New York University has cultivated a distinct academic identity, and its style guide serves as the definitive resource for maintaining a consistent and professional voice across all university communications. This document provides the essential rules and preferences for writing about the institution, ensuring that every reference to NYU—from its schools and programs to its people and places—appears polished and authoritative. Adherence to these standards is crucial for external publications, marketing materials, and internal documents that represent the university to the world.
Core Principles and Brand Identity
The NYU Style Guide is built on the foundation of the university’s brand, which is defined by its global reach, academic excellence, and vibrant community. It establishes clear standards for the use of the university’s name, ensuring that "New York University" is used in formal contexts, while "NYU" is acceptable in more casual references. The guide meticulously outlines the correct formatting for the university’s official logo, wordmarks, and signature color palette, protecting the integrity of the institution’s visual identity. This consistency reinforces brand recognition and projects a unified image to prospective students, faculty, staff, and the public.
Academic and Administrative Terminology
Specificity is paramount when referring to NYU’s vast network of schools, colleges, and centers. The style guide provides exact names for entities such as the New York University Abu Dhabi, the Tandon School of Engineering, and the College of Arts and Science. It dictates the proper capitalization and punctuation for academic titles, course names, and department designations, eliminating ambiguity. For example, it clarifies when to use "School" as part of the official name versus a generic descriptor, ensuring that references to the university’s structure are always precise and respectful of the official nomenclature.
Capitalization and Title Conventions
Capitalization rules within the guide follow a careful balance between formal grammar and institutional tradition. Headings and titles follow a specific case style, typically using sentence case for page headings and title case for formal document titles. The guide specifies that academic titles such as "President," "Dean," and "Professor" should be capitalized only when they appear directly before a name. Similarly, the names of buildings, centers, and institutes are treated as proper nouns and require capitalization, reflecting the university’s respect for its infrastructure and legacy.
Punctuation, Numbers, and Dates
Technical writing standards are clearly defined to ensure readability and professionalism. The guide specifies the use of the serial comma (Oxford comma) to prevent ambiguity in lists. Numbers below ten are generally written out in words, while numbers ten and above are expressed as numerals, unless dealing with statistical data or technical measurements. Dates follow the month-day-year format, and times are expressed in numerals with a.m.m. or p.m. specified, avoiding military time unless absolutely necessary for clarity.
