ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø

Editorial Style Guide

Last Revised: September 2019

This style guide was developed by the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office of Communications. Its aim is to ensure accuracy, consistency, and clarity in ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø communications.

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND

When speaking of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø as a whole, the "ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø" should be used in its entirety upon first reference. Any of the following are acceptable for subsequent references:

• university system;
• ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø;
• the system.

Unacceptable references to the system as a whole include: University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø; the University; UM; and the University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø System.

Notes: "The" is not part of the official name of the system, and therefore should not appear as part of the name in stand-alone headers or titles or be capitalized when the system name appears in running text.

While ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø is comprised of institutions, do not refer to the system itself as an institution.

UNIVERSITY SYSTEM OF MARYLAND OFFICE

Acceptable references to the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office include:

• ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office;
• University System Office;
• System Office;
• ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office.

Unacceptable references to the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office include: Central Administration; the acronym "ϡȱÁÔÆæÍøO" (unless it is first spelled out as “ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office”); Headquarters or "ϡȱÁÔÆæÍøH" (within ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, “ϡȱÁÔÆæÍøH” refers to the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø at Hagerstown); and ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø - Office.

Notes: The ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office is a "unit" of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø. It should not be referred to as an institution or a component; nor should it be counted as one of the 12 ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø institutions.

The ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Office comprises several offices: Office of the Chancellor, Office of Academic Affairs, Office of Administration and Finance, Office of Advancement, Office of Communications, Office of Economic Development, Office of Internal Audit, Office of Advancement, and Office of Government Relations.

ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø INSTITUTIONS
The ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø comprises 12 institutions, three regional higher education centers, and one system office. Names may be listed in either founding-date or alphabetical order, depending on the intended purpose and audience. Founding-date order is usually reserved for official state documents, while alphabetical order is more appropriate for public reference.

Generally, the word "campus" refers to the physical site of an institution. Writers may, however, refer to ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø’s degree-granting institutions as campuses for brevity's sake. In these cases, care should be taken to represent ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø campuses as distinct institutions.

Acceptable references to any of the 12 members of the system include "institution" and "member institution."

The Universities at Shady Grove and the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø at Hagerstown should be referred to as the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø's regional higher education centers. They should not be described or listed as one of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø's institutions.

Upon second reference and thereafter, the Universities at Shady Grove may be referred to as USG; do not refer to it as "Shady Grove." The ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø at Hagerstown may be abbreviated and referred to as ϡȱÁÔÆæÍøH.

When referring to one of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø’s institutions, the institution's full name should be used on first reference; acronyms may be used in subsequent references. Note the proper use of commas in the full names of the institutions.

The institutions of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, in founding-date order, are:

Degree-Granting Institutions

1807 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore (UMB)

1856 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, College Park (UMCP)

1865 Bowie State University (BSU)

1866 Towson University (TU)

1886 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Eastern Shore (UMES)

1898 Frostburg State University (FSU)

1900 Coppin State University (CSU)

1925 Salisbury University (SU)

1925 University of Baltimore (UB)

1947 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Global Campus (UMGC)

1966 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore County (UMBC)

Research Center

1925 University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

Following is the list of the ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø institutions in alphabetical order:

Degree-Granting Institutions

Bowie State University (BSU)

Coppin State University (CSU)

Frostburg State University (FSU)

Salisbury University (SU)

Towson University (TU)

University of Baltimore (UB)

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore (UMB)

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore County (UMBC)

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, College Park (UMCP)

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Eastern Shore (UMES)

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Global Campus (UMGC)

Research Center

University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Center for Environmental Science (UMCES)

Notes: While the state legislature allows both the University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore and University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, College Park to use the name "University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø," for the sake of clarity, we urge communicators to avoid using "University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø" on a stand-alone basis. When referring to one of the professional schools at UMB, use "University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø" and the name of the school (e.g. University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø School of Law).

Do not refer to UMB as the "Baltimore City campus," which implies that it is part of another ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø institution. UMB is one of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø’s 12 distinct institutions.

The University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Medical System (UMMS) is a private, not-for-profit medical system that comprises University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Medical Center, Kernan Hospital, University Specialty Hospital, ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø General Hospital, Baltimore Washington Medical Center (formerly North Arundel Hospital), and Mt. Washington Pediatric Hospital. UMMS has a close working relationship with the University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø School of Medicine; University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø Medical Center is on the campus of the University of ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø, Baltimore and all of its staff physicians are on the faculty of the Medical School.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY STATEMENT

Use the following language on all published materials that describe ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø programs or services available to the public:

The ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø is an equal opportunity organization with respect to both education and employment. ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø’s policies, programs, and activities are in conformance with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations on non-discrimination regarding race, color, religion, age, national origin, political affiliation, sex, sexual orientation, and handicap.

The following short version may also be used:

ϡȱÁÔÆæÍø is an equal opportunity organization.

Submit questions, comments, and feedback to usmnews@usmd.edu.