Special thanks to Professor Tatum for developing this useful guide for email etiquette. Etiquette To be on the safe side, I would always treat my teachers as if they were my boss when it comes to email. Why? Well, email is great, but it can be dangerous. We can write the messages and send them very quickly. And then those messages can get sent, well, everywhere. You may need that teacher later for a letter of reference or just for some help, and if you have been rude, he or she may not want to do anything for you. If you send a really bad email, you may even become somewhat infamous, and that may not be what you wanted. My advice is to always be professional, and consider the following: Be polite. Use "Please" and "thank you." Address your professors by their last name (Mr., Ms., Dr., Professor, whatever is most appropriate) unless they tell you it is OK to call them by their first name. Personally, I'm OK with Professor Tatum/Prof. Tatum, Ms. Tatum, Ms. T, Ann, even Miss Ann is fine (and has actually come up). What I don't like are messages with no greeting at all. That's usually OK in an informal reply or if we have been talking back and forth for a bit, but you should always start the original message with the name of the person to whom you are writing. Otherwise it's kind of like saying, "Hey you," and that is rude. Know your subject. Always include a subject in the subject line. Some people will not even open any message without one, and in this day of viruses, that is not a bad idea. Reread the message. Make sure it says what you want it to say. And please check for typos when sending an email to an instructor. Messages full of spelling and grammar errors don't look so great, especially if you are asking why your grade can't be "hired." Avoid email shorthand, too. "Can u plz ad me 2 ur class" does not inspire any teacher to respond, "with pleasure!" Not too long, not too short. Generally, avoid long emails to instructors (unless they ask for it or are a friend), but don't be so brief you seem rude. "Can't come to class--will turn in paper tomorrow" is not good, but neither is the play by play about what happened. Tell the teacher you had some troubles and would like to discuss it with them at their convenience. Plus, it is just not a good idea to tell a teacher when you'll be turning in work--better to ask for an opportunity to discuss an extension. Who do you want to be? I don't mind "informal" email addresses, but you will always look more professional as "jdoe@bakersfieldcollege.edu" than as "seXXXybootee@jigglypuffs.edu." Just a thought! And if you do decide to go with seXXXybootee, make sure you finish your email with your name. I may not remember exactly who seXXXy is. Don't send too much "fun" mail. When I worked in an office we would get dozens of jokes a day--not a good use of time, and many of them were not terribly funny. If you know without a doubt that it is something that would be appreciated, that's OK, but don't make a habit of it. Don't ever send "fun" mail with attachments--they could be viruses. (By the way, I will never open an attachment that is not accompanied by a message telling me what it is for exactly the reason I just mentioned.) If you are angry, wait. Never, ever send an email in anger to anyone, and especially not your instructor. You simply will not be able to be objective about what you are saying, and odds are you will regret it later. What seemed justified at the time may seem childish in an hour. If I get an email that rubs me the wrong way that warrants a response, I don't even start thinking about the reply until the next day. Are you really funny? Be careful with humor--it is not easy to convey in writing, and you may be offending someone if you don't know what you are doing. Don't go incognito! When you send an email, make sure you send it from your own address. If the person to whom you are sending the email doesn't recognize the name or address, they may not read it. For example, it is the night before a paper is due. You have a question and email me, but you use a family member's address. I see a name I don't recognize, so I don't bother reading the message right away. You don't get your question answered, the paper is done incorrectly, and you get a bad grade. Also, keep in mind that in the course of your professional life, you may be dealing with people who get hundreds of emails a day. They need to know who is writing and be able to reply immediately. No one wants to have to hunt through their address book for your correct address! Be considerate. For the record, when you send me an email, I will always reply to the address that appears. Also, I do not promise that I will accept (or even open) assignments that are not sent from your own address. Attachments This is how you will be sending work to me, so it is a skill you need to master. I tried to write up some directions, but they were pretty lame. Thankfully, I found some web pages that cover this topic better than I did. The USGen Web Census Project: If you scroll down, you will find links to instructions for emailing attachments using AOL, Eudora, Netscape, Outlook Express, and Pegasus email systems. The BC Online Survival Guide: If you go to Chapter 4 "Using Email," you can read instructions for sending an attachment via Yahoo! mail. This is in PDF format. A Sample This is what I expect an email from you to look like. I know exactly who is contacting me and what they are sending, and it is polite--perfect! As I mentioned above, I will not open any attachments without a message explaining what it is. If you are still having trouble, drop me a note (and remember your etiquette lesson!) And, finally, to access your BC Email if that is what you use, click here.