Brand Book
Graphics & Editorial Style Guide
As part of the Chattanooga State Community College family,
you as faculty, sta, and administrators play an integral part in helping us strengthen our brand both
on campus and into the broader community. We live in a highly competitive environment with many
post-secondary educational options available to our constituents, and it is critical that we present a
clear and consistent brand.
With this in mind, our Marketing and Communications Team would like your help. This “Brand
Book” provides important standards for us all to follow as we seek to ensure brand consistency and
to develop a familiar College representation through images and multi-media communications.
Accuracy, consistency, and clarity help us demonstrate to the public a commitment to a high-quality
educational experience.
This Graphics and Editorial Style Guide is intended to clarify and help direct all associates of Chattanooga
State in using the College’s brand in appropriate and consistent ways. Please join me in using this
information to help you promote Chattanooga State. Through your cooperation, we will give Chattanooga
State Community College a unied identity that fosters high quality education and workforce development.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Ashford, Ed.D.
President
We cultivate an inclusive environment.
We care about the well-being of each other.
We instill trust through integrity and transparency.
We encourage fearless innovation and resilience.
We collaborate to build a better future.
Our Values
We are Chattanooga State, a dedicated team that delivers accessible,
innovative learning opportunities that surpass expectations.
Together, we enrich the lives of students and their families; develop a talented
workforce; and partner with our community to lead boldly into the future.
Our Mission
We support and empower everyone in our community to learn without limits.
Our Purpose
Fiscal
Stewardship
Holistic
Student
Support
Teaching
Excellence
Program
Innovation
Organizational
Culture
& Inclusive
Practices
Table of Contents
About Our Name ......................................1
Ocial Colors and Seal ................................2
Mandatory Statements ................................3
Ocial Logos .........................................4
Additional Approved Logos.............................5
Academic Banners.....................................7
Creation of Other Logos................................7
Typography ...........................................8
Trademarks...........................................8
Copyrights ............................................8
Guidelines for the Web ................................9
Images & Photography................................10
PowerPoint Styles ....................................10
Stationery and Business Cards ........................11
Advertising ..........................................11
Editorial Style Guide ..................................12
PUBLISHED 05/23
About Our Name
The College’s ocial name is Chattanooga State Community College.
In all publications that are likely to reach an external audience, the full name of the College should be used on
rst reference. Thereafter, Chattanooga State and ChattState (as one word, uppercase “S”) are acceptable uses.
Market research indicates the use of ChattState as a popular reference among our students.
The acronym ChSCC is not to be used externally; ChSCC may be used for internal correspondence between
faculty, sta, administrators, and among TBR and THEC institutions.
Ocial names of buildings and sites
Albright OmniPlex Building (OMN)
Amphitheater (AMP)
Applied Arts
Athletic Field House (AFH)
Bond Humanities Building (HUM)
Branch Center for Advanced Technology (CAT)
Business Division (OMN B-Wing)
Center for Business, Industry & Health (CBIH)
Center for Engineering, Technology,
Arts & Sciences (CETAS)
Central Storage, Shipping & Receiving
Child Development Center (CDC)
Energy Plant
Health & Fitness Center (HPF)
Erlanger Health Science Center (HSC) *
Horticulture Complex
Instructional Materials Center,
Kolwyck Library (IMC)
Media Technology Center,
WAWL Radio & Campus Police (MTC)
Physical Plant/Plant Operations/Maintenance (PP)
Sculpture Studio/Engineering Lab
Starnes Student Center (S)
Tennessee College of Applied Technology
(TCAT)
Chattanooga State has one campus and two sites serving six counties. The ocial name of each location should
be used in external publications. The names are: Main Campus, Dayton Site, and Kimball Site.
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Ofcial Colors
Chattanooga State Community College’s ocial school colors are blue and orange, Pantone 293 blue and
Pantone 021 orange. A third darker blue, Pantone 295 blue, may be used to ensure legibility standards (e.g., ADA
compliance). There are no exceptions to the use of these ocial colors.
At Chattanooga State, the orange symbolizes creativity, success, encouragement and determination; the blue
symbolizes depth, stability, wisdom and condence. The use of blue and orange is encouraged for all Chattanooga
State publications and branding eorts, from posters to websites to water bottles. These colors are iconic to
Chattanooga State and represent the College’s core mission and values.
Blue 293 and Orange 021 should always be the dominant colors in published materials.
Ofcial Seal
Chattanooga State Community College’s ocial seal is the formal insignia of the College.
Traditionally, a seal is a distinctive, circular design meant to authenticate an ocial entity. Chattanooga State’s
seal includes the College’s blue and orange shield, the name of the College, and the year the College was founded
in 1965. The seal is used for special publications and by special request only.
The standard ocial seal uses the same blue and orange colors found in Chattanooga State’s ocial logo;
however, like the logo, there are other variations available, including: all-blue, all-black, all-white and grayscale
seals. It consists of the circular Ocial Seal designed in pantone blue 293 and pantone orange 021.
The seal may be published only with the approval of the Marketing and Communications Department.
PANTONE 021
C=0, M=83, Y=100, K=0
R=240, G=83, B=35
#f05323
PANTONE 293
C=100, M=69, Y=0, K=4
R=0, G=61, B=165
#003da5
Primary
PANTONE 295
C=100, M=69, Y=8, K=54
R=0, G=40, B=85
#002855
Secondary
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Mandatory Statements
The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system consists of 40 institutions with a combined annual enrollment of
nearly 118,000 students. The College System of Tennessee is the state’s largest public higher education system,
with 13 community colleges, 27 colleges of applied technology and the online TN eCampus serving approximately
100,000 students. The system is governed by the Tennessee Board of Regents. The Tennessee Board of Regents,
Chattanooga State Community College’s governing body, requires that certain statements be used on all College
print and Web publications, including posters, brochures, booklets, magazines, catalogs, advertisements, and
other pieces distributed to the public.
The required statements and logos for co-branding are available from the Marketing and Communications
Department. TBR requires that a tracking number (called a Publication, or Pub Number) be assigned to certain
publications for audit purposes. Because of these requirements and the additional requirements of the College, all
publications and advertisements intended for external audiences must be vetted by Marketing and Communications.
The Armative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity (AA/EEO) statement is required to be included on
publications and websites. There are two versions of this statement, one long and one short.
LONG, PREFERRED: Chattanooga State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of
race, color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/
expression, disability, age (as applicable), status as a protected veteran, genetic information, nor
any other category protected by federal or state civil rights laws and regulations and by Tennessee
Board of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. The following
person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Executive
Director, Employee Relations, 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406, brian.evans@
chattanoogastate.edu, 423-697-2417.
SHORT VERSION: Chattanooga State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, religion, creed, ethnic or national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression,
disability, age (as applicable), status as a protected veteran, genetic information, nor any other
category protected by federal or state civil rights laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of
Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. See full EEO statement at
chattanoogastate.edu/eeo-statement.
Please review the guidelines of specic statements that may be required by accrediting agencies when
referencing the accreditation status of the College (see Accreditation and SACSCOC in editorial style guide) or
individual programs.
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Ofcial Logos
Use of all versions of the approved logos are regulated through the Marketing and Communications Department.
Please check with the Marketing and Communications Department if you have questions about the appropriate logo
to use. Approved primary logos may be found on the Chattanooga State website under Our Campus – Marketing &
Communications – Media Bank, chattanoogastate.edu/our-campus/about/marketing/media-bank.
The ocial logos of Chattanooga State are available in two options: WORDMARK,
and ATHLETIC/STUDENT LIFE.
WORDMARK—Most marketing and external applications.
Wordmark Complete
It consists of CHATTANOOGA STATE spelled out in Pantone
Blue 293 with a Pantone Orange 021 line between
Chattanooga State and Community College.
The Wordmark also serves as the base for departmental
logos where “COMMUNITY COLLEGE” is replaced with the
department title set in Open Sans Extra Bold.
Wordmark Abbreviated (ChattState)
It consists of CHATT STATE spelled out in Pantone Blue 293
with a Pantone Orange 021 line underneath. Stacked and
horizontal versions are approved.
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ATHLETIC/STUDENT LIFE—Primarily internal and/
or informal use to promote athletic events and student activities
or for promotional giveaways.
Athletic/Student Life
It consists of the large tiger head facing right with large CS
in Pantone Blue 293 and outlined in Pantone Orange 021
overlaying and Tigers centered below in black. A version
without the word “TIGERS” is also sanctioned.
Additional Approved Logos
ChattState ONLINE
It consists of CHATTSTATE spelled out in Pantone Blue 293 over ONLINE in Pantone Blue 293 with a stylized globe
serving as the “O” in blue and Pantone Orange 021 arrow, and a Pantone Orange 021 line below CHATTSTATE.
Stacked and Horizontal versions are available and acceptable for use.
Division/Department Logos (Wordmark Variant and Badge System)
A variant to the Wordmark customized for academic divisions and College departments is available, along with
a new system of badge-type logos. The Wordmark variant replaces ‘COMMUNITY COLLEGE’ with the division or
department name. Badges feature a representative palette-compliant icon, the division or department name and
the stacked ChattState logo. The Wordmark variant and Badges should not be used together.
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Script Logo Transition
In order to simplify and strengthen our branding eorts, the Script logo, as seen in the samples below, is
being transitioned to a inactive status. During the transition period, its continued use is allowed as existing
stock of printed items are depleted. But new items should use one of the Wordmark options. Formal ocial
applications that would formerly use the round script logo should now use the College’s Ocial Seal (see page 2).
Tennessee College of Applied Technology Logo (TCAT)
The preferred “horizontal” logo consists of the ocial Tennessee College of Applied Technology Seal from TBR
with the Pantone Blue 2945 circle with Pantone Red 1797 in center and three white stars alongside the full name
Tennessee College of Applied Technology in Pantone Blue 2945 with Chattanooga centered all caps in Pantone
Red 1797. “Vertical” and “abbreviated” versions are also acceptable if space is limited.
When an ocial logo is used, no other words, designs or additional colors may be added. The proportions of the
(vertical)
(abbreviated)
(horizontal – preferred)
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Academic Banners
Chattanooga State has eight academic banners, each in the shape of a shield. The academic banners carry the
traditional colors of the various disciplines as well as the school color blue in a centered panel featuring the seal.
Creation of Other Logos
Building brand name recognition is a long-term goal. Consistency is important not only to recognition
but also to reputation. It is for that reason that Chattanooga State’s logos and marks are standard
and unalterable.
Other logos, marks, and names that are not approved by the Marketing and Communications Department will not
be permitted. The creation of new and/or secondary logos is generally discouraged.
Departments, programs, and oces that wish to request or develop a unique name or logo as a brand extension of
Chattanooga State’s existing marks and name should work with the Marketing and Communications Department
toward a new design. This applies to all new marks and names, whether they are to be used internally or externally.
The Marketing and Communications Department can assist with branding a unit or organization of the College in
a way that provides a distinctive, creative style while staying within Chattanooga State branding guidelines.
Business
Division
Engineering and
Information
Technologies
Division
Allied
Health
Hamilton County
Collegiate High
at
Chattanooga State
Social and
Behavioral
Sciences
Mathematics
& Sciences
Humanities
& Fine Arts
Tennessee
College
of Applied
Technology
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Typography
The preferred fonts for Chattanooga State Community College’s website are Open Sans and Roboto Slab for
navigation, headers and body text. Font les may be found on the Chattanooga State website under Our Campus –
Marketing & Communications – Media Bank, chattanoogastate.edu/our-campus/about/marketing/media-bank
Trademarks
Chattanooga State Community College has registered the following trademark:
College departments, oces, organizations, students, and other associates, as well as outside
organizations and vendors, must obtain written permission from the Marketing and Communications
Department to use Chattanooga State’s ocial logo on any and all products. The College logo is a
protected image. No lines, words or artwork may overlap the protected area of the image. No changes or
alterations can be made to the design in any way. Using the College seal, though it is not trademarked, is
prohibited without prior approval from the Marketing and Communications Department.
Chattanooga State marks may not be used in conjunction with references to alcohol or drugs. No use of
College trademarks that are judged to be in poor taste will be allowed. Chattanooga State reserves the
right to reject delivery of materials containing unauthorized or incorrect usage based on the guidelines
stated here.
Copyrights
Chattanooga State’s website and all of its subpages and aliated sites, including ocial social media sites, are
protected by intellectual copyright laws, as stated by the U.S. Copyright Oce and World Intellectual Property
Organization. Users of the website can access Terms of Use and Privacy Policy online.
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Guidelines for the Web
The Chattanooga State website often serves as the rst introduction to the College. A great college website
leaves a positive rst impression with visitors, including current and prospective students, parents, faculty and
sta, institutional partners, and any others seeking information.
The College’s website, chattanoogastate.edu, is an ocial publication of Chattanooga State. It is managed by
the Marketing and Communications Department with technical support provided by the Technology Division.
Our print publications use a consistent style and feel, and our website has that same engaging, welcoming
style. To achieve continuity, the Marketing and Communications Department, working with the Technology
Division, administers and supports a college-wide content management system. All chattanoogastate.edu Web
pages are created, maintained and updated using the Drupal Content Management System. Divisions and
Departments are responsible for working with the Website Coordinator to ensure website content remains
accurate and relevant.
Chattanooga State is committed to making chattanoogastate.edu accessible to all users and we have included
several features designed to improve usability for everyone. We welcome comments on how to improve the
site's usability and accessibility for all users including persons with disabilities. If you should nd any usability
or accessibility issues during your visit to our website, please take the time to notify us of the issue using the
Report a website Issue form: chattanoogastate.edu/report-website-issue.
Thank you in advance for helping Chattanooga State maintain a website that is relevant, accurate, and usable
by everyone.
Email
While we do not have a required Email signature
format, we have provided two templates (see right) in
the Marketing Media Bank for you to personalize
and implement.
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Images & Photography
Photographs are a great way to communicate the welcoming and diverse environment of Chattanooga State. To
create the best images for our marketing pieces we follow these recommendations:
• Choose photographs that are engaging, personal, and show diversity among our student population.
• Choose photographs that are appropriate to the audience. Casual images, for example, might be more suited
for social media than professional use.
• Subjects can have eye contact with the camera, but that is not necessary. Avoid using any photograph in which
the subjects are blinking or have their eyes closed.
• Do not use photos of subjects who are wearing clothing with logos, particularly logos that depict alcohol- or
drug-related messages, other schools, or oensive or objectionable statements or references.
• Avoid photographs of subjects that look too posed, such as those of subjects standing in a straight line.
Photographs that depict action or movement are often better.
• Refrain from using photos that are low resolution, out of focus, or too darkly lighted, complicated or busy.
The Chattanooga State Marketing and Communications Department has a catalog of photos taken by a professional
photographer. These represent our student body, buildings, events, etc. for use in all publications. These are housed
in the Marketing and Communications Department on a server and are cataloged by date and content.
PowerPoint Styles
Templates for Microsoft PowerPoint presentations are available in the Media
Bank chattanoogastate.edu/our-campus/about/marketing/media-bank.
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Stationery and Business Cards
The print shop provides ocial Chattanooga State letterhead, envelopes, and business cards.
Letterhead and business cards are created with the College’s ocial logo and school information, and business
cards are designed in the Marketing and Communications Department.
For personalization, letterhead can include your department name and phone number. Business cards can
include your name, ocial title, job-related credentials, department, email address, phone and fax number.
Job titles printed on business cards are ocial titles, as veried by Human Resources.
To order business cards, please complete a business card request form and obtain signed approval by your dean
or vice president. Signed forms are then routed to Human Resources before being delivered to the Marketing
and Communications Department for completion. chattanoogastate.edu/sites/default/les/imported/our-
campus/about/marketing/pdf/business_card_requisition.pdf
Advertising
Any advertising, regardless of medium, that will include graphic representation of Chattanooga State and/or will
use Chattanooga State’s logo or name must be designed by the Marketing and Communications Department to
ensure compliance with identity standards and brand messaging.
The ocial Chattanooga State CS logos or Wordmark must be used in all ads; any exceptions must be pre-
approved by the Director of Marketing and Communications.
As a rule, the Marketing and Communications Department advertises on behalf of the College, increasing name
recognition and emphasizing our brand. Individual advertisements will be considered on the basis of budget and
named College priorities. Individual ads purchased by a College oce, department or area still must be designed
and approved by the Marketing and Communications Department.
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Editorial Style Guide
In determining editorial style for print and electronic publications,
Chattanooga State uses the Associated Press Stylebook as its primary
reference. For spelling and denitions, the College uses dictionary.com.
A style guide does not necessarily represent “more correct” choices in using
the English language. The style guide does intend to create a consistent
style and voice for the College to use across print and electronic media.
It notes specic rules and usages to be applied by editors and authors in
the Marketing and Communications Department and by other campus
communicators.
Since many people do not have access to an Associated Press (AP) Stylebook,
this style guide points out several common AP style rules. Where this style
guide conicts with the AP Stylebook or dictionary.com, this style guide takes
precedence.
Please direct questions about editorial style to the Marketing and
Communications Department at 423.697.2437.
Our Name
The ocial name of the College is Chattanooga State Community College.
In publications on second reference, Chattanooga State or ChattState (one
word, capital S) is an acceptable use. Using Chatt State as two words is not
acceptable.
Former names of the College, including Chattanooga State Technical
Community College and Chattanooga State Technical Institute, are not correct
in current references. These names should be used in historical contexts only.
The acronym ChSCC is not to be used externally; ChSCC may be used for
internal correspondence between faculty, sta, administrators, and among
TBR and THEC institutions.
Clarifying Terms and Areas of the College
General Biology II is a course. A degree is an Associate of Science, Associate of
Applied Science, Bachelor of Arts, etc. Certicates are not considered degrees.
Chattanooga State oers three types of academic programs: Career,
Transfer and Certicate. Examples of programs: Administrative Professional
Technology, Health Sciences. Concentrations are areas of study within
programs. Example: “The student is earning an Associate of Applied
Science degree in Business with an Administrative Professional Technology
concentration.”
In terms of organization, Chattanooga State has one campus and two sites
located in six counties. The ocial name of each location should be used
in external publications. The names are: Main Campus, Dayton Site, and
Kimball Site.
There are seven academic divisions of the College: Business, Engineering
and Information Technologies, Humanities and Fine Arts, Mathematics and
Sciences, Nursing and Allied Health, Social and Behavioral Sciences and the
Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT). College divisions include:
Business and Finance, College Advancement and Public Relations, Economic
and Workforce Development, Human Resources, Institutional Eectiveness,
Research and Planning, Student Aairs, and Technology.
Academic Terms
Use numerals 7 and 15 with a hyphen when describing academic terms:
7-week term or 7-week classes; Fall 1st 7-week term; Spring 2nd 7-week term.
Academic Titles
Capitalize ocial titles of courses, programs and concentrations at
Chattanooga State: General Biology II (course), Paralegal Studies (program),
Media Technologies Concentration (concentration). Do not capitalize
programs and concentrations oered by other institutions.
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Capitalize and spell-out formal faculty and sta titles only when they precede
a name. Lowercase elsewhere. College preference is to use the appositive:
Debbie Adams, vice president of Student Aairs, was the guest speaker.
Academic Degrees
Uppercase degrees if spelled out: Associate of Applied Science, Associate of
Science, Bachelor of Fine Arts. Lowercase and use an apostrophe in the short
form: associate (there is no plural for associate degrees), bachelor’s, master’s
These uses are preferred over letter abbreviations: B.A., M.B.A., Ph.D. If using
letter abbreviations, do not follow with the word “degree.” Associate degree
is typically acceptable.
Degree abbreviations are not listed after names except on business cards,
upon request. Formal publications, such as donor lists and invitations, may
add the word Dr. preceding said name.
Chattanooga State degree programs and concentrations are to be listed by
their ocial names, as stated in the latest College Catalog.
Accreditation Statement
The required SACSCOC accreditation statement must be consistent across
ocial college publications and will include the full name, address, and
phone as follows: Chattanooga State Community College is accredited by
the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges
(SACSCOC) to Award the Associate Degree. Chattanooga State Community
College also may oer credentials such as certicates and diplomas at
approved degree levels. Questions about the accreditation of Chattanooga
State Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern
Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866
Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097, or call 404.679.4500, or by
using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www.sacscoc.org).
Achieving the Dream (ATD)
ATD is the nation’s most comprehensive, non-governmental reform network
for student success. ATD acts as a catalyst to help colleges strengthen and
build their capacity to ensure that more students complete postsecondary
education and have greater opportunity for economic success.
Acronyms
In general, acronyms are not used on rst reference. Tennessee Consortium
for International Studies, not TnCIS. Exceptions are common references: FBI,
not Federal Bureau of Investigation.
In AP style, acronyms are not placed in parentheses following rst use.
Acronyms may be used in subsequent references. This is the style used in press
releases: The Tennessee Consortium for International Studies is housed at
Chattanooga State Community College. TnCIS sends students to study abroad.
Aect/Eect
“Aect” is a verb, meaning to inuence or to change. “Eect” is a noun,
meaning an impact or a result: This change will aect you. One eect might
be a salary increase.
Armative Action/Equal Employment Opportunity
Statement (AA/EEO)
The AA/EEO statement is a mandatory statement required to be included
on publications and websites. In addition, once a year, the Marketing and
Communications Department places an ad each spring semester in a local
newspaper to satisfy a requirement for compliance. There are two versions of
this statement, one long and one short.
Long, preferred: Chattanooga State Community College does not
discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national
origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, or any other class
protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board
of Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities.
The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding
nondiscrimination policies: Executive Director, Human Resources, 4501
Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406, brian.evans@chattanoogastate.
edu, 423.697.2417. A link to Chattanooga State’s policy on nondiscrimination
can be found at chattanoogastate.edu/eeo-statement.
Short version: Chattanooga State does not discriminate on the basis of race,
color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as
a protected veteran, or any other protected class. See our full EEO statement
at chattanoogastate.edu/eeo-statement.
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African American
Do not hyphenate. The term “black,” lowercased, also may be used.
Ages
Use numerals.
American Indian
The term “Native American” also may be used.
Amphitheater
Lowercase.
Apostrophes
Plurals of a single letter: A’s, B’s.
Do not use apostrophes when referencing a decade as a noun: Unless you
like grunge, the 1990s were not a historical high point in fashion.
Singular and plural possessives that do not end in “s” use an apostrophe and
“s”: the student’s homework, the alumni’s contributions.
Singular and plural possessives that end in “s” use only an apostrophe: the
alumnus’ success, the VIPs’ entrance.
Proper names that end in “s” use only an apostrophe: Jesus’ life, Dickens’ novels.
Asian American
Do no hyphenate.
Book Titles
Use quotation marks, not italics or underline. This is also the rule for
magazines, articles, albums, songs, poems and plays.
Bookstore
Uppercase only when referring to Chattanooga State Bookstore or if it is part
of the formal name of a bookstore.
Buildings
First name only is acceptable for internal use: Omniplex 124. In press releases
or other external references, use the full name.
The ocial names of Chattanooga State facilities are found on page one.
Campuses
Main Campus, Dayton Site, and Kimball Site.
In external communications, use campus or site physical addresses only
when promoting an activity or event that requires physical attendance on the
campus or site. Do not use a physical address as a general identier. Use the
full, ocial name of each campus or site as an identier. Dayton and Kimball
sites do not have libraries on site and therefore not considered campuses.
Career Programs
Uppercase and use the full name of Career Programs oerings: Physical
Therapist Assistant, Engineering Technology. See the Career Degree
Information section of the latest Catalog for the most up-to-date list.
Certicate Programs
Uppercase and use the full name of Certicate Programs oerings: Early
Childhood Education Certicate Program. See the Degrees and Certicate
Programs section of the latest Catalog for the most up-to-date list.
chattanoogastate.edu
This is the ocial Web address for the college. The use of http:// or www. is
not necessary. Use all lowercase only.
College
Uppercase the stand-alone word only when referring to the institution of
Chattanooga State Community College. The uppercase term “College” as a
reference to Chattanooga State is used in all external communications except
news releases. News releases comply with AP style, which uses lowercase
“college” on second reference.
College System of Tennessee
The College System of Tennessee, Governed by the Tennessee Board of
Regents (TBR), is Tennessee's largest higher education system, governing 40
post-secondary educational institutions with over 200 teaching locations.
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The TBR system includes 13 community colleges and 27 colleges of applied
technology, and TN eCampus, providing programs to students across the
state, country and world.
Commas
Do not use a comma before Jr., Sr. or Inc. In quotes, the comma is always
placed within the quotation marks: “That’s great,” he said.
Chattanooga State uses the serial comma: Students can study in the
Instructional Materials Center, Omniplex Building, or Student Center.
Commencement
Capitalize when referring to the Chattanooga State event. Lowercase general
references, as with graduation. “Commencement” is the preferred term.
Concentration
A student’s area of focus within a specic degree program. Capitalize
ocial titles of Chattanooga State concentrations: One of the Business
concentrations is Culinary Arts. Do not capitalize concentrations oered by
other institutions. See the Career Degree Information section of the latest
Catalog for the most up-to-date list.
Co-requisite
Hyphenate co-requisite.
Courtesy Titles
Do not use courtesy titles such as Mr., Mrs., Ms., etc. Exception: Courtesy titles
are accepted for formal invitations. See Dr.
Credit Hours
Use numerals.
Dates
Use Arabic gures, without the st, nd, rd or th. Exceptions are as design
elements, occasionally on formal invitations and in reference to centuries: the
21st century.
When a phrase refers to a month, day and year, commas are required before
and after the year: February 16, 1987, was a day like any other. Commas are
not needed in reference to only a month and year: February 1987.
Dean
Preferred title for the presiding ocer over a specic division or department
that involves students and faculty; this may include academic or student life
duties.
Department
Capitalize only when using the full, formal name of a Chattanooga State
department: Humanities Department. Do not reverse the names, as in
Department of Humanities.
Disabled, Disability
Use these terms rather than “handicapped.” Use “people rst language” that
describes what a person has, not who a person is: She has autism. Incorrect:
She is autistic.
Division
Capitalize when using the full, formal name of a Chattanooga State division:
Business Division. Do not reverse the names, as in Division of Business.
The ocial names of Chattanooga State non-academic divisions:
Business and Finance, College Advancement and Public Relations, Economic
and Workforce Development, Human Resources, Institutional Eectiveness,
Research and Planning; Student Aairs, and Technology.
Dr.
Use as a title when referring to a medical doctor or a Ph.D.
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Early College
• Dual Enrollment
• Early College Academy at Kimball
• Hamilton County’s STEM High School
• Hamilton County’s Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
• Mechatronics Akademie at Volkswagen
• Polytech Academy at Chattanooga State
• Polytech Academy at Kimball
• TCAT Dual Enrollment
• Tech Track/Dual Credit
Email
Lowercase except at the beginning of a sentence. No hyphen.
Faculty and Sta Titles
Lowercase in a sentence unless used before the faculty or sta member’s
name. College preference is to use the appositive: Debbie Adams, vice
president of Student Aairs, was the guest speaker.
Faculty Ranks
Adjunct faculty member, Instructor, Assistant professor, Associate professor,
Professor
Fall Semester
Lowercase. Also lowercase when referring to a specic term: fall 2017.
Federal
Lowercase unless part of a proper name: The federal government. Federal
Bureau of Investigation.
Fellow
Lowercase: “She is a Guggenheim fellow.”
Fewer/Less
“Fewer” means a small number of individual things. “Less” means a smaller
quantity of some entire thing: The less money John makes; the fewer dollars
he spends.
Full-Time, Full Time
Hyphenate only when used as an adjective: She is a full-time employee.
Fundraiser, Fundraising
No hyphen.
Further/Farther
“Further” means in addition or moreover, and “farther” refers to distance:
Money goes further than expected. I will be able to travel farther than I had
planned.
GED
Do not use GED or General Educational Development Certicate. Instead, use
Tennessee High School Equivalency or HSE.
Generational Suxes
Do not precede with a comma: A. John Smith Jr.
GPA
On rst reference, using either GPA or grade point average is acceptable. The
College does not use a hyphen in the term “grade point average.”
Grades
Capitalize, with no quotation marks, letters for course grades (A, B, C, D, F, I)
and grade names such as Incomplete. Use an apostrophe to pluralize: She
earned all A’s.
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Health Care, Health-Care
Two words. Hyphenate only when used as an adjective: He is a health-care
professional.
High Impact Practice (HIP)
Spell out high impact practice on rst use with HIP in parentheses and HIP
thereafter.
High School Programs
See: Early College
Hyphens
Do not use hyphens for phrases that contain adverbs ending in “ly,” such as
“highly developed.”
Do not use hyphens with most compounds containing the prexes non, pre,
post and sub. Refer to dictionary.com for specic applications.
Use hyphens to link modiers to the same word: The lesson plan was created
for fth- and sixth-graders.
Insure, Ensure, Assure
Use “insure” only in reference to insurance. Use “ensure” to mean a guarantee
or to make certain. “Assure” means to give condence: I assure you, to insure
your home with us is a way to ensure your well-being.
International Student
Use the phrase “students with an international background” to avoid having
to clarify whether students have come to Chattanooga State directly from
another country or have lived in the U.S. for some time. Or be specic and
state where a student is from directly.
Internet
Lowercase.
Its, It’s
“Its” is a possessive and does not have an apostrophe: The dog scratched its
ear. The contraction “it’s” means it is: It’s good to see you.
Like/Such As/As
Avoid the word “like” to begin a list or to introduce an example. Use “such
as” instead: Chattanooga State oers a variety of degree programs, such as
Paralegal Studies and Nursing. “Like” shouldn’t be used in the place of “as”:
John tripped over the duck, as anyone would.
“Like” can be used to make comparisons: Jane’s hair is gold, like the sun.
Log In, Login
Use two words as a verb: Log in to the program. Use one word as a noun or
adjective: Your login information is required to access TigerWeb.
Major
A student’s program of study for a degree. Capitalize ocial titles of
Chattanooga State majors: Engineering Technology. Do not capitalize majors
oered by other institutions.
Exception: Some majors are always capitalized, because they include a proper
noun, such as with an English or Spanish major.
Mascot
Chattanooga State’s ocial mascot is the tiger.
Military Ranks
Use ordinals when rank is placed before a name: 1st Sgt. David Smith, Petty
Ocer 2nd Class Jane Doe.
Spell out and lowercase military ranks when used without a name or after a
name: Jane’s goal is to make rst sergeant.
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Names
In general, use only last names on second reference: John Smith, then Smith.
When it is necessary to distinguish between two people with the same last
name, use both names on all references: John Smith and Jane Smith.
Numbers
Per AP style, spell out whole numbers under 10: The students spent ve
minutes lost in the Humanities Building.
Exceptions: when used as percentages, as military ranks, as dimensions, as
dates or exact times, in addresses, in reference to money or in academic
course numbers. English 1010, a 5-by-8 rug, a $5 bill, 2 a.m.
Spell out all numbers that begin a sentence. Forty years was a long time ago.
The only exception is for years: 1965 was the year Chattanooga State was
founded. Recasting the sentence is preferable.
Spell out school grades for rst through ninth grades. Use gures for 10 and above.
Arabic gures are used without the st, nd, rd or th, except in references to
centuries (21st century) and military ranks (1st Sgt. David Smith), as design
elements, and occasionally on formal invitations.
See Military Ranks, Dates, Percent and Times.
Oce
Refers to non-academic units: Financial Aid, Marketing and Communications.
Uppercase when used with the name of a specic oce: Disabilities Support
Services Oce. Do not reverse the formal names of oces. Exceptions: Oce
of the President, Oce of the Vice President of....
Lowercase when referring to a physical location: Come to the Disabilities
Support Services oce.
Part-Time, Part Time
Hyphenate only as an adjective: She is a part-time employee.
Phone Number
See Telephone Number.
Percent
Use the % sign when paired with a numeral, with no space, in most cases. Use
gures: 1%, 4 percentage points.
President
Lowercase in a sentence unless used before the president’s name: President
Rebecca Ashford welcomed the students. Dr. Rebecca Ashford, president of
Chattanooga State, said she was looking forward to a new school year.
Uppercase “President” as a stand-alone is acceptable on formal invitations.
Program
A student’s major degree or certicate area, not to be confused with a
concentration. The term “program,” lowercase, is sometimes used generically.
See: Career Programs, Certicate Programs, Concentration and Department.
Punctuation
Double space: Do not use double spaces between sentences.
Em dash: Leave one space between an em dash and the surrounding words: The
alumnus — who graduated top of his class — now is a Pulitzer Prize winner.
See: Apostrophes, Commas, Hyphens, Quotations.
Quotations
Commas and periods should always be within the quotation marks: “This is
great,” he said.
Use single quotation marks (‘ ’) in headlines and for quotes within quotes:
“Pull from Shakespeare’s ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen’ speech when writing
your essay on Caesar,” the professor instructed.
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Room
Capitalize only before a room number: Room 264, Omniplex Building.
SACSCOC
Acronym for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission
on Colleges, Chattanooga State’s accreditation organization. Spell out full
name on rst reference, and do not use the shortened SACS.
See: Accreditation.
Semester
Lowercase: spring semester, fall 2017.
Service-Learning
Hyphenate the Chattanooga State program.
Social Media
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Pinterest, Instagram. Use blog,
not weblog.
Social Security
Uppercase: Social Security number.
Strengthening of Institutions Program (SIP) – Title III
SIP helps eligible Institutes of Higher Education to become self-sucient and
expand their capacity to serve low-income students by providing funds to
improve and strengthen the academic quality, institutional management, and
scal stability of eligible institutions.
Telephone Number
In news releases and business cards, use the traditional format with
parentheses around the area code: (865) 694-6400. Online and in most
print publications, use periods in place of dashes and no parentheses:
865.694.6400.
Tennessee Board of Regents
The Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) system consists of 40 institutions with
a combined annual enrollment of nearly 118,000 students, ranking it the
largest system of public higher education in Tennessee. TBR's 13 community
colleges and 27 colleges of applied technology oer classes in almost all of
Tennessee's 95 counties.
Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT)
Chattanooga State's TCAT is one of 27 colleges of applied technology under
the TBR umbrella oering diplomas and technical certicates as well as
transfer programs into the academic side of the College.
Theatre
Chattanooga State’s Theatre performances and events are referred to using
the spelling “theatre,” not “theater.”
Their/There/They’re
“Their” is a pronoun meaning belonging to them: Their papers are scattered
all over the oor. “There” is an adverb meaning at that place: Go over there
and pick up all the papers. “They’re” is a contraction meaning they are: They’re
picking up those papers right now.
Tiger
Chattanooga State’s ocial mascot is the tiger.
Times
Use numerals to designate time. Use lowercase a.m. and p.m., with periods.
Avoid the term “o’clock” and redundancies like 10 a.m. in the morning. To
avoid confusion, use the terms “noon” and “midnight,” not the numeral 12. To
avoid redundancy, drop the term “a.m.” when referring to a span of time that
begins in the morning and ends at noon: The event runs 10 to noon.
Transfer Programs
Uppercase Transfer Program oerings: Economics, Theatre Arts. See the
Transfer/University Parallel Programs section of the latest Catalog for an
up-to-date list.
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Unit Names
Capitalize the names of ocial areas: Cafeteria, Amphitheater, Child
Development Center, River Room, Foundation Board Room, Barbara Morgan
Conference Room, Richard Lamerand Laboratory.
See: Oces, Departments, Divisions. No hyphen.
Underrepresented
One word.
Vice President
Do not hyphenate.
Web
Per AP style, lowercase the web, as in World Wide Web as well as webcam,
webmaster, website, webcast. Lowercase webpage, webfeed.
Web Addresses
As a general rule, when referring to websites, the use of http:// or www. is no
longer necessary.
Some Chattanooga State webpages require a secure protocol. On these
pages, always use the protocol https:// even if the protocol is followed by
www. For example: https://55232.thankyou4caring.org/.
When a web address ends a sentence, nish with a period.
Who, Which, That
Use the pronoun “who” or “whom” to refer to humans only: “The student who
drew the masterpiece was gratied to earn a scholarship.”
Use “which” or “that” for inanimate or non-human objects. Use “which”
(with a comma) when a clause is nonrestrictive: The Canadian geese, which
frequent the campus, can be found in virtually any area on campus. Use “that”
in a restrictive clause: The geese that frequent the campus can be found in
virtually any area on campus.
Who’s/Whose/Whom
“Who’s” is a contraction, meaning who is: Who’s going to clean the sidewalk?
“Who’s” can occasionally be used as a shortened form of “who has”: Who’s
had lunch?
“Whose” is the possessive form of “who”: Whose hat is this?
“Whom” is the objective form of “who”: She is the person to whom you need
to speak.
For more information or assistance, please contact the Marketing and
Communications Department at 423.697.2437.
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11-75-404002-???-1/22/jp - PDF - Chattanooga State Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, ethnicity or national origin, sex, disability, age, status as a protected veteran, or any other class protected by Federal or State laws and regulations and by Tennessee Board of
Regents policies with respect to employment, programs, and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding nondiscrimination policies: Executive Director, Human Resources, 4501 Amnicola Highway, Chattanooga, TN 37406, [email protected], 423.697.2417. A link to
Chattanooga State’s policy on nondiscrimination can be found at chattanoogastate.edu/eeo-statement.
Chattanooga State Community College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate degree. Contact SACSCOC at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4033 and phone 404.679.4501 with questions about accreditation.
4501 Amnicola Highway
Chattanooga, TN 37406
chattanoogastate.edu
