Style Guide

Introduction

This style guide has been developed as a resource for University of Lethbridge writers and communicators. We write for many internal and external audiences, so having a consistent approach to how we write in our print and online publications helps us create and maintain the U of L brand. This, in turn, expresses our value as one of Canada’s leading universities.

Inside this guide, you will find resources that list terms and conventions unique to the U of L, as well as tips to help you tell our stories.

The U of L largely bases its style on Canadian Press standards, which can be found in the Canadian Press Stylebook and CP Caps and Spelling. In addition, other resources the University uses include the Canadian Oxford Dictionary and the Chicago Manual of Style.

Chapter 1 — General Writing Considerations

• Identify the purpose of your writing. Is it to inform? Is it to persuade? Is it to entertain?
• Consider the news value of your material — timeliness, impact, proximity, prominence, relevance, oddity and conflict. Identifying the news value at the heart of your story often provides the lead.
• Consider your audiences and then focus your writing with the reader in mind.
• Keep U of L students, staff and faculty at the heart of your writing.
• Remember that essential elements of every good story are who, what, where, when, why and how.
• Show, don’t tell. Use anecdotes, examples, analogies, etc.
• Use plain language so your writing appeals to a broad audience.
• When called upon to write about complex scientific concepts, pay close attention to any opportunities to use metaphors and examples to aid reader understanding.
• Good writing boils down to following the ABCs: accuracy, brevity and clarity.

Voice and tone

Voice and tone are about how you express yourself as a writer, apart from the rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation.

Voice

Your writing voice can consist of the words you choose to use, the way you write a sentence, the turns of phrase you use or how you structure an argument. Your voice is the fingerprint you leave on your writing so it can be identified as yours. In general, use active voice when the subject of a sentence performs the verb’s action. In passive voice, the subject is acted upon by the verb. Passive voice has its place but should be used sparingly.

Example of active voice — The professor taught students how to code.

Example of passive voice — Students were taught how to code by the professor.

The University’s voice consists of the aspects of our brand that don’t change. The University of Lethbridge voice can be described as follows:

• confident but not arrogant
• personal and conversational while being professional
• smart but not pedantic
• enthusiastic and visionary yet real
• inspirational but not fluffy

Our brand voice includes the following elements:

• We are creative, pushing boundaries with new items, methods and activities.
• We are supportive and provide the encouragement, direction and services people need to succeed.

• We are engaging and find learning exciting and our excitement is contagious.
• We are approachable and make complex subjects more accessible and interesting.
• We are emergent, always moving and growing by expanding what we do well.

Our writing style is professional yet conversational. We appeal to curiosity and inspire thought. To emphasize the personal, supportive experience the U of L offers, we tell personal stories of our students, faculty, staff and alumni.

Tone

Your writing tone changes based on your audience. The University’s audiences can be segmented as follows:

Prospective students in high school — members of this audience are between 15 and 18 years old. Writing tone should be a little more fun, enthusiastic and celebratory while still being professional. Be wary of trying to appear cool. This is a tough and cynical crowd.

Parents and influencers — keep in mind members of this audience are entrusting us with their child and making a significant financial investment. Your writing tone needs to be professional, personal and supportive. Writing needs to address educational quality and outcomes.

Current students — writing for this audience needs to be personal, supportive and encouraging.

Alumni — alumni have invested their time and money with us. They are familiar with us and communications need to generate pride, show quality and build community.

Donors — the writing tone will change depending on the type of donor being addressed. Whether you’re speaking to a corporation or someone looking to make a planned gift, it’s key to show the U of L is an excellent investment. Be personal and professional.

External audience — your writing tone will need to adapt to the particular segment of this audience being addressed, whether a local, provincial, national or international audience.

Writing for various audiences

In general, the writing style at the U of L is professional, yet conversational and engaging. Our stories are about the people who make the University the incredible place it is. Our stories focus on the people. We capture their motivations, their inspirations and their aspirations.

Our stories take the reader on a journey. They engage, educate and evoke an emotion. They inspire and lead to actions. Our stories do all this while laddering back to the brand and aligning with key messages and supporting proof points.

Undergraduate recruitment

Recruitment stories are more casual, use first names and appeal to a high school audience. Stores need to capture an experience and inspire a reader to find out more about the U of L and, ultimately, apply.

Recruitment promotional copy is personal and uses a second-person point of view, that is, you and your. We want prospective students to envision themselves at the U of L.

Example — Our liberal education requirements mean that the courses you take in your first year apply to any bachelor’s degree, giving you a great opportunity to figure out what makes you shine.

Additional resources are available online at https://www.uleth.ca/future-student/ and at https://issuu.com/ulethbridge.

Keep in mind the recruitment audience can be further segmented into high school, transfer/post-diploma, Indigenous, international, mature and graduate student audiences.

Graduate students

Recruitment promotional copy is still personal and uses you and your. We want prospective students to envision themselves at the U of L. Remember graduate students are an older, more mature and research-oriented audience.

Research

Research stories sometimes need to translate what is very complex information into lay terms in an engaging way that educates the audiences and shows relevance and impact.

Capture the personal element in the story. Find out what inspires and motivates the researcher and what he or she hopes to accomplish.

Use plain language and avoid jargon.

Indicate the problem or situation the research addresses. Explain how this research will benefit the community, Albertans, Canadians or the world. If the story has an economic impact, such as lower health-care costs or create new jobs, explain what that is.

The reader should finish the story having learned something new.

Development

Capture the donor’s motivations and inspiration behind their gift. What does the donor hope will become of the gift? Show the impact of the gift and what it will enable and back it up with examples. The inspiration and impact are more important than the dollar value, which may or may not be included in the story.

All content needs to be polished, fact-checked and free of errors.

Note — stories should be written in 12-point Arial with 1.5 spacing. Include a headline, subhead and byline.

Chapter 2 — University of Lethbridge terms

Territorial Statement (Lethbridge Campus)

Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University is located in traditional Blackfoot Confederacy territory. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Indigenous Peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.

Territorial Statement (Calgary Campus)

Our University’s Blackfoot name is Iniskim, meaning Sacred Buffalo Stone. The University of Lethbridge is located on the Bow Valley College Campus located in traditional Niitsitapi territory in the City of Calgary. We honour the Blackfoot people and their traditional ways of knowing in caring for this land, as well as all Indigenous peoples who have helped shape and continue to strengthen our University community.

See the U of L’s Blackfoot and Other Indigenous Peoples Protocol Handbook for more information.

University of Lethbridge

In a formal article, spell out on first reference. Use U of L or University in subsequent references. Capitalize University when referring to the U of L.

Example — At the University of Lethbridge, we are invested in your success and as such, we continue to enhance our services for students.

A new venture for the University garnered a lot of attention in January — the first ever ULeth TEDx presentation.

In marketing and student material, use uLethbridge.

Example — Our Shining Students have challenged themselves to go beyond the classroom, taking full advantage of all uLethbridge opportunities.

Chapter 3 — Writing Style Guide

Abbreviations and acronyms

Common abbreviations include the following:

Etc. – et cetera (and other similar things)

e.g. – exempli gratia (for example)

i.e. – id est (that is)

In general, avoid using these abbreviations in formal articles; they are most often used in scholarly works.

Times are written as a.m. and p.m.

Example - 4 p.m., 8:30 a.m.

Time zones are capitalized and used with no periods

Example - MDT, EDT

Omit periods from currency abbreviations

Example - $500 US, $800 Cdn

Well-known acronyms (abbreviations pronounced as words) can be used on their own. Do not put periods between each letter.

Example - CBC, RCMP, CTV

If an acronym is not well known, write it out in full on the first reference, enclosing the acronym in brackets immediately after. Use the acronym only in subsequent references.

Example - The University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU) is hosting a Halloween Howl. This is just one of several events hosted by the ULSU throughout the academic year.

Common U of L acronyms include the following:

Administrative Professional Officer (APO)

Alberta Union of Provincial Employees (AUPE)

Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN)

Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy (FOIP)

Organization of Residence Students (ORS)

Registrar’s Office (RO)

University of Lethbridge Students’ Union (ULSU)

University of Lethbridge Faculty Association (ULFA)

NOTE - In general, avoid using abbreviations and acronyms if possible. For ease of reading, use a generic term.

Example - The Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience is renowned for its research into memory and memory formation. Ultimately, researchers at the centre want to find new treatments for memory disorders like dementia.

Canadian provinces and territories may be abbreviated following the name of a community:

B.C., Alta., Sask., Man., Ont., Que., N.B., N.S., N.L., P.E.I., N.W.T.

Use Yukon and Nunavut in all references.

Addresses

University of Lethbridge - Lethbridge Campus

4401 University Drive West

Lethbridge, Alberta

T1K 3M4

University of Lethbridge - Calgary Campus

Suite 6032, 345 Sixth Avenue Southeast

Calgary, Alberta

T2G 4V1

Note - In running text, spell out First through Ninth as street names.

When addressing mail, follow Canada Post guidelines

• Write in block letters.
• Put a hyphen between the unit, suite or apartment number and the street number. Don’t use the # symbol.
• Use numerals in street addresses
• Abbreviate the street type, street direction and province.
• Put the city, province and postal code on the same line, with one space between the city and province, two spaces between the province and postal code and one space between the elements of the postal code.

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

4401 UNIVERSITY DR W

LETHBRIDGE AB T1K 3M4

UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE – CALGARY CAMPUS

SUITE 6032 – 345 6 AVE SE

CALGARY AB T2G 4V1

In running text, use Canadian Press abbreviations for provinces after the name of a community.

e.g., B.C., Alta., Man., N.B., N.L., N.W.T., N.S., Ont., P.E.I., Que., Sask., Yukon, Nunavut

Capitalization

Current approaches to writing tend to favour using lower case as much as possible. Too many capital letters make reading more difficult.

In general, capitalize common nouns when they are part of a formal name and use lower case in subsequent references. However, the University of Lethbridge prefers University to be capitalized when referring to the U of L and for Faculty to be capitalized when referring to any U of L Faculty.

Example - The University of Lethbridge, the University

The Faculty of Health Sciences, the Faculty, Faculty members

BUT

The Government of Alberta, the Alberta government

Job titles appearing before a name are capitalized; job titles appearing after a name are lower cased.

Example – President and Vice-chancellor Mike Mahon

Dr. Matthew Letts, dean of arts and science

Capitalize Grade when used with a numeral.

Example – He was in Grade 8 when he knew he wanted to study biology.

In headlines and names of talks, presentations and lectures, capitalize the first and last words in titles and subtitles and all other major words, including nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and some conjunctions (except, do not capitalize and, but, for, or and nor). Lowercase prepositions unless they are used adjectivally or adverbially (up in Look Up). Check the dictionary definition to determine how a word is being used.

Captions

When appropriate, captions appearing under photos, graphs or tables should be a complete sentence and should present additional information or details that are not in the main body of the article.

Dates

For months used with a specific date, abbreviate only Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. When using month only or a month with a year, spell out in full.

Example – The Alberta government adopted a new policy on Monday, Nov. 23.

November 2020 was cold and windy.

AD is acceptable in all references for Anno Domini (Latin for in the year of the Lord) and BC for before Christ. AD precedes the year while BC follows it.

Example - AD 420, 75 BC. But write 12th century AD.

Emeritus

The Board of Governors designates presidents, vice-presidents, associate vice-presidents, deans and associate deans as emeritus if the designate meets the criteria.

The U of L Senate designates chancellors as emeritus.

Those faculty members who are full professors on retirement automatically become professor emeritus. Faculty members who are not full professors on retirement may be recommended for emeritus status.

Emeritus refers to a male professor; emerita refers to a female professor. The plural form is emeriti. Use professor emeritus, not emeritus professor.

Italics

Use italics for titles of books, plays, movies, papers and studies.

Measurement

Canada adopted the metric system in 1970 but many non-metric units are still used today. Golf courses and football fields still use yards, many recipes still use cups and teaspoons and we use two-by-fours and quarter-inch screws.

Writers should use metric units, but if doing so makes it unclear to the reader, consider using an analogy.

Example – The University of Lethbridge campus was covered with 50 centimetres of snow. The campus was covered in knee-deep snow.

In general, spell out the names of metric units. Metric has no abbreviations, only symbols. These symbols take periods only at the end of a sentence, never take an s in the plural, and are separated from a number with a space. C (for Celsius) can be used on first reference. Other common symbols, such as km/h, mm, cm, should be written out on first reference but can be used in subsequent references when preceded by a number. Use kilometre, kilogram, millimetre, metre (not meter), centimetre, gram, litre, millilitre

Example — The car was going 70 kilometres per hour, but the bus, travelling at 100 km/h, soon caught up.

Metric Units and their symbols

millimetre – mm

centimetre – cm

metre – m

kilometre – km

hectare – ha

millilitre – ml

litre – l

milligram – mg

gram – g

kilogram – kg

metric ton/tonne – t

volt – V

ampere – A

ohm – ohm

hertz – Hz

joule – J

kilojoule – kJ

megajoule – MJ

kilowatt hour – kW-h

watt – W

kilowatt – kW

megawatt – MW

Celsius – C

metres a second – m/s

kilometres an hour – km/h

kilobyte – KB

megabyte - MB

Numbers

Spell out numbers under 10.

A number less than one has a zero before the decimal.

Example — The last rainfall was a mere 0.25 millimetres.

Use a comma in numbers of four digits or more.

Example – 7,500; 380,000

Spell out fractions below one.

Example – two-thirds, one-fourth

Spell out a number if it appears at the beginning of a sentence, but try to reword the sentence if possible for ease of reading.

Example - Eighty students crammed into the small classroom.

The small classroom was packed with 80 students.

Use the $ sign when discussing money. If the monetary value is less than a dollar, use cents. Avoid using both the $ sign and the word dollar in the same sentence (Avoid – The pay is $20 dollars per hour.)

Example – Students pay more than $500 per course.

Use a numeral when referring to a grade in elementary or secondary school.

Example – He was in Grade 8 when he knew he wanted to study biology.

Punctuation

Apostrophes

Apostrophes almost always never indicate a plural, only possession. However, there may be an occasion where it will make sense to use an apostrophe to indicate a plural.

Example – He worked hard this semester and received A’s on his assignments.

Colons and semicolons

The colon signals the reader that you’re going to expand on what you’ve just said. Colons must follow a complete sentence, even if you’re introducing a list.

Example – I have two favourite hobbies: reading and photography.

Course assignments included the following: an essay, a book report and a group project.

Semicolons are used to divide closely related independent clauses (each clause can stand on its own as a complete sentence).

Example – The University’s aquatic centre boasts an Olympic-sized pool; its capacity is 3.5 million litres of water.

Semicolons are also used to divide up complex lists and to separate list items that already contain commas.

Example – Students in the class were from Vancouver, B.C.; Grande Prairie, Alta.; Winnipeg, Man. and Thunder Bay, Ont.

Commas

The U of L does not use the Oxford (serial) comma unless it’s necessary to avoid ambiguity.

Example — The University cafeteria sells apples, oranges and bananas.

I’d like to thank my parents, Justin Trudeau, and God.

Dashes and Hyphens

Hyphens are only used in compound words or phrases to add clarity.

Example — vice-president, yogurt-dipped pretzel, she has good decision-making skills.

Dashes are longer than hyphens and are commonly used to indicate a range or a pause.

En dash

En dashes, which are equal to the width of an n, are less common than hyphens and are used mostly with numbers and ranges of numbers.

Example — 403–555–5555

On a Mac keyboard, press the option and dash keys.

On a PC desktop keyboard, press ctrl and minus on the numeric keypad.

On a PC laptop, type a space followed by a hyphen ( -this). Word will automatically convert the hyphen to an en dash, but you will need to go back and remove the space.

Em dash

Em dashes are equal to the width of an m and are used for parenthetical information or to drive the reader forward with a little drama.

Example — You should see The Avengers — it’s incredible.

On a Mac, press the shift, option and hyphen keys.

On a PC desktop, press alt, ctrl and minus on the numeric keypad.

On a PC laptop, write two hyphens. Word will automatically insert an em dash.

Quotations and dialogue

Commas and periods are always inside quotation marks.

Example - “Slow down,” she yelled. “You’re going way too fast for me.”

The placement of question marks and exclamation points depend on the context.

Example - “When are we going to have dinner?” he asked.

Is Joe one of the “good guys”?

For a quotation within a quotation, use single quotes.

Example - “Shakespeare once said ‘All that glitters is not gold’ and you should remember that,” Mary said.

Quotation marks can be used to indicate irony, sarcasm or a made-up word. These are also called scare quotes and are a way for a writer to distance themselves from a word and alert the reader to not take the word or words at face value. Use sparingly.

Example – My brother complains about the “food” at the hospital.

Their carefully thought-out strategy failed; it turned into a “stragedy.”

Who or whom?

Who refers to the subject of a sentence. Whom refers to the object of a sentence.

Example – John (subject) is reading a book to Andrew (object).

Who is reading the book to Andrew? John (subject)

Whom is John reading to? Andrew (object)

Tip – If you can replace the word with he or she in the sentence, use who (John (he) is reading to Andrew). If you can replace the word with him or her, use whom (John is reading to Andrew (him)). Courtesy of Grammarly

Their, there and they’re

There can mean the opposite of here or it can be used as a pronoun.

Example — The screwdriver is on the tool bench over there.

There was something amiss with the computer network yesterday.

Their is a plural possessive pronoun

Example — Travelling by train made their vacation relaxing.

They’re is a contraction of they are

Example — They’re planning to travel by train to Western Canada.

That vs which

That is used when the clause is essential to the sentence.

Example – The machines that are used the most in the Fitness Centre. (Not just any machines, but the ones that are used the most).

Which is used for clauses that provide a reason or add new information.

Example — The machines, which cost $10,000 each, are used by everyone at the Fitness Centre.

Identifying alumni

The U of L recognizes alumni by listing their credential and year in brackets following their name. Ensure the single quotation mark is a closing mark by placing it immediately after the degree and adding a space afterward.

Example – John Smith (BMgt ’95)

A woman whose name has changed since she earned her degree can be identified with her original name in brackets before her surname.

Example — Jane (Doe) Smith (BA ’01)

Spelling

A

adviser

alma mater

alumna – female graduate

alumni – more than one graduate

Alumni Association – capitalize when referring to the U of L Alumni Association

alumnus – a male graduate

analyze (not analyse)

Applied Studies program (only capitalize the official full program name)

applied studies coordinator (only capitalize if it’s a job title preceding a name)

applied studies course

archeology

B

Board of Governors, the Board

C

Calendar is capitalized when referring to the U of L Calendar

centre

centred on

Chair – capitalize when used as a title

Co-operative Education program (full proper name)

co-op coordinator (unless used as a job title preceding the name)

co-op degree designation

co-op student

co-op work term

course

credit/non-credit

D

department — Capitalize the proper name of a department, but use lower case in other references.

Example — Department of Anthropology, Department of History, Department of Geography & Environment, but neuroscience department, philosophy department

doctoral degree, doctoral student (avoid doctoral candidate) * note – doctoral is an adjective, but doctorate is a noun. (She has a doctorate. vs. She has a doctoral degree.)

doctorate

E

email

enrol

enrolled

enrolment

F

faculty member

Fall, as in Fall 2020 semester

fieldwork

focused, focusing

fundraiser, fundraising, fundraise

G

governors

graduand — refers to someone who is eligible to graduate, but has not yet graduated. When they obtain their degree, they become a graduate.

H

home page

honour, honourable, honorary

honorary degree

Example — Tom Jackson is an honorary degree recipient.

I

internet

L

LINC — avoid. Use University of Lethbridge Library or Library building

M

master's degree

P

per cent (do not use % except in tables)

PhD

postdoctoral

postgraduate

Prairie provinces, but prairie chicken

program (avoid programme)

R

readmission

S

Senate (the U of L Senate)

senator

sizable

southern Alberta

spring (winter, summer, fall)

spring semester/Spring Semester 2008

student computer labs

Students’ Union (SU)

summer session

T
theatre

U

University Library, the U of L Library

University of Lethbridge

U of L

V

vice-president
vice-chair

W

web, web page, website, webcast, web server, webmaster

Western Canada – capitalize because it's a region. But use western Canadian as an adjective

women’s studies major/ Women’s Studies program

Chapter 4 — Inclusive Language

It’s very easy to offend with language, so writers must take care when referencing age, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, disability and religion. Use discretion, tact and sensitivity when tackling these subjects.

Age

Use a number over an adjective. Avoid using words like senior citizen, retiree, elderly or middle-aged. Use age in copy only when it’s relevant, such as in an obituary.

Disabilities

When describing someone with a disability, illness or disease, remember they are people first. Mention a disability only when it’s relevant. Use students with autism rather than autistic students.

Race and ethnicity

Mention race and ethnicity only when it’s relevant to the story. In a university setting, it may be pertinent to mention someone’s educational background.

Example — the following sentence was used in a story that introduced Dr. Dmytro Yevtushenko as the Research Chair in Potato Science:

Yevtushenko was born in central Ukraine and attended Kiev State University, as it was then called.

Names of races

Capitalize the proper names of races, peoples, nationalities and tribes.

Example — Indigenous Peoples, Arab, Caucasian, French-Canadian, Inuit, Jew, Latin, Asian, Cree, Kainai, Piikani.

White and black do not name races and are lowercased. Black is an accepted term in all references in Canada.

Writing about Indigenous peoples

Historically, language and terminology have been used in ways that have been damaging to Indigenous communities. Writers must take great care to be respectful and accurate in the words they use.

The U of L capitalizes Indigenous, Inuit, Métis, First Nation and, when part of a formal title, Chief, Hereditary Chief, Grand Chief and Elder.

Do not use Native, Indian or Eskimo.

Remember that Indigenous people do not belong to Canada, any province, or the U of L. Do not use a possessive, as in ‘Canada’s Indigenous people’ or ‘our Indigenous students,’ as it invokes an entire history of paternalism and control. Say ‘Indigenous people of Canada’ or ‘Indigenous students attending the U of L.’

Sexism

Treat the sexes equally in your writing. A woman’s marital status may be appropriate in a profile but may otherwise be irrelevant. The question to ask yourself is if you would use the information if the subject were a man.

Use general terms where appropriate.

Example – police officer (not policeman), firefighter (not fireman), mail carrier (not mailman), flight attendant (not stewardess).

When sex is pertinent, masculine and feminine forms can be used.

Example — chairwoman, spokeswoman, businesswoman

Problems can crop up when writing in the plural and sometimes, the answer is to reword the sentence.

Example — A sentence such as A student should talk to his or her instructor can be reworded to Students should talk to their instructors to avoid awkward use of pronouns.

Sexual orientation

Gender identity and expression have rapidly changed in the last few years and writers need to tread carefully, remain flexible and be guided by the preferences of the person or people they are writing about. Avoid mentioning if it’s not relevant to the story.

The U of L’s pride club, known as Q-Space, prefers to use the 2SLGBTQ+ acronym. It stands for two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (or questioning). Use this acronym when writing about the U of L and its students.

Use sexual orientation, not sexual preference; sexuality is not an option.

Use a person’s preferred pronouns.

Follow a person’s preference for how to name their significant other, such as boyfriend, girlfriend, partner, husband or wife.

Gender identity refers to a person’s sense of their gender, which may not match the sex they were assigned at birth, a situation known as transgender.

Gender expression refers to how an individual expresses their gender identity outwardly. The two may not line up, so avoid assumptions. Gender expression and gender identity should not be confused with sexual orientation. Transgender people may be straight, lesbian, gay, bisexual or queer.

More writing resources can be found online at APA Style.

For a glossary of inclusive and antiracist writing terms, check out SFU Library resources.

For more guidance on how to avoid discriminatory language, see the Sum Of Us Progressive’s Style Guide.

Chapter 5 — International Students

Who are international students?

International students are University of Lethbridge students who are not domestic students; they are not Canadian citizens, refugees or permanent residents of Canada. Most require a study permit in order to study at the U of L, although a few exceptions do exist. Exceptions include exchange students or other students who are studying for only one term at the U of L.

The phrase, international students, should not be capitalized.

Study permit

A study permit is a legal document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This document authorizes an international student to study in Canada and gives them certain work privileges, subject to conditions.

The phrase, study permit, should not be capitalized.

Visa

In Canada, a visa is an entry document. Technically called a temporary resident visa, or TRV, a visa is a counterfoil (sticker) in a foreign national’s passport. The TRV is required for entry into Canada for citizens of certain countries. Not all international students require a TRV for entry. Citizens of certain countries require no entry document, such as U.S. citizens, or an electronic travel authorization (eTA).

A visa is an immigration document. A VISA refers to a credit card issued by that company.

Exchange students

Exchange students are a subset of international students. They study at the U of L for one or two terms as part of a reciprocal agreement between the University of Lethbridge and the student’s home institution.

Visa students

The term, visa student, used on campus is a misnomer. It originates from the Banner Student Information System and, because Banner is an American system, it uses American terminologies that do not align with Canadian immigration programs. This term should be avoided in publications.

Chapter 6 — Writing for the Web

The web is a crowded space, so good writing is key to holding readers’ attention beyond a quick scan. Readers generally scan web pages in an F-pattern and they also look for hyperlinks on a page to help them find what they’re looking for quickly.

Keep the following tips in mind when writing for the web:

• Know your primary and secondary audiences and tailor your content so it’s accessible and interesting to all of them.
• Follow the inverted pyramid model with the most important messages at the top of the page. Your most valuable content should go above the fold.
• Write short, simple sentences.
• Stick to active voice.
• Show, don’t tell.
• Use plain language.
• Make your text easily scannable. Readers want to find the information they’re looking for easily.
• Break up content into digestible chunks using short paragraphs, bullets and numbered lists.
• Include white space as it makes text easier to read.
• Organize your content into sections and use descriptive subheads to help readers navigate your site.
• Include graphic elements like photos, videos, tables or infographics.
• Help readers by layering your content and using internal hyperlinks. Hyperlinks should be descriptive, unique and use keywords; do not use ‘click here.’ Example — Visit the ARRTI website for more information.
• Include a call to action, such as Share, Sign Up or Learn More, at the bottom of the page.
• Place important elements on the left half of the page. Eye-tracking studies show users spend most of their time there.
• Use pictures of people.
• Use big, bold headlines.

Tips for writing headlines

Research shows that, on average, eight out of 10 people will read headline copy, but only two out of 10 will read the rest.

Use the four U’s approach to writing headlines:

• Be useful to the reader
• Provide the reader with a sense of urgency
• Convey the idea that the main benefit is somehow unique
• Do all of the above in an ultra-specific way

Appendices

Buildings

1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness

Alberta Water and Environmental Science Building (AWESB)

Anderson Hall

Centre for the Arts

Community Centre for Wellbeing

Hepler Hall

Kainai House (residence)

Markin Hall

Max Bell Regional Aquatic Centre

Mount Blakiston (residence)

Parkway Service Complex

Paterson Centre

Piikani House (residence)

Residence Village

Science Commons (use without a preceding ‘the’)

Siksika House (residence)

Students’ Union Building

Tsuu T’ina House (residence)

Turcotte Hall

University Hall

University of Lethbridge Community Stadium

University of Lethbridge Library

Centres & Institutes

Alberta Gambling Research Institute (AGRI)

Alberta RNA Research and Training Institute (ARRTI)

Alberta Terrestrial Imaging Centre (ATIC)

Art, Sound & Technology Research IntersecXions (ASTERIX)

Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience (CCBN)

Canadian Center for Hydrodynamics

Canadian Centre for Research in Advanced Fluorine Technologies (C-CRAFT)

Centre for Culture and Community (CCC)

Centre for Oral History and Tradition (COHT)

Centre for the Study of Scholarly Communication (CSSC)

Health Services Quality Institute (HSQI)

Institute for Consumer and Social Well-being (Centre for Socially Responsible Marketing)

Institute for Child and Youth Studies (I-CYS)

Institute for Space Imaging Science (ISIS)

Prentice Institute for Global Population and Economy

Southern Alberta Genome Sciences Centre (SAGSC)

Small Business Institute (SBI)

Water Institute for Sustainable Environments (WISE)

Departments

Department of Anthropology

Department of Biological Sciences

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Department of Economics

Department of English

Department of Geography & Environment

Department of History

Department of Indigenous Studies

Department of Kinesiology & Physical Education

Department of Mathematics & Computer Science

Department of Modern Languages & Linguistics

Department of Neuroscience

Department of Philosophy

Department of Physics & Astronomy

Department of Political Science

Department of Psychology

Department of Religious Studies

Department of Sociology

Department of Women & Gender Studies

Capitalize when using full name

Example - Department of Biological Sciences, Department of Women & Gender Studies

Lowercase in other instances

Example - anthropology department, neuroscience department

Faculties and Schools

Faculty of Arts & Science

Faculty of Education

Faculty of Fine Arts

Faculty of Health Sciences

Dhillon School of Business

School of Graduate Studies

School of Liberal Education

Programs

Academic Writing

Agricultural Biotechnology

Agricultural Studies

Applied Statistics

Archaeology

Asian Studies

Biochemistry

Canadian Studies

Co-operative Education

Cultural, Social, Political Thought (CSPT)

Environmental Science

Indigenous Student Success Cohort

Remote Sensing

Urban and Regional Studies

Do not capitalize program names in running text

Example — Susan Smith is her fourth year of the agricultural biotechnology program.

Degrees — Undergraduate

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Bachelor of Arts & Science (BASc)

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Education (BA/BEd

Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Management (BA/BMgt)

Bachelor of Education (BEd)

Bachelor of Science (BSc)

Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Education (BSc/BEd)

Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)

Bachelor of Fine Arts/Bachelor of Education (BFA/BEd)

Bachelor of Health Sciences (BHSc)

Bachelor of Health Sciences/Bachelor of Management (BHSc/BMgt)

Bachelor of Nursing (BN)

Bachelor of Therapeutic Recreation (BTR)

Bachelor of Management (BMgt)

Bachelor of Management/Bachelor of Education (BMgt/BEd)

Bachelor of Music (BMus)

Bachelor of Music/Bachelor of Education (BMus/BEd)

Degrees — Graduate and other credentials

Graduate Certificate in Advanced Clinical Study of Addiction

Graduate Certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics

Graduate Certificate in Health Services Management (GCHSM)

Graduate Certificate in Public Health Program and Policy Planning and Evaluation

Graduate Diploma in Addiction and Mental Health Psychotherapy

Master of Arts (MA)

Master of Education (MEd)

Master of Fine Arts (MFA)

Master of Science (MSc)

Master of Counselling (MC)

Master of Education (MEd)

Master of Health Services Management (MHSM)

Master of Music (MMus)

Master of Nursing (MN)

Master of Science (Management) (MSc (Mgt))

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)