Interacting with Instructors
SaveThis article will provide some quick ground rules for interacting with instructors and other faculty
By Xavier Royer
This is the final in a series of articles designed for new students. If you are an incoming freshman or parent of one, I've previously written on registering for your first semester classes, how to spend your first week on campus, embracing failure, and developing a plan for tough classes.
College instructors are difficult to put in a box. While high school courses can differ in structure, they tend to have consistent rules and social standards and are usually taught by individuals with similar training. University classrooms, on the other hand, allow for much more of the instructor's personality to come out. A potentially daunting task for incoming students is learning how to interact with their instructors. This is not optional. Unlike high school teachers, university faculty are not obligated to reach out to students. Instead, students are responsible for contacting their instructors when they need help or clarification. Thankfully, some consistent principles for interacting with instructors and other faculty do exist. This article will provide some quick ground rules to make this process easier.
First, learn how they want to be addressed. Students will likely run into various preferences and qualifications, and just knowing their name is not enough. For example, an instructor named Sam Smith may want to be called many different things. If they hold a Ph.D., they will most likely want to be called "Dr. Smith" or "Professor Smith." However, they will not use this title if they only hold a master’s degree or are currently a graduate student. Rather, we might use "Mr./Mrs./Miss Smith" or "Instructor Smith." A common trend is faculty asking students to refer to them simply on a first name basis-in this case, "Sam." Do not assume this unless an instructor explicitly states this. Faculty will often refer to each other by a first name or drop the honorific (simply "Smith" instead of "Dr.Smith"). This does not mean it is ok for students to do so. Typically, instructors will address this on the first day of class. If a student is unsure how to refer to a professor, they should default to Dr. unless told otherwise.
Second, be thoughtful with emails and office visits. Students should ensure they are not wasting the faculty member’s time with their email. A running joke in the academic community is how often students ask questions easily found on the syllabus. Students should do their due diligence before approaching an instructor with a question. Students should also avoid accidentally disrespecting the instructor or course with their phrasing. By far, the faux pas students consistently make: asking the instructor if they had "missed anything important." While it is not hard to see the student’s intention, the implication here is that what happens in class is usually unimportant. This section is not intended to scare students off from contacting their instructor. Preferences will vary by instructor, but in my experience, most faculty members would like to hear from their students more consistently. Seeing a student struggle with something resolved with an email or a stop by the office is incredibly frustrating. Students also must ensure that their correspondence has a degree of intentionality and professionalism.
Finally, a few quick composition tips. It should go without saying that an email to a faculty member (or anyone, really) should have proper grammar. An email is not a text and should have complete sentences with correct punctuation. Typos happen, and I am the undefeated champ of forgetting to include attachments. But faculty will expect at least an attempt at professionalism in their correspondence. This is true even if students feel comfortable speaking relatively informally with faculty in person. A signature is a nice touch that students should look to add to their email correspondence. Email providers such as Gmail and Outlook have made this easy. Including a signature makes it immediately obvious for the reader to see who the email is from at a glance. You may include your name, major, graduation year, and other important organizations or awards. Do keep it brief, however. A signature is an overview, not a resume. Also, keep it professional and introduce yourself in the email when you first reach out to someone. Finally, students should be sure to include a salutation at least in the first email, though this is less necessary in the response.
Communicating with instructors and other faculty is a skill that is tricky but necessary to learn. Students will eventually need to reach out to faculty. First impressions are important, and students who consistently make a strong impression when they reach out to faculty will find more doors opening for them than those who struggle with this skill. This article has provided some basic principles for students to become master communicators.
Xavier Royer
I am currently a full time instructor at a William Penn University, a small private university in Iowa. I am the lone political science faculty member there. In my time teaching, I have already connected with an incredible cohort of students in ways I could never have expected. Partnering with SAGE will allow me the opportunity to help even more students across the globe navigate those tricky questions.Articles & Advice
Featured Articles from The SAGE Scholars Benefit
Addressing the Assignment Purpose
Keeping a Neat and Up To Date Resume
