Agreements

Establishing guidelines for our writing style is crucial for maintaining a consistent image of our university. These agreements are necessary because various spelling options are often available at once. This style guide doesn't dictate the only correct way to write in English, and you don't have to adhere to the guide in every situation. Rather, this guide lays out the style principles chosen to reflect Utrecht University's brand identity.
 

Utrecht University

Write the university name in full with two capitals and without an article.

  • She works at Utrecht University.
  • He studies at Utrecht University.

The word ‘university’ as a noun is written with a lowercase letter:

  • She works at the university.

Please note:

  • In Dutch, the name of the university needs an article (Hij studeert aan de Universiteit Utrecht).
  • UU is a widely used search term on the internet. Therefore the abbreviation is allowed on websites. However, in running texts the full name is used at the first mention, followed by the abbreviation in brackets: Utrecht University (UU).
Names of faculties, departments, services and buildings

 Find the correct names on uu.nl:

Faculties, departments or institutes are capitalised except when used in a general sense. For example, “To find out if your university or department is included in an exchange agreement with Utrecht University, please contact your home university’s exchange coordinator.”

Names of specific units within Utrecht University are capitalised. For example: Faculty of Humanities; Department of Languages; Literature and Communication; Graduate School of Teaching; Ethics Institute; University Facilities Centre.

Find all UU buildings on the Real Estate and Campus website:

Dutch names of buildings are italicised within an English text and an English translation may be added in brackets. For example, “The lecture will be given at the Minnaertgebouw (Minnaert Building).” Usually only the word gebouw is translated.

For example: Koningsberger Building, Vening Meinesz Building, David de Wied Building.

Notice that in English these are separate words. In case a building has not been named after a person, names of buildings are translated. Some examples:

  • Aardwetenschappengebouw - Earth Sciences Building
  • Academiegebouw - University Hall
Quotation marks and italics

Use

  • Double quotation marks (“…”) for quotes
    • Use italics for the titles of major works and quotes for the titles of minor or subsidiary works. (i.e. The first track of Beyoncé’s album Lemonade is titled “Pray You Catch Me.”)
  • Single quotation marks (‘…’)
    • For a quote within a quote
  • For marking words with a special status:
    • Use double quotes for the introduction of jargon or a term that is used in an unconventional way. (i.e. Our teacher explained that in the field of media studies “exploitation” can have a specialized meaning. / This course covers what some theorists call the “negative turn.”)
    • Use italics for words from a foreign language and a very small number of words that the writer would like to give extraordinary emphasis.

Examples

  • “The sun will shine tomorrow,” she said.
  • “She said: ‘The sun will shine tomorrow.’ ‘I hope it’s true,’ he said.”
  • She called her a "monster."
  • Next summer we will take the route du soleil to the south.

Commonly used words from a foreign language are written without quotation marks or italics:

  • She is a controversial avant-garde composer.
  • The architect was given carte blanche to design the building.
  • A cliché-ridden style

Note:

People with visual impairments may not be able to access italicised text. Screen readers can skip italicised sentences, but do read single words in italics. See: Digital Accessibility Guideline (on intranet).

Abbreviations

Write names of facilities, institutions, faculties, programmes and projects in full. Exceptions to this principle are widely used online search terms such as UU and UCU. These may be used on websites, but avoid using them in running text such as in news articles or interviews. Screen readers for people with visual impairments may not be able to interpret abbreviations. See: Digital Accessibility Guideline (on intranet).

Telephone numbers

For Dutch telephone numbers, the area code is given in brackets: Tel. (030) 2535986

In texts for an international audience, the area code is given without brackets and preceded by the country code: Tel: +31 30 2535986.

Writing in a gender neural and inclusive way

Utrecht University uses gender neutral words:

  • Partner (instead of wife, husband)
  • Alumn (instead of alumnus or alumna)

Note that in English neutral phrasing can often be accomplished by changing from singular to plural:

  • “A student may wish to request an extension.  In that case he should ask the teacher.”
  • “Students who wish to request an extension should ask the teacher.”

Use of “they” as either singular or plural is increasingly accepted in English to maintain gender neutrality:

  • “The student may request a record of their transcript at any time.”

Utrecht University welcomes everyone. In our choice of words and concepts, we take into account the diversity of backgrounds, positions, identities, and so on, of our students and staff. Through inclusive language, we demonstrate that we respect and value everyone. Check the page Inclusive Language in writing.

English resources

In most instances Utrecht University follows the British s-spelling. However, there are also instances when other English terms are more internationally recognisable. Discretion should be used in choosing between alternatives.

When looking for grammar and language usage support, you may find these online sources helpful:

For students of English as a foreign language:

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