COMMUNICATING WITH A
PROFESSOR
Students and professors differ in how they prefer
to communicate with other people. One of my grad
students–during her practicum–conducted a survey
and found that if there was an emergency on
campus, most students would prefer to receive an
alert by text; most professors would prefer an alert
by e-mail. There is no “better” way to communicate,
but they are all different and people vary in their
ability to use different means of communication.
Don’t assume that a professor (or employer) is
accustomed to the same ways in which you would
e-mail, text, or phone a contemporary. A professor
once told me the use of :) was an “old joke.”
E-mail
The average professor has hundreds of e-mails in
his/her/their in-box. That’s because in-boxes
double as to-do lists, filing cabinets, repositories of
SPAM, journal responses, ethics applications,
student questions from 2005, and legal evidence.
This haphazard method of record-keeping means
that in order to find anything, the professor has to
run a “search”. In all likelihood, a professor won’t
remember your name, so if he/she/they needs to
find your e-mail with your class assignment or
medical note attached, a relevant subject line is
mandatory. A subject line that just says “hi”, “hey”,
“stuff”, “urgent”, “ASAP”, “attention required”, etc. is
in no way useful. Rather, it is unprofessional and
annoying. Someone running an e-mail search will
experience frustration in as little as 90 seconds if
they cannot find what they are looking for. And you
do not want professors reading your e-mails when
they are annoyed. Similarly, never write an email
angry or drunk, and definitely not both.
Social science professors are also highly literate
and often pretentious; they will judge you for
sentence structure, grammar, and spelling. Don’t
underestimate the importance of writing a
professional e-mail, no matter how simple the
matter. I’m not joking. This means avoid text
abbreviations, sarcasm (irony is rarely understood
over e-mail), and spelling errors. Poorly written e-
mails can be confused for SPAM and get deleted.
And for heaven’s sake, spell the professor’s name
correctly.
Telephone/Voice-mail
I rarely answer the phone any more. I usually let it
go to voice-mail. I’m not unusual. If you leave a
voice-mail message for a professor, speak clearly
and deliberately, repeat your telephone number
and full name at least twice, and briefly indicate the
nature of your issue. Follow-up with an e-mail.
Texting and social media
Few standards exist governing the professional use
of social media (and other post-2004
communications technology). Different
departments have different norms, so this is
something you have to find out for yourself. But
when in doubt, stick with a professor’s e-mail,
office phone, and visits during office hours. Other
forms of communication might be considered too
personal or inappropriate.
Guidelines for crafting an e-
mail to your professor
The preferred form of address to a
professor is [title, last name].
When in doubt, address them as
“Doctor” or “Professor.” (I’m partial to
“Sir”, having gone to an all-boys
Catholic high-school)
Never use their first name unless you
are invited to do so.
Sign your e-mail at the end of the
message using your full name.
Including your student number doesn’t
hurt.
Write a topic-relevant subject line.
Include the course number if you’re in
the professor’s class.
Proofread your e-mail for errors.
Avoid abbreviations, slang,
colloquialisms, and cultural references
after the 1990s.
Keep it brief. If you have more than
two questions, or your issue is
complex, see the professor in person.
If possible, send the e-mail via
computer rather than your mobile
phone. Avoid embarrassing
autocorrects.
Sarcasm, irony, and jokes are easily
misinterpreted over e-mail. Although
emoticons help to clarify meaning and
tone, they also make you seem
unserious and childish.
Separate different topics by
paragraphs or bullet-points.
Including “ASAP” in your e-mail usually
results in the opposite happening.
If you are introducing yourself to a
professor, do not attach your CV,
resumé, or any other document to the
e-mail. It could be flagged as SPAM.
And it’s presumptuous to expect them
to read it.