Email Etiquette for Students

Email Etiquette for Students

Why is Email Etiquette Important? We interact more and more with the written word all the time With large, impersonal lectures it becomes harder to discuss questions or problems with teachers Without immediate feedback from the reader, it’s easy to be misunderstood

Elements of Email Etiquette Basics Tone Attachments Complaints Good topics for email Bad topics for email

The Basics When mailing a teacher, ALWAYS include your full name, class period or division Include your class and what the email is specifically regarding in the subject Example Janie Daniels, MWF 8:30-9:20 a.m. Division 0006 Subject: CPT 141: Project 3 Proposal

The Basics Think twice about whether or not the content of your email is appropriate for virtual correspondence - once you hit Send, anyone might be able to read it Try to keep the email brief (one screen length) Respond to emails within the same time span you would a phone call Check for spelling, punctuation and grammar errors before clicking Send Use a professional font, not decorative

Tone Write in a positive tone – When I complete the assignment versus If I complete the assignment Avoid using negative words – Words that begin with “un, non, or ex” or end with “less” Use smiles , winks ;-) and other graphical symbols only when appropriate Use contractions to add a friendly tone

Attachments When you are sending attachments, include in the email the filename, what format it is in, and the version of the program – Attached: “Project3Proposal.doc” This file is in Microsoft Word 2007. Consider sending files in rich text format (rtf) or portable document format (pdf) to ensure compatibility

Complaints You should briefly state the history of the problem to provide context for the problem Explain the attempts you made previously to resolve the problem Show why it is critical for the problem to be resolved by your reader Offer suggestions on ways you think it can be resolved or how you are willing to help in the matter

Complaints Example Dr. Lambert: The review that we had the period before the final was not accurate. As a result, the grades we received could have been incorrect. The T.A.s who led the review gave incorrect information. I would like to suggest that you ask students who were at the review which information the T.A.s gave incorrectly and account for those errors in our grades. There have been a number of complaints from fellow classmates who feel the same way. Please take this into consideration. Thank you.

Good Topics for Email You should email your teacher if: – You have an easy question that can be answered in a paragraph or less – You have an assignment that you are allowed to submit via email

Bad Topics for Email There are some rules that it’s best to follow, such as: – Don’t try to turn in an assignment through email if your teacher has specified against it – If you have to get an extension for an assignment, do it in person – Don’t bring up any topic that will require continuous conversation – If things become heated, there is a large risk for misunderstanding, so it’s best to talk faceto-face

For More Information Purdue Writing Lab – Heavilon 226 – (765) 494-3723 Online Writing Lab – http://owl.english.purdue.edu

The End