It’s easy to dismiss correct grammar and careful editorial style -- consistency in capitalization, punctuation, and the like -- as outmoded anomalies in today’s wired world, but those concerns retain their relevance for several reasons. For one, a rational editorial style goes a long way toward facilitating readability, and keeping our audience’s attention is obviously critical to garnering their acceptance of our message. For another, reputations for quality have to be earned, and nothing will mar the credibility of an institution of higher learning faster than mangling the English language. The College’s standards of excellence must not be undermined by muddy thinking, slapdash editing, or inattention to detail.
To preserve and further Ithaca’s reputation for quality, we therefore offer the following guide to the College’s official editorial style. Our primary reference books are the latest editions of Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary and The Chicago Manual of Style, adapted to the particular needs of our campus.
For the sake of clarity and readability, we agree with Chicago’s plea for a “down style,” that is, one that avoids unnecessary capitalization: “Understanding is best served by capitalizing only what are clearly proper nouns and adjectives in the context under discussion.”
Editorial Standards