Skip to main content
University of Wisconsin–Madison

Browse the editorial styleguide A–Z

W Crest
When referring to UW–Madison's academic logo, capitalize the full name: W Crest (uppercase, no italic). Lowercase crest when not using the logo's full name: the crest, UW–Madison's crest logo. See also Motion W.
WAA
Do not use the before it; see also Wisconsin Alumni Association® (WAA). WAA’s merger with the UW Foundation was effective on July 1, 2014. The blended organization is now called the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA). WAA and UWF also maintain their separate brand identities.
Washington, DC
use a comma; no periods with DC; in usages such as the WAA: Washington, DCChapter, include a comma after the DC as well
web terms
website, the web, the World Wide Web, web page, web feed, webcam, webcast, webmaster
website (URL) addresses
test every site before publishing it; use the shortest version that works; use roman type without brackets; put a period at the end if it falls at the end of a sentence; delete the http:// and www portions of the address; do not hyphenate a word within a web address unless it actually has a hyphen; if necessary, break it after a slash or period that is part of the address; do not insert any characters or punctuation; see CMS 7.46
Wednesday Nite @ the Lab (WN@L or WN@tL)
use Nite and @
WFAA
see Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)
wheelchair
It is acceptable to describe a person as someone who uses a wheelchair, followed by an explanation of why the equipment is required. Avoid confined to a wheelchair or wheelchair-bound as these terms describe a person only in relationship to a piece of equipment. (Source: Disability Language Style Guide, National Center on Disability and Journalism)
white
Lowercase the word white in racial, ethnic, and cultural senses. (Source: AP Stylebook)
White Library
there’s no such thing; see College Library at Helen C. White Hall
wife
see spouse, wife, husband
will-call
hyphenate as a noun or adjective; use with window when possible
winter
lowercase winter break, winter 1983
WISCIENCE
Acronym for Wisconsin Institute for Science Education and Community Engagement
Wisconsin Alumni Association® (WAA)
WAA (never the WAA) is preferred on second reference, but the association is acceptable

Usage of the registered mark:

  • use ® only when the full name is written out, only once, and on the first reference (or first “convenient” reference)
  • punctuation follows the ®
  • do not use it in running text in On Wisconsin, Badger Insiderthe Flamingle, articles submitted for publication elsewhere, the body of press releases, mailing addresses, envelopes, or letterhead
  • do use it in the mastheads of On Wisconsin, Badger Insider, and the Flamingle; the contact listing and final About WAA paragraphs in press releases; the masthead and last paragraph of newsletters; ads and other promotional materials
  • if a marketing vehicle has several pieces, use the ® on the first reference in each piece
  • do not use superscript online or with emails, but generally superscript is preferred if it’s readable
Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF)
initial caps
Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB)
a student group founded in 1980 that is affiliated with WAA and functions as an ambassador to the student community.
Wisconsin Experience
initial caps; the idea that, together, members of the campus community create and apply learning inside and outside the classroom to make the world a better place.
Wisconsin Field House
the official name is the Wisconsin (not UW) Field House; do not capitalize the in the Field House or the Wisconsin Field House.
Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA)
the logo uses an ampersand, but use and in running text; WFAA (never the WFAA) is acceptable on second reference. WAA’s merger with the UW Foundation was effective July 1, 2014. The blended organization is now called the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association (WFAA). Both WAA and UWF also maintain their separate brand identities to external alumni and donor audiences
Wisconsin Hoofers, the
UW–Madison's outdoor-activities club; also called simply Hoofers or the Hoofers
Wisconsin Idea
This refers to former UW president Charles Van Hise’s declaration that “I shall never be content until the beneficent influence of the University reaches every home [some sources say family] in the state”; that is, he wanted the work of the university to extend to the boundaries of the state and beyond. Today this is viewed as global reach and influence. Lowercase the in the Wisconsin Idea. There is some debate as to when Van Hise made this declaration: some sources say 1904; others say 1905. Cite a date at your own risk.
Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery
The legal name of the building at 330 N. Orchard Street; it houses the private Morgridge Institute for Research (MIR), the public Wisconsin Institute for Discovery (WID), and programming staff of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF); to avoid confusion between the building (Institutes) and one of the research entities (Institute), the building is informally called the Discovery Building.
Wisconsin State Journal
no The in the title
Wisconsin Union
This refers to the organization that manages Memorial Union, Union South, and Union activities. Use Memorial Union or Union South to refer to the physical buildings. The Wisconsin Union (organization) prefers that people use Union only when referring to activities sponsored by the Wisconsin Union — not to specific locations — but students and alumni often use Union to refer to Memorial Union. The Wisconsin Union is a private entity that’s separate from UW–Madison, so do not use UW–Madison Union or UW Union.
Wisconsin Union Theater
also known as the Union Theater; it is not the Memorial Union Theater
Wisconsin Welcome
not Welcome Week
women
see boys, men, girls, women
words as words
see CMS 7.63