Mekita Rivas, SNR communications and project associate, publishes a biweekly feature called "Grammar Guru."
Every other week, the Grammar Guru will share writing tips to help make your work as polished as possible. Some of these tips may address common spelling errors, while others will examine the many nuances of the English language.
Grammar Guru Tip #3
In an academic setting, titles are everywhere. Whether you’re referring to the chancellor, a dean or a professor, here’s what you need to know to do so correctly.
Capitalize and spell out formal titles when they appear in front of a person’s name. Lowercase these titles when they appear elsewhere.
Example:
Chancellor Harvey Perlman will deliver his State of the University address tomorrow.
Harvey Perlman, chancellor of UNL, said that he will address the university’s enrollment goals.
School of Natural Resources Director John Carroll will present a seminar on Africa.
John Carroll, School of Natural Resources director, will begin the presentation at 7 p.m.
Need some grammar guidance? The UNL Style Guide (http://unlcms.unl.edu/ucomm/styleguide/) is a great resource for all university employees. If you have writing questions that the style guide doesn't answer, feel free to email the Grammar Guru at mrivas@unl.edu.