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UTSA’s editorial style guide promotes consistency and readability in the many magazines, reports, newsletters, brochures, webpages and other publications produced by the university.

Included in this guide is information about names and places specific to writing about UTSA and to San Antonio, along with general information gathered from multiple reference works, including The Associated Press Stylebook, The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, which is UTSA’s official dictionary for guidance.

Common mistakes and frequently asked questions are addressed in the guide. However, if you have a question that is not answered here, you may contact Margaret Lamar for help.

QUICK TIPS

Prior to sharing copy publicly, please edit these common mistakes:

• Capitalize “The” in front of “University of Texas at San Antonio” on first reference.
• Ensure the apostrophe in front of ’Runners is going the right way (e.g.: ’Runners not ‘Runners).
• List the graduation year(s) and degree(s) in chronological order after an alumnus’ name in publications where appropriate. For undergraduate degrees, do not designate the degree plan. (e.g.: Joe Smith ’85, Joe Smith M.B.A.’85 or Joe Smith ’85, M.B.A. ’88)
• Include special marks above or beneath certain letters that provide help in pronunciation or meaning in languages other than English.
• Avoid using courtesy titles such as Dr., which according to the AP is only used for people who have earned a M.D.
• Clarify references to Hispanic Serving (a mission taking place now) and Hispanic thriving (an aspirational vision).
• Remove extra words from sentences such as “in order to” or “the mission of xyz is”.
• Consider the use of vertical, bulleted lists for readability.
• Spell out the numbers one through nine; use numerals for 10 and above.
• Use person-first language when referring to people with disabilities. (e.g.: person with a disability, person who is disabled, person who is unable to speak)
• Use the proper AP abbreviations for states.
• Hyphenate telephone numbers in copy.