Electronic Communications -- Professional Etiquette Tips

Please do your best to write thoughtful and professional emails when contacting your instructors. We receive many emails (sometimes dozens a day), and it makes our day a little brighter if your email is written clearly and well, showing consideration for what we do and how we do it. I hope the following suggestions will help you to bring a smile to your instructor's face, and help you get what you need out of the email transaction too! Some of these tips may come in handy for other types of electronic communications such as response posts in online discussion boards, letters to the editor of online newspapers, or posts in other social media platforms that are used in professional settings.

Note: The original blogpost was penned by Shannon Hopkins who teaches English classes at Yakima Valley College. I am using it with her permission. I have edited it to be relevant to the classes I teach.

1. Remember first of all that emails can be forwarded and might be considered public information in some circumstances. That means if you send an angry email, the person to whom you email it can forward it on to others, who might not be too happy to know you're venting so venomously! Imagine if that email then went viral? And if it's written at work, it could be released as public information and become a reflection on you. So do your best to consider emails, especially those to professionals, as public documents that reflect on you in multiple ways. You want to make a positive impression, right? 
2. Make sure to be specific in the subject line. Perhaps add your name if you have an email address that doesn't identify who you are, and provide info on the name of the class (e.g., Fruit Science class). Some of us have multiple classes and more information can help us identify you more easily. (Thanks, Kaylie M!)
3. Make sure to include a polite opening in a separate paragraph when writing emails to people you don't know well. "Dear Ms. Ferguson...." (NOT Mrs. Ferguson) would work fine for an opening. College teachers can be addressed as Professor, or if they have their PhD, "Doctor" written as "Dr."
4. Do NOT write "Ferguson" or "Holly Ferguson," or Mrs. Ferguson (I am aware that some of you may have been taught to use Mrs. but it is more polite to use Ms.), or "Hey," or "Yo coach" or even better, which happened to Shannon once, "Yo! Couch!"
5. Make sure to include a polite closing in a separate paragraph. Thank you," or "Have a good afternoon," or "Sincerely, [your name]" will all work for a closing. Once you've got a solid working relationship, you can always relax a little. "Hi Holly....." might be OK if the professional is comfortable with you being on a first name basis with him or her).
6. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. Electronic documents can be hard to read, so breaking your writing up into multiple short paragraphs can make it easier for the recipient to read.
7. Make sure to provide all necessary context and detail. It's frustrating for me, as your instructor, to know that you have a question but be unable to answer it because you haven't provided enough information. For example, if you're having a problem with an assignment, tell me what the assignment is, in what module it is, and what kind of problem you're having.
8. Use correct written English to the best of your ability. Write in complete sentences and avoid run on sentences. Punctuation is your friend! 
9. Avoid any form of text talk. No lower case "i"s. (A pet peeve of mine, by the way.) No "u's" or contractions without apostrophes. Keep in mind that you are writing to professionals and you will make a better impression if you approach your email as though you take pride in your work.
10.  Spell Check! Personally, I'm less likely to be bothered by you including a word that exists, even if it's the wrong one, than you including a word that simply doesn't exist. Ideally, you won't have any misspellings at all, but I do understand when the wrong version of a word slips through spell check despite one's efforts. However if you don't care enough to take an extra minute and run the checker or proofread, then why should I care to focus my efforts on helping you with your problem right away?
11. Don't send emails when you're mad! Maybe you're upset about your grade. Maybe I've told you I don't accept late low-stakes assignments. Maybe you're angry about a class policy. Whatever it is, go ahead and vent. But don't hit "Send"! Give yourself 24 hours to cool down, then re-read your draft email. If you have a cool-headed friend whom you can enlist as a "tone" monitor, have him or her help you out. If you approach your instructors with a thoughtful request or a genuine question or concern rather than anger and rancor, you're much more likely to get a positive response.
12. Do send emails in a timely manner. If you've got a problem, after your 24-hour cool-off period sit down and write your email politely and send it. Don't wait weeks -- say, until you're failing the class -- then try to get a fix on something that could have been addressed back when it was a problem. Chances are your professor has moved on, and she'll have expected you to have moved on too!
13. Ask politely. Don't demand! Sometimes people are so upset about what they perceive as an injustice that they demand an instant response or fix for their problem. "I worked hard. The grade isn't fair, so you need to fix it now!" I personally tend to ignore emails that contain demands. I don't like to empower bullies, and I don't enjoy email tit-for-tat experiences. So think of a way that you can present your case thoughtfully, in such a way that I'll want to help you out. (I really do want to help students, but if I'm faced with an angry, demanding, disrespectful, or rude email, I'm likely to just hit delete, whereas if I get an email that explains the student's perspective politely, and that presents a reasonable solution or asks for clarification on a problem, then I'll happily respond.). After you get a response from your instructor, and the instructor has given you clarification, or a resource to look at, or a second-look review of a graded assignment, or any other request, it is time to move on. Any further emails from you related to the same request will likely be ignored by your instructor. 
14. AVOID ALL CAPS. DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M SHOUTING AT YOU? I am! Caps come across as shouting in emails or other written communications, so unless you want me to think you're really angry or really not paying attention, then use upper and lower case text.
15. Avoid multiple question marks or exclamation points. Use the words themselves to make your point. It's fine to use the occasional exclamation point, but be judicious in doing so, otherwise we readers will tend to feel bombarded.
16. Ask for clarification when you're confused. If the professional has written something that you find confusing in an email, ask politely for clarification. Don't make assumptions about anything, and don't just hope that in the middle of the night everything you find confusing will be revealed in a shaft of light! Ask!
17. Use the FAQ and syllabus. Before you send an email that asks a question about something that's likely to have been covered in the syllabus or the class FAQ page, check them out. The chances are the answer is available in one of those locations, and if you ask me a question on something that has already been answered, I'm just going to direct you there anyway. 
18. Use please and thank you, where appropriate. A little kindness never goes awry.
19. Avoid emoticons until you know whether or not the professional appreciates them. Some old-school professors find them trite or bothersome. Others welcome them. Wait till you know your audience before you begin using them.
20. Use emoticons if the professional is receptive to them. They can help you provide tone in the absence of facial expression and voice. I use them sometimes because I like for you to see my tone in writing. If you get an email from a professional that has a smiley face in it, that means it's OK for you to use a smiley face. But don't send smiley faces to instructors or other professionals until you know whether or not they're comfortable with their use.
21. Set up a peer network: Sometimes you might have questions about formatting assignments or due dates or other issues that your peers can answer. It's often worth sending a quick email out to the class to see if any other students already know the answer. Classmates who have experience in online classes are often willing coaches and helpers, so don't be afraid to ask them! (Thanks, Billy E, for this tip!)
22. Don't forget: These guidelines apply for all correspondence with professionals, so take them with you when you transfer to a four-year university or apply for a job. (Thanks, Sarianne C, for this tip!)
23. Use your "inside voice": When composing your email or other e-communication, use a tone that you would use if you were talking to that person face-to-face. Sometimes, people will feel empowered to rant and rage in an online medium but wouldn't dare talk or act that way if the person was standing in front of you in a classroom or other professional setting.
24. Finally, if you can think of any other tips to add to this list, please share them in the comments section. Let me know if you found this list helpful. :)
25. P.S. "Type unto others as you would have them type onto you."