dash
Include a space before and after a dash when using to denote an abrupt change in thought or an empathic pause. May also be used to set off a series within a phrase: Hamilton's key messages — innovative curriculum, writing/speaking and research, enduring community and outcomes — have stood the test of time.
dates, months and times
Dates should not include "th," "nd" or "rd" after the day or the month: They were married on February 19 not February 19th. Use "th" when referring to a century or an anniversary: He studied paintings of the 19th century. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Writing Center.
When a month is used with a date, abbreviate all but March, April, May, June and July: He was born on Feb. 14, 1956. Spell out when using alone, or with a year alone, and do not set off with a comma: He was born in December 1943 (not December of 1943). Valentine's Day is Feb. 14.
When using a month, date and year, set off the year with commas: June 6, 1944, was D-Day.
Times should use a.m. or p.m. (with periods) and no zeros: 3 p.m. Do not use 12 in front of noon or midnight. Do not repeat a.m. or p.m. when giving a time range: The workshop was scheduled for 3–5 p.m. (not 3 p.m.–5 p.m.)
When indicating a span of time, print the words the reader should be reading, such as "from," "to," "between" and "and": We lived in Clinton from 1975 to 1986. He arrived at the reception between 11 p.m. and midnight. In other uses, use the en-dash: the 2007–08 academic year, the 2006–07 Annual Fund.
dean of faculty
Not dean of the faculty. Capitalize when referring to the Dean of Faculty's Office. Note that the dean's formal title is vice president for academic affairs and dean of faculty; however, dean of faculty is preferred in most cases.
Dean's List
Capitalize. Possessive.
decades
Use an apostrophe to indicate numerals omitted. Show plural by adding "s": She grew up in the '80s. The 1920s marked the height of the Swing Era.
department, program chairs
See "chairs, department and program."
departments and offices
Capitalize names of College departments, programs and offices. List the area name first: Philosophy Department, not Department of Philosophy; Africana Studies Program, not Program in Africana Studies; Dean of Students Office, not Office of the Dean of Students.
Lowercase "department" or "program" on second reference when it stands alone: He is a professor in the Chemistry Department and next year will be department chair.
Lowercase academic disciplines when not referring to a department or program: The grant will support students interested in biology, psychology and physics. (Exceptions, of course, are areas such as English, Asian studies, French, etc.)
dollars
See "money."
dorm, dormitory
See "residence hall."
download
One word.
Dr.
Reserved for medical doctors and dentists. See "academic degrees."
effect, affect
See "affect, effect."
ellipsis
Use "..." only to indicate that words have been omitted from quoted material. Use a dash to indicate a dramatic pause or change in direction. Use a space before and after the ellipsis: Good writers pay careful attention to details ... including proper punctuation. Our team's first goal is to have fun. ... Of course we'd also like to win the game. See "dash."
email
No hyphen.
emeritus, emerita, emeriti
An honor earned upon retirement from the faculty (emeritus for a man; emerita for a woman; emeriti for a group). Use after the title and capitalize: Professor of Anthropology Emeritus Doug Raybeck. After the name, lowercase: Jean D'Costa, the Leavenworth Professor of English emerita. No commas.
endowed chairs
See "faculty chairs."
ensure, insure
Use ensure to mean "guarantee": Use these guidelines to ensure accuracy in your writing. Use insure only when referring to insurance: The policy insures his life.
entitled
Use it to mean "a right to do or have." Do not use to mean "titled": The book is titled Gone with the Wind. He was entitled to a raise.
extracurricular
One word.
facilities and buildings
See Campus Buildings & Facilities for a list of formal and second-reference names.
faculty
When used alone, treat as a singular noun: The faculty is taking a vote. When referring to a person who is a member of the faculty, use "faculty member" or "professor" (if appropriate). See "professor."
faculty chairs
Faculty chairs are professors who hold endowed professorships or other honorific titles. Several administrators also have special titles: Stephen Harper Kirner Professor of Computer Science Stuart Hirshfield; Couper Librarian Randy Ericson. When using the title after a name, add "the" for clarity: Stuart Hirshfield, the Stephen Harper Kirner Professor of Computer Science published an article. Because new chairholders are named each year, consult the faculty listing in the online College Catalogue for current chairholders.
For guidelines on identifying a faculty member as chair of a Hamilton department or program, see "chairs, departments and programs."
fall break
Lowercase.
Fallcoming
Capitalize when referring to the Hamilton event held each fall.
Family Weekend
Capitalize. No longer Parents Weekend.
farther, further
Farther refers to physical distance. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: The walk from the village to campus was farther than they expected. Further research is necessary to prove his hypothesis.
fax
Lowercase, except when starting a sentence. Do not use all caps.
FebFest
Student-run event held each February. One word. Note capitalization.
fewer, less
Fewer refers to individual items, less to bulk or quantity: Fewer than 10 students received internships. She had less than $50 in her wallet. Here, $50 is considered a singular lump sum; however: She had fewer than 50 $1 bills in her wallet.
fiancé, fiancée
Fiancé is a man, fiancée a woman.
film, movie titles
Italicize. See "composition titles."
firsthand
One word.
first-year student
Not freshman. Exceptions are in sports references, where freshman is acceptable, and in certain cases where alumni are recalling their College experiences. First-years is never accepted as a noun.
fractions
Spell out amounts less than 1 in text, using hyphens: two-thirds, one-third, four-fifths. Use figures for amounts greater than 1, converting to decimals when practical.
free agent
Lowercase: He served as an Annual Fund free agent.
full-time, part-time
Hyphenate adjective or adverb: She enjoyed her full-time position. He worked part-time in the library.
fundraiser, fundraising
One word.
further, farther
See "farther, further."
GOLD, GOLD Group
Acronym for Graduates of the Last Decade. On second reference, when referring to programming, the acronym can stand alone: GOLD initiatives for this year include achieving 65 percent Annual Fund participation. The GOLD Group is acceptable on second reference, but avoid GOLD alumni since this is redundant.
GOLD Scholars, GOLD Scholars Program
Capitalize.
grandparent names
See "parent names."
Great Names Series
The formal name of the series is The Sacerdote Series Great Names at Hamilton and should be used on first reference. Sacerdote Great Names Series or Great Names Series is acceptable on second reference.
