Hi, I’m Dr. Cheryl Radeloff. And I’m Dr. Sarah Sifers. We’ve created this video on
writing professional emails because the way that you contact your professors and other
professionals can impact your relationship with them. Your method of delivery and
writing style says more about you than you might think. You can watch this video in its
entirety or use the table of contents to skip to a topic of your choice. Please use the
rewind or fast forward buttons as needed.
What do I put in the Subject Line?
Be as specific in your subject topic as possible. This will make it easier for the recipient
to find the email in their messages, inbox, or archives later, if need be, and should
guarantee a faster response from a professor, boss or colleague with a clogged inbox.
Plus, a clear statement of intention makes you look more professional. For many of your
professors, we teach multiple classes and multiple sections of classes. Therefore, please
mention the course and either the section or the time that it is taught so that your faculty
member knows exactly what class you are enrolled in.
How do I address the person I am trying to contact?
Academic Salutation – At the university level, please address faculty by either doctor or
professor, unless otherwise indicated by your instructor. For example, any faculty
member who has a Ph.D., Ed.D, Psy.D, and any other applied doctorates can be called
“doctor”. Professor is considered appropriate for any faculty member with an advanced
degree (Master’s Degree, Juris Doctorate (law degree), or a faculty member completing
their advanced degree. Some professors prefer to go by their first name. For example, Dr.
Cheryl Radeloff often allows students to call her by her first name because it corresponds
with her teaching philosophy. Other faculty allow this familiarity only after developing a
relationship with students. As a general rule, use Doctor or Professor until a faculty
member tells you to do otherwise. As a note of caution, many female faculty members do
not wish to be addressed as “Mrs.” Not only does this assume one’s marital status, but for
some faculty members, it negates or neglects the professional degree one has attained
Who Should I Address the email to?
For the most part, address the email to the person you directly want to contact. In certain
cases, you may “cc” other personnel for whom the information is relevant. For example,
if you have a class who is taught by both a faculty member and a teaching assistant, you
may wish to send a message to your professor and “cc” the teaching assistant. Before
sending additional people your message, you may wish to consider your reasons for
doing so. For example, if you are concerned about a grade or some other classroom
matter, your concerns may not be the rest as your classmate. Also, before sending
anything, make sure to look closely at the "To" and "CC" fields. It seems obvious, but
some point or another, you might accidentally hit "reply all," and send something
inappropriate to a large number of people. There is also a feature on some email
programs that allows the sender to "blind copy" others on a message. This means that
there may be more recipients to your "reply all" than are indicated in the CC field. What
you send accidentally may yield more than personal embarrassment. It could lead to
disciplinary actions depending on the tone and message of the text.
What Should be in the Body of my e-mail text?
1) Introduction- Introduce self and reason for e-mail. For example, if you are
emailing your professor a question about an assignment, give your name, the class
and section that you are in, and the reason for the email. Be specific about your
reason for emailing your professor. Vague questions may not be answered,
especially in a timely manner. If you are responding to a specific question, restate the question, answer the question, and try to anticipate any further questions.
2) Text should be in grammatically correct Standard English. Try to avoid slang or
abbreviated speech that is using in text messaging. If you use abbreviations, use
those that are familiar to both you and the person you are addressing. If unsure,
spell out the abbreviation. Also, use proper grammar, spelling, capitalization, and
punctuation in your text. Most email programs offer both spell and grammar
check. At the very least, scan your text before sending the message. Also, try to
avoid “emoticons”. Smiley or frowning faces should be avoided in most
professional emails.
3) Try to use “active” versus “passive” voice. Much like the preferred style of
writing for course assignments, try to avoid passive voice.
4) Use a standard or proper structure and layout. In other words, clearly indicate new
paragraphs or changes in content material. Each paragraph should focus on one
topic only so your message is easier to read and respond to. If you have questions
about formatting your email, you may want to refer to a style guide for advice in
writing a professional letter.
5) Don’t write in all caps. If you write in all caps, this is the equivalent to shouting in
verbal communication.
6) Use a professional tone when composing a professional email. Be courteous, ask
polite questions and end your text with a professional closing statement, such as
“thank you” or “sincerely”. Also avoid sarcasm and/or openly or veiled
threatening messages.
7) Be concise and to the point. While you should use proper introductions and
closures, make your message as parsimonious as possible. Convey the
information that you are tying to get across and be specific in terms of what you
need as a response to your email. As a general rule, when composing your
message, try to avoid long sentences.
8) Use gender neutral language. It is considered appropriate to avoid the universal
male perspective in professional correspondence. If you are unsure about the
gender of the person you are addressing, try to avoid specifically male or female
pronouns. Also, certain neutral terms for occupations are becoming
commonplace, such as “mail carrier” versus “mailman”. Many of your professors
are aware of the influence of gender in language and may be sensitive to using
“universal male” terms.
9) Don't send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist or
obscene remarks. This goes without saying. Professional emails are for
professional communication, not as a means of spreading your personal agenda or
personal views and ideas.
10) Do not attach unnecessary attachments. If you are sending an expected document
or assignment to your professor, attachments are considered appropriate. Some
faculty members use teaching software platforms such as D2L to keep track of
assignments. Often email attachments can get lost or misplaced in faculty email
inboxes. If you use the email to send a document due to a late assignment, seek
approval first from your employer or professor.
11) Do Not overuse the “urgent” “important,” or “high priority” function. Often these
messages become commonplace and tend to get ignored rather than immediately
addressed. Use this function sparingly, if at all.
What e-mail address should I use?
At Minnesota State, Mankato, students are given email addresses that correspond with
their first and last names. When sending emails to your professors and other professional
contacts, you may wish to consider using your school e-mail address rather than ones
used for personal reasons. If you cannot use the school email either due to change of
status (graduation) or for some other reason, you may wish to set up an email account
that has less provocative addresses. For example, if your email is
supersexymama@email.com, you may wish to set up another account when using email
for professional correspondence. Potential employers and faculty members may not take
you as seriously if your email is whimsical.
Should I Forward Wide Audience E-mails or Spam?
As a rule, you should not forward bulk or mass emails to your professors or professional
contacts. These messages tend to litter email accounts. Also, if you insert an email text
with a spam e-mail, it may subject to deletion. Also avoid virus hoaxes and chain letters.
Most professionals and your professors do not want such information. There may be
times that you are responding to a previous inquiry or email. If so, try to include the
previous threaded message in the text and respond to that message. Also, do not include
text or messages that you have not received permission to do so. For example, do not
forward confidential information, messages, or attachments that are not yours.
Where can I get more information?
You can find information at the following websites
1.http://www.egrad.com/index.cfm?action=story&iStoryID=322
2. http://www.emailreplies.com/
3. http://www.constantcontact.com/email-marketing-resources/hints-tips/volume1-issue4.jsp
4. http://www.emailreplies.com/
5. http://www.iwillfollow.com/email.htm
6. http://www.library.yale.edu/training/netiquette/
7. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/pw/p_emailett.html
8. http://www.learnthenet.com/english/html/65mailet.htm
9. http://careerplanning.about.com/od/communication/a/email_etiquette.htm
10. http://www.writerswrite.com/journal/dec99/pirillo1.htm
11. http://www.cs.queensu.ca/FAQs/email/etiquette.html
12. http://www.career.vt.edu/JOBSEARC/emailetiquette.htm
13. http://www.cit.gu.edu.au/~davidt/email_etiquette.htm
14.
http://www.jobweb.com/Resources/Library/Correspondence_for_the_Job/Email_Etiquette_A_209
_01.htm
15. http://www.lse.ac.uk/itservices/Rules/email.htm
16. http://irascibleprofessor.com/comments-03-01-06.htm
17. http://science.kennesaw.edu/~hmattord/email.htm (I like this one)
18. http://www.psych.ku.edu/psichi/EmailEtiquette.htm (this cracks me up!)
19. http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/e-text/e-mail.htm
20. http://www.stsc.hill.af.mil/Crosstalk/2006/01/0601Alford.html