- Web and digital content
- Marketing and recruitment materials
- News releases
- Email communications
- Social media
- Day-to-day correspondence
Contents
Institutional Identity and Naming
PennWest University (Institutional Name)
Affiliated Entities and System References
Foundations and Alumni Associations
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education
Academic and Administrative Structure Naming
Legal and Compliance Requirements
Degrees, Credentials and Academic Style
Purpose and Scope
The PennWest Editorial Style Guide ensures consistency, clarity and accuracy across all university communications. These standards help us present a unified, professional voice that reflects who we are and how we serve our audiences.
These guidelines will continue to evolve and apply to web, print, digital, marketing and internal communications. PennWest generally follows The Associated Press Stylebook, with institutional standards outlined below.
Questions or suggestions may be directed to the Office of Communications at communications@pennwest.edu.
Institutional Identity and Naming
PennWest University (Institutional Name)
PennWest University should be used consistently across all internal and external communications, including:
Official Accredited Name
The university’s full, official accredited name — Pennsylvania Western University — is reserved for formal, legal and ceremonial uses where the legal entity name is required or greater formality is appropriate. These limited instances include:
- Legal documents and contracts
- Certain mailing addresses and form entries
- Financial language requiring the legal entity name (e.g., “Make checks payable to Pennsylvania Western University”)
- Formal certificates or ceremonial documents
- Cases where use of the communicative name could cause confusion or require legal clarity
Formatting note
When written, PennWest has no space between “Penn” and “West,” including in all-caps usage (PENNWEST).
Campus and Location Naming
PennWest is a multi-campus university with one unified brand. To ensure clarity and consistency, external-facing communications should default to “PennWest University” and present the institution as a single, connected university.
Campus-specific naming should be used only when relevant to the audience or purpose and must be approved by University Communications and Marketing for external materials.
Internal communications, operational materials, and approved audience-specific content may reference individual campuses using the guidelines below.
General Campus Naming
Correct
- PennWest California
Incorrect
- Pennsylvania Western University – Clarion
- Pennsylvania Western University – Global Online
- PennWest, Edinboro
PennWest California
Approved campus name
PennWest California
Alternate marketing references
Only after an approved campus name or lockup is established in the same publication:
- California
- Cal
Incorrect
- California University
- California University of Pennsylvania
- Cal U
PennWest Clarion
Approved campus name
PennWest Clarion
Alternate marketing reference
Only after an approved campus name or lockup is established in the same publication:
- Clarion
Incorrect
- Clarion University
- Clarion University of Pennsylvania
- CU or CUP
PennWest Edinboro
Approved campus name
PennWest Edinboro
Alternate marketing references
Only after an approved campus name or lockup is established:
- Edinboro
- Boro
- The Boro
Incorrect
- Edinboro University
- Edinboro University of Pennsylvania
- EU or EUP
PennWest Global Online
Approved campus name
PennWest Global Online
Alternate marketing reference
Global Online (only after an approved campus name or lockup is established)
Satellite Locations
PennWest Clarion – Somerset
Alternate reference
Somerset (only after the full name of the satellite location is established)
Affiliated Entities and System References
Foundations and Alumni Associations
- Foundation for California University of Pennsylvania
- Clarion University Foundation, Inc.
- Edinboro University Foundation
- California Alumni Association
- Clarion University Alumni Association
- Edinboro University Alumni Association
Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education
On first reference, use the full name Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education.
In subsequent references, PASSHE or State System may be used interchangeably.
Academic and Administrative Structure Naming
Colleges
Use “and” instead of “&” and no Oxford comma.
- College of Education, Arts and Humanities
- College of Health Sciences and Human Services
- College of Science, Technology and Business
Schools
- School of Business
- School of Education
- School of Nursing
Academic Departments
Use “and” instead of “&” and no Oxford comma. Use “Department of” in stationery, official publications and signage. Omit “Department of” in marketing materials.
- College of Education, Arts and Humanities
- Department of Criminal Justice, History and Politics
- School of Education
- Department of Education
- Department of English, Philosophy and Modern Languages
- Department of Library and Information Science
- Department of Visual and Performing Arts
- College of Health Sciences and Human Services
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders
- Department of Exercise, Health and Sport Sciences
- School of Nursing
- Department of Nursing and Health Professions
- Department of Psychology, Counseling and Art Therapy
- Department of Social Work, Sociology and Human Services
- College of Science, Technology and Business
- Department of Biology, Earth and Environmental Sciences
- School of Business
- Department of Business, Economics and Communication
- Department of Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics
- Department of Computing and Engineering Technology
Non-Academic Departments
Do not use “Department of”
Use a simple format:
- Admissions
- Campus Life
- Residence Life and Housing
Legal and Compliance Requirements
Non-Discrimination Statement
The university’s non-discrimination statement must be included in all materials — such as brochures, pamphlets, manuals and guidebooks — that describe or invite participation in PennWest programs.
Federal regulations require institutions that receive federal funding to include non-discrimination statements affirming that the institution does not discriminate in admissions, employment or access to programs on the basis of race, color, national origin (Title VI), sex or gender (Title IX), disability (Section 504/ADA), age (ADEA), or veteran status.
Long Form
PennWest University is an academic community dedicated to the ideals of justice, fairness and equal opportunity for all. In compliance with federal and Pennsylvania laws, the university is committed to providing equal educational and employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, or status as a veteran or disabled veteran. The university will not tolerate discrimination, harassment or violence. More information: PennWest.edu/equity-title-ix.
Short Form
PennWest University is an inclusive and equal opportunity academic community and does not condone unlawful discrimination. More information: PennWest.edu/equity-title-ix.
Degrees, Credentials and Academic Style
Degrees
- Bachelor’s degree, master’s degree (apostrophe)
- Associate degree (no apostrophe)
- Capitalize formal degree titles. Do not capitalize the specific discipline unless it is proper noun or part of the degree title, e.g., Bachelor of Science in chemistry, Bachelor of Arts in English, Master of Business Administration, Doctor of Nursing Practice.
- Lowercase general degree references, e.g., bachelor’s degree in chemistry, master’s degree in education
- Use “doctorate” or “doctoral degree,” never doctorate degree
Abbreviations
- Two-letter degrees are abbreviated with periods, e.g., B.A., B.S., M.A.
- Three- or four-letter degrees do not use periods, e.g., BSBA, BSED, MSLS, MFA, DNP. Exceptions are Ph.D., Ed.D.
- Use commas when following a name
- Do not add the word degree after abbreviations
Associate of Applied Science (AAS)
Associate of Arts (A.A.)
Associate of Science (A.S.)
Associate of Science in Nursing (ASN)
Bachelor of Arts (B.A.)
Bachelor of Design (BDes)
Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.)
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA)
Bachelor of Science in Education (BSEd)
Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)
Bachelor of Social Work (BSW)
Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ)
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)
Doctor of Health Science (DHSc)
Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)
Master of Arts (M.A.)
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Master of Business Administration (MBA)
Master of Education (MEd)
Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
Master of Professional Accountancy (MAcc)
Master of Science (M.S.)
Master of Science in Nursing (MSN)
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
Post-Master’s Certificate
Professional Science Masters (PSM)
Master of Science in Library Science (MSLS)
Master of Social Work (MSW)
Doctoral Usage
- Doctoral = adjective
- Doctorate = noun
- Do not use doctorate degree
Class Years
- Use a left-facing apostrophe (press control, then press apostrophe key twice) + last two digits, e.g., ’25
- Use four digits for pre-2000 graduates
- Separate multiple degrees with commas
- Use M (master’s) or D (doctorate) before year for graduate degrees, e.g., Jane Smith ’11, M ’15
Writing and Usage Standards
Acronyms and Initialisms
- Spell out on first reference unless universally recognized
- Use all caps, no periods
- Avoid overuse
- Do not follow an organization's full name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes. If an abbreviation or acronym would not be clear on second reference without this arrangement, do not use it.
Alumni
- Preferred: alumnus (singular), alumni (plural)
- Gender-specific forms acceptable when appropriate
- Gender-neutral: alum, alums
Advisor
Use advisor, not adviser
Ampersand
- Use and, not &, unless part of an official name
- Decorative headings may use ampersands
Athletics
- Student-athlete, scholar-athlete
- Use plural verbs for team names.
- Use a singular form of the team name when referring to an individual athlete, e.g., He was the first Vulcan to go undefeated in a season.
- Use the official team name when including the sport, even when referring to an individual athlete, e.g., He was the first Vulcans wrestler to go undefeated in a season.
- Do not alter official team names.
Buildings
Use full building names on first reference.
California Campus Buildings
- Adamson Stadium
- Carter Hall
- Ceramics Lab
- Convocation Center
- Coover Hall
- Dixon Hall
- Duda Hall
- Eberly Hall
- Frich Hall
- Gallagher Hall
- Grounds Building
- Hamer Hall
- Heating Plant
- Helsel Hall
- Herron Hall
- Johnson Hall
- Kara Alumni House
- Manderino Library
- Morgan Hall
- Natali Student Center
- New Science Hall
- Noss Hall
- Old Main
- Paint Shop
- Pollock Building
- Residence Hall A (Smith Hall)
- Residence Hall B
- Residence Hall C (Guesman Hall)
- Residence Hall E
- South Hall
- Steele Hall
- Vulcan Garage
- Vulcan Hall
- Watkins Hall
Clarion Campus Buildings
- Anabel L. Ralston Hall
- Bernard D. McEntire Building
- C. Fred Becker Hall
- Campus View Suites
- Central Services Building
- Ceramics Lab
- Dana S. Still Hall
- Diane L. Reinhard Villages
- Donald Davis Hall
- Eagle Commons
- Founders Hall
- Frank L. Harvey Hall
- James D. Moore Hall
- James Gemmell Student Complex
- John Ballentine Hall
- John S. Shropshire Hall/Welcome Center
- Joseph P. Grunenwald Center for Science and Technology
- D.D. Peirce Planetarium
- Keeling Speech and Hearing Clinic
- Marwick-Boyd Fine Arts Center
- Mary Lorena Givan Hall
- President’s Residence
- Public Safety
- Rena M. Carlson Library
- Samuel A. Becht Hall
- Seifert-Mooney Center for Advancement
- Special Education Center
- Student Recreation Center
- Suites on Main North
- Suites on Main South
- Thaddeus Stevens Hall
- Valley View Suites
- Waldo S. Tippin Tippin Gymnasium and Natatorium
- Walter L. Hart Chapel
Edinboro Campus Buildings
- Academy Hall
- Alumni House
- Baron-Forness Library
- Butterfield Hall
- Commonwealth House (President's residence)
- Compton Hall
- Cooper Science Center
- Crawford Center
- Diebold Center for the Performing Arts
- Doucette Hall
- Dowling Storage Barn
- East Hall
- Frank G. Pogue Student Center
- Gazebo
- Hamilton Hall
- Hendricks Hall
- Highlands 1
- Highlands 2
- Highlands 3
- Highlands 4
- Highlands 5
- Highlands 6
- Highlands 7
- Highlands 8
- Information Center and Police Station
- Jeremy D. Brown Human Services Building
- Lawrence Towers
- Louis C. Cole Auditorium - Memorial Hall
- Loveland Hall
- Maintenance Building
- McComb Fieldhouse
- McNerney Hall
- Mike S. Zafirovski Sports & Recreation Center (Dome)
- Reeder Hall
- Ross Hall
- Sox Harrison Stadium
- State Garage
- Substation
- Van Houten Dining Hall
- Wiley Arts and Sciences Center
- William P. Alexander Music Center
Dates & Times
- 9 a.m., 4 p.m., noon, midnight
- No zeros for even hours
- Cardinal numbers for dates
- Abbreviate months only when paired with a date
Use email, not e-mail
Em Dash, En Dash, Hyphen
- Use em dashes to (—) indicate an abrupt shift in thought, set off elements within a sentence, or begin lists. AP style requires a space on both sides of a dash. To make an em dash, type Ctrl+Alt+Minus (numpad) on Windows or Option+Shift+Hyphen on Mac.
- AP Style does not use en dashes.
- Hyphens are used as compound modifiers (e.g., small-business owner, student-athlete) or to indicate ranges (e.g., Jan. 1-4). Do not use spaces before or after a hyphen.
Inclusive Language
- Use chair or chairperson.
- Use first-year student, not freshman.
Majors and Minors
- Lowercase majors and minors unless proper nouns.
- Capitalize formal degree titles.
MyPennWest
Always written as MyPennWest or My.PennWest.edu
Residence Hall
- Use residence hall or on-campus housing.
- Do not use dorm or dormitory
Serial Commas
- Do not use Oxford commas in simple lists.
- Use when needed for clarity in complex lists.
Telephone Numbers
- Use hyphens: 814-732-2000.
- Include the area code.
Titles
- Capitalize formal titles before names.
- Lowercase titles when set off by commas or standing alone.
- Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctoral degree.
- Do not combine Dr. with degree abbreviations.
- Avoid courtesy titles (Mr., Ms., etc.) except in quotes.
Last edited: February 24, 2026