Basic Email Etiquette For Students
When emailing a faculty or staff member, it is important to keep a few things in mind:
- Be polite and respectful--- address the person as you would face to face. When in doubt, be more formal, refer to your syllabus, think of the tone of past interactions, and/or have someone you trust proofread the email before you send it.
- Respond ASAP--- it is disrespectful to keep someone waiting, especially when their question might be time sensitive. It is important to respond within 24-48 hours unless it is the weekend or a holiday. Keep an eye on your inbox throughout the day by signing in on your phone or have a couple of scheduled times to check your school email each day.
- Do not wait to ask important questions--- sometimes it is easier or more appropriate to ask questions via email, but waiting until the last minute adds stress for you and the person receiving it. Ask whatever your heart desires whenever the question arises (unless it is 3am because the person receiving your email probably desires sleep).
- Make sure that you are sending the email to the right person--- consider filling out the subject line and body of the email before adding the recipient’s address. Only respond to the sender of group emails unless otherwise stated or implied.
- Stick to the point--- you can have fun with emails, but make sure that it is easy to identify important information. Resist the urge to ramble off topic or have subject lines that create confusion.
Here are some examples of emails from worst to best.
Worst
