How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 1: Always check the syllabus.
Review the course syllabus to see if you can
answer your own question. Frequently the
answer you’re looking for is already accessible
in the syllabus.

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 2: Greet the person you’re writing.
Typical greetings include:
“Hi,” “Hello,” “Greetings,” “Good morning,” “Good
afternoon,” “Good evening,” or even “Dear,”.

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 3: For an instructor, use the appropriate prefix.
Use the name the instructor has identified or uses in-class.
Otherwise, look up the instructor’s university webpage to
locate their prefix. If they have a PhD you may use
“Professor”. Not all instructors are Professors. When you’re
not sure, use “Ms.” or “Mr.” but not “Mrs.”

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 4: Write a short introductory note or comment and
identify yourself and the class you’re in.
● Sometimes the answer to your question depends on the
class section you’re in.
● “I’m in the 10:10am MTThF 1301 class” or similar.

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 5: Title the email subject line strategically.
● The subject line of your email should communicate the
email’s purpose. If it’s a question, you can write “WRIT
1301 Question”, for example.
● Use a subject line that will help you or the instructor
locate the email if they need to search for it later.
● Do the same with document attachment titles.
○ Schiappa Lit Review

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 6: Use appropriately formal language.
● You do not need to write perfectly, but you should make
an effort to spell-check your e-mail.
● You should also avoid using acronyms (LOL, TTYL) and
emoticons other than a smiley :)

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 7: Be brief and to-the-point.
● Most university employees receive a large number of e-
mails every day, so you should be as concise (brief) as
possible while still being clear.
● If your email is longer than a page of writing, it is
probably something you should discuss in-person (if
possible).

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 8: “Sign off” your email appropriately.
● When ending your e-mail you should “sign-off” in a
respectful, professional way.
● Typically you can use, “Thank you,” or “Sincerely,” or
“Best,” or “Regards.”
○ Avoid more intimate sign-offs like “Yours”

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 9: Allow time for response, but send a follow-up if
it is an important issue/question.
● You should generally allow an instructor up to a week to
respond to an e-mail, but if it is an urgent issue you can
send a “follow-up” e-mail 2-3 days later.
● For example, “Hi Dr. Jones, I’d like to follow-up
regarding my previous e-mail. Were you able to review
my essay? Thank you for your time.
Sincerely, Student B.”

How to E-Mail in an Academic Setting
Rule 10: Avoid sending unnecessary e-mails.
● Generally speaking, you do not need to e-mail an
instructor to find out what you missed during a class.
Doing so is asking the instructor to recreate an entire
lesson for you because you were absent which is unfair.
Find out what you missed from the syllabus or a
classmate.