This document provides guidance on proper email etiquette for communicating with college professors and instructors. It emphasizes including your full name, class, and a clear subject line in emails. The tone of emails should be formal and avoid criticism or complaints. Attachments should be in common file formats like Word or PDF. Requests should provide context and a suggested resolution. Good topics are brief questions, while emails are not for assignments or continuous conversations requiring an in-person meeting. Examples of good and bad emails are also included.

1. EMAIL ETIQUETTE
By
Randy Rebman

2. Why is Email Etiquette important?
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• Much of our coursework is now online, so interacting through
email has become more commonplace for communication
between students and teachers
• There are expectations and rules/norms for emailing college
instructors and professors that can negatively impact students
when they are broken
• International students are often unaware of these norms
• If you attend a large lecture class, email communication may be
the only way of discussing problems or asking questions

3. Overview
• Basic Elements of Email Communication
• Tone
• Attachments
• Complaints/Requests
• Good topics for emails
• Bad topics for emails
• Example Emails
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4. Basics: What to include in an email
• Always include your
full name & class
(including section)
• Some teachers may
have multiple
section of a class
that they are
teaching in a term
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5. Basics: What to include in an email
• Always include a
subject line
• In the subject line
include your
class and the
purpose/topic of
your email
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6. Basics
• Think carefully about whether the email you are about to send is
appropriate for virtual correspondence
• Try to keep your email brief
• Check for spelling, grammar and punctuation before you hit
send
• Consider editing the email in MS Word to check your spelling and
grammar and then copy and paste it into the email editor
• Use a professional font and not a decorative font
• Include a professional greeting and closing to your email
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7. Tone
• Avoid using exclamation marks, emoticons and other symbols
when writing professional emails
• Avoid blaming or criticism
• Keep in mind email is a formal means of communication, so you
should avoid having a casual tone
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8. Attachments
• Mention that you have included an attachment in your email and
what the attachment is
• Example Attached: Final Essay.docx. This is my final essay and it is in
MS word 2016 format.
• Avoid sending attachments that are in Apple pages or other
software types that are not MS Word or Adobe PDF format
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9. Complaints
• You should briefly state the history of the problem to provide
some context for your reader
• Explain the previous attempt you made to resolve the problem
• Show why it is important for the problem to be solved by the
reader
• Offer suggestions on ways that you think it can be resolved or
how you are willing to help in the matter
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10. Complaints
Example:
Hi Mr. Rebman,
The assignment that you posted on Canvas had a hyperlink that
didn’t work, so I was not able watch the video that was part of the
online assignment. As a result, I was not able to do the
assignment before the deadline. I spoke to my classmates and
some of them with Mac computers had the same problem. I
would like to suggest that you extend the time for this assignment
after giving us a new web link for the video. Please take this into
consideration.
Thank you. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 9

11. Good Topics for Email
• You should email your teacher if:
• You have a question that can be answered in a paragraph or less
• You have an assignment that you are allowed to submit via email (this
means that it was not assigned on Canvas)
• You cannot find the answer on the course Canvas site or in the syllabus
(some questions can be posted to the Canvas Q & A discussion thread
for the whole class to benefit)
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12. Bad Topics for Email
• There are some rules that are best to follow for email:
• Don’t try to turn in an assignment through email if your teacher has
specified for you to turn it in on Canvas or on paper
• If you have to get an extension for an assignment, it is best to ask in
person, such as during office hours or after class
• Don’t bring up any topic that will require continuous conversation
• Never send an email when you are upset, say about a grade or an
assignment; these serious and personal topics are best to have face-to-
face in order to limit misunderstanding
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13. Examples of a Bad Email
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14. Example of a Good Email
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15. References
Stolley, Karl, & Brizee, Allen. April 17, 2010. Email Etiquette for
Students. Retrieved from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl
/resource/694/01/
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