Editorial and style guide

athletics designation: The UIC Flames compete in 18 NCAA Division I sports. As of July 2022, they are members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Formerly, they competed in the Horizon League.

C: The letter C in UIC is not to be used as the first letter of a subsequent word that begins with the letter C, e.g., UICampus. Also, always insert a space between UIC and the subsequent word.

campus regions: Lowercase. When writing about sides of campus, use the words “the” and “of campus” — the south side of campus, the east side of campus, the west side of campus. Avoid using east campus and west campus, which could imply distinctly separate campuses.

College of Medicine: The official name is the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago. The University of Illinois College of Medicine has campuses in Chicago, Peoria and Rockford. Other campus names:

• University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria
• University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

Great Cities Commitment: Spell out the phrase on first reference; Great Cities is an acceptable abbreviation in subsequent references. Do not use acronym GCC. Commitment is the correct term to describe UIC’s pledge to improve the quality of life in Chicago and other cities.

Great Cities Institute: Serves as UIC’s central point for new initiatives in interdisciplinary, applied urban research. It is structured as a research unit within the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs. For more information, visit the Great Cities Institute website at greatcities.uic.edu.

i-card: Use i-card for UIC’s identification card.

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum: Note the spelling of “Addams.” Hyphenate Hull-House.

mail code: Two words. Abbreviate as MC (capital letters, no periods or slash) and leave a space between the acronym and the number. Place the abbreviation and the number after the department name or office number: Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications MC 289 or 2705 University Hall MC 289. Official business cards demonstrate the correct format.

Missouri Valley Conference: This is the NCAA conference of which UIC is a member (as of July 1, 2022).

neighborhoods near UIC: Use these spellings for the most commonly identified neighborhoods surrounding UIC: Little Italy, Greektown, Pilsen, the Loop, Little Village, Chinatown, Near West Side.

phone numbers at UIC: Always include the full prefix when writing a phone number. Also, when writing a phone number in a document for external audiences, preface it with the area code (use hyphens).

residence hall: This is the term used at UIC, rather than dorm or dormitory.

Sparky: This is the official mascot of UIC athletics.

streets around UIC: Roadways around UIC take a variety of suffixes: Roosevelt Road, Ashland Avenue, Halsted Street, Congress Parkway. Use of the abbreviations St., Ave. and Blvd. are acceptable in numbered addresses; all other suffixes should be spelled out in all uses.

System Offices: Term used to describe the offices that report to the President of the University of Illinois System. These offices provide services for the three universities and the System overall. This term should replace the use of “University Administration.” Use University of Illinois System Offices on first reference. Acceptable second references include U of I System Offices, and System Offices.

theatre: University of Illinois Chicago uses the nonstandard spelling for the word theatre. Note that this is a departure from the Associated Press Stylebook.

UI Health: UI Health is the University of Illinois Chicago’s academic health enterprise. UI Health provides comprehensive care, education, and research to the people of Illinois and beyond. It is used for the hospitals, clinics and health science colleges when referring to anything clinical or patient-focused, as well as translational research. All health sciences colleges retain the university name in their formal names: the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry, etc. The UI Health name encompasses:

• The healthcare-delivery enterprise.
• The seven UIC health science colleges.

Use UI Health on first reference, and the University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics on second reference. The University of Illinois Hospital also acceptable if directly referring to the hospital. Whenever possible, UI Health should be defined as the university’s health system or academic health enterprise to clearly identify UI Health as part of UIC: UI Health, which is the academic health system of the University of Illinois Chicago, broke ground on a new clinical building on July 20. Exclusions include:

• Research
• Cancer center
• Faculty (i.e., don’t use the phrase “UI Health faculty – just use UIC faculty).

Note: Do not use outdated names or acronyms (e.g., University of Illinois Medical Center, UIC Hospital, UIH, UIHHSS, UIMC).

University of Illinois Cancer Center: After first reference, use the cancer center. Note: Do not use UI Cancer Center as an abbreviation.

University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics: Can be used internally in references to UIC’s academic health system. Use UI Health on first reference and University of Illinois Hospital and Clinics on second reference. The University of Illinois Hospital is acceptable if directly referring to the hospital.

University of Illinois Hospital: Used to refer specifically to the hospital that is part of UI Health, if necessary for clarity. Do not use University of Illinois Medical Center or UIC Hospital.

UI Health Mile Square Health Center: Used for the network of community clinics that receives funding from the government as a federally qualified health center. Always include UI Health and write out Mile Square Health Center (singular) on the first reference. UI Health Mile Square or Mile Square is OK on second reference. If referring to one Mile Square clinic, be specific: UI Health Mile Square Health Center-Englewood on first reference and Mile Square-Englewood on second reference. Or more generically on second reference: Mile Square’s Englewood clinic or Mile Square clinics in Englewood, Back of the Yards and Cicero.

UIC Flames: Capitalize in all references to the nickname for UIC athletic teams. Use with the university acronym on first reference. It can stand alone on subsequent references: The UIC Flames have won their first 11 games this season. Fans of the Flames are hoping to see their team go to the NCAA tournament.

UIC Student Center East: Formerly the Chicago Circle Center.

UIC Student Center West: Formerly the Chicago Illini Union.

University Library: This is the formal collective name for the UIC libraries listed by their individual names below:

• Richard J. Daley Library
• Library of the Health Sciences – Chicago
• Crawford Library of the Health Sciences – Rockford
• Library of the Health Sciences – Peoria
• Library of the Health Sciences – Urbana

University of Illinois System: This is the name of Illinois’ largest public university system, which comprises three universities in Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and Springfield. Acceptable second references are: U of I System, System or University of Illinois. Find the U of I System online at www.uillinois.edu.

Use University of Illinois judiciously, as the general public typically interprets an unqualified mention to mean only the Urbana-Champaign campus. Do not refer to the Urbana-Champaign campus simply as Illinois. On first reference, use the full name of the university rather than the acronym.

University of Illinois Alumni Association: The membership organization for alumni of all three University of Illinois campuses. Find the association online at www.uiaa.org.

University of Illinois Chicago: Not University of Illinois-Chicago or University of Illinois at Chicago. Use the full name rather than the acronym on first reference. Do not put it in parentheses after first mention of the full name. The acronym will be understood and is acceptable to use in subsequent references.

University of Illinois Board of Trustees: Capitalize all principal words. In subsequent references, use the board (lowercase).

University of Illinois Foundation: Spell out the full name on first reference. It is acceptable to use the foundation (lowercase) in subsequent references. Find the foundation online at www.uif.uillinois.edu. The corresponding department at UIC is the Office of Vice Chancellor for Advancement.

The following entries were selected for inclusion in this guide for one of a few reasons: they concern terminology that is frequently used in university communications; they recommend answers to common style questions that have more than one possible solution; or they concern some of the most frequently encountered errors in writing. Again, the source for most of these entries is the Associated Press Stylebook, and you are encouraged to refer to that text to answer any question not clarified by the content here.

• A-B-C
• D-E-F
• G-H-I-J
• L-M-N-O
• P-Q-R
• U-V-W

abbreviations: Names not commonly known by your audience should not be abbreviated.

acronyms: In general, avoid acronyms for all but broadly understood terms and names, such as UIC. Do not use acronyms in second and subsequent references; either repeat the full name or use a pronoun (e.g., the institute, the program).

Acronyms are acceptable on second reference if each letter in the acronym stands for a word in the name.

academic year, fiscal year: In running text, it is clearest to name both years that comprise the academic or fiscal year: During the 2025-26 academic year, federal funding to UIC grew, or federal funding to UIC grew during academic year 2025-26.

In abbreviations, frequently preferred for charts, tables and lists, it is acceptable to use AY or FY followed by the calendar year during which the academic or fiscal year ends. For example, a fiscal year beginning in July 2025 and ending in June 2026 may be abbreviated FY 2026.

age: Always use numerals: He is 3 years old. Hyphenate the adjective form: She has a 3-year-old son.

alma mater: Spelled as two words, lowercase.

alumni: The terms alumnus (singular) and alumni (plural) are acceptable for male graduates, and alumna (singular) and alumnae (plural) are acceptable for female graduates. Use alum as a gender-neutral term for an individual, and alums or graduates as gender-neutral terms for groups, including mixed-gender groups.

ampersand (&): Use the ampersand when it is part of an institution’s formal name: the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It should not otherwise be used in place of “and.”

a.m., p.m.: Use lowercase with periods rather than am, AM or A.M.

associate (chancellor, professor): At UIC, the title associate chancellor takes the preposition “for” rather than “of,” and is not hyphenated (e.g., associate chancellor for the Office for Access and Equity).

athletics designation: The UIC Flames compete in 18 NCAA Division I sports. As of July 2022, they are members of the Missouri Valley Conference. Formerly, they competed in the Horizon League.

awards: Capitalize the name of all awards, including the word “award” if it is part of the formal name of the award. Lowercase “award” in generic or subsequent references: The Dean’s Scholar Award allows a student to work full time on dissertation research. The award is highly competitive.

C: Do not use the letter C in UIC as the first letter of a subsequent word that begins with the letter C, e.g., UICampus. Also, always insert a space between UIC and the subsequent word.

campuswide, universitywide: Each is one word without a hyphen.

campus regions: Lowercase. When writing about sides of campus, use the words “the” and “of campus” — the south side of campus, the east side of campus, the west side of campus. Avoid using east campus and west campus, which could imply distinctly separate campuses.

capitalization: In general, avoid unnecessary capitals. Use a capital letter for:

• The name of a specific person, place or thing, including widely known, named geographic areas. See also, place names, titles (people) and titles (works).

• For common nouns that are part of the full name for a person, place or thing (e.g., Mississippi River, Republican Party). Lowercase in subsequent references (the river, the party).

• Holidays (e.g., Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day).

• Brand names (see also, company names).

• Widely recognized historical periods and events (e.g., the Dark Ages, the Civil War). But lowercase century (the 18th century) and general descriptions of an era (ancient Greece).

Chicago Public Schools: This is the formal name of the city’s public school district. Capitalize all words when referring to that entity, and do not place the word “the” before it: UIC is partnering with Chicago Public Schools on the project. It is acceptable to use the acronym CPS in subsequent references. Lowercase public schools when speaking generically: Test scores continue to rise in Chicago public schools on the Near West Side.

childcare: One word.

City of Chicago: Capitalize when referring to the government of the city: The City of Chicago announced plans for a Veterans Day commemoration. Lowercase in generic references: UIC is located in the great city of Chicago. When writing about Chicago, do not include Illinois (or any abbreviation of it) after the city name.

class levels: Use first-year student(s) instead of “freshman/freshmen” to be inclusive of women and gender-nonconforming students.

In running text, use either of the following forms to note class year: John Jones, a 1987 graduate; 1987 graduate John Jones.

When UIC graduation status is obvious from the context, use class-year contractions with no comma between name and year: John Jones ’87.

When a person has multiple degrees, list each one, separated with commas, and include the class year after each degree: John Jones ’87, MS ’89, PhD ’92. Note that the first year listed is understood to indicate the year the bachelor’s degree was received.

When writing about two or more alums, place the name of the earlier graduate first: Jane Smith ’85 and John Jones ’87 were recognized at the reception.

When a graduate is listed with his or her spouse, place the graduate’s name second and put the class year after his or her name: Michael and Lisa Garcia ’92.

When two alums are married, place the class year after each person’s name, attaching the last name only to the second person’s first name: Lisa ’92 and Michael Garcia ’93.

In instances of two or more alums from the same family, refer to each with full names and place the dates of graduation after each name: Siblings Kevin Williams ’87, Joseph Williams ’89 and Lisa Williams Jones ’92 were involved in the community food drive.

Make sure the apostrophe faces away from the numbers.

college, university: Capitalize when part of a formal name. Lowercase when standing alone in subsequent references: The College of Pharmacy was founded more than 145 years ago. The college is still one of the nation’s leading educators of pharmacists.

When writing the names of multiple colleges or universities, lowercase the common noun: The Graduate and Honors colleges are located on the east side of campus. See also, capitalization.

Note that in describing the relationship between a faculty member and college, the correct phrasing is “in the college,” not “at the college.” John Smith, professor of physics in the UIC College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is the keynote speaker.

College of Medicine: The official name for the Chicago campus is the University of Illinois College of Medicine Chicago. The University of Illinois College of Medicine has campuses in Chicago, Peoria and Rockford. Other campus names:

University of Illinois College of Medicine Peoria

University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

colon: Use a single space after a colon. When using in running text, capitalize the first word after the colon if it is the beginning of a complete sentence — We must remember one thing: The project will fail unless we secure complete funding in advance.

When using the colon to introduce a list, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun — Our success will depend on our ability to secure fundamental resources: time, funding and space.

commas in a series: Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not place a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The American flag is red, white and blue.

If one of the elements in the series contains its own conjunction (e.g, and, or), place a comma before the final conjunction to avoid confusion: The required courses are Building Design Studio IV, Design and the City, and Cooperative Education.

commencement: Capitalize when referring to the May/December graduation ceremonies; lowercase in other usage.

committee: Capitalize when part of a formal name: Academic Professional Advisory Committee; lowercase in subsequent references to the committee and in all generic references.

company names: Use the full formal name spelled as the company prefers. Do not use symbols such as exclamation points or asterisks that might distract or confuse a reader (e.g., Yahoo not Yahoo!, E-Trade not E*Trade). The plus sign is acceptable if it is pronounced as part of the name (e.g., Disney+)

Do not include Inc., LLC, etc. If the company’s name begins with a lowercase letter (e.g., eBay), retain that spelling, capitalizing the first letter only when the name is the first word in a sentence.

Congress: Capitalize U.S. Congress and Congress when referring to the U.S. legislature or to another country’s government that uses the term.

council: Capitalize when part of a formal name: Council for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Lowercase in subsequent references and in all generic references.

course names: Capitalize all principal words. Do not italicize or put inside quotation marks: Students who enjoyed American Civilization to the Late Nineteenth Century might also be interested in Topics in Urban History. See also, department names.

dash: The most common dash, called the em dash, has three uses in sentences:

To denote an abrupt break in thought: In the country’s first election, some people stood in line for hours — the waiting was no small feat for many who were elderly or ill — just to exercise their right to vote.

To set off a series: He listed the qualities — humor, compassion, consistency — that he believes make a good professor a great one.

To expand upon a phrase to add emphasis or explanation: To feed, clothe and shelter the poor — these are admirable achievements.

When using em dashes, use spaces on either end of the dash.

dates: Always use numerals, without -st, -nd, -rd, or -th: May 10.

If writing the month, date and year in running text, set off the year with commas: May 10, 2025, was their graduation date.

If writing the month and date, abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out March, April, May, June and July: The exhibit runs from Jan. 10 through April 27.

If writing the name of a month without date or year, spell it out: The exhibit opens in January.

For dates combined with times, list the day of the week first, followed by the date then time, with each separated by a comma: Tuesday, Jan. 20, 4 p.m.

The current year is generally assumed. Unless clarity is at risk, omit the year when the date is in the current year.

dean’s list: Lowercase.

degrees: Lowercase and use an apostrophe in bachelor’s degree and master’s degree. Note that associate degree does not take the possessive form. In the long-form construction, capitalize principal words and do not use an apostrophe: Bachelor of Science or Master of Arts.

Abbreviate without periods when listing several degrees or combining with class year: BS, MA, PhD, MD, MBA, DDS, MPH, BSW, PharmD, PsyD, EdD.

When the degree abbreviation is extremely rare or is likely to be unfamiliar to readers, spell out the degree.

When an abbreviation is used after a name, set off with commas: Jane Smith, MD, attended the event. See also, doctor and titles (people).

department names: Capitalize a department name when it stands alone or is written as a formal name, which should be preceded by UIC (note: not UIC’s): The UIC Department of History received seven grants last year. Subsequent references should be written more simply as the department, the history department or the department of history (lowercase).

Do not capitalize names of departments in other uses, except words that are proper nouns: Robin Brown has taught in the department of history and the department of English.

Note that in describing the relationship between a department and its college, the correct phrasing is that the department is in the college, not of the college: The department of occupational therapy in the College of Applied Health Sciences is top-ranked in its field.

distance/physical length: Always use numerals.

doctor: Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine or doctor of veterinary medicine degree.

For people who hold PhDs, the optimal construction is: Jane Smith, who has a doctorate in sociology (may substitute PhD for doctorate), or Jane Smith, PhD.

e.g., i.e.: Use periods after each letter, and set off using appropriate punctuation that indicates the phrase is parenthetical to the rest of the sentence: The judges will accept submissions in any media (e.g., print, electronic, videotape).

E.g. is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase exempli gratia (for example). It is used before providing an example that illustrates a statement made in the preceding phrase: Root vegetables (e.g., potatoes, carrots, parsnips) are generally rich in vitamins. To remember the proper use of e.g., think of it as standing for “for example.”

I.e. is the abbreviation of the Latin phrase id est (that is). It is used to reword a statement made in the preceding phrase: Root vegetables, i.e., vegetables that grow underground, are generally low-fat and vitamin-rich. To remember the proper use of i.e., think of it as standing for “in other words.”

ellipsis: Use an ellipsis to indicate the removal of one or more words when you condense quotes or text. If the passage before the ellipsis is a complete sentence, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis, then add a space between the period and the ellipses.

email: Not e-mail; capitalize the first letter only if it is the first word in a sentence.

emeritus: Capitalize and place after the formal title: Dean Emeritus Jane Smith. Lowercase when it follows the name: The speaker was introduced by Jane Smith, dean emeritus of the college.

exclamation point: It is rarely necessary to use an exclamation point, especially in professional and academic communication. Use sparingly, if at all.

fact sheet: Spell as two words, not hyphenated.

faculty: The word functions as a plural noun when used alone and should take a plural verb form: At UIC, faculty take time to talk with students.

However, the word functions as a singular noun when used with “the” and should take a singular verb form: At UIC, the faculty takes time to talk with students.

FAQ: This abbreviation of frequently asked questions is acceptable on first reference.

fellow: Capitalize only in named fellow posts or fellowships: Humphrey Fellow, Abraham Lincoln Graduate Fellowship. Lowercase in general references: Michael Reyes has been elected a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

foundation names: Use the full formal name spelled and punctuated as the foundation prefers. If the name begins with a lowercase letter, retain that spelling, capitalizing the first letter only when the name is the first word in a sentence.

Fulbright Scholar: Always capitalize.

full-time, full time: Hyphenate only when used as a modifier: Full-time students are eligible for the award. Interested students who are enrolled full time should apply by Oct. 31.

fundraise, fundraising, fundraiser: Each is one word in all cases.

General Assembly: Capitalize when referring to the Illinois legislature or to any identified state’s legislature that uses the same title. Note that not all state legislatures use the title General Assembly.

governor: Even on first reference, use Gov. as a formal title before a name in running text: Gov. JB Pritzker says he will support the measure. Spell out “Governor” and capitalize before a name in a direct quotation.

GPA: All capitals, no periods. This is an acceptable abbreviation of grade point average.

grades: Capitalize but do not italicize letter grades. Use apostrophes for plurals: Frank received five A’s and two B’s.

healthcare: One word.

homecoming: Capitalize when referencing the annual event of a college or university; lowercase in generic usage.

homepage: One word, lowercase. Note that homepage is not synonymous with website. Only the main page of a site is called the homepage.

hyphen: The hyphen has three common uses in sentences:

To join words that, if not joined, might lead to ambiguity: The course is designed for small-business owners. (The businesses, not the owners, are small.)

To join two or more words that function together to form an adjective that describes another word: The administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy for steroid use. (Zero-tolerance is an adjective in this case, describing policy.)

To show a range: 15-20 years of experience, Monday-Friday. Note there are no spaces on either side of the hyphen. Other constructions are acceptable to show a range: 15 to 20 years, Monday through Friday.

Do not use hyphens when the words are not used as an adjective to describe another word: The administration has zero tolerance for steroid use. (Zero alone describes tolerance.)

Do not use a hyphen to join the word very or any adverbs that end in -ly to other words in the modifying phrase: It was an extremely hot surface. It is an easily remembered rule.

i-card: Use i-card for UIC’s identification card; capitalize the first letter only if it is the first word in the sentence.

interim positions: Lowercase interim in running text, even preceding formal titles: The moderator will be interim Director of Graduate Studies Jane Smith. Capitalize when the person’s complete name and title are standing alone: Jane Smith, Interim Director of Graduate Studies.

institution names: Use the full formal name spelled and punctuated as the institution prefers. If the name begins with a lowercase letter, retain that spelling, capitalizing the first letter only when the name is the first word in a sentence.

internet: Lowercase.

Jane Addams Hull-House Museum: Note the spelling of “Addams.” Hyphenate Hull-House.

Jr., Sr.: Abbreviate as shown and use only with full names. Do not set off with a comma: John F. Kennedy Jr. Also, the notation of II, III, IV, etc., may be used if the subject prefers.

legislative titles: Even on first reference, use Rep., Reps., Sen. and Sens. as formal titles before one or more names in running text. Spell out and capitalize these titles if used in a direct quotation (e.g., “Representative Casten is one of only nine engineers in Congress,” said the College of Engineering dean). Spell out and lowercase representative and senator in general uses: The senator has appeared on dozens of national news programs.

listserv: Lowercase and do not add an “e” to the end of the word.

mail code: Refers to the three-digit internal code for campus offices and departments. Place the abbreviation and the number after the department name or office number: Office of Strategic Marketing and Communications MC 288.

Missouri Valley Conference: This is the NCAA conference of which UIC is a member, as of July 1, 2022.

months: When a month is used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. Spell out March, April, May, June and July. Spell out all months when used alone or with a year alone (e.g., December 2025).

Mr., Mrs., Ms.: The use of these courtesy titles is rarely needed. If necessary, use on first reference only, referring to the individual by last name only in subsequent references. In formal documents, such as invitations and event programs, it is acceptable to use the courtesy title with each reference to the individual.

neighborhoods near UIC: Use these spellings for the most commonly identified neighborhoods surrounding UIC: Little Italy, Greektown, Pilsen, the Loop, Little Village, Chinatown, Near West Side.

numbers: In general, spell out one through nine: He had nine months to go. Use figures for 10 or above. See also, age, dates, distance/physical length.

off-campus, off campus (on-campus, on campus): Hyphenate only when used as a modifier: Off-campus housing is affordable, but I’d prefer to live on campus.

online: One word, no hyphen.

ordinal numbers: These are numbers to indicate order; in general, spell out first through ninth. An exception is areas with governmental or administrative boundaries: 3rd Precinct, 4th Congressional District.

part-time, part time: Hyphenate only when used as a modifier: It is estimated that 400 part-time faculty teach in U.S. departments of medicine. Working part time has both challenges and advantages.

percentage: Use the percent symbol: 5% or 10%, not five percent or 10 percent. Use the percent symbol for all percentages, even in a range: 3%-4%, not 3-4%.

PhD, PhDs: Note capitalization and lack of punctuation.

phone numbers at UIC: Always include the full prefix when writing a phone number, and use hyphens. Do not use parentheses.

place names: Capitalize directional words — and related common nouns, if applicable — when they refer to a widely known, named region: the Midwest, the South, the East Coast, Southeast Asia, Northern Ireland, the Western Hemisphere. Otherwise, lowercase directional words: northwest Mississippi.

possessives: Follow these guidelines to form possessives:

Singular nouns

• To singular common nouns not ending in s, add ’s: the professor’s study guide.
• To singular common nouns ending in s, add ’s: class’s professor, the virus’s reach.
• To singular proper nouns not ending in s, add ’s: UIC’s neighborhood.
• To singular proper nouns ending in s, add only the apostrophe: Achilles’ heel.

Plural nouns

• To plural common nouns ending in s, add only the apostrophe: states’ rights.
• To plural common nouns not ending in s, add ’s: women’s rights.
• To nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning, add only the apostrophe: mathematics’ rules, United States’ policy.
• To two or more nouns, add ’s only to the last noun if ownership is joint: Mom and Dad’s house.

Add ’s to each noun if ownership is separate: Mom’s and Dad’s jobs.

principal, principle: Principal refers to a person who has controlling authority or is in a leading position: principal investigator. Principle refers to a fundamental rule, law, doctrine or assumption.

professor: See also, titles (people).

Q&A: This abbreviation of question and answer is acceptable on first reference.

quotation marks: Only use single quotation marks (‘ ’) to denote quotes within quotes.

Use double quotation marks (“ ”) for every quote. Double quotation marks can also denote using a word in an ironical sense or when introducing an unfamiliar term. In the latter case, do not continue using quotation marks on subsequent references to that unfamiliar term.

To use quotation marks with other punctuation, follow these rules:

• The period and the comma always go inside the quotation marks: “This recognition is the greatest honor of my life,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
• The dash, semicolon, question mark and exclamation point belong inside the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They belong outside the quotation marks when they apply to the whole sentence: She asked, “What are you reading?” Can you believe he responded by saying “none of your business”?

residence hall: This is the term used at UIC, rather than dorm or dormitory.

Sparky: The official mascot of UIC Athletics.

System Offices: Used to describe the offices that report to the president of the University of Illinois System. These offices provide services for the three universities and the System overall. Acceptable second references include U of I System Offices and System Offices.

rank: Use construction No. followed by rank: UIC was her No. 1 choice; UIC was ranked No. 2.

scholars, scholarships: Capitalize only in named scholar posts or scholarships: Fulbright Scholar, University Scholar, Kerr Scholarship, etc.

semester: Lowercase references to academic periods in running text: the fall 2025 semester.

semicolon: There are two main uses for a semicolon:

• To clarify a list, when one or more of the terms listed has a comma: The panel included Dr. Tom Smith, head of oncology; Jamie Jones, director of the institute; and Kelly Brown, director of research.
• To separate two separate clauses, especially if each is a complete sentence: Monarchs have cultural significance, especially for Mexican Americans; their impressively long journey is a touchstone in histories of migration.

spacing between sentences: Use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence.

staff: The word functions as a plural noun when used alone and should take a plural verb form: Staff are invited to attend. However, the word functions as a singular noun when used with “the” and should take a singular verb form: The staff is invited to attend.

student-athlete: Hyphenate this term.

textbook: Spell as one word.

theatre: University of Illinois Chicago uses the nonstandard spelling for the word theatre. Note that this is a departure from the Associated Press Stylebook.

time: Use numerals except for noon and midnight; do not write 12 noon or 12 midnight. Use a colon to separate hours from minutes, but do not use :00 to express even hours: 4 p.m., not 4:00 p.m. To express a time range in running text, use from and to: The luncheon presentation will run from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. A hyphen is acceptable when the time range stands alone: Noon-3 p.m.

For measurements of time, spell out one through nine: the six-year program, a three-month class, but 15 minutes.

titles (people): Capitalize a formal title before a name: Chancellor Marie Lynn Miranda wrote the opening letter for the report. Otherwise, lowercase: The chancellor’s letter was the opening piece in the report.

Capitalize when the person’s complete name and title stand alone: Mary Smith, Dean.

Lowercase and set off with commas when the title follows the person’s name in running text: Mary Smith, dean, will deliver the keynote.

If a title is occupational, do not capitalize: faculty member Kevin Johnson, astronaut Neil Armstrong.

titles (works): Apply these guidelines to the titles of books, movies, plays, poems, albums, songs, operas, radio and TV programs, lectures, speeches and works of art.

Put quotation marks around the names of all such works except the Bible, the Quran and other holy books, and books that are primarily catalogs of reference material.

Capitalize all words in a title except articles (a, an, the); prepositions of three or fewer letters (for, of, on, up, etc.); and conjunctions of three or fewer letters (and, but, for, nor, or, so, yet, etc.) unless any of those start or end the title.

Capitalize both parts of a phrasal verb: “What To Look For in a Mate”; “Turn Off the Lights in Silence.” Capitalize “to” in infinitives: “What I Want To Be When I Grow Up.”

UI Health: The University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System (UI Health) is the University of Illinois Chicago’s academic health enterprise. UI Health is comprised of a tertiary-care hospital, more than 30 outpatient clinics and a network of Federally Qualified Health Center locations. With campuses in Chicago, Peoria, Quad Cities, Rockford, Springfield and Urbana, the health system incorporates the academic and research activities of UIC’s seven health sciences colleges: Applied Health Sciences, Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, the School of Public Health and the Jane Addams College of Social Work.

UI Health has two uses:

It refers to the entire University of Illinois Hospital and Health Sciences System.

It is used as the public, in-market clinical brand for patient identification and acquisition.

The University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics refers to the hospital and more than 30 outpatient clinics.

When possible, define UI Health as the university’s health system or academic health enterprise to clearly identify UI Health as part of UIC (e.g., UI Health, which is the academic health system of the University of Illinois Chicago, broke ground on a new clinical building July 20.).

All health sciences colleges keep the university name in their formal names: the University of Illinois Chicago College of Dentistry (not UI Health College of Dentistry).

UI Health Mile Square Health Center: The network of community clinics that receives federal funding as a federally qualified health center. UI Health Mile Square or Mile Square is acceptable on second reference.

If referring to one Mile Square clinic, be specific: UI Health Mile Square Health Center-Englewood on first reference and Mile Square-Englewood on second reference. Or more generically on second reference: Mile Square’s Englewood clinic or Mile Square clinics in Englewood, Back of the Yards and Cicero.

UIC Flames: Capitalize in all references to the nickname for UIC athletic teams. Use with the university acronym on first reference. It can stand alone on subsequent references: The UIC Flames have won their first 11 games this season. Fans of the Flames are hoping to see their team go to the NCAA tournament.

UIC today: The name of UIC’s news website and weekly newsletter. Note the lowercase “t.”

United States: Use the abbreviation U.S. when expressing an adjective: The U.S. government produces dozens of resources on the topic. U.S. is acceptable on all references when using as a noun.

universities other than UIC: When writing about any multicampus system (e.g. the University of Wisconsin or the University of California), always specify the campus and use that system’s punctuation: University of Wisconsin-Madison and University of California, San Diego. Refer to the university’s website to determine punctuation. Do not capitalize the word “the” before the university name unless it is a part of the official name: The Ohio State University.

university, college: Capitalize when part of a formal name. Lowercase when standing alone in subsequent references: The University of Illinois Chicago is one of the largest employers in the city. More than 12,000 people work at the university. When writing the names of multiple universities or colleges, lowercase the common noun: DePaul and Loyola universities are cosponsors of the UIC-hosted event. See also, capitalization.

University Library: This is the formal collective name for the UIC libraries listed by their individual names below:

• Richard J. Daley Library (Daley Library is acceptable on second reference)
• Library of the Health Sciences-Chicago
• Crawford Library of the Health Sciences-Rockford
• Library of the Health Sciences-Peoria
• UIC Law Library

University of Illinois Alumni Association: The membership organization for alums of all three University of Illinois campuses. Find the association online at www.uiaa.org.

University of Illinois Board of Trustees: Capitalize all principal words. In subsequent references, use the board (lowercase).

University of Illinois Cancer Center: After first reference, use the cancer center. Do not use UI Cancer Center as an abbreviation.

University of Illinois Chicago: Do not use University of Illinois-Chicago or University of Illinois at Chicago. On first reference for external audiences, it is preferred to spell out the name of the university; University of Illinois Chicago. UIC is acceptable on first reference for internal audiences. Do not put UIC in parentheses after first mention of the full name. The acronym will be understood and is acceptable to use in subsequent references.

University of Illinois Chicago School of Law: Can also use UIC Law or School of Law (do not use references to the former name of UIC John Marshall Law School).

University of Illinois Foundation: Spell out the full name on first reference. It is acceptable to use the foundation (lowercase) in subsequent references.

University of Illinois Hospital & Clinics: This term refers to the University of Illinois Hospital and more than 30 outpatient clinics.

University of Illinois System: This is the name of Illinois’ largest public university system, which comprises three universities: Chicago, Urbana-Champaign and Springfield. Acceptable second references are: U of I System, System or University of Illinois.

Use University of Illinois judiciously, as the general public typically interprets an unqualified mention to mean only the Urbana-Champaign campus. Do not refer to the Urbana-Champaign campus simply as Illinois.

On first reference for external audiences, it is preferred to spell out the name of the university: University of Illinois Chicago. UIC is acceptable on first reference for internal audiences.

vice (chancellor, provost, president): Do not hyphenate with any other word in a person’s title. See also, titles (people).

voicemail: One word.

web: Generally, web is joined with the word that follows: website, webcam, webcast, webfeed, webmaster, webpage. But web address, web browser.

work-study: This is a hyphenated adjective, usually describing a program. Lowercase general references to a work-study program, but capitalize official references to Federal Work-Study (the program for undergraduates) and Federal Graduate Work-Study (the program for graduate students).

The rules governing punctuation are extensive and complex. In this document, only the most common errors are highlighted and explained.

For comprehensive details on the use of virtually all punctuation marks, consult the “Punctuation Guide” in the Associated Press Stylebook.

colon: Use a single space after a colon. When using in running text, capitalize the first word after the colon if it is the beginning of a complete sentence. For example, “We must remember one thing: The project will fail unless we secure complete funding in advance.” When using the colon to introduce a list, do not capitalize the first word after the colon unless it is a proper noun. For example, “Our success will depend on our ability to secure fundamental resources: time, funding and space.”

commas in a series: Use commas to separate elements in a series, but do not place a comma before the conjunction in a simple series: The American flag is red, white and blue. If one of the elements in the series contains its own conjunction, then do place a comma before the final conjunction: The required courses are Building Design Studio IV, Design and the City, and Cooperative Education.

dash: The most common dash, accurately called the em dash, has three widespread uses within sentences:

• To denote an abrupt break in thought: In the country’s first election, some people stood in line for hours — and the waiting was no small feat for many who were elderly or ill — just to exercise their hard fought right to vote.
• To set off a series: He listed the qualities — humor, compassion, consistency — that he believes make a good professor great.
• To expand upon a phrase in order to add emphasis or explanation: To feed, clothe and shelter the poor — these are admirable achievements.
• When using em dashes, leave spaces on either end. Avoid using em dashes in documents that will be transmitted electronically or converted to electronic format. The reason is that dashes might be converted into plain characters, usually hyphens. This will make it difficult for the reader to interpret your message.

ellipsis: Use an ellipsis to indicate the removal of one or more words in condensing quotes and text. For example, take this passage: Anne Winters, professor of English, has been named winner of the 2005 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for her work, “The Displaced of Capital.” The award will be presented Nov. 3 at the Academy of American Poets’ annual awards ceremony.

• To remove text within one sentence, insert the ellipsis with no other punctuation: Anne Winters … has been named winner of the 2005 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize for her work, “The Displaced of Capital.” The award will be presented Nov. 3 at the Academy of American Poets’ annual awards ceremony.
• If the passage before the ellipsis constitutes a grammatically complete sentence, either in the original or in the condensed version, place a period at the end of the last word before the ellipsis: Anne Winters, professor of English, has been named winner of the 2005 Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize. … The award will be presented Nov. 3 at the Academy of American Poets’ annual awards ceremony.

exclamation point: It is rarely necessary to use an exclamation point, especially in professional and academic communication. It is never acceptable to use two or more exclamation points consecutively.

hyphen: The hyphen has three common uses within sentences:

• To join words that, if not joined, might lead to ambiguity: The course is designed for small-business owners. (The businesses, not the owners, are small.)
• To join two or more words that function together to form an adjective phrase that describes another word: The administration maintains a zero-tolerance policy for steroid use. (Zero-tolerance describes policy.)
  • Do not use hyphens when the words are not used as an adjective phrase to describe another word: The administration has zero tolerance for steroid use. (Zero alone describes tolerance.)
  • Do not use a hyphen to join the word very or any adverbs that end in -ly to other words in the modifying phrase: It was an extremely hot surface. It is an easily remembered rule.
• To show a range: 15-20 years of experience, Monday-Friday. Note there are no spaces on either side of the hyphen. Other constructions are acceptable to show a range: 15 to 20 years, Monday through Friday.

percentage: use the percent symbol: 5% or 10%, not five percent or 10 percent. Use the percent symbol for all percentages, even in a range: 3%-4%, not 3-4%

possessives: Follow these guidelines to form possessives:

Singular nouns

• To singular common nouns not ending in s, add ’s: professor’s study guide.
• To singular common nouns ending in s, add ’s: class’s professor, the virus’s reach.
• To singular proper nouns not ending in s, add ’s: UIC’s neighborhood.
• To singular proper nouns ending in s, add only the apostrophe: Achilles’ heel.

Plural nouns

• To plural common nouns ending in s, add only the apostrophe: states’ rights.
• To plural common nouns not ending in s, add ’s: women’s rights.

To nouns that are plural in form but singular in meaning, add only the apostrophe: mathematics’ rules, United States’ policy. To two or more nouns

• Add ’s only to the last noun if ownership is joint: Mom and Dad’s house.
• Add ’s to each noun if ownership is separate: Mom’s and Dad’s jobs.

quotation marks: Only use single quotation marks (‘ ’) to denote quotes within quotes. Use double quotation marks (“ ”) for every quote. Double quotation marks can also be used when using a word in an ironical sense or when introducing an unfamiliar term. In the latter case, do not continue using quotation marks on subsequent references to that unfamiliar term. To use quotation marks with other punctuation, follow these rules:

• The period and the comma always go inside the quotation marks: “This recognition is the greatest honor of my life,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than this.”
• The dash, semicolon, question mark and exclamation point belong inside the quotation marks when they apply to the quoted matter only. They belong outside the quotation marks when they apply to the whole sentence: She asked, “What are you reading?” Can you believe he responded by saying “none of your business”?

spacing between sentences: Use a single space after a period at the end of a sentence.