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Signage Writing Style Guide

Interior signage

Guide signs

These signs contain directional arrows.

Use the full name of the school, office, department or division.

  • School of Arts and Sciences
  • Human Resources Office
  • Political Science Department
  • Division of Institutional Advancement

    Overhead signs

     These signs are mounted on walls and ceilings.

    Use shortened version of names, omitting words such as “school,” “office,” “department” or “division.”

    Avoid using abbreviations or omitting parts of an office or department name.

    • Mathematics
    • Health
    • Professional Studies
    • Arts and Sciences
    • Human Resources
    • Institutional Advancement

      Office signs

      These signs are identify individual spaces and are mounted on walls.

      Faculty and staff names and titles

      Use an individual’s official title from the SUNY Cortland Online Directory. Numbers after titles should be included, such as Lecturer IV or Administrative Assistant 2. 

      SUNY Cortland class years may follow a person’s name.

      • Edward Jackson ’08, M ’10

      Do not use courtesy titles such as Dr., Mr., Mrs. or Ms., suffixes such as Ph.D., M.D., M.F.A., etc. or professional credentials. Office signage is meant for wayfinding within a building versus being a vehicle to personally represent an individual.

      When a staff member has two or more titles that come from the same department, the titles should be separated with the word "and." If the titles come from two or more departments, the titles should be separated with a semicolon. 

      • Associate Professor and Chair
      • Assistant Professor; Tutor, The Writing Center

      Punctuation

      Avoid ampersands (&); instead, write out the word “and.”

      • Foundations and Social Advocacy 
      • Registrar's Office

      Spaces are not necessary on either side of a slash.

      • Childhood/Early Childhood Education Department
      • Sociology/Anthropology Department

        Apostrophes with class years should curve away from the number.

        • Incorrect: Sharon Connor ‘01
        • Correct: Sharon Connor ’01

        Exterior signage

        Shortening building names by omitting words such as “building” or “hall” is permissible when space constraints exist.

        • Brockway
        • Moffett
        • Professional Studies