Miami Specific Language | Editorial

Exceptions to AP Style

advisor

Not adviser.

ampersand (&)

Do not use & in place of and, unless it is part of a composition title, part of an organization's formal name, or an approved Miami title.

comma usage

Use serial comma: stop, drop, and roll.

Bachelor of Arts

While Miami offers an A.B. (the traditional Latin translation of artium baccalaureus), follow AP Style and use Bachelor of Arts.

See AP Stylebook entry "academic degrees" for additional information.

theater

Generally, use this spelling, unless the proper name or degree is "theatre." Note that the official department name at Miami University is the Department of Theatre. Miami also offers a Bachelor of Arts in theatre and refers to minor and thematic program sequences as such.

Her degree in theatre provided the experience needed to join a Broadway cast after graduation.
- In this instance, theatre refers specifically to a Miami program.
They dreamed of joining a theater company in Chicago, leading art direction for elaborate sets.
- In this instance, theater is used as a general industry term.

Unique Words and Expressions

Cradle of Coaches

A Miami University trademarked term used to recognize the university as a source of well-known and successful sports coaches.

liberal arts college

All lowercase, no hyphen.

Love and Honor

For print, digital, or web communications, spell out fully. Do not use & to replace and.

Miami University

Acceptable forms: Miami University; Miami; Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.
Unacceptable forms: M.U. or Miami U. or Miami of Ohio.
Never capitalize university when it stands alone.
In most cases, refrain from using university, and use Miami instead.

Miami Tribe of Oklahoma

Always capitalized. On first reference, use full name. On subsequent references, Miami Tribe is acceptable. Never use Myaamia Tribe.

The Miami Tribe of Oklahoma maintains a relationship with Miami University. It should never be positioned as a relationship between the Tribe and a specific center, division, or individual. For further guidance, please refer to the "ethnicity and race" section of this guide.

The relationship between the Tribe and the university has created a space within the Tribe's historic homelands for community healing and reclamation.

Tribe

When using the word tribe or tribal, always capitalize if used in reference to a specific tribal nation, even if the name of the tribe is not stated.

Myaamia students attend Miami University as part of the Myaamia Heritage Award Program. To date, 95 Tribal students have graduated from this program.

When using the word tribe or tribal, but not referring to a specific tribal nation, it does not need to be capitalized.

Myaamia (language)

If Myaamia words are used in conjunction with the English language, capitalize as normal.

Neepwaantiinki, the Myaamia word meaning "learning from each other," is a rich interpretation of "partners in learning," a phrase that Miami University and the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma have used for years to describe their reciprocal relationship.

Since the Myaamia language does not include capital letters, do not capitalize any portion of Myaamia words when they are used alone or in a full Myaamia sentence.

apaalintioni nahiteehioni (Love and Honor)
myaamia mihši-nipwaantiikaaninki mihtohseeniaki iilweeciki tapaalintioni nahiteehioni (People at Miami University say Love and Honor)

Myaamia people

Myaamia people should only be used to represent members of the Myaamia community, including citizens of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma or members of the Miami Nation of Indians of the State of Indiana.

Do not reference members of the Miami University community, who are not affiliated with the Tribe, as Myaamia. For further guidance, please refer to the "ethnicity and race" section of this guide.

The Myaamia people are a people with a past who are strengthening kinship ties in the present and ensuring their vitality for the future.

Public Ivy

Capitalize on all references. However, refrain from using Public Ivy as the lead message in communication materials.

RedHawks

Always use this format. RedHawks should also always maintain plurality when talking about the university community as a whole. Any exceptions to this term must be approved by University Communications and Marketing.

Miami has discontinued the use of the name of its previous mascot. As such, direct references to Miami's previous mascot should never occur in communication materials. If the reference cannot be avoided, refer to it as "Miami's former mascot." If additional information is needed for context, you may include the years that the former mascot was active.

When referring to or communicating historical information, such as resolutions, the name of the former mascot should appear fully in asterisks.

In 2015, Miami removed unlicensed ******** products from its retail outlets.

technology terms (Miami-specific)

For the proper spelling or Miami terms — such as UniqueId, RedHawk Refunds, or One Stop — refer to the approved list from Miami IT.

Buildings, Campuses, and Colleges

buildings and rooms (Oxford and Regionals)

Below are two acceptable forms. Use one consistently within the same piece:

Upham Hall 124
Bachelor 126

*Note that some rooms have specific names. In that case, use the full room name.

Dolibois C, Shriver Center

centers and institutes

On first reference, use full formal name. For subsequent references, the center, or the institute, is acceptable, as is the generally accepted acronym. Per AP Style, do not follow an organization's name with an abbreviation or acronym in parentheses or set off by dashes.

The Center for Social Entrepreneurship received a large grant. The center plans to use it for student resources.
Miami's Center for Teaching Excellence will host a faculty webinar. Sign up for the CTE event starting Monday.
The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Sustainability attracts scholars from around the globe. By providing expert leadership, IES supports the university's environmental education goals.

colleges and divisions

Miami University has multiple academic divisions. Uppercase the full names of all colleges and divisions on first reference. For subsequent references, noted abbreviations are acceptable:

College of Arts and Science (CAS)
College of Creative Arts (CCA)
College of Education, Health, and Society (EHS)
- Do not substitute & for and.
College of Engineering and Computing (CEC)
Farmer School of Business (FSB)
Graduate School
College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (CLAAS), which serves Regionals
John E. Dolibois European Center, our European campus in Luxembourg
- For subsequent references, Dolibois European Center is acceptable.

college honors

Use lowercase: cum laude, magna cum laude, summa cum laude. These terms are not italicized.

departments

Uppercase formal names like Department of Music. Lowercase informal names like music department.

For departments with acronyms, use full formal name on first reference. For subsequent references, defer to the department for the appropriate acronym and make it known immediately after the first reference.

Department of Emerging Technology in Business and Design (ETBD)
Department of Global and Intercultural Studies (GIC)

living learning communities

On general reference, lowercase. Uppercase when referring to specific communities.

Miami provides many living learning communities.
FSB Scholars Living Learning Community

residence halls

Residence hall is the preferred usage in all cases. Avoid dormitory.

Regionals Specific

Locations and Division

Miami University Regionals

Always first mentioned at the beginning of a story, letter, etc.

When referring to a program, department, or a component of our identity, an apostrophe is not needed to show ownership (i.e. Miami University Regionals Work+, Miami University Regionals website, Miami University Regionals Academic Guidebook, Miami University Regionals Office of Admission)

Miami University Regionals is a system of three locations and online programs. We refer to Miami Regionals as a singular entity. (i.e. would say Miami Regionals “is” instead of Miami Regionals “are”)

No need to use an apostrophe (‘) after Miami Regionals. Can show ownership without it, and helps better establish our brand identity. Consider restructuring a sentence (i.e. the CIT Department at Miami Regionals (preferred) vs. Miami Regionals CIT Department.

Acceptable Terms:

Miami Regionals
Regionals
regional campuses
- If Miami is before and Regionals is the owner, it should read Miami Regionals campuses. This helps with our brand identity.
- However, when Miami is the owner, write as Miami’s regional campuses are located in Hamilton and Middletown, plus a learning center in West Chester.
regional locations
regional students
Hamilton campus
Middletown campus
Miami Hamilton (MUH)
Miami Middletown (MUM)
Miami’s Voice of America Learning Center
Voice of America Learning Center (VOA)
College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science (CLAAS) - Science, not Sciences
Miami's Hamilton campus
Miami's Middletown campus

programs, centers, and departments