Emailing Your Instructor: An Illustration

by Renee Field

 

—-Message—-
From: 190989@houndmail.macc.edu
To: dchallis@macc.edu
Sent: Monday, January 18, 2020 11:49:22 PM
Subject: absent[1]
Hey,[2]
i[3] am in your class[4] this semester but i missed the first 4 days[5] do to some unexpected problems with work and family 😉[6]

I would like 2 make up the work if u can send me the syllabus and all the handouts. and also if I missed any important info.[7]
also will we b needing the book this semester[8] because i am on a budget LOL![9]

Thx

  1. Without your proper name in the address, subject line, or anywhere else in the email, your instructor has no way of knowing who sent this correspondence. ↵
  2. This greeting is inappropriate, especially so early in the semester. Open with something more formal and respectful: “Dear Professor Challis,” ↵
  3. Use Standard English; this includes appropriate capitalization, spelling, and grammar. ↵
  4. Which class? Your instructor likely has at least 3-5 courses (100+ students). ↵
  5. If you have missed 4 days already, that is probably about 2 weeks of class. Your instructor will wonder why you haven’t emailed sooner. ↵
  6. There is nothing that warrants a “wink” in the previous sentence, nor do you have a familiar enough relationship with your instructor to be using emoticons. Also, check your spelling. It should be “due” not “do.” ↵
  7. Whether you intend it or not, this is offensive. The faculty members who are responsible for your education take pride in not wasting your tuition or time. Every class session is “important.” ↵
  8. Some instructors do under-utilize the required text(s) but you should not assume that any class is textbook-optional. ↵
  9. Your “textspeak” and poor editing reflect badly on you, and at this point your instructor is likely debating whether to encourage your continued enrollment in his/her course. ↵

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