Writing Style Guide

Overview

Our Writing Style Guide will help you write with our unique brand voice and tone. It provides examples of proper use of the Universities of Wisconsin. Our Writing Style Guide also provides tips for effective plain language writing.

Universities of Wisconsin

Use as the first reference of the collective of the 13 UW universities, what previously was called the University of Wisconsin System.

Example: The Universities of Wisconsin offer countless opportunities.

Use in the formal titles of programs and initiatives.

Example: Universities of Wisconsin PK-20 Initiative

UW universities, UWs, UWs’

Preferred second reference/abbreviation examples:

• The Universities of Wisconsin initiative relies on many partners. Those partners include the UW universities that prepare teachers, administrators, and student services personnel.
• The Universities of Wisconsin are promoting a new enrollment initiative. The UWs will begin their marketing and outreach this summer.
• The Universities of Wisconsin have placed a special emphasis on student behavioral health. The UWs’ counseling and student health services and centers are at the forefront of prevention, early intervention, and treatment and care.

UW system (lower case ‘s’)

It is acceptable to use “system” in lower case to describe the collective of the UW universities. Do not use “system” in our Universities of Wisconsin title.

Example: These Universities of Wisconsin initiatives inform strategic policies and programs throughout the UW system.

Universities

Use universities or UW universities to describe our universities. Do not use institutions or UW institutions to refer to them.

If a broader term than university is needed, the word organization is preferred (rather than institution).

Campus

Use “campus” when referring to an activity or a university’s location

• Campus life
• On-campus meeting
• UW-Green Bay has four campuses
• 13 public universities with campuses across the state

Subject-verb agreement examples

• The Universities of Wisconsin are…
• The UWs are…

Possessive examples

• The UWs’ focus on…
• The focus of the Universities of Wisconsin…
• The Universities of Wisconsin’s focus…
• Six of the UW universities’ focus is on…

Universities of Wisconsin Administration (UWSA)

When referring to the administrative offices previously known as University of Wisconsin System Administration, use Universities of Wisconsin Administration.

With use of “the UWs” as an abbreviation for the Universities of Wisconsin, the acronym for the administration will remain UWSA. This is largely a matter of convenience.

Example: UWSA employee Intranet.

Use Universities of Wisconsin associated with divisions and offices.

Example: Universities of Wisconsin Office of the President

Legal Name: University of Wisconsin System

Our legal name remains “University of Wisconsin System.”

Avoid using “University of Wisconsin System” or “UW System” except where legally required by statute, rule, or policy.

Circumstances in which the University of Wisconsin System should continue to be used include local, state, and federal court and administrative hearing filings and communications, all real estate documents, all contracts (including federal and state grants), Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs), legal signature or other relevant delegations of authority, and formal correspondence with state and federal regulatory bodies.

Official documents such as diplomas will continue to use the official University of Wisconsin System name.

Legal Name: Board of Regents

The legal name of the Board of Regents is the “University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents.”

Meeting agendas will acknowledge both names. Agendas will be topped with the Universities of Wisconsin logo, followed by the header, “University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents Agenda.”

Examples:

• University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents
• Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System
• Karen Walsh, President of the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents

President

First reference:

• Jay Rothman, President of the Universities of Wisconsin
• Jay Rothman, President, Universities of Wisconsin
• Jay Rothman, Universities of Wisconsin President
• Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman

Exception: Jay Rothman, President of the University of Wisconsin System, will be used where legally required by statute, rule, or policy.

University Names

• UW-Eau Claire
• UW-Green Bay
• UW-La Crosse
• UW-Madison
• UW-Milwaukee
• UW-Oshkosh
• UW-Parkside
• UW-Platteville
• UW-River Falls
• UW-Stevens Point
• UW-Stout
• UW-Superior
• UW-Whitewater

Full University Names

Use en-dash (–) instead a hyphen (-) or em-dash (—)

• Correct: University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
• Incorrect: University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• Incorrect: University of Wisconsin—Eau Claire

UWSA Divisions and Offices

For proper reference to UWSA divisions and offices, refer to our Offices Directory.

Branch Campus Names

• UW-Eau Claire – Barron County
• UW-Green Bay, Manitowoc Campus
• UW-Green Bay, Marinette Campus
• UW-Green Bay, Sheboygan Campus
• UW-Milwaukee at Washington County
• UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha
• UW-Oshkosh, Fond du Lac Campus
• UW-Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus
• UW-Platteville Baraboo Sauk County
• UW-Platteville Richland
• UW-Stevens Point at Marshfield
• UW-Stevens Point at Wausau (formerly UW-Marathon County)
• UW-Whitewater at Rock County

Writing in plain language means writing to be easily understood, using familiar words, and presenting information in a logical order. Writing concise sentences in a direct tone helps our audience to easily read, understand, and act. Using correct references for our organization is also important.

Voice and Tone

• Write in a direct, conversational style.
• Use crisp, active sentences to give more life to the written word; avoid using passive voice.
• Avoid using acronyms.
• Tailor your words to the intended audience.
• Use short, simple words rather than complex, technical ones.

Don’t Use This	Use This
Deserve	Justify, Earn
Institution	University
Modality	Style, manner
Operationalize	Implement
Pedagogy	Practice of teaching (OK to use pedagogy if writing to peers)
Pillars of higher education	Higher education foundation
Rationale	Reasons
Return on Investment (ROI)	Benefit
Transform	Change
Utilize	Use

Plain Language Tips

Use words your audience understands – avoid jargon

Use: The project will consolidate multiple information technology environments into the same infrastructure.

Avoid: The project will amalgamate diversiform information technology environments into the same underpinning of our IT foundation.

Organize the information

Use: Review your benefits. Decide what changes you need to make. Enroll on the website.

Avoid: When you are ready to enroll on the website, make sure you have already decided what changes you need after you have reviewed your benefits.

Be concise and avoid redundancy

Use: Our office collaborates with our partners across the state to advance innovation and the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.

Avoid: Our office, in service to the Universities of Wisconsin, the State of Wisconsin, and the public good, collaborates with our partners across the state to advance innovation and the 2023-2028 Strategic Plan.

Write in an active tone

Use: The office supports compliance efforts at the Universities of Wisconsin.

Avoid: The compliance efforts are supported by our office.

Properly use acronyms

• Avoid using acronyms. If possible, use a simplified name for subsequent references. You may need to use acronyms when referring to multiple entities.

Examples:

Entity	Instead of	Consider
Business & Finance Committee	B&F	the committee
Enterprise Data Governance Council	EDGC	the council
American Association of State Colleges and Universities	AASCU	the association

• Limit using acronyms for commonly known entities. Spell out the acronym on first use.

Example: The Joint Finance Committee (JFC) is charged with the review of all state appropriations and revenues. The JFC will hold its first budget hearings in February.

NOTE: Watch for our UW Acronym List for more examples.

We generally follow the Associated Press (AP) Style for all written materials, with the following notable exception:

• Oxford Comma– We use the Oxford comma. (AP Style does not).

Capitalization

Capitalize Universities of Wisconsin (but, in most cases, do not capitalize “system” alone, “systemwide,” “university,” or “university system”).

Capitalize Board of Regents (but, in most cases, do not capitalize “the board” or “the regents”).

Capitalize schools within universities when using their proper names:

• the School of Journalism & Mass Communication
• the School of Nursing
• the School of Engineering

But do not capitalize journalism (or journalism school), nursing, engineering, law, allied health, etc.

Capitalize departments within schools when using their proper names:

• Department of Geography
• Department of Agricultural Economics
• Department of Biochemistry

But do not capitalize geography (or geography department), agricultural economics, biochemistry, history, linguistics, etc.

Capitalize divisions, offices, and departments within UWSA (Division of Finance & Administration, Office of Capital Planning & Budget, etc.)

• Capitalize titles when used specifically in front of a name:
  • Acting President Katharine Lyall
  • Professor Howard Temin
  • Chancellor Karl Meyer

But do not capitalize when these titles follow the name or stand-alone within the text:

• Katharine Lyall, acting president

Exception: In bylines to articles and in lists, capitalize titles whether they precede a person’s name.

• By Edward M. Penson, Chancellor

Numbers

Numbers one through nine are spelled out, while 10 and above are written as numerals.

Dates

When writing dates in text, do not use a superscript:

Use: March 20, 2024
Avoid: March 20^th, 2024

Use: April 3, 2023
Avoid: April 3^rd, 2023

When writing just the month and year, do not place a comma between them:

Use: June 2020
Avoid: June, 2020

Spaces

Use one space between sentences and after a colon within a sentence.

Common Word Usage & Spellings

• 21^st century (hyphenate if used as an adjective: 21^st-century jobs)
• campuswide
• coursework
• degrees: PhD, MA, MS, MD, associate degree
• DoIT
• EApp (as in EApp electronic application)
• email
• Internet
• intranet
• online
• startup
• statewide
• systemwide
• underrepresented
• web page
• website