WashU follows AP Style.
- “WashU” is always used as the short version of the university’s name (never WU or WUSTL or other variations).
- University alone is not capitalized when referring to Washington University
- Department, Division, Office alone is also not capitalized unless it is part of the unit’s formal name
- AP style does not use the serial comma
- Capitalize university titles when directly preceding the individual’s name, but use lowercase in other usages. (e.g., Here is Chancellor Andrew Martin. Andrew Martin is Washington University’s chancellor.)
- In general, when academic degree abbreviations are used, do not include periods.
- The official title of the majority of university departments takes a “Department of” construction.
- Phone number format is xxx-xxx-xxxx.
- Use a.m. and p.m., single digit times for hours (8, not 8:00).
- Links should open in the same window
The full University Marketing and Communications style manual is available on the MarComm website.
Additional guidelines
Avoid creating FAQs whenever possible. Instead, use the Search function to confirm that the answers to any questions you receive are findable on your site.
Additional Perspectives on FAQs
No More FAQs: Create Purposeful Information for a More Effective User Experience
Why FAQ Pages Are Almost Always a Bad Idea (And What to Do About It)