Gender. Use of Mr, Mrs and Ms

The content of these guidelines is taken from the Vives University Network’s Interuniversity Style Guide for Writing Institutional Texts, an interuniversity project in which the UPC participated with the support of the Secretariat for Universities and Research of the Government of Catalonia.

• Use of Ms and Mrs
• Mr, Mrs or Ms versus other titles
• Salutations

Use of Ms and Mrs

• Because Mrs implies a woman is married, using it in formal contexts seems presumptuous. Use Ms (but see the point immediately below).
  
  

Mr, Mrs or Ms versus other titles

• Do not combine titles and ranks such as professor, doctor, etc. with Mr or Ms. If the title is somehow separated from the name, use Mr or Ms + surname or the full name.
  
  

  Chairwoman Isabel Sales asked the rector, Mr Torrelló, to speak.

• Use lady only for the ceremonial title used in the United Kingdom and Commonwealth countries, and as part of the expression ladies and gentlemen.
  
  

Salutations

• A problem occurs in the opening salutation of letters written to unnamed individuals. Avoid translating senyor, senyora, Sr./Sra. or En/Na as Mr or Ms, and instead write Dear student, Dear faculty member or Dear colleague. If the recipients have no relationship with the university, use Dear Sir or Madam.