Commonly Used Terms

The following words and phrases should be referenced when writing material for SAIT offical channels, including the website, print and for social media.

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Credentials Commonly used words Common misused words and phrases

Academic credentials

SAIT offers the following:

• applied degrees
• apprenticeship programs
• bachelor’s degrees
• certificate of achievement
• certificate of completion
• one-year certificates
• two-year diplomas
• three-year diplomas
• post-diplomas
• pre-employment programs
• micro-credentials

When writing in an institutional context about a degree, use “Bachelor of” to refer to a specific degree: SAIT offers a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting). Use bachelor’s degree to talk in general about degrees: A bachelor’s degree will get you on the path to success.

The plural form of bachelor’s degree is bachelor’s degrees.

Bachelor's degrees

• Bachelor of Business Administration 
  • Majors: Accounting, Financial Services, Financial Technology and Innovation, Human Resources Management, Management, Marketing, Supply Chain Management 
  • Minors: Construction Project Management and Energy, Oil and Gas
• Bachelor of Hospitality and Tourism
• Bachelor of Science Construction Project Management 
• Bachelor of Technology 
  • Majors: Cyber Security and Software Development

Applied degrees

• Bachelor of Applied Business Administration
• Bachelor of Applied Geographic Information Systems
• Bachelor of Applied Technology Petroleum Engineering

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Common terms

3-D printer

bachelor’s degree (but Bachelor of Science)

Banner cellphone

Cybersecurity (noun)

Cyber Security for Control Systems (program name)

Cisco e-Learning Chair

classroom

Code of Conduct

convocation ceremony (not graduation ceremony)

coordinator (no hyphen)

counsellor, counselling

crowdfunding

CTrain

cyberattack

doctoral degree or doctorate (not doctorate degree)

dual-credit/dual credit (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words: dual-credit course; course is dual credit)

ebook (not e-book)

eCampusAlberta

eCard (not capitalized unless first word in sentence, which should be avoided)

Education Plan

ELINK

elearning (lowercase, not hyphenated, unless part of an official program name that uses an alternate spelling, such as the Cisco e-Learning Chair. Capitalize if first word in sentence, which should be avoided)

email (not e-mail)

e-newsletter

enrol, enrolment (one “l” for nouns),
enrolled, enrolling (two “I” for verbs)

Executive Management Council (EMC on second reference)

Esports

fast-track (lowercase, hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words: fast-track program; their program is on the fast track)

FIRST Principles (fairness, integrity, respect, safety and transparency)

four-year degree

full-load equivalent (FLE, FLEs)

full-time/part-time (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words: full-time studies; studied full time)

fundraising (one word)

Governor General’s Collegiate Bronze medal

Green Building Technology Lab (building)

Green Building Technologies (program)

hands-on (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words: hands-on learning; they are learning hands on)

health care (noun), health-care (adjective) (We have great health care in Canada; Canada has a great health-care system.)

homepage (one word)

honorary degree (not honourary)

honour and honourable but honorary (not honourary

instructor (capitalized only when used as a title: Sam Crenshaw, Journalism Instructor) 

internet (not capitalized unless first word in sentence)

intranet

iPad, iPhone (not capitalized unless first word in sentence, which should be avoided)

journeyperson (journeyman only to be used in official program titles or certifications from the province, including Alberta Journeyman Certificate)

JPG

lifelong learning

LINK Magazine

login, logon, logoff (one word, not capitalized when used as a noun; otherwise two words: Your login is your first initial and seven letters of your surname; please log off from your computer)

LRT (light rapid transit)

Lunch and Learn

Management Council

mySAIT (not capitalized unless first word in sentence, which should be avoided)

non-profit

O: drive

OK (not okay)

online (not on-line or on line)

online learning

PDF (abbreviation of Portable Document Format)

PeopleNOW

PNG (portable network graphics)

post-secondary (hyphenated)

post-secondaries (plural)

pre-employment (lowercase, hyphenated)

president (capitalized only when used as a title: Sam Crenshaw, Subway President, will be there; the president of Subway will be there)

program (not programme)

real-life (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words)

real-world (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words)

SAIT (for external communications, use Southern Alberta Institute of Technology on first reference)

SAIT

#HereAtSAIT

sait.ca (not capitalized unless first word in sentence, which should be avoided)

SAITALERT

SAITNOW (all capitals)

Saitsa (SAIT Students’ Association should be spelled out on first reference)

SAIT Summer Camps

Strategic Plan

Strategic Priorities

Tipi (not Teepee)

toll-free, toll free (hyphenated when preceding a noun; otherwise two words: toll-free call; call us toll free)

Town Hall

transferable, transferred, transferring

vice president, academic (capitalized only when used as a title: Sam Crenshaw, Vice President, Academic will be there; the vice president, academic will be there)

website (one word; not capitalized — web browser, webcam, webcast, web-enabled, webmaster, webpage, weblog, web server)

wi-fi (hyphenated)

work term (not hyphenated unless followed by a noun: work-term extension)

XDocs

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Commonly misused words and phrases

accept (to receive)
except (to exclude)

adverse (unfavourable)
averse (opposed, reluctant)

advice (noun) advise (verb)

affect (verb: to exert an influence)
effect (noun: a result)

all ready (completely prepared)
already (previously)

all right (not alright)

all together (everyone gathered)
altogether (overall)

alumna (female graduate; plural is alumnae)

alumnus (male graduate; singular)

alumni (plural; includes both genders)

bachelor’s degree or baccalaureate (not baccalaureate degree)

beside (at the side of or next to)
besides (except or in addition to)

compared with (to note points of resemblance and difference)
compared to (only used to mean liken to)

complement (verb: to go with or complete, noun: something that completes)

compliment (verb: to flatter, noun: flattering remark)

complementary (adjective: completes, or two or more things that complete each other)

complimentary (adjective: expressing a compliment or provided free of charge)

cybersecurity (noun)
Cyber Security (program name)

e.g. (the abbreviation for exempli gratia, but it should be avoided. Use “for example” instead)

everyone (everyone wanted to go)
every one (each individual or thing in a group)

first-come, first-served (not first come, first serve)

graduand (noun: a person about to receive a degree or other academic qualification)
graduate (noun: a person who has been awarded a degree, diploma or other academic qualification)

i.e. (stands for id est, but it should be avoided. Use “that is” instead)

its (possessive – does not take an apostrophe)
it’s (contraction for “it is”)

lead (to guide)
lead (the toxic metal)
led (past tense of lead: the chair led the meeting)

less (use when no quantity can be counted: there is less milk than I thought)

like (used to describe things that are similar)

such as (used to provide examples)

more than (greater: there were more than 100 people at the concert)

over (higher or during: they went over the wall; over the week, they learn new skills)

perspective (noun: a point of view OR drawing solid objects in a way that gives the impression of their height, width, depth and position in relation to each other. Your presentation showed a unique perspective.)

prospective (adjective: a person expected to be something particular in the future. The prospective student looked at the course outline.)

practice (noun: baseball practice)
practise (verb: they’ll practise piano)

premier (adjective: first in importance, meaning or time)
premiere (first performance or showing of a play or film)
Premier (leader of Canadian province; only capitalized when before a name. Premier Bob Loblaw; the premier will visit campus)

principal (most important, the leader of a school)
principle (fundamental belief)

their (belongs to them)
there (in, at or to a place)
they’re (contraction for “they are”)

who’s (contraction for “who is”)
whose (possessive form of who)

you’re (contraction of “you are”)
your (possessive form of you)