ECU Writing Style Guide

When to use it

• Our formal name is used on first reference in press releases and formal communications.

• Our semi-formal name (or our acronym) is generally used on second and subsequent references.

• Diplomas

• Press releases

• Printed documents like the President’s Report

Be sure to use “+” instead of spelling out the word “and”.

When to use it

Day-to-day use in written or printed media.

Examples:

• Campus posters

• Email

When to use it

Day-to-day use verbally and within the university. Try to use the semi-formal or acronym instead.

Examples:

• While teaching

• On social media channels

Our official and only acronym is ECU.

When to use it

• Day-to-day use in written communications, particularly where space is limited.

Do not use ECUAD or EC.

Note: It is best practice to always spell out any and all acronyms on first use.

Examples:

• The Aboriginal Gathering Place at ECU hosts students, contemporary artists, and informs curriculum and community. The AGP allows our Aboriginal students to develop and strengthen their identities in a supportive, safe environment.

Don’t use the phrase “new campus”.

• This leads audiences to believe we still have a presence on Granville Island.

Don’t use the phrase “Great Northern Way campus”.

• This implies we have additional campuses elsewhere.

Instead, use the phrase “our campus”, or “our campus, located on Great Northern Way”.

Examples:

• The Emily Carr campus

• Our campus on Great Northern Way

• The ECU campus, located on Great Northern Way

Don’t use “floor” to refer to levels in the building. Use “level”.

• This is consistent with the wayfinding signage around campus, which uses the term “levels” instead of “floors”.

• Be sure to capitalize “level” when you’re using it to refer to a specific level: eg “Level 2”.

Examples:

• Foundation is located on Level 2.

• The building has four levels.

• Access to the four levels is available by stairs or elevator.

When writing about someone, use their full name first. Then, use their first name after that.

Examples:

• Painter Shoora Majedian is the recipient of the Joe Plaskett Award. Originally from Iran, Shoora completed her MFA at Emily Carr University in 2021.

• Artist and fourth-year ECU photography student Khim Hipol has been awarded a 2022 Audain Travel Award. Khim tells me he was at work when he got the news and had a tough time keeping it under wraps.

Don’t use “Dr.” when referring to or describing people with Ph.D. degrees. As per Canadian Press style, “Dr.” is only used to refer to people with medical degrees.

Don’t use the terms “alumnus” or “alumna” in informal writing. Instead, use “alum”.

• “Alum” is a gender-neutral alternative to these terms

Use “alumni” when referring to more than one alum.

• “Alumni” is the gender-neutral plural of “alum”

When introducing an alum, include their degree and year of graduation.

Examples:

• Andrew James McKay (BFA 2019) has been busy since graduation. (Note that you don’t have to specify that Andrew is an alum, as the degree and year make it obvious).

• A wearable artwork by Danika Oystrek (BDes 2022) imagines a future where clothing becomes a vehicle for environmental renewal. (Note: ideally you wouldn’t use descriptors such as “artist” or “designer” in headline either; just the person’s name and what the story is about.)

If you’re writing a news story for ecuad.ca, don’t use “alum” in a headline. Use it in the subheadline, if you’d like.

Examples:

• Headline: Shoora Majedian Wins Prestigious Joe Plaskett Award.

• Subhead: The artist and ECU alum plans to use the $30,000 prize to study paintings in some of the great museums in Europe.

Some alumni graduated from Emily Carr before we became a degree-granting institution. Some alumni hold a degree or diploma from Emily Carr, but we don’t know what that degree or diploma is.

In these cases, here’s how to refer to them:

• Xwalacktun, 1982 alum (informal)

• Xwalacktun (1982 alum) (informal)

• Xwalacktun, 1982 alumnus (formal)

• Xwalacktun, who studied fine arts at Emily Carr, graduated in 1982.

Some students left Emily Carr before they received a degree or diploma. In these cases, include their area of study and the year they left Emily Carr, if known:

• John Smith studied visual arts at Emily Carr until 1995.

Continuing Studies students attend full-time certificate programs or part-time programs. Here’s how to refer to students who have completed these programs:

• For students who have completed full-time certificate programs, like Interaction Design Essentials or Communication Design Essentials, refer to them as alumni.

• For students who have completed part-time programs, name the program, being careful to make clear it’s a certificate and not a degree.

When referring to ECU students, don’t make a distinction between those in Continuing Studies courses and those in degree programs, unless relevant to the context. All students are ECU students, regardless of the program they’re in.

Refer to Continuing Studies instructors as “instructors”. Refer to degree program instructors as “faculty”.

• The term “faculty” denotes membership in the Faculty Association. Continuing Studies instructors are not members of the Faculty Association.

For administrative titles, avoid using “of”. Where unclear, use a comma.

Example:

• Use “Executive Director, Communications + Public Affairs” instead of “Executive Director of Communications + Public Affairs”

• Use “Director + Curator, Gallery + Exhibitions” instead of “Director + Curator of Gallery + Exhibitions”

Use the full title at the first mention in a paragraph or written document (e.g., President + Vice-Chancellor). Afterward, the shorter form (President) can suffice. Always use the full title in formal correspondence.

With thousands of individuals connected to the Emily Carr community, the Communications + Marketing department cannot take on the responsibility of writing and sharing obituaries when a member passes. Instead, any member of ECU’s staff and faculty are welcome to post an obituary by submitting a Community Update for inclusion on ECU’s website.

Don’t use “semesters”. Instead, say “terms”. The ECU academic calendar is split into terms, not semesters.

Don’t use apostrophes when writing about degrees.

Examples:

• Bachelor of Design

• Bachelor of Fine Arts

• Bachelor of Media Arts

• Master of Fine Arts

• Master of Design

Use first person.
Address your reader as “you”. Refer to ECU using “we”, “us” and “our”.

Use plain language.
ECU’s written materials have a broad audience that includes people in high school, their parents, and folks who may have little or no background in art, design or post-secondary contexts. In order to ensure accessibility for all readers, use shorter, clearer words or phrases whenever possible.

Example:

• “Teaching”
  instead of “facilitation of the learning process”.

Use short sentences and paragraphs.
Try writing the way you speak, with a clear idea in each sentence. Sentence fragments are fine. Keep paragraphs to a few sentences each.

Use humour carefully.
Be witty, not silly or juvenile. Keep humour out of bad news or media releases. When in doubt, have a member of your target audience read it over. Don’t be derisive or insulting.

Avoid slang.
Avoid or use sparingly.

Other tips:
Try to keep the person you’re writing about in the centre of the piece, but don’t be afraid to remind the reader that your work was written by a specific person, too. You can do that by using “x tells me” once or twice per article in place of “x says.”

Example:

• “The main goal was to get better,” Sam tells me over coffee in January. Second quote: “But I wasn’t progressing creatively in my own artwork,” he says.

If you are quoting from a source other than a one-on-one verbal interview or written correspondence, make sure to note the source and link if possible.

Example:

• “…like our sailor, we’re flying high!” Wendy and Amanda told CityNews.

In general, we use Canadian spelling. Find a guide here.

Here are some special cases particular to ECU:

• Use “enrol” and “enrolment”.
  instead of “enroll” and “enrollment”

• Use “centred” and “human-centred design”.
  instead of “centered” and “human-centered”
  

• Use “honorary” and “honorary degree”.
  instead of “honourary” and “honourary degree”
  

• Use “honorary degree”.
  instead of “honorary doctorate”
  

• Use “program”.
  (instead of “programme”)
  

• Use “Vice-President”.
  instead of “Vice President”, “vice president” or “Vice president”
  

• Use “advisor”.
  Instead of "adviser”
  

• Use “field trip”.
  instead of “fieldtrip” or “field-trip”

Capitalize all nouns in a salutation.

• “Dear Colleagues,”
  instead of “Dear colleagues”

In general, write art styles, schools and movements in lowercase.

Examples:

• art deco, art nouveau, baroque, cubism, impressionism, neoclassical

But if the word is derived from a proper noun or could be confused with a common word, use capitals:

Examples:

• Dada, Gothic, Renaissance, Romanesque, the Bloomsbury Group

You may need to credit artwork in several different contexts.

In a cutline or in text, write the title of the work in italics, with the year in parentheses and the artist’s name in regular font.

Examples:

• Sea to Sky (2018)
• Sea to Sky (2018) by Xwalacktun

If italics are unavailable, like in a headline, use single quote marks to indicate a title of a book, artwork, film, etc.

Examples:

• ‘Finding Freedom’ Reveals Human Cost of Immigration Policy

Within a sentence, include the title of the work, the year and the artist within the sentence.

• The design, Sea to Sky, was created by artist and alum Xwalacktun in 2018.
  

Or, add a footnote. Credit the artwork in this way: Artist name, Title of Work, year of creation. If it’s applicable to add composition details, do so immediately after the credit in a separate sentence.

Examples:

• Xwalacktun, Sea to Sky, 2018.
• Xwalacktun, Sea to Sky, 2018. Ink on paper, 24 x 96 inches.

In a format that limits characters, or does not have italics, like in a social media post, do the same as above, but use quotation marks instead of italics.

Example:

• Xwalacktun, “Sea to Sky,” 2018.

And vs +

Use “+” instead of the word “and” in titles, headings and subheadings, as well as when writing our formal name.

Examples:

• Emily Carr University of Art + Design
  instead of “Emily Carr University of Art and Design”
• President + Vice-Chancellor
  instead of “President and Vice-Chancellor”

In full sentences and body text, write out the word “and”, instead of using “+”.

Example:

• Emily Carr University of Art + Design is a world-renowned art and design school with four faculties.
  instead of “Emily Carr University of Art + Design is a world-renowned art + design school with four faculties.”

Double Spacing

Don’t double space after a period.

• Double spaces after a period were used in the era of typewriters when the design of the font made it necessary to double space in order to enhance readability.

• Modern typefaces don’t require this.

• In fact, adding double spaces after a period now diminishes readability instead of enhancing it.

Starting a new paragraph

Don’t indent new paragraphs. To denote a new paragraph, use a line break instead.

Commas

Don’t use serial commas unless they clarify the meaning of a list.

Hyphens

As per Canadian Press rules, do not hyphenate dual nationalities.

Examples:

• African American
  instead of African-American
• English Canadian
  instead of English-Canadian

Slashes

Avoid using slashes in formal writing.

Examples:

• The artist and writer Emily Carr
  instead of “The artist/writer Emily Carr”

M-Dashes and N-Dashes

There are two kinds of dashes. The m-dash is longer (about the same length as the letter m) and the n-dash is shorter (about the same length as the letter n).

On a Mac, the keyboard shortcut Option + Shift + Dash (-) makes an em dash, and Option + Dash (-) makes an en dash.

On Windows, it's less simple. Hold down the Alt key and type 0151 for an em dash or 0150 for an en dash.

Use an em dash with spaces on either side to break up sentences.

Example:

• When I started my degree, it was still the Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design — this was 2007 — and there was no illustration program.

Use an en dash (–) without spaces to represent a span or range of numbers, dates, or time.

Example:

• The campus is open 9:00am–5:00pm

As per Canadian Press rules, capitalize the proper names of nationalities, peoples, races, tribes and the like.

Examples:

• Indigenous Peoples, Arab, Arabic, African, Black, Caucasian, Chipewyan, Chinese, English Canadian, Hispanic, Indian, Inuk, Inuit, Jewish, Latin, Nordic, Roma.

The Canadian Press has adopted Black as a proper name for a person's race and capitalizes it in all such references.

• Spell out numbers one to nine; write 10 and up as numerals

• Write out numbers that appear at the beginning of a sentence (or rewrite to move the placement of the number)

• Write out percentages as “30 per cent” (avoid use of %)

• Use periods in phone numbers (604.222.2222)

• For times, use a 12-hour clock and lower-case

• Use an en dash to separate start and end times for an event

• The reception runs from 8–11pm
• Student years are written out (second year or third year, not 3rd year, 2nd year)

Capitalize the terms “Indigenous”, “Aboriginal”, “First Nations”, “Métis”, “Inuit”.

Capitalize the words “Indigenize” and “Indigeneity”.

Capitalize formal titles like Chief and Elder that precede a name

Examples:

• Chief Ian Campbell
  instead of “chief Ian Campbell”
• Ian Campbell is a chief
  instead of “Ian Campbell is a Chief”

When writing about an Indigenous person, make an effort to include their specific band and nation wherever possible. Always be sure to ask the person whether and/or how they would like their Indigeneity to be referenced.

Examples:

• Brenda Crabtree, a member of the Spuzzum Band in the Nlaka’pamux territory, is Director of Aboriginal Programs at ECU.

• Vida scoured the web to find and reconnect with members of David’s Cree birth family (David had been adopted at two years old).

• Alysha, who is a member of the Kaska Dene and Tahltan Nations, will receive $10,000 per year for up to four years.

Additional resources:

• Elements of Indigenous Style: A Guide for Writing By and About Indigenous Peoples

• UBC’s Indigenous Peoples Language Guide

These territorial acknowledgments aim to generate awareness of continued Indigenous land rights, acknowledge our settler-colonial history and the need for meaningful reconciliation in our society. We recommend using the preferred form below unless time or space limits your ability to do so.

Preferred form:

Emily Carr University is situated on unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples.

Short form:

ECU is situated on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories.

Additional resources:

• Writing about Indigenous peoples
• Guidelines for Indigenous style

Always remember that you are writing about people.

Don’t use terms that imply inferiority or superiority.

Examples:

• “Low socioeconomic status”
  instead of “low class”

Avoid negative language.

Examples:

• “Uses a wheelchair”
  instead of “confined to a wheelchair”
• “Diagnosed with bipolar disorder”
  instead of “suffers from bipolar disorder”

Always take the time to ask about individual preferences. For example, do they refer to themselves as a “person with a disability” or a “disabled person”?

Some helpful resources:

• Writing about disability

Avoid the term “minority” or “minority group”.

• This term may imply inferiority and can be inaccurate, as “minorities” are often not in the numerical minority.

Don’t make assumptions about race based on appearance.

• Use the same terms that the subject uses to describe themselves. If in doubt, ask.

Before referring to someone’s race or identity, ask yourself whether it’s necessary to do so.

• Does their race or identity inform what you’re writing about?

Avoid using gendered language to describe groups of individuals.

• Use “folks”, “people”, “members of the community”
  instead of “guys”, “gentlemen”, “ladies”

If you don’t know a person’s preferred pronouns, a good first step is to introduce yourself with yours.

Example:

• “Hi, I’m Wakeen, and I go by ‘they’ pronouns. How should I refer to you?”

Don’t force people to share their pronouns.

• Some people aren’t comfortable sharing their pronouns, or may still be grappling with identity.

• People who are comfortable sharing may choose not to do so in certain settings. For example, a cis person in a space that is not safe for non-cis people may choose not to share, in order to remove pressure on non-cis people to do so.

Here’s a good guide on pronouns.

Use non-gendered titles for professions or roles.

Examples:

• Use “ombudsperson”
  (instead of “ombudsman”)

Some guidelines for writing about transgender and gender non-conforming individuals can be found here.

Resources:

• Using gender-inclusive language

• Writing about transgender and non-binary folks

Most of our content should be at a Grade 8 reading level.

• To check the reading level of your writing, copy and paste it into Hemingway Editor.

Assume our website audience doesn’t know much about Emily Carr, or art and design practices. Avoid presuming expertise or familiarity.

A good practice is to write as if you were explaining the topic to a 12-year-old

• Use short sentences and active language.
  • “Submit your application by January 15”
    instead of “Applicants are invited to submit in advance of the January 15 deadline.”
• Keep paragraphs short and focused on a single point or idea.
  
• Multiple short paragraphs are easier to scan and understand than one long paragraph.
  
• Use headings and subheadings to break up content.
  
• Avoid unnecessary adjectives or adverbs, which make sentences harder to read.
  
• Avoid jargon or insider language
  
• Use consistent language/wording to refer to a topic within a single page or article. For example, use “students” consistently rather than switching between “students,” “individuals,” “animators,” “artists.”
  
• Order information according to importance. The most important details should be at the top or beginning of your materials.

Questions to ask yourself:

• Does this language make sense for a reader (parent, high school student) who doesn’t know anything about our programs?
• Could someone scan this paragraph and understand the key message?
• Is the level of depth appropriate for the audience?