Delta Gamma Style Guide

TermDetails
501(c)(3)The Delta Gamma Foundation under 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Service is a public foundation operating exclusively for charitable and education purposes. No space between “1,” “(c)” and “(3).”
501(c)(7)The Delta Gamma Fraternity designation in accordance with the Internal Revenue Service. Not tax deductible. No space between “1,” “(c)” and “(7).”
a.m., p.m.Lowercase, with periods. Use figures with colons, except when listing times on the hour: “11:30 a.m.,” “1 p.m.”
abbreviationsAbbreviations are fine for informal writing or in formal communications as long as the first reference is spelled out: “The advisory team chair served for three years. As ATC, they performed countless duties.”
academic courses, majors and departmentsLowercase in all uses except languages: An engineering major, a communications class, a French major, a Spanish class.
academic degreesIf mentioning an academic degree in a sentence, the preferred form is to avoid an abbreviation and use a phrase instead: “Mary Smith is graduating with a master’s degree in psychology.” If abbreviating degree, use capital letters and periods: “They graduated with a B.A. in English.”
academic titlesLowercase unless title precedes name without a comma: “Chancellor Green was a former professor of history.” Titles may be capitalized for certificates and addresses.
academic yearsAlways lowercase: freshman, sophomore, junior and senior.
adviserWhen an adviser stands alone, it’s spelled with an “e.” When part of a team, the spelling switches the “e” for an “o” (i.e. “advisory team chair” or “advisory board”). Note: National Panhellenic Conference uses the “advisor” spelling in all cases.
advisory teamA team of collegiate chapter advisers, led by the ATC. Always lowercase.
advisory team chairAbbreviate “ATC,” but keep lowercase when spelled out.
Alcohol Skills Training ProgramCapitalized, abbreviated “ASTP”.
alumnaFeminine singular.
alumna initiateAlways lowercase. A woman initiated after her undergraduate career is considered an alumna initiate. Plural, alumnae initiates.
alumnaeFeminine plural.
Alumnae Advisory BoardAlways capitalized, may be abbreviated to “AAB”.
alumnae associationAlways lowercase, the city/location is capitalized. May be capitalized for certificates, titles and addresses.
alumnae chapterAlways lowercase, the city/location is capitalized. May be capitalized for certificates, titles and addresses. Never preceded by “the.” “Dallas alumnae chapter” NOT “the Dallas alumnae chapter.”
Alumnae CompassAlways capitalized; newsletter sent to alumnae officers from EO.
Alumnae Development ConsultantAlways capitalized. Abbreviate “ADC”.
Alumnae Group AcademyAlways capitalized; abbreviated "AGA'.
alumnae officersLowercase with two exceptions: “vice president: Foundation,” “vice president: Panhellenic.” Can be shortened to “vp:” Titles may be capitalized for certificates and addresses. For plural, use “vice presidents: finance” or “vps: finance.”
Alumnae Officers ManualAlways capitalized; abbreviated “AOM.”
Alumnae Recommendation ChairAlways capitalized; abbreviated “ARC.”
alumniMasculine plural. Also used when referring to a group with at least one male. The attendees consisted of many alumni: Jack, Luke, Lorraine, Takara, and Jeremy.
alumnusMasculine singular.
Anchor AcademyAlways capitalized. Collegiate officers training occurs every other year.
Anchor GamesThe umbrella term refers to the various “anchor” philanthropic fundraisers Delta Gamma chapters host, including Anchor Splash®, Anchor Bowl, Anchor Dash and Anchor Slam.
Anchor GardenThis is the circle garden area around the anchor on the west side of Executive Offices, within the Commemorative Brick Walkway and Gardens, and was made possible by the generosity of Gamma Alpha-Tennessee.
Anchor Splash®Delta Gamma’s signature philanthropic fundraising event for collegiate chapters, capitalized and followed by ®. (Ctrl Alt R in Microsoft Word.) The ® is not required after the initial use.
ANCHORAAlways all capital letters and italicized other than within the masthead. The ANCHORA of Delta Gamma (pronounced anchor-uh) is the Fraternity’s quarterly magazine.
AnchorbaseOne word, capital A, lowercase b.
annualDo not use the phrase “first annual.” “Annual” can only be applied to an event that has happened two or more years in succession.
Annual MeetingAlways capitalized. This refers to the house corporation Annual Meeting.
Archives GalleryAlways capitalized. The Archives Gallery includes all the physical display areas of the Archives Museum at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Beta Psi-Alabama.
Archives MuseumAlways capitalized. The Archives Museum is the entirety of the space on the first floor to the right and left of the front desk at Executive Offices, including the Archives Storage housing the Vault, Public Research Center, Archivist Office, and Archives Gallery. It houses The Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives Collection, along with other collections. See The Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives Collection.
Article IIAlways capitalized, use the roman numerals.
Article II WallAlways capitalized. Located in the staff eating area at Executive Offices, the Article II Wall was made possible by the generosity of Epsilon Delta-Washington and Jefferson.
assessment Lowercase and do not use the word investigation.
Association of Fraternity/Sorority AdvisorsAlways capitalized; abbreviated “AFA.”
awardsLowercase unless referring to specific award: “Outstanding Senior Award” or “Cable Award”
badgePreferred name for Delta Gamma golden anchor “pin.”
Belonging Advisory CommitteeAlways capitalized; abbreviated to “BAC”.
biannualTwice a year.
bidLowercase when standing alone.
Bid DayAlways capitalize.
biennialOnce every two years.
Big/Little RevealLowercase big sister and little sister unless referring to the Big/Little Reveal event. Do not abbreviate little to lil. The event during which women are paired together as big sister and little sister.
BillhighwayAlways capitalized, one word.
blindPut the person/people first; Never use “blind people.”
Board of AdvisersAlways capitalized; abbreviated “BOA.” Refers to past Council members and Executive Directors.
Board of TrusteesAlways capitalized and is abbreviated “BOT.” The governing body of the Delta Gamma Foundation.
brailleLowercase unless referring to specific name.
bylawsLowercase unless used in title of document; never hyphenated.
Bylaws and Standing RulesCapitalized when refeering to the document; bylaws is fine for informal writing. Abbreviated "BLSR".
CabinetRefers to regional and international volunteer directors and specialists who vote at Convention. Always capitalize Council and Cabinet officers: “Director of Awards” or “Director: Awards.”
candlelightingOne word, lowercase.
centennialCapitalize when accompanied with a specific chapter: “Three hundred women attended Omega Centennial.” Lowercase when used in general reference: “The women had a great time at the centennial celebration.”
chair or chairpersonLowercase unless referring to a specific title: “Nominating Committee Chair.” Do not use “chairwoman”.
chapterLowercase and never preceded by “the.” “Eta chapter” not “the Eta chapter.” May be capitalized for certificates and addresses.
chapter financial adviserAlways lowercase, abbreviated “CFA”.
chapter houseAlways lowercase.
chapter incident procedureLowercase; abbreviated “CIP.” The procedure by which a collegiate chapter is assessed.
chapter management teamAlways lowercase; abbreviated “CMT.” Refers to president and all vice presidents who lead a collegiate chapter. CMT officers include: president, vp: social standards, vp: finance, vp: communications, vp: programming, vp: member education, vp: membership, vp: Panhellenic, vp: Foundation.
chapter standards adviserLowercase, formerly Honor Board adviser.
collegianNoun that refers to a Delta Gamma member in college. Never “collegiates” or “actives.” Collegians are members of a collegiate chapter.
collegiateAn adjective, but never a noun. “The collegiate chapter is full of diverse collegians.”
Collegiate Advisory BoardAlways capitalized; abbreviated “CAB”.
Collegiate Chapter Officers ManualAlways capitalized; abbreviated “CCOM”.
Collegiate Development ConsultantAlways capitalized; abbreviated “CDC”.
collegiate officersLowercase, with two exceptions: “vice president: Foundation” and “vice president: Panhellenic.” Titles may be capitalized for certificates and addresses. May also be abbreviated “vp:” A colon always follows vice president or vp. For plural, use “vice presidents: finance” or “vps: finance.”
collumnaeRefers to combined collegiate and alumnae activities.
commaDo not use a comma before “and” in a sequence unless it adds clarity: “red, blue and yellow” or “red and blue, yellow and green, and orange and purple.”
Commemorative Brick Walkway and GardensAlways capitalized. This is the garden on the west (front) side of Executive Offices and includes all plantings, bricks, water fountain and benches.
ConstitutionAlways capitalize when referring to the Delta Gamma Fraternity or Foundation Constitution.
contextualizationAlways lowercase.
Continuous Open BiddingAlways capitalized; abbreviated “COB.”
Convention Always capitalized.
Council Appointed CoordinatorAlways capitalized; abbreviated “CAC.”
Council TrusteeAlways capitalized; spell out in formal uses, abbreviate to CT: Collegians.
Crisis GrantsAlways capitalized.
Culture of CareAlways capitalized.
databaseOne word.
datesOmit the “th,” “st” and “nd”: “January 15,” not “15th.”
Dawson InstituteAlways capitalized; never preceded by “the”. This is Delta Gamma’s signature leadership event for alumnae. It is generously supported by Julie Whitney Dawson, Gamma Iota-DePauw.
days of the weekAlways capitalize and do not abbreviate.
dean’s listAlways lowercase. Note apostrophe placement.
DeeGeeAlways capitalized. DG or Delta Gamma is preferred.
delegates Always lowercase. Members who are required to attend Convention and vote.
Delta GammaAlways capitalized. Formally, use one of the three titles: “Delta Gamma Fraternity,” “Delta Gamma Foundation,” and “Delta Gamma Office of Housing.”
Delta Gamma Board RoomAlways capitalized. This is located at Executive Offices and was made possible by the generosity of Alpha Psi-Mississippi.
Delta Gamma Schools for Children with Visual ImpairmentsNote capitalization. Never "blind schools." May be abbreviated to “Delta Gamma Schools”.
Delta Gammas; DGsNo apostrophe before “s” in plural forms. An apostrophe is only used to show possession.
department namesLowercase department names: “The member services department is working on a new member program.”
do goodLowercase. Only put in quotes when needed for clarification purposes. It can be capitalized when in a headline/title if appropriate.
Do Good Non-Service for Sight Hours Always capitalized.
Do Good Service for Sight Always capitalized.
Do Good SisterhoodAlways capitalized, no quotations.
Do Good WeekCapitalized and Do Good with no quotations.
dollarsUse “$” and the number (“$40,” “$1,000”). For amounts $1 million and larger, use up to 2 decimal places: “$2.5 million.”
Dorothy See Sommers ANCHORA CollectionAlways capitalized, ANCHORA is all caps and italics. The digital collection of ANCHORAs in the digital archives was made possible through the estate of Dorothy See Sommers.
Early Alumnae Status Always capitalized.
eDGLowercase “e,” capitalized “DG,” no space. Electronic newsletter for Fraternity/Foundation Leadership and staff.
emailUse a lowercase “e” and no hyphen. Use a hyphen with other e-terms: e-book, e-business, e-commerce.
establishmentLowercase. The term is used when creating a new chapter.
Evaluating CommitteeAlways capitalized, abbreviated “EVC.”
Event GuidelineAlways capitalized, abbreviated “EG.”
Excused Status Always capitalized.
Executive OfficesAlways capitalized and plural; abbreviated “EO.” EO serves as Delta Gamma’s international headquarters, not “Nationals.”
FoundationAlways capitalize, even in collegiate and alumnae officer titles.
Foundation Advisory BoardAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FAB”. Refers to past Board of Trustees members.
FounderAlways capitalize when referring to one of the three Fraternity Founders.
Founders DayNo apostrophe before “s.”
Founders Legacy SocietyAlways capitalize. Do not abbreviate. The Delta Gamma Foundation’s planned giving society.
FraternityAlways capitalized when referring to Delta Gamma Fraternity.
Fraternity Communications AssociationAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FCA.”
Fraternity Executive Director WallAlways capitalized. The wall at Executive Offices features the portraits of the Delta Gamma Fraternity Executive Directors since 1942 and was made possible through the generosity of Epsilon Theta-Tampa.
Fraternity Executives AssociationAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FEA.”
Fraternity Housing CorporationAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FHC”.
Fraternity Management CorporationAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FMC”.
Fraternity Standards for Alumnae Groups Always capitalized.
Fraternity Standards for Collegiate Chapters Always capitalized.
fraternity; fraternitiesUse lowercase when referring to the fraternal community or fraternities as a collective group.
Fraternity/Sorority AdvisorAlways capitalized; abbreviated “FSA”.
fraternity/sorority communityPreferred term for Greek system or Greek community.
Front DoorAlways capitalized when referring to EO. This is the door on the front porch on the West side of Executive Offices, not to be confused with the Welcome Doors under the portico on the East side of the building. The front door was made possible by the generosity of Delta Lambda-Mississippi State.
Front PorchAlways capitalized when referring to EO. This is on the west side of Executive Offices and was made possible by the generosity of Gamma Omicron-Indiana State. The Front Porch ramp leads to the porch and was made possible by the generosity of Gamma Theta-Florida.
fundraiser; fundraisingAlways one word.
General SessionsCapitalized when referring to General Sessions during Convention.
grade point averageLowercase, unless abbreviated: “GPA.”
Graduate FellowshipsFoundation merit-based tuition assistance; awarded to members pursuing graduate degrees. Always include “Graduate” when referring to Graduate Fellowships.
greekbillAlways one word and lowercase.
handbookLowercase if used generally. When referring to a specific handbook, capitalize the full title.
Hannah’s ClosetThe name is always capitalized. The official boutique for Delta Gammas.
Hays Leadership HallAlways capitalized. This is the whole of the meeting room in the Oliphant Leadership Center at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Dinah Doty Hays.
Homecoming Celebration WeekendAlways capitalize; avoid using “Homecoming” alone. The event from June 30 to July 2, 2023, in Memphis, Tennessee, and Oxford, Mississippi.
Honor Board Resource CommitteeAlways capitalized, abbreviated “HBRC”.
Hope ServingAlways capitalized.
houseRefers to the building, not the chapter.
house corporationLowercase.
house corporation officersTitles are always lowercase.
house directorLowercase but may be capitalized for certificates and addresses. Note: “house mother” and “house mom” are incorrect.
House Director ConferenceAlways capitalized
Housing Accomodation BoardAlways capitalized.
I Am A Sorority WomanCapitalize each word; abbreviated to "IAASW".
iMISThe membership database for staff's use. Lowercase “i”, capital MIS.
inaugural The first event of the series, or the first to be held by members of a new organization. Do not use “first annual.”
Individual Member SupportAlways capitalize; comes first in order of Foundation's three areas of support.
initiateLowercase; refers to the new member going through Initiation.
InitiationAlways capitalized except in chapter of initiation
installationLowercase unless referring to a specific ceremony.
intentional single preferenceLowercase, never “suicide.” When a PNM who attended more than one preference event lists only one chapter on their membership recruitment acceptance binding agreement following preference round.
Interfraternity CouncilAlways capitalized; abbreviated “IFC.”
International FraternityAlways capitalize.
ITBIn the bonds. Always capitalized; when spelled out, capitalize “I” and “B” only.
joint chapter management teamAlways lowercase, abbreviated: “joint CMT” or “JCMT.” The team of officers and directors who lead a collegiate chapter.
Kick-offUppercase “K,” lowercase “o,” with a hyphen. Used by alumnae groups for their annual Kick-off meeting.
LeadershipAlways capitalized when referring to Delta Gamma Leadership. An all-encompassing term that refers to DG volunteers beyond the local level.
Lectureships in Values and EthicsCapitalized; Lectureships on second reference.
legacyLowercase.
Lewis InstituteAlways capitalized; never abbreviated; no "the" before.
library; Library Resource CenterThe full title is capitalized, “library” is fine and lowercase for informal writing. Say “in” the Delta Gamma library, not "on". The official title is “Boersma Library Resource Center”; this is only necessary in formal writing.
lifelong; lifetimeOne word, no hyphen.
Lifetime Leadership ProgramCapitalized.
Limited Liability CorporationAlways capitalized; may be abbreviated to “LLC”.
little sis; big sisDo not capitalize. Incorrect terms: pledge daughter, pledge mom, pledge mommy, baby, baby anchor.
log in; log onUse two words when they are verbs: You must log on with the correct password. Use one word if it is a noun.
magazine titlesCapitalize and italicize the name, but do not place it in quotes. Lowercase the word magazine unless it is part of the publication’s title.
Martin Center LobbyAlways capitalized. This is the space outside the Martin Center and the elevator at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Susan Meyer Kornegay.
Martin Center; Dorothy Garrett Martin CenterAlways capitalized. It can be referred to as the Martin Center.
memberLowercase.
Member Housing AgreementCapitalize; can be abbreviated to "MHA".
Member of ImpactCapitalize.
memberplanetAll lowercase and one word. Email campaigns and dues payments go through this company. The platform is used for Foundation fundraising and alumnae communication.
membership selection criteriaLowercase unless referring to an official document or form.
merit-based undergraduate scholarshipsLowercase; hyphen between “merit” and “based.” Foundation academic scholarships are awarded to members pursuing undergraduate degrees.
Mock Trial programWhen referring to Delta Gamma’s specific program, capitalize “Mock Trial” and keep the program lowercase.
monthsCapitalize and spell out the names of months in all uses. Do not abbreviate. When a phrase lists only a month and a year, do not separate the year with commas. When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, set off the year with commas.
Mu Chapter Lamp of Knowledge ProgramAlways capitalized; can be shortened to Lamp of Knowledge on second reference. Foundation funded Fraternity program recognizing collegiate members achieving their first 4.0 GPA with a gold Lamp of Knowledge dangle.
MyVoteThe “M” and “V” are always capitalized. Delta Gamma’s recruitment management software.
National Association of Student Personnel AdministratorsCapitalized, abbreviated “NASPA.”
National Pan-Hellenic Council Inc.Always capitalize and hyphenate. Abbreviated “NPHC.”
National Panhellenic Communicators ConferenceAlways capitalized; abbreviated “NPCC.”
National Panhellenic ConferenceAlways capitalized with no hyphen; abbreviated “NPC.”
new chapterLowercase.
New Chapter CoordinatorAlways capitalized; abbreviated “NCC”.
New Chapter Recruitment CoordinatorAlways capitalized; abbreviated “NCRC”.
new memberLowercase.
Nominating CommitteeAlways capitalized; can be abbreviated to “Nom Com” in informal writing.
nonprofitAlways lowercase and no hyphen.
North-American Interfraternity ConferenceAlways capitalize. Abbreviated “NIC.”
numbersSpell out numbers one through nine; if the number is larger than 10, use the number itself. Use commas to separate numbers larger than three digits. If any number begins a sentence, the number must be spelled out.
Oath of FriendshipAlways capitalized with a lowercase “of.”
Office of HousingAlways capitalize; abbreviated OOH.
Oliphant Leadership CenterAlways capitalized. The Oliphant Leadership Center comprises the whole of the lower level on the south side of Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of the late Judy Fosdick Oliphant, and includes Hays Leadership Hall and The Atrium.
OmegaOne; OmegaFiCapitalized and one word. The company is an endorsed provider of chapter/group websites and communication tools.
Organizational Effectiveness CommitteeAlways capitalized; abbreviated “OEC”.
PanhellenicCapitalize when referring to a specific group or officer title: “the University of Florida Panhellenic” or “vice president: Panhellenic.” Lowercase if used as an adjective: “Delta Gamma is known for its panhellenic spirit.”
Parents’ WeekendAlways capitalize with an apostrophe after the “s.”
Patricia Peterson Danielson AwardAlways capitalized; abbreviated to “PPD”.
percentUse the percent sign (%) in most cases.
philanthropyAlways lowercase.
potential new memberLowercase; abbreviated “PNM”.
preference round; preference ceremony Lowercase.
prep weekLowercase. The term refers to the week of preparation preceding recruitment.
Presidents AcademyAlways capitalized, no apostrophe after the "s".
primary recruitmentLowercase. Term used to describe traditional recruitment.
QuotaAlways capitalize per NPC guidelines. The number of potential new members to which each chapter can offer bids during primary recruitment.
quotation marksPeriods and commas always go within quotation marks. Dashes, semicolons, question marks and exclamation points go within quotes when they apply to the quoted matter only.
Reception AreaCapitalized when referring to EO. This includes the foyer and front desk at Executive Offices and was made possible through the generosity of Jonathon and Cheryl Gray in loving memory of their daughter Claire Daniels.
Recommendation FormAlways capitalized. Delta Gamma’s official Recommendation Form is completed by initiated members as a means of recommending a potential new member during collegiate recruitment. Do not use “Sponsor Form” or “rec form”.
recruitmentLowercase. Do not use “rush”.
Recruitment Preparation WorkshopAlways capitalized; abbreviated to “RPW”.
reelect; reelected; reelectionNo hyphen.
reestablish; reestablishmentNo hyphen.
region; regionalLowercase unless referring to a specific region, like “Region 8.”
Regional Alumnae SpecialistCapitalized, abbreviated “RAS.”
Regional Collegiate SpecialistCapitalized, abbreviated “RCS.”
Regional DirectorCapitalized, abbreviated “RD.”
Regional Finance and Housing SpecialistCapitalized, abbreviated “RFHS.”
Regional Foundation Coordinator AlumnaeCapitalized; abbreviated “RFNCA”.
Regional Foundation Coordinator CollegiateCapitalized, abbreviated “RFNCC.”
Regional Panhellenic and Recruitment Specialist Capitalized, abbreviated “RPRS.”
reinstate; reinstatementLowercase.
release figure methodologyLowercase, abbreviated “RFM.”
resign; resignationLowercase. Do not use deactivate.
ritualCapitalize when referring to specific Delta Gamma rituals: “Oath of Friendship Ritual.” Do not capitalize when referring to general rituals.
Room ContractCapitalized; do not abbreviate to avoid confusion with recruitment counselor.
scholarshipLowercase unless referring to a specific scholarship like “Mildred Baynard Scholarship”.
seasons Lowercase spring, summer, fall, winter unless part of a formal name: “Convention will happen in the summer,” “the Summer ANCHORA.”
Service for SightAlways capitalized; comes third in order of the Foundation's three areas of support.
sesquicentennial; Sesquicentennial BienniumLowercase when used alone, capitalize when used in “Sesquicentennial Biennium”. Refers to the 2022-24 biennium celebration of 150 years of Delta Gamma. When used broadly, it refers to all celebration events hosted by EO and locally. “150” or “150 years” is an acceptable alternative to “sesquicentennial.” 150th with a th or superscript th should not be used for accessibility purposes.
Sisters Helping Sisters: Need-Based ScholarshipsAlways capitalized. Foundation academic scholarships are designated to assist collegiate members who have proven financial need.
snap bid; snap biddingLowercase, two words. An option available to chapters that did not match to quota during bid matching.
standards adviserLowercase. This title is replacing Honor Board adviser in July 2026.
standards teamLowercase. Formerly known as Honor Board.
Statement of Obligation ReviewAlways capitalized; abbreviated to SOR; "a SOR" not "an SOR".
statesAlways spell out states unless part of an address in a directory or on an envelope. Use a comma after the state in a sentence. “Columbus, Ohio, will get snow today.”
statusMay refer to an individual member’s standing with the Fraternity or may mean a chapter is “on report” with the Fraternity. Capitalize specific statuses, for example, Support Status: Operations, Poor Standing: Compliance, etc.
Syring Family Leadership SuiteCapitalized when referring to EO. This is the south end of Hays Leadership Hall at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Maureen Syring, James and Ronda Syring and Tina Syring.
T-shirtAlways capital T and include a hyphen.
Tables That BloomDelta Gamma’s alumnae fundraising project is always capitalized.
tax deductibleHyphenate when used as a noun, do not when used as an adjective. “The donation was tax deductible” or “They gave a tax-deductible donation.” Never use “non-tax deductible” when referring to something not tax deductible.
The AtriumCapitalized when referring to EO. This is the reception area on the west side of the Oliphant Leadership Center at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Judy van Scoyk Barnhart and Family.
The FireplaceCapitalized when referring to EO. Inside the Delta Gamma Board Room at Executive Offices, the fireplace renovation was made possible by Omega-Wisconsin.
The Frances Lewis Stevenson Archives CollectionCapitalized. The archives collection contains all artifacts housed in the Archives Museum and includes a series of additional collections. See Archives Museum.
The GymCapitalized when referring to EO. The Gym is in the lower level of Executive Offices and was made possible by Theta-Indiana House Corporation.
The Leadership CollectiveAlways capitalized, Delta Gamma’s Leadership training always takes place in non-Convention (odd) years. Abbreviated “TLC.”
The PursuitAlways capitalized; Delta Gamma's eLearning platform.
three areas of supportWhen referring to the three areas of support of the Delta Gamma Foundation, be sure to put them in order and note the capitalization: Individual Member Support, Training and Programming, and Service for Sight.
time zonesCapitalize the full name of time zones: Eastern Time. The abbreviations ET, CT, etc., are acceptable on first reference only if the abbreviation is linked to a clock reading: 9 a.m. PT. List both ET and PT on all references.
titlesCapitalize prior to name, “Executive Director Jane Delta Gamma.” Lowercase if the title follows the name or appears on its own, “Jane Delta Gamma is the executive director.”
TotalAlways capitalize per NPC guidelines.
Training and ProgrammingAlways capitalize; comes second in order of Foundation's three areas of support.
training, development and member experienceLowercase, abbreviated “TDME”.
TreasurerCapitalized when referring to the Council or Board of Trustees Treasurer. Collegiate and alumnae chapters use vice president: finance, lowercase.
trusteeDo not capitalize unless used in full term Board of Trustees or Council Trustee.
Undergraduate Interfraternity InstituteAlways capitalize, abbreviate UIFI.
undergraduate scholarshipsCapitalize only when part of a specific scholarship name.
United StatesSpell out when used as a noun. Use U.S. only as an adjective.
universityCapitalize only when used with the actual school name. Do not use this term. Instead use campus or institution.
visually impairedNever hyphenated.
Volunteer Development CommitteeCapitalized, abbreviated “VDC”.
Wall of PresidentsCapitalized when referring to EO. This wall at Executive Offices features the portraits of Delta Gamma’s Fraternity Presidents, starting with the Founders portrait from 1873, and was made possible through the generosity of Gamma Zeta-Louisiana State.
webinarOne word, lowercase.
websiteOne word, lowercase.
Wilbanks Leadership SuiteCapitalized when referring to EO. This is the north end of Hays Leadership Hall at Executive Offices, made possible by the generosity of Wilma Johnson Wilbanks.
womanUse woman or women, not girl(s) when referring to Delta Gamma members. Use the word “member(s)” to be inclusive when possible.
working group(s)Lowercase refers to staff-driven groups; can be abbreviated to “WG” on second reference.
Xcelasone (excel-as-one) Always capitalized; DG's alcohol education platform
year-endAlways hyphenate.
yearsUse figures: “1980.” Use an s without an apostrophe to indicate decades or centuries: “the 1980s,” “the 1900s.” Use an apostrophe for omitted numbers. The bottom of an apostrophe always points to the left: “She was born in the early ‘80s.” No apostrophe is needed if the remaining numbers are preceded by an en dash: “1980-81.”
ZIP codesUse all caps for ZIP, but always lowercase the word code. Do not put a comma between the state name and the ZIP code: “Columbus, OH 43221.” Use Postal Code" when referring to international addresses