Our publications, in the broadest sense of the word, also help establish Delaware Tech's image, whether the document is a student's checksheet of required courses, a catalog, a formal report, or materials we send potential students.
We shouldn't forget the effect a shoddy publication has on our most important readers: Delaware Technical & Community College employees. How we feel about our job and our work place affects our job performance and how we deal with our customers, our students, and our partners in business, industry, and education.
That brings us to the question: Why do we need a style guide?
We need a style guide because it's one element in creating a unified collegewide image and a more professional appearance. If our printed material is sloppy and unprofessional, it implies that we are sloppy and unprofessional.
As a college, we establish paths for others to follow, and, for that reason, incorrect grammar and misspellings are not acceptable in any of the printed materials we produce. Spell-check has given us a powerful tool, but style is more than correct spelling and punctuation.
Style dictates uniform usage for the name of the college and its components, including campuses, centers, addresses, divisions, departments, and the names and titles of those who work here.
A style guide applies to all printed materials, including books, pamphlets, catalogs, and calendars, as well as letters, fliers and similar documents.
Never, NEVER think, "Who's going to see this anyway?" Students and employees take our printed materials off campus where they come under the scrutiny of employers, friends, and family.
In short, this guide should be a primary resource when you are dealing with written materials in any form. This guide is not all-inclusive, and is not intended to be.
Your second source in matters of style should be the Associated Press Stylebook, which sets standards for people who write for publication. Its rules are applied almost universally to newspapers, books, magazines and other printed matter. Some of the entries in this Delaware Tech manual refer specifically to the Associated Press Stylebook.
You can find Associated Press Stylebooks in our libraries and marketing departments, or you can buy your own directly from the Associated Press for less than $15 per copy.
Faculty and staff members are also information sources. If you have a technical question, you can consult an instructor in the appropriate field of study.
If you still have questions, our campus libraries have a wide selection of books and dictionaries that can be used as references. The unabridged Webster's and Random House dictionaries are the preferred references.
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Names and How to Use Them
College Name
The formal name of the College is Delaware Technical & Community College. Always use the ampersand (&) in the name -- never use "and."
In written materials, the first reference to the College should use the formal name; "Delaware Tech" can be used for subsequent references. DO NOT USE Del Tech, DE Tech, DTCC or DT&CC. These forms of reference are not acceptable.
News releases are the exception. Newspaper research has proven that long titles -- especially government titles -- alienate readers and send them to another article. Consequently, newspaper style calls for "Delaware Tech" as the first reference and using the full name at a less conspicuous point in the article.
Using "the College" -- with a capital "C"-- is acceptable on internal documents, such as this guide, even if it seems a bit pretentious. But be forewarned -- nobody outside the college will capitalize the word "college" unless it's included in the formal name.
Campus Names
The proper names of the campuses are:
Dover -- Charles L. Terry Jr. Campus
Georgetown -- Jack F. Owens Campus
Stanton and Wilmington-- Stanton/Wilmington Campus
The complete name (Jack F. Owens Campus or Charles L. Terry Jr. Campus) should be used only on the most formal of documents, such as programs for graduation or special events.
Some buildings and facilities on the campuses have special names or names that honor college and community leaders:
Owens Campus
Adult Plus+ / Exhibit Hall
Arts & Science Center
Stephen J. Betze Library
William A. Carter Partnership Center
Center for Language & Culture
Child Development Center
William C. Jason Technology Center
Student Services Center
Trade & Industry Building
Terry Campus
Conference & Training Center
E. Hall Downes Lecture Hall
Education & Technology Building
Science & Engineering Technology Center
Charles L. Terry Jr. Building
Workforce Development Center
Stanton/Wilmington Campus
Child Development Center (Wilmington)
Conference Center (Stanton)
Conference Center (Southeast Building, Wilmington)
Culinary Arts Dining Room (A Wing, Stanton)
Dental Health Center (Wilmington)
John Eugene Derrickson Memorial Library (Wilmington)
People's Names
Every name you use in print is potential quicksand, ready to swallow your best intentions. Look no further than J. Avery Saulsbury, registrar at Salisbury University, Salisbury, Maryland.
There is absolutely no excuse for misspelling a person's name. Names are available in phone books, directories and a host of other documents and records, but the best source is the person. When in doubt, contact the person and ask how to spell his or her name. He or she will be flattered that you asked -- and you'll avoid embarrassment.
And this bit of information should be passed on to all our students: The worst possible mistake you can make on a job application is misspelling the name of the person to whom you've addressed the letter and application. The next-to-worst mistake is addressing the letter to his or her predecessor -- it implies you aren't interested enough in the company to find out the correct name.
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Editorial Guidelines
Abbreviations
* Company names
Abbreviate company (Co.), corporation (Corp.), incorporated (Inc.), and limited (Ltd.) when used after the name of a corporate entity.
* Organizations, agencies
Some organizations and agencies are widely recognized by their initials, such as the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency), FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), and GOP (Republican Party, from "Grand Old Party"). The Associated Press Stylebook has complete guidelines for first- and second-reference use.
* Street addresses
Abbreviate avenue, boulevard, street, lane and other street or road designations ONLY when used for a specified location.
"He lives on Pennsylvania Avenue."
"He lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave."
"He lives four streets away."
Titles and degrees
When used with a full name, nearly all titles and most military designations can be abbreviated Dr., Gov., Lt. Gov., Mr., Mrs., Rep., the Rev., Sen., Sgt., Gen. See the Associated Press Stylebook for guidelines on academic titles, courtesy titles, legislative titles, military titles, religious titles, use of titles in quotations, and more.
* Associate degree does not have an apostrophe, but bachelor's degree and master's degree are correct. An area of study is not capitalized unless it is a proper noun: a bachelor's degree in office administration, a master's in English, a doctorate in physics.
* Use abbreviations such as B.A., M.S., LL.D., and Ph.D. only after a full name, and only in formal references for academic documents. Such abbreviations are seldom used in newspapers or general distribution magazines and books; those publications also use "Doctor" or "Dr." only for medical professionals.
* When used after a name, an academic abbreviation is set off by commas: Daniel Moynihan, Ph.D., will be the guest speaker. (Depending on what publication is involved, Dr. Daniel Moynihan is preferable.) DO NOT use both a title for an academic degree before the name and the abbreviation for the degree after the name, as in: Dr. Pam Jones, Ph.D.
Bias-free guidelines
The various federal equal opportunity acts have several print versions, both short and long. This is the proper version to use in most printed materials:
An Equal Opportunity Institution
It is the policy of Delaware Technical & Community College
that no person shall, on the basis of race, color, creed, sex,
national origin, age, or handicap, be subjected to any
discrimination prohibited by the Civil Rights Act of 1964
as amended, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation
Act of 1973, Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972,
and other applicable laws and regulations.
|
If a longer or shorter version seems more appropriate, check with the Human Resources Department on your campus.
Capitalization
In general, avoid unnecessary capital letters. Excessive capitalization does not enhance the publication or written word.
* Formal titles should be capitalized when used immediately before a name: Chairman John Jones, Executive Director Sally Smith. Do not capitalize formal titles when used alone or when set off from a name by commas: John Jones, chairman; Sally Smith, who serves as executive director.
* Capitalize the full proper names of governmental or college agencies, departments, and offices/officers: Board of Trustees, Department of Labor, Secretary of Agriculture, College Senate, (but lowercase) the board, the department, the secretary.
* Lowercase seasons and seasonal references unless part of a formal name: spring, fall, winter, summertime, but Winter Carnival, Summer Olympics.
* Lowercase directions north, south, northeast, west, etc., unless they designate geographic regions:
As we drove north, our trip to the conference was threatened by storms approaching from the Midwest.
The cold front moving south will bring snow to the Western states by nightfall.
Italics
Italics are more than just a pretty bit of type they have a definite purpose and should be used sparingly.
* Italicize the titles of books, plays, motion pictures, oratorios or operas, published documents, newspapers, periodicals, and journals. Use quotation marks and Roman letters for titles of unpublished matter; parts of published works; articles from journals, radio and TV programs; names of boats; and titles of short musical compositions when used in text.
* Italicize references to particular letters or words used as words: the letter b; a capital C; a small y.
* Italicize the word Resolved in resolutions. Italicize the word Continued after a title or headline.
Using numbers
As a general rule in statistical copy, spell out numbers one through nine and use figures for the number 10 or more.
* Treat all numbers in connected groups or the same paragraph alike:
She bought four apples, two plums and twenty-three grapes.
The artist had 20 tubes of paint 16 shades of blue, 2 reds and 1 each of black and white. Or: . . . twenty tubes of paint, sixteen shades of blue and one each of black and white.
* Numbers with more than three figures need commas: 1,246 men; $3,479.85.
* When listing dates, words are more appropriate than dashes and hyphens: between January 8 and February 1, not between January 8-February 1 or between January 8th or February 1st. Abbreviations are acceptable for names of months, but should not be used for several months unless all can be abbreviated:
This year, Jan. 6, Feb. 16 and Aug. 17 fall on a Friday.
This year, January 5, March 9 and September 7 are Fridays.
Punctuation
The Associated Press Stylebook says: Use common sense.
Incorrect punctuation can change the meaning of a sentence or cause the reader to lose track of what is being read. If punctuation does not clarify what is being read, it should not be there.
* Apostrophe: Use an apostrophe to denote a contraction or omission of letters such as it's for it is, or the class of '64 for 1964. Also use apostrophes to form the plurals of letters and symbols such as p's and q's; size 6's. DO NOT use in plural abbreviations such as RNs or CEUs.
* Colon: Use a colon at the end of a sentence as a mark of introduction to lists, tabulations, extracts, texts, etc. Example: Among those invited were: Ted Ramsey, Tim Swift, John Weber . . .
Use a colon to separate a grammatically complete clause from a second one that contains an illustration or amplification of its meaning:
Most countries have a national flower: France, the lily; England, the rose; The Netherlands, the tulip.
* Comma: The comma, perhaps the most versatile of the punctuation marks, indicates the smallest interruption in continuity of thought or sentence structure. A few rules govern its use, but the use of the comma is mainly a matter of good judgment that helps the reader's understanding.
Use a comma between two parts of a compound sentence when a conjunction is used: Classes resume the Monday after the Easter break, and the end of the semester is only three weeks later.
Use commas to set off a nonrestrictive phrase or clause (one which could be dropped without changing the application of the noun it modifies), but DO NOT use commas if the phrase or clause is restrictive.
Non-restrictive: The President, knowing the need for drastic action, declared the entire state as a disaster area.
Restrictive: Anyone knowing the condition of the region will approve the President's action.
Use a comma to separate a date and year: March 8, 1925, (and after the year if the sentence continues) but omit the comma when using just the month and year: June 1998.
The comma is always placed inside a quotation mark.
* Dash: Use dashes to denote an abrupt change in thought in a sentence or an emphatic pause:
We will fly to Paris in June if I get a raise.
When a phrase that otherwise would be set off by commas contains a series of words that must be separated by commas, use dashes to set off the full phrase:
He listed the qualities intelligence, humor, conservatism, independence that he liked in an executive.
Use a dash before an author's or composer's name at the end of a quotation:
"Who steals my purse steals trash." Shakespeare.
* Hyphen: Hyphens are joiners. Use them to avoid ambiguity or to form a single idea from two or more words. Use a hyphen whenever the meaning would not be clear if it were omitted:
The president will speak to small-business men.
(Businessmen normally is one word. But the president will speak to small businessmen, without the hyphen, is unclear and might also be considered humorous by some.)
Use a hyphen when a compound modifier (two or more words that express a single concept) precedes a noun. Exceptions are the adverb very and all adverbs ending in -ly. Many combinations that are hyphenated before a noun are not hyphenated after the noun. Examples: a first-quarter touchdown, a well-known story; but: The team scored in the first quarter, the story is well known.
Full-time and part-time are ALWAYS hyphenated.
* Parentheses: Use parentheses to enclose informative or explanatory matter which is added to a sentence but is not considered of major importance. Always be sure that any material enclosed in parentheses can be omitted without changing the basic meaning and construction of the sentence: Leningrad (called Petrograd before 1924 and St. Petersburg before 1914) is one of Russia's great industrial cities.
* Period: Omit the period in enumerated lists unless one or more items form complete sentences. Place the period inside a quotation mark, but within parentheses or brackets only when the matter enclosed is an independent sentence.
When preparing printed material, use only ONE space between the period and the beginning of the next sentence.
* Quotation marks: Quoted material must not be changed in any manner. It must correspond exactly to the original in wording, spelling, and punctuation. Use double quotes for quoted material and single quotes for a quotation within a quotation. Quote the titles of book series, radio or TV programs, names of boats, or titles of shorter musical compositions included in the text: "DECA Stars of Yesterday"; "Meet the Press"; the "Queen Mary"; Springsteen's "Born in the USA."
Quote articles from journals or parts of a published work. Always place quotation marks outside commas and periods. Place the exclamation point or question mark inside the quotation marks when it is a part of the quoted matter; otherwise, outside:
Then the captain shouted, "Cast off!"
Who said, "The quality of mercy is not strained . . ."?
* Semicolons: Use a semicolon to mark a more important break in sentence flow than that marked by a comma. The following adverbs are not considered conjunctions however, thus, hence, indeed, yet and require the semicolon before them. They are usually followed by a comma.
Use a semicolon between the items of a series if any of the items contain commas:
One of Gerry Mulligan's first "chamber jazz" groups included Mulligan himself, clarinet; Carlo Profundo, bass; and Red Mattick, drums.
Religious titles
(See Associated Press Stylebook)
Time
When designating a time, omit the zeros for the on-the-hour point: Class will begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday; His doctor's appointment was scheduled for 10:30 a.m.
If designating a period of time, a.m. or p.m. has to be used only once: 9-11 a.m.
If the time period encompasses both morning and afternoon, use both abbreviations: 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
If speaking of noon or midnight, use the word: at midnight Tuesday or at noon today, not at 12 noon today and NEVER at 12 a.m. or at 12 p.m.
Use the connector "to" only when also using the beginning "from," as in: The seminar will be held from 3 to 6 p.m. on Tuesday. Class is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. is acceptable, but from 2 to 4 p.m. is preferable.
(Note: As of this writing, the credit course schedules use military time (0915 or 1830) instead of regular time (9:15 a.m. or 6:30 p.m.) for class listings. This may or may not change after the Banner computer system is fully operational.)
Years
Use figures, without commas: 1975.
Use an "s" without an apostrophe to indicate spans of decades or centuries: the '90s, the 1800s.
Years are the lone exception to the general rule that numerals are not used to start a sentence:
1976 was a very good year.
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Writing Made Easy
Writing of any kind is no mystical endeavor. But successfully delivering a message requires thought and organization. You need to:
- Think about the message you want to deliver.
- Write down your thoughts.
- Think about who your audience will be, in terms of their knowledge and their educational level. You will write differently for six-year-olds than you will for adults.
- Make a short outline, and organize your thoughts.
- Create your message, writing as if you were talking to your audience. Above all, avoid wordiness! An overly long written piece is worse for the reader than an overly long speech is for the audience. Few dinner guests leave before a speaker is finished, but you will probably lose your reader long before he's finished digesting your message.
- Keep your message as simple as possible.
- When your first draft is done, put your message aside for a time, even an hour. Then return to it, read it again and make corrections and changes. If necessary, repeat this process until you have what you want a concise message for your audience that expresses your thoughts and ideas.
Basically, you need to think about your writing, and avoid the common pitfalls, such as inappropriate adjectives and verbs the little things that grind a reader's teeth. Here's one perfect example, an overworked and overused cliché that can ruin your best effort:
The situation went "from worse to worse."
Nope. Situations go from bad to worse to WORST.
And so will your writing if you insist on murdering the language, whether English or any other!
Words: Using them effectively and correctly
If you aren't sure about how to spell a word any word check the dictionary. If you're so unsure that you haven't the least idea how a word might be spelled, ask a co-worker or friend for assistance. Always keep in mind that some of the world's greatest authors were and are the world's worst spellers.
Delete "that"
Why pick on such a common and apparently useful word? Because that is a word that clutters language and that encourages people that are not careful writers to string out ideas that should be broken into sentences that could be shorter. That's why! Cross out "that" every time it appears in your writing. No exceptions. Now read the material aloud and replace the "that" only in sentences making no sense without it. Perhaps one sentence in 10 will get its "that" back.
Frequently Misspelled Words
Here are the preferred spellings for some of the most frequently misspelled words:
- accessible
- accommodate
- all right
- auxiliary
- commitment
- compatible
- develop
- dissension
- drought
- ecstasy
- excel
- fulfill
- inadvertent
- independent
- indispensable
- irresistible
- judgment
- liable
- liaison
- likelihood
- manageable
- maneuver
- memento
- noticeable
- occasion
- occurrence
- permissible
- perseverance
- practitioner
- precede
- precedence
- prerogative
- pursue
- questionnaire
- rarefy
- rescind
- seize
- separate
- serviceable
- supersede
- withhold
- yield
Commonly misused words
Even if you never look at this style guide again, READ THIS SECTION. You will be amazed at the mistakes you can make simply by using the wrong form of a word.
Some are synonyms one of two or more words that have the same or nearly the same meaning.
Most, however, are homonyms words with one or more sound-alike forms, such as their, there, and they're. The wrong form will distract your readers and probably distort or even mangle your message. Spell-check won't save you on these mistakes every form of the word will be accepted as correct.
There's a big difference between "spending the weekend dyeing" and "spending the weekend dying."
Here are some common examples:
Accept, except: Accept means to receive; except means to exclude.
Adverse, averse: Adverse means unfavorable: He predicted adverse weather. Averse means reluctant or opposed: She is averse to change.
Affect, effect: Affect, as a verb, means to influence: The game will affect the standings. Effect, as a verb, means to cause: He will effect many changes in the company. Effect, as a noun, means result: He miscalculated the effect of his actions. (Affect, as a noun, is best avoided. It occasionally is used in psychology to describe an emotion, but there is no need for it in everyday language.)
Aid, aide: Aid is assistance. Aide is a person who serves as an assistant.
Allusion, illusion: Allusion means an indirect reference: The allusion was to his opponent's war record. Illusion means an unreal or false impression: The scenic director created the illusion of choppy seas.
Altar, alter: An altar is a table-like platform used in a church service. Alter means change.
Anybody, any body, anyone, any one: One word is used for an indefinite reference: Anyone can do that. Two words are used to single out one element of a group: Any one of them may speak up.
Biannual, biennial: Biannual means twice a year and is a synonym for the word semiannual. Biennial means every two years.
Bloc, block: A bloc is a coalition of people, groups or nations with the same purpose or goal. Block has more than a dozen definitions, but a political alliance is not one of them.
Cannon, canon: A cannon is a weapon. A canon is a law or rule, particularly of a church.
Canvas, canvass: Canvas is heavy cloth. Canvass is a noun and a verb denoting a survey.
Carat, caret, karat: The weight of precious stones, especially diamonds, is expressed in carats. A caret is a mark used by writers and proofreaders. The proportion of pure gold used with an alloy is expressed in karats.
Caster, castor: A caster is a roller. Castor is the spelling for the oil and the bean from which it is derived.
Censer, censor, censure: A censer is a container used to burn incense. To censor is to prohibit or restrict the use of something. To censure is to condemn.
Complacent, complaisant: Complacent means self-satisfied. Complaisant means eager to please.
Complement, compliment: Complement is a noun and a verb denoting completeness or the process of supplementing something: The ship has a complement of 200 sailors and 20 officers. The tie complements his suit. Compliment is a noun or verb that denotes praise or the expression of courtesy: The captain complimented the sailors. She was flattered by the compliments on her outfit.
Complementary, complimentary: Complementary means fill out or complete: The husband and wife have complementary careers. Complimentary means given free: They received complimentary tickets to the show.
Counsel, counselor, council, councilor: To counsel is to advise; a counselor is one who advises. A council is a deliberative body; councilors are its members.
Discreet, discrete: Discreet means prudent, circumspect: "I'm afraid I was not very discreet," she wrote. Discrete means detached, separate: A quadraphonic system produces four discrete sounds.
Dyeing, dying: Dyeing refers to changing colors. Dying refers to death.
Emigrate, immigrate: One who leaves a country emigrates from it. One who comes into a country immigrates. The same principle holds for emigrant and immigrant.
Ensure, insure: Use ensure to mean guarantee: Steps were taken to ensure accuracy. Use insure for references to insurance: The policy insures his life.
Farther, further: Farther refers to physical distance: He walked farther into the woods. Further refers to an extension of time or degree: She will look further into the mystery.
Faze, phase: Faze means to embarrass or disturb: The snub did not faze her. Phase denotes an aspect or stage: They will phase in a new system.
Flair, flare: Flair is conspicuous talent. Flare is a verb meaning to blaze with sudden, bright light or to burst out in anger. It is also a noun meaning a flame.
Flaunt, flout: Flaunt means making an ostentatious or defiant display: She flaunted her intelligence. Flout is a show of contempt: He flouts the law.
Flier, flyer: Flier is the preferred term for an aviator or a handbill. Flyer is the proper name of some trains and buses: The Western Flyer.
Flounder, founder: A flounder is a fish; flounder means moving clumsily or jerkily, to flop about: The fish floundered on land. Founder refers to bogging down, becoming disabled, or sinking: The ship floundered in the heavy seas for hours, then foundered.
Forbear, forebear: To forbear is to avoid or shun. A forebear is an ancestor.
Forego, forgo: To forego means to go before, as in foregone conclusion. To forgo means to abstain from.
Foul, fowl: Foul means offensive, out of line. A fowl is a bird, especially the larger domestic birds used as food: chickens, ducks and turkeys. Looney Tunes cartoon lovers may remember this sentence: "Our chicken has that real fowl taste."
Gage, gauge: A gage is security or a pledge. A gauge is a measuring device or a term used to designate the size of shotguns.
Gamut, gantlet, gauntlet: A gamut is a scale or notes of any complete range or extent. A gantlet is a flogging ordeal, literally or figuratively. Movie cowboys captured by Indians ran the gantlet, not the gauntlet, which is a glove. Throwing down the gauntlet issues a challenge. Taking up the gauntlet means accepting the challenge.
Gibe, jibe: Gibe means taunt or sneer: They gibed him about his mistakes. Jibe means to shift direction, or, colloquially, to agree: They jibed their ship across the wind. Their stories didn't jibe.
Grisly, grizzly: Grisly is horrifying, repugnant. Grizzly means grayish or is a short form for grizzly bear.
Hangar, hanger: A hangar is a building. A hanger is used for clothes.
Impassable, impassible, impassive: Impassable means that passage is impossible: The bridge was impassable. Impassible and impassive describe lack of sensitivity to pain or suffering: She was impassive throughout the ordeal.
Imply, infer: Writers or speakers imply with the words they use. A listener or reader infers something from the words.
Incredible, incredulous: Incredible means unbelievable. Incredulous means skeptical.
Indiscreet, indiscrete: Indiscreet means lacking prudence. Its noun form is indiscretion. Indiscrete means not separated into distinct parts. Its noun form is indiscreteness.
It's, its: It's is a contraction for it is or it has: It's up to you. It's been a long time. Its is the possessive form of the neuter pronoun: The company lost its assets.
Linage, lineage: Linage is the number of lines. Lineage is ancestry or descent.
Mantel, mantle: A mantel is a shelf. A mantle is a cloak.
Naval, navel: Naval pertains to a navy. A navel is a bellybutton.
Palate, palette, pallet: Palate is the roof of the mouth. A palette is an artist's paint board. A pallet is a bed or platform.
Pedal, peddle: You pedal a bicycle. When selling something, you may peddle it.
Pore, pour: The verb pore means to gaze intently or steadily: She pored over her books. It's also a noun describing a hole in your skin. The verb pour means to flow in a continuous stream: It poured rain. He poured the coffee.
Pretense, pretext: A pretense is a false show, a more overt act intended to conceal personal feelings: My profuse compliments were all pretense. A pretext is something that is put forward to conceal a truth: He was discharged for tardiness, but the reason given was only a pretext for general incompetence.
Principal, principle: Principal is a noun and adjective meaning someone or something first in rank, authority, importance or degree: She is the school principal. He was the principal player in the trade. Money is the principal problem. Principle is a noun that means a fundamental truth, law, doctrine or motivating force: They fought for the principle of self-determination.
Rack, wrack: The noun rack applies to various types of framework; the verb rack means to arrange on a rack, to torture, trouble or torment: He was placed on the rack. She racked her brain. The noun wrack means ruin or destruction, and generally is confined to the phrase wrack and ruin. The verb wrack has substantially the same meaning as the verb rack, the latter being preferred.
Ravage, ravish: To ravage is to wreak great destruction or devastation: Union troops ravaged Atlanta. To ravish is to abduct, rape or carry away with emotion: Soldiers ravished the women. Although both words connote an element of violence, they are not interchangeable. Buildings and towns cannot be ravished.
Rebut, refute: Rebut means to argue to the contrary: He rebutted his opponent's statement. Refute connotes success in argument and almost always implies an editorial judgment. Instead, use deny, dispute, rebut or respond to.
Reign, rein: The leather strap for controlling a horse is a rein, hence figuratively: seize the reins, give free rein to, put a checkrein on. Reign is the period a ruler is on the throne: The king began his reign.
Reluctant, reticent: Reluctant means unwilling to act: He is reluctant to enter the primary. Reticent means unwilling to speak: The candidate's husband is reticent.
Rifle, riffle: Rifle means plunder or steal. Riffle means leafing rapidly through a book or pile of papers.
Stanch, staunch: Stanch is a verb: He stanched the flow of blood. Staunch is an adjective: She is a staunch supporter of equality.
Stationary, stationery: When you stand still, you're stationary. Writing paper is stationery.
Suit, suite: You may have a suit of clothes, a suit of cards, or be faced with a lawsuit. There are suites of music, rooms and furniture.
Symbol, cymbal: A symbol is a token of identity; a cymbal a circular brass plate used in music puts you in the drum section of a band.
Their, there, they're: Their is a possessive pronoun: They went to their house. There is an adverb indicating direction: We went there for dinner. There is also used with the force of a pronoun for impersonal constructions in which the real subject follows the verb: There is no food on the table. They're is a contraction for they are.
Toward, towards: Moving in a direction, toward the city. Both words mean the same; toward, without the s, is preferable.
Troop, troops, troupe: A troop is a group of people or animals. Troops means several such groups, particularly groups of soldiers. Use troupe only for ensembles of actors, dancers, singers and other performers.
Who's, whose: Who's is a contraction for who is, not a possessive: Who's there? Whose is the possessive: I do not know whose coat it is.
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College History
Past presidents
Delaware Technical & Community College has had four presidents since its founding.
They are:
- Paul K. Weatherly, 1966-1978
- John R. Kotula, 1978-1992
- Thomas S. Kubala, 1992-1995
- Orlando J. George, Jr., 1995 to present
College history
Delaware Technical & Community College has been a force in the community for more than 30 years. These are some of the important milestones in Delaware Tech history:
1966
Delaware Tech, originally named the Delaware Institute of Technology, is created by House Bill No. 529, and a seven-member board is appointed
1967
The Southern Campus opens in the former William C. Jason High School in Georgetown
1968
The Northern Campus begins offering classes in temporary, rented facilities at 30th Street and Northeast Boulevard in Wilmington
1972
The Kent Campus opens in temporary facilities on South State Street Extension near Moores Lake, south of Dover
1973
The Stanton campus opens on Stanton-Christiana Road, off Interstate 95 near Christiana Mall
1974
The Wilmington campus opens at Fourth and Shipley streets and the Stanton/Wilmington Campus replaces the former Northern Campus
1975
The Kent Campus moves to its present location, off U.S. 13 north of Dover
1976
The Kent Campus is renamed in honor of the late Gov. Charles L. Terry Jr., who signed into law the House Bill creating the college
1984
The Office of the President moves from the Terry Campus building into a separate facility on the campus grounds
1992
Delaware Technical & Community College becomes Delaware's largest educational institution, with the most full- and part-time credit and non-credit students in the state
1995
The Southern Campus is renamed the Jack F. Owens Campus in honor of its retiring campus director
1997
Delaware Tech celebrates 30 years of educating Delawareans
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Graphic Elements
Appearance
Keep the overall appearance of the printed material in mind. Appearance can be improved by making photocopies from a NEW camera-ready document, not the latest version of something that's been duplicated 15 times.
If you need help with graphics, seek it. The Marketing Department has specialists in editing and graphics who can help you with your work.
College Logo
Delaware Tech has only one College logo, which is used on nearly all of the printed materials representing Delaware Tech. Department or division logos cannot be used because they conflict with College identity.
* An electronic file of the logo in TIFF format is available from the Marketing Department upon request. Do not re-create the logo or use a copy from stationery or books; get an original.
* Do not alter the logo in any way, other than proportional enlargement or reduction. The relationships between elements are pre-established to create the most attractive design.
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Do not enhance the logo to create a special effect.
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Outside organizations asking to use the logo should be referred to the Marketing Departments.
* Check with the Marketing Department before using the logo in close association with another mark of identification.
* A printed color version of the logo requires the preferred green colors for the diamonds, PMS 3425, 348 or 349. If these colors are not available, do not fill the diamonds with another color -- leave them open with no ink printed in the fill area. Always print the outline of the diamonds in the same color as the words "Delaware Tech."
College Seal
The College seal is used only on documents of a formal or official nature, such as diplomas, certificates, and graduation programs. The seal must not be used as a logo.
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