Using Proper Email Etiquette When Writing to A Professor



Proper Email Etiquette For Collegiate/Professional Communications

Following these simple steps will enable you to put your best foot forward and communicate your needs productively, efficiently, and professionally.

1. USE YOUR COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY EMAIL ONLY.

This designates that your message is legitimate and not a slice of mystery meat known as “spam”. In addition, a personal e-mail such as: #Igotthisplaya4realzies@ may lend itself to an unprofessional perception or misperception of you. Your email name may be the first impression your professor or employer sees. It is better to put your best foot forward!

2. ALWAYS USE SUBJECT LINES: When filling the subject line, please mention what the email is for or in regards to. This prevents your message from being classified as a randomly generated subject and/or being directed into your professor's spam folder.

3. ADDRESS YOUR PROFESSOR DIRECTLY: A proper greeting is never old fashioned, it is always classy, stylish, and professional.

Examples: 'Dear Dr. Jackson', 'Hi Professor Holland', 'Dr. Prince, I hope all is well with you...'

4. PROPER HEADINGS: Since your professor may teach hundreds of students, please use the following heading to help them identify you efficiently.

Example: Colonel Rubio Bernie Sanders Bush V

Psychology 102

MW 9:30 a.m.-10:50 a.m.

5. BE POLITE AND COURTEOUS:

Avoid making demands and accusations and please remember to use please and thank you.

6. BE SUCCINT: Write clear, brief, and respectful messages. Your professor may have hundreds of emails to field per day. In addition, if your professor does not respond within 48 hours, politely re-send your message to them.

7. AVOID ARGUMENTS OR SENDING A MESSAGE WHEN ANGRY: It’s always best to err on the side of caution and maintain a professional demeanor at all costs. If you have a check, there’s a reason for it. In addition, always remember, once you hit the send button, your e-mail becomes a permanent part of the cyberworld and can be retrieved, forwarded, & saved by hundreds of others at any given time.

8. CONCLUDE EMAILS WITH PROFESSIONAL CLOSINGS:

'Thankyou', 'Thanks for your time', 'See you in class Wednesday', 'Regards', etc. Then re-type your first name.

9. PROOFREAD: This is critically important! Prior to sending your email, proofread your message for both the tone and the content. “Tact is the unsaid part of what people think.” If your message comes across in a smug or unprofessional manner, please revise it again. In addition, the tone of collegiate/professional e-mails is always formal and should always include complete sentences with proper syntax, proper grammar, and accurate spelling. If you have a doubt, that usually means an alteration or two is in order. Avoid using texting abbreviations, slang, and/or disrespectful or casual jargon.

10. REFRAIN FROM USING ALL CAPITAL LETTERS:

This format is generally interpreted as SHOUTING or is reserved for emergencies.

Cheers to a productive, enlivening, and engaging semester!

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