Identity Guidelines

Editorial Style Guide

T

telephone numbers
Include the area code in parenthesis. Do not include 1 before the number.

(210) 458-4525
(800) 458-4600

tense
In general, use tense consistently throughout a story. However, tenses may be intermingled as appropriate to context—i.e., to distinguish terminated from continuing action:

“I disagree,” she said. But she continues to encourage students to present new ideas.

“I disagree,” she said at the meeting yesterday, but then continued to encourage students to present new ideas.

The verb form say(s) suggests past as well as continuing action; verbs such as think, regard, deny and hope written in present tense can coexist comfortably with other verbs in other tenses:

She says baseball is boring.
She said she thinks baseball is boring.

that and which
Use that (without a comma) to introduce essential or restrictive clauses (important to the meaning of a sentence.)

The research paper that Professor Higgens assigned is due by noon on Friday in his office.

Use which (with commas) to introduce nonessential or nonrestrictive clauses:

Professor Higgens’ assignment, which is very complicated, is due by noon on Friday in his office.

Rule of thumb: If you can drop the clause and not lose the meaning of the sentence, use which; otherwise use that.

the
Capitalize the only if it is part of a composition title (see titles of works) or name; always lowercase when used with organizations in running text:

We subscribe to The New Yorker and to the San Antonio Express-News.

The measure was approved by the University of Texas System Board of Regents.

Note: An exception to the rule is The University of Texas at San Antonio. In all cases, The is capitalized.

theater
Do not use theatre unless part of a proper name.

times|
Use numerals in all cases; omit the zeros for on-the-hour times except in formal usage such as programs for ceremonies:

9 a.m., 11:15 p.m.

12 p.m. is expressed as noon, not 12 noon; 12 a.m. is expressed as midnight, not 12 midnight.

Avoid redundancies such as a 12 noon luncheon or 10 p.m. Monday night.

Use periods for a.m. and p.m.; also, use an en dash when a range of time is expressed:

3–4:30 p.m. or 3 to 4:30 p.m.

The word to must be used if preceded by from:

from 9 a.m. to noon
NOT from 9 a.m.–noon

When referring to an event, the correct form is time, date and place:

The orchestra will perform at 9 a.m, April 4 under the Sombrilla.

titles of people
In general, capitalize formal titles immediately preceding a name and lowercase titles following a name. Lowercase descriptive or occupational titles such as history professor, department chair, math teacher, basketball coach.

Professor Joel Saegert
BUT marketing professor Joel Saegert
Bonnie Lyons, professor of English

This rule applies not only to academic titles but also to administrative titles:

UTSA President Ricardo Romo will give the welcome address at the university’s Fall Convocation. Romo, who has been president of UTSA since 1999, will accept the award.

Mark G. Yudof is the ninth chancellor of the UT System. Chancellor Yudof took office in August 2002.

Director of Athletics Lynn Hickey will speak to the fans. Hickey serves as UTSA’s athletics director.

An EXCEPTION to this rule is the named title:

Mohammad “Mo” Jamshidi is the Lutcher Brown Professor of Biology.

The formal title Dr. (plural Drs.) may be used before the names of individuals who hold doctorates as well as those who hold medical degrees. However, because other courtesy titles (Mr., Mrs., Miss) are rarely used in university publications, it is better to use academic and administrative titles.

Assistant Professor John Alexander
NOT Dr. John Alexander

titles of works
Capitalize the principal words in a title. Articles (the, a, an), coordinating conjunctions and prepositions are lowercased, unless they are the first or last word in the title.

For news releases, follow Associated Press Style for composition titles: Place quotation marks around all composition titles such as books, computer games (but not software), movies, operas, plays, poems, songs, television programs, and the titles of lectures, speeches and works of art.

For all other publications, The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Edition, is the first reference. For brochures, newsletters and other publications, place the following titles of works in italics: books, movies, operas (and other long musical compositions), plays, journals, television programs and works of art:

The San Antonio Symphony will present the world premiere of Something Miraculous Burns, a composition by David Heuser.

J. Mitchell Miller is editor of the Journal of Criminal Justice Education, the first journal to be housed in the College of Public Policy.

La Tragedia de Macario, directed by UTSA student Pablo Veliz, was accepted into the Sundance Film Festival.

BUT, place the following in quotation marks regardless of publication: titles of articles, chapters, short stories, essays, songs, theses, dissertations, lectures, papers presented at meetings and individual poems.

The Department of Electrical Engineering hosts a lecture, “The Investigation of the Columbia Accident at Southwest Research Institute,” at 7 p.m., Tuesday, in the Science Building.

The story of how San Antonians supported a Mexican revolutionary leader will be part of the lecture “Francisco I. Madero and the Mexican Revolution.”

Tomás Rivera Center for Student Success
Use TRC on second reference.

toward
Not towards