Center for Performing Arts

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Haas Center for the Performing Arts or Haas Center is acceptable.

• William F. Pickard Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pickard Living Center is acceptable.

Punctuation

• period after Web address

  When a Web address is the end of a sentence, it should be completed with a period. (For more information about applying to Grand Valley, go to www.gvsu.edu/admission.)

• post as a prefix with an acronym

  Use a hyphen to connect the prefix with the acronym (post-B.S.N.)

Titles

• professor

  Spell out professor and capitalize it only when immediately preceding a name (Professor Smith). Lowercase elsewhere (The professor was walking to class).

Punctuation

• quotation marks (" ")

  Place end-of-quote punctuation before the close-quote mark. (The student cheered, "Go Lakers!")

General

• recordkeeping

  Not record keeping.

• REP4

  Rapid Education Prototyping. Always use REP4 (all caps, no spaces) when referencing in text.

• residence halls

  Not a term we use. Use living centers.

• room-and-board rates

  Not room and board rates.

• résumé or resume

  Not resumé.

Proper Names

• Kenneth W. Robinson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Robinson Living Center is acceptable.

• Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Finkelstein Hall is acceptable.

• Ravine Apartments

  Use on all references.

• Ravine Center

  Use on all references.

• Recreation Center

  Use on all references.

• Richard M. and Helen DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation

  Use full name on first reference. Note the use of "and" and then "&". Following first reference, DeVos Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation is acceptable.

• Richard M. DeVos Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, DeVos Center is acceptable.

• Richard M. DeVos Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, DeVos Living Center is acceptable.

• Robert and Mary Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Faculty Teaching and Learning Center is acceptable.

• Robert B. Annis Water Resources Institute

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, AWRI and Annis Water Resources Institute are acceptable.

• Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Grand Rapids Campus is acceptable. All Grand Valley buildings except the Cook-DeVos Center for Health Sciences, Raleigh J. Finkelstein Hall, and the Center for Interprofessional Health are part of the Pew Grand Rapids Campus. See Health Campus. The Robert C. Pew Grand Rapids Campus is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

• Robert C. Pew Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pew Living Center is acceptable.

• Russel H. Kirkhof Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kirkhof Center is acceptable.

General

• seasons/semesters

  Uppercase season when it refers to a semester followed by a year, no comma. (Fall 2003). Lowercase when used as an adjective (offered fall and winter semesters or spring/summer semester) or not relating to a semester (we voted in the fall of 2008).

• student organizations

  An official list of student organizations (along with formal names) can be found at https://gvsu.campuslabs.com/engage

• student-athlete

  Hyphenate in all instances.

Proper Names

• Arend and Nancy Lubbers Student Services Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Lubbers Student Services Center is acceptable.

• Bill and Sally Seidman Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Seidman Living Center is acceptable.

• Dale Stafford Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Stafford Living Center is acceptable.

• James L. Stevenson Center for Higher Education

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Stevenson Center for Higher Education or Stevenson Center are acceptable.

• L. William Seidman Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Seidman Center is acceptable.

• Maxine M. Swanson Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Swanson Living Center is acceptable.

• Peter F. Secchia Hall

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Secchia Hall is acceptable.

• Seidman College of Business

  Use on all references.

• Seidman House

  Use on all references.

• Senior Management Team

  Not senior management team.

• Service Building

  Not service building.

• Seymour and Esther Padnos College of Engineering

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference Padnos College of Engineering is acceptable.

   

• Seymour and Esther Padnos Hall of Science

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Padnos Hall of Science or Padnos Hall are acceptable.

• Shape Corp. Innovation Design Center

  Use full name on first reference. Shape Corp. IDC is acceptable following the first reference.

• Small Business Development Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, SBDC is acceptable. Not Small Business and Technology Development Center.

• South Living Center A

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, South A is acceptable.

• South Living Center B

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, South B is acceptable.

• Steelcase Library

  Use on all references.

• Student Senate

  Not student senate.

• Student Services Building

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Student Services is acceptable.

Punctuation

• spaces

  Use one space after all punctuation, except when using punctuation immediately before a close-quote mark or in the case of the hyphen and the endash.

General

• theater/theatre

  Use theater when talking about the general term, use theatre when referring to Grand Valley's theatre major or Theatre when referring to the Louis Armstrong Theatre or Theatre at Grand Valley.

• time

  6:30 p.m. or 7 p.m. Not 7:00 or 7pm or 7 PM.

• trademark

  ™ and ® are only required on the first reference to a trademarked/servicemarked name.

Inclusive Language

• transgender

  Use as an adjective (e.g., “transgender people,” “transgender women,” “transgender communities”). Do not use as a verb (“transgendered”) or as a noun (“a transgender” or “transgenders”). For more guidance and considerations for writing about the transgender community, please see GLAAD’s Media Reference Guide.

   

Proper Names

• Linn Maxwell Keller Black Box Theatre

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Keller Theatre is acceptable.

• Traverse City Regional Center

  Use on all references. The Traverse City Regional Center is one of eight Grand Valley locations.

General

• username

  Not user name.

Proper Names

• Northwestern Michigan College University Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, University Center is acceptable.

• United States/U.S.

  Not US.

• University Bookstore

  Now called the GVSU Laker Store.

• University Guest House

  Use on all references.

• University Health Services

  Use on all references.

• University Policies

  Previously called University Regulations.

• University Regulations

  Now called University Policies.

General

• videocassette

  Not video-cassette or video cassette.

Proper Names

• Van Andel Global Trade Center

  Not Trade Institute or Center for Global Trade. Note the space between Van Andel.

General

• webpage

  Not web page or Web page.

• website

  Not web site or Web site.

• windpower

  Not wind power.

• worksite

  Not work site or work-site.

Proper Names

• W.G. Jackson

  Should be italicized with no quotation marks (W.G. Jackson).

• Fred Meijer Center for Writing and Michigan Authors

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Writing Center is acceptable.

• Gayle R. Davis Center for Women and Gender Equity

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Center for Women and Gender Equity is acceptable.

• West Living Center A

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, West A is acceptable.

• West Living Center B

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, West B is acceptable.

• West Michigan

  Not Western Michigan (to avoid confusion with the university in Kalamazoo). Use when referring specifically to the region comprised of Kent, Ottawa, Muskegon, and Allegan counties.

• William A. Kirkpatrick Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Kirkpatrick Living Center is acceptable.

• William F. Pickard Living Center

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Pickard Living Center is acceptable.

• Winter Hall

  Use on all references.

General

• years

  Use a hyphen in a non-continuing year, such as an academic year (2012-2013, not 2012–2013). Use an endash to indicate ranges (1900–1950, not 1900-1950).

Proper Names

• James H. Zumberge Hall

  Use full name on first reference. Following first reference, Zumberge Hall is acceptable.

• Zumberge, James H.

  First president of Grand Valley, served from 1963 to 1968.