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Email has had the uncanny effect of equalizing everyone. This is a double-edged sword. It is good that students feel confident when they can approach their superior through email and ask for clarification of what they are studying. It is not a good thing when they demand, through the faceless intercourse of email, special attention or to be excused for an assignment they should have completed.
There is no doubt that emailing has made communication between people much easier, much more efficient, and almost effortless. However, there is another “e” word that should be thrown into that mix. The word is “etiquette” and there needs to be more of it among college students, particularly when they are communicating with their professors. To sound polite and smart, there are a few rules that should be observed.
Never Do
Do not under any circumstance email a professor and tell her you won’t be in her class the day of the class. If you are attending a large university, chances are your professor will not even notice you are gone. Even at a small college this is unnecessary. Professors are often overloaded with paperwork and research. They don’t care whether you are there or not, or for what reason. They don’t really have time to care. This is not high school.
Never email an instructor and ask for notes that you should have taken yourself. The appropriate etiquette is to ask one of your fellow students.
As tempting as it might be to email your professor and ask about your grade, don’t do this either. Most of the time, a student approaches a professor about grades only if they have received a poor one. This is something that is done much better face-to-face with a real person than through email. This is where you can exercise your adult mannerisms and schedule an appointment with the professor. Show your maturity
Before you begin to write an email to your professor for whatever reason, stop and think about what you are asking. Professors are so busy that sending them an email asking about something that you could easily research yourself is insulting to them. This goes in tandem with the rule that you always defer to your superior, who in this case, is your professor. You are not on equal footing with professors, so always use their professional title: Dr. or Prof. and do not refer to them by their first name
Be Patient
If you have emailed your professor with a legitimate question, be patient and respectful. They may not answer immediately because they may have more than 100 questions to answer already. Be careful of your tone of voice in an email. It is easy to sound brusque or curt. You don’t want to sound as though you are “flaming.” you want to sound poised, controlled and respectful. Remember that emails never go away, so your professor, whether you realize it or not, is forming judgments about you based on any email interaction you might have with her.
Email has also made it easier for students to become pushy with their assignments. Instead of learning to trust their own judgments, many students want a professor to “take a look” at a draft of something they’ve done. In fairness, this may be something that a professor does not mind doing. However, once again, assess what you know: is your institution a large university? If so, then the professor probably does not have time to review everyone’s assignment as a first draft.
These are all rules that call for sensibility and sensitivity. Emailing may be the best time-saver the world has ever known, but it can easily be reshaped into one of the most impolite and impatient forms of communication. Using common sense and manners are key in all beneficial online contact.
Special thanks goes to Amanda Greene who is a Brand Manager at RHL, leading online supplier of dorm bedding. Her insight was inspiring for this article.
