How To E-Mail A Prof

1. Unless told otherwise, or invited to, the proper way to address your instructor is as Professor Wissenschaft or Dr. Wissenschaft. Some people seem to think it's ok to automatically use the first name with anyone foreign or a foreign sounding name - that is not acceptable.
2. When you reply, delete almost everything of your professor's message (quoting everything is rarely necessary in e-mail). Leave just enough to make the original context clear. Why? Aside from being redundant (the person who just e-mailed you already knows what they sent you!), it also forces you to read the message you are replying to. Some students just hit return and send back the message they received asking questions that were already answered in the mail they are sending back! This makes the student .. well .. look silly.
3. Acknowledge individual messages, especially if you were asking for help.
   1. It lets your instructor know that you received the message
   2. Gives him/her a chance to know if the help was useful (in case other students ask)
   3. It's common courtesy
4. Please use a descriptive subject line, and start it with [480]. This will result in the fastest possible response as it also helps to identify your e-mail as class related. See also How to send effective e-mails and How To How To Get Help Effectively Via E-mail.
5. Please do not send unsolicited attachments or programs.
6. Under no circumstances will I respond to rude mail.

ansaria@franklin.edu