Communicating Professionally with Your American Professors Lori Rottenberg INTO Mason

Your Professor May have between 30-100 students. Does not know your email address or G-number! Does not remember which assignments you turned in and which ones you didn’t! Is busy every day grading and planning. Is different than your roommate or friend.

What Would You Do If You Got This? Sadly, I don’t read Arabic or have G-numbers memorized. 

Or This? Dude!!! This is not how to speak to a professor. Plus a Level 6 Core student should know how to use a verb in a sentence, right? 

Or This? Sure, whoever you are!!!!

Or This? Who are you and what are you sending me?

Or This? Sure! Who are you??? 

Or This? “I need a recommendation” is not a polite way to ASK for 7 copies of something that takes extra time and effort from a teacher, plus the “end of the week” is not a reasonable turnaround time.

To Communicate Professionally Answer the wh- questions! Who What Where When Why How Use proper tone and etiquette! Spell-check!

A Sample Remember to ask about how to make up any work or quizzes if you have to miss a class or be late.

I like the way this student carefully identified himself and why he was sending me something via email.

How You Want Your Professors to Think of You

Not…

For homework… Send me an email! I am at lrottenb@gmu.edu.