Brand Guidelines

Mission, Vision, Objectives

Visual Style Guidelines

Writing Style Guidelines

Alliance Style Guidelines

UTAA Style Guidelines

Mission, Vision, Objectives

Visual Style Guidelines

Writing Style Guidelines

Writing Guide

Content that aligns with our goals and vision and should fall into the categories of philanthropy, engagement, and advocacy. Philanthropy Enhance philanthropic support for University of Tennessee System students, faculty and core institutional priorities. Engagement Broaden and deepen constituent engagement by developing meaningful relationships with the University of Tennessee alumni, friends and students. Advocacy Increase awareness of the UT brand to advance the UT System’s stature as a “best in class” system dedicated to its purpose to “educate, discover and connect.”

Writing Style

UTFI Uses Associated Press Style (AP Style)

Maintaining consistency in our communications through editorial style ensures a positive image of the Foundation.

This writing style guide is a resource for preparing written material for distribution to or publication by the media, on the UT Foundation website, within internal email to employees, and other official communication on behalf of the UT Foundation.

It is intended to ensure consistent and correct usage of titles and acronyms in reference to UTFI and UT campuses, institutes, offices, facilities and their leaders.

Generally, this guide follows Associated Press style, particularly for spelling, capitalization, abbreviations, and the like. Additional guidelines have been prepared for the UT Foundation offices or titles not specifically addressed in AP style.

In the interest of supporting the Foundation as a whole, communications should follow these guidelines. Campus departments within UTFI may use their campus editorial style when creating communications for their audiences. UTFI Office of Communications is available to help review and edit material and help with style consistency.

Internal and external communications representing the system-wide UT Foundation must go through the UTFI Office of Communications. If you have questions or suggestions for the Writing Guide, please email [email protected].

Foundation Style

Usage of Our Name

University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is the formal name of the statewide organization, and is always used as the first reference in all external communications.

On second reference, UT Foundation (capitalized as shown) should be used.

Subsequent reference may use “the Foundation” or UTFI (both capitalized as shown).

Usage of UT Foundation Board of Directors and Committees

Used as a proper name, UT Foundation Board of Directors and UTFI Board are capitalized, as are committee names, such as Directorship committee. The word committee is not capitalized.

The following capitalizations are used in reference to titles of members of the board:

Director Kimberly Cross

Chair Ron Freison

Audit and Compliance Committee Chair Fred Decosimo

When not in reference to a specific person, capitalizations are not used:

The chair called the meeting to order.

Each new director completes an orientation session.

System and Campuses

Referring to the University

University of Tennessee is the administrative/governing body for the statewide University of Tennessee system. On second and subsequent reference, UT System (capitalized as shown). The UT System may be referred to as “the University” on second or subsequent mention and, if so, University must be capitalized.

UT System is the statewide collective. The campuses, institutes, divisions, offices, properties and facilities statewide that make up the University as a whole.

Campuses / Institutes / Entities

University of Tennessee, Knoxville
UT Knoxville or UTK

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
UT Chattanooga or UTC

University of Tennessee Southern
UT Southern or UTS

University of Tennessee at Martin
UT Martin or UTM

University of Tennessee Health Science Center
UT Health Science Center or UTHSC

University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture
UT Institute of Agriculture or UTIA

University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service
UT Institute for Public Service or IPS

University of Tennessee Space Institute
UT Space Institute or UTSI

University of Tennessee Alumni Association
UT Alumni Association or UTAA

University of Tennessee Research Foundation
UT Research Foundation or UTRF

University of Tennessee Research Park at Cherokee Farm
UT Research Park or UTRP

College Names within the University

Make uppercase the word College when used as part of the proper name of a college; lowercase otherwise.

For example:

Joe was accepted into the UT College of Veterinary Medicine.

Academic advisers help students choose appropriate college courses.

Titles of Departments

On first reference, use the full name of a department or administrative area, and capitalize all words except prepositions. On second and subsequent reference, when only a partial name is used, make words lowercase.

For example:

UT Foundation Human Resources is conducting the executive search.

Human resources will contact prospective candidates.

Staff Titles

The table below lists the official names of the UT Foundation offices and senior staff titles.

Office Name	Senior Staff Title(s)
Office of the President	University of Tennessee Foundation President Kerry Witcher
Office of Business	Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer
Office of Planned Giving	Assistant Vice President Planned Giving
UT Alumni Association	Assistant Vice President Alumni Affairs and Advocacy
Office of Advancement Services	Assistant Vice President Advancement Services
Office of Communications	Senior Director of Communications
Chattanooga	Vice Chancellor and Executive Director of the UC Foundation
Health Science Center	Vice Chancellor for Development and Alumni Affairs
Institute of Agriculture	Vice Chancellor for Institutional Advancement
Knoxville	Vice Chancellor for Advancement
Martin	Vice Chancellor for University Advancement
Southern	Vice Chancellor for Advancement

Events, Seasons, Holidays, Alum/Alumni, Doctor

Homecoming

Capitalize in reference to a specific, named campus event: UT Chattanooga Homecoming 2021.

Make lowercase in general use: Anne looked forward to the family’s homecoming.

Seasons, Semesters, Holidays

The four seasons are not capitalized.

Semesters are not capitalized: fall semester, spring break, summer session.

Religious holidays are capitalized, as are most secular holidays.

Alum/Alumni/Alumnus/Alumna

Alumni: plural male graduates and plural gender neutral graduates

Alumnus: usually single male graduate, less often single female graduate

Alumna: single female graduate

Alumnae: plural female graduates

Alum: single graduate, gender neutral

Alums: plural graduates, gender neutral

Doctor/Dr.

Within body copy on websites, emails and press releases, the abbreviation Dr. is used only before the name of a person who holds a medical (MD or DVM) degree. Use Dr. in first reference as a formal title before the name of an individual who holds a doctor of dental surgery, doctor of medicine, doctor of optometry, doctor of osteopathic medicine, doctor of podiatric medicine or doctor of veterinary medicine.

The form Dr., or Drs., in a plural construction, applies to all first-reference uses before a name, including direct quotations. Do not continue the use of Dr. in subsequent references.

Do not use Dr. before the names of individuals who hold other types of doctoral degrees. Instead, when necessary or appropriate for a specific audience: Andrew Hicks, who has a doctorate in chemistry, was lead researcher. In a list: Andrew Hicks, Ph.D.

Numbers

Words or Numerals

Generally, use words in reference to numbers one through nine, and numerals in reference to numbers 10 and above.

For example:

All four sessions were attended by at least 15 people.

Three finalists were chosen from the pool of 52 candidates.

Numerals are always used to refer to time of day, dates, ages, percentages—with “percent” always spelled out, not indicated by the percent sign:

For example:

Classes for children 6 and older begin at 8 am on May 10.

Tuition is not expected to increase more than 3 percent.

If the specific age is used as an adjective or as a substitute for a noun, it should be hyphenated. Don’t use apostrophes when describing an age range.

For example:

The student is 21 years old.

The contest is for 18-year-olds.

The girl, 8, has a brother, 11.

He is in his 20s.

Ordinal Numbers

Generally, the same guidelines for numbers apply to ordinal numbers. Use words to refer to ordinal numbers first through ninth, and numeral versions of ordinal numbers 10th and above.

For example:

He graduated first in his class, while his twin brother graduated 20th.

All of the children in fifth grade were mentored by students in 10th grade.

Note: Word processing programs like MS Word often superscript ‘th’ and ‘st’ in a smaller font size automatically, but in both print and online, we plan to use the same font size and weight.

Telephone Numbers

Use figures: 865-555-1500. Use hyphens, not periods.

For toll-free numbers: 800-111-1000.

If extension numbers are needed, use a comma to separate the main number from the extension: 865-555-1500, ext. 2.

Addresses

Always use figures in numbered addresses. Abbreviate Ave., Blvd., and St. and directional cues when used with a numbered address. Always spell out other words such as alley, drive and road. If the street name or directional cue is used without a numbered address, it should be capitalized and spelled out.

If a street name is a number, spell out First through Ninth and use figures for 10th and higher.

Decades

No apostrophe: 1920s, 1980s, mid-1970s.

Spell out thirties, forties, fifties, sixties.

URLs

Referencing Web Addresses (URLs)

When referring to online content in print or in text, our preferred practice is to drop “http://”, “https://” or “www” in URL (web address) references. Most web servers will accept URLs with or without “www” and redirect as necessary, or the “www” prefix may conflict with another subdomain (example: alumni.tennessee.edu).

There may be exceptions in cases when the URL won’t work for certain browsers if the “www” is not inserted as part of the address. It is recommended that the URL be tested and confirmed— including whether the use of “www” is necessary — before it is included in written communication. Treat each case as practical considerations demand.

These same rules apply to writing for the web or digital platforms. In a digital context, present URL references as actual hyperlinks, linking to the full https:// URL in the link itself, but dropping the https:// or “www.” in the text itself.

When referencing a URL (web address) on social media, be sure to test and confirm the full URL and copy and paste. Social media platforms each have their own way or conventions of displaying a web preview or shortening a hyperlink.

Foundation Statements

Verbiage for any press release (UTFI or campus, but UTFI included)

All external communications, especially materials distributed to the media and multi-page publications—produced by the UTFI Office of Communications should include the following boilerplate:

The Foundation’s mission is to raise financial, public and political support for the University of Tennessee. A nonprofit corporation, the Foundation helps meet the needs of the University by augmenting state and institutional funds, and enriching the lives of students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends.

For more information about the UT Foundation, visit www.utfi.org.

All UTFI campus, institute and entity office boilerplates should include a statement that identifies Foundation membership, such as:

UT raises funds through the University of Tennessee Foundation, an independent nonprofit corporation that seeks to enrich the lives of UT students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends through alumni engagement, financial stewardship, and private investments. The Foundation is the preferred channel for all private contributions benefiting faculty and students at the University of Tennessee System.

Mission Statement

An interdependent nonprofit corporation, The UT Foundation’s mission is to raise financial, public and political support for the University of Tennessee.

System and Campus Mission Statements

System: The University of Tennessee System, through its multiple campuses and institutes, serves the people of Tennessee and beyond through the discovery, communication and application of knowledge. The System is committed to providing undergraduate, graduate and professional education programs in a diverse learning environment that prepares students to be leaders in a global society. The UT System’s delivery of education, discovery, outreach and public service contributes to the economic, social and environmental well-being of all Tennesseans.
UTC: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a driving force for achieving excellence by actively engaging students, faculty and staff, embracing diversity and inclusion, inspiring positive change and enriching and sustaining our community.
UTHSC: The mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans and the global community by fostering integrated, collaborative, and inclusive education, research, scientific discovery, clinical care, and public service.
UTIA: As a land-grant institute, we provide Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery, and service.
UTK: We are a diverse community with a shared commitment to discovery, creativity, learning, and engagement.
UTM: The University of Tennessee at Martin educates and engages responsible citizens to lead and serve in a diverse world.
UTS: The mission of the University of Tennessee Southern is to:
- Provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs grounded in the liberal arts and sciences that are designed to prepare students for careers and lives of continued learning;
- Promote a diverse and globally conscious learning community that nurtures intellectual, social, and personal growth;
- Serve the region through educational, social, and cultural programs and through community outreach and development

EEO Statements

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. is an EEO/AA/Title VI/Title IX/Section 504/ADA/ADEA employer. All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, or protected veteran status.

The University of Tennessee Foundation, Inc. will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the University of Tennessee Foundation’s legal duty to furnish information.

Verbiage for any press release (UTFI or campus, but UTFI included)

Mission Statement

An interdependent nonprofit corporation. The UT Foundation’s mission is to raise financial, public and political support for the University of Tennessee.

System and campus mission statements

System: The University of Tennessee System, through its multiple campuses and institutes, serves the people of Tennessee and beyond through the discovery, communication and application of knowledge. The System is committed to providing undergraduate, graduate and professional education programs in a diverse learning environment that prepares students to be leaders in a global society. The UT System’s delivery of education, discovery, outreach and public service contributes to the economic, social and environmental well-being of all Tennesseans.
UTC: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is a driving force for achieving excellence by actively engaging students, faculty and staff, embracing diversity and inclusion, inspiring positive change and enriching and sustaining our community.
UTHSC: The mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center is to improve the health and well-being of Tennesseans and the global community by fostering integrated, collaborative, and inclusive education, research, scientific discovery, clinical care, and public service.
UTIA: As a land-grant institute, we provide Real. Life. Solutions. through teaching, discovery, and service.
UTK: We are a diverse community with a shared commitment to discovery, creativity, learning, and engagement.
UTM: The University of Tennessee at Martin educates and engages responsible citizens to lead and serve in a diverse world.
UTS: The mission of the University of Tennessee Southern is to:
- Provide undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs grounded in the liberal arts and sciences that are designed to prepare students for careers and lives of continued learning;
- Promote a diverse and globally conscious learning community that nurtures intellectual, social, and personal growth;
- Serve the region through educational, social, and cultural programs and through community outreach and development

EEO Statements

Contact the UTFI Office of Communications

Jackie Wise
Senior Director of Communications
(865) 974-2575
[email protected]

Alexa Goddard
Assistant Director of Communications
(865) 974-5519
[email protected]

Terry Johnson
Communications Coordinator
(865) 974-3324
[email protected]

Alliance Style Guidelines

UTAA Style Guidelines