So you skipped an early Monday morning class and you need to find out what you missed.

How do you go about getting lecture notes or assignments? Before you rush to your computer to write your professor an e-mail, STOP! You could be making a BIG mistake.

If you miss a class and think it is all right to ask the professor for the lecture notes, you need to know there is a proper way to send an e-mail to a professor.

Remember their job is not 24-hours a day, so they might not respond to your e-mail until morning or later.

“I’m not online at 2 o’clock in the morning,” said Jennifer Scheidt, Lead Developmental English Instructor. Some professors do not check their e-mails after they leave campus, while others check their e-mails while they are at home.

At the same time, some professors give an alternate e-mail address for emergencies or questions that cannot wait until morning. But, like Peter Myers, Associate Professor of History, said, “If it can wait, I’ll be back Monday at 9 a.m. to send e-mails."

This means that professors, just like students, do not want their weekends filled with e-mails about school-related items.

“Students should not expect me to repeat a lesson in an e-mail,” said Ruth Ann Gambino, Assistant Professor of English, “That’s their responsibility.”

Everyone needs to have at least two different phone numbers of classmates in case you do not make it to class. This helps you to avoid approaching a professor for lecture notes and it makes you, the student, prepared for the next class period.

When you actually sit down to write the professor an e-mail, remember that you are not chatting with your buddies from MSN Messenger. Be polite and use proper language. Professors hardly want to mean LOL or TTYL, which by the way mean laugh out loud and talk to you later. While you are being formal and not using slang or Internet lingo, let the professor know what you need in plain English.

“I make my e-mail professional,” said Alexis Garza, a sophomore Biology major. “Professors like that.”

“Proofread. Use capital letters. Show that you care by writing your best work,” said Gambino.

Please and thank you are a must because like Gambino said, “You are using someone’s time.”

Scheidt also said, “Don’t sit at a computer when you are upset. You will tend to vent. It’s easy to push send, but then you can’t get it back.”

In case you are wondering how to identify yourself, include in the e-mail what class and section you are in and your full name so you don’t confuse the professor with other students and classes.

One thing to keep in mind when choosing an e-mail address is the appropriateness of it. Some professors will not open e-mails from an address if they think it is spam or junk mail. Keep your username tasteful. Also keep in mind that some professors might prefer that you only use the school-issued e-mail. Check with them first.

Also before sending an attachment, ask the professor if it is okay. Recent worms and viruses coming from e-mail attachments might make some professors prefer that you send the 10-page essay in the body of an e-mail, not as an attachment.

How NOT TO write an e-mail

From: 2S3XY4mypantz@excite.com
To: aprofessor@mail.accd.edu

yo! what did i miss in class???

From: jjones101@mail.accd.edu
To: gprofessor@mail.accd.edu

Dear Professor Garcia,

I’m sorry that I had to miss class today. I fell out of bed and broke my arm. On the syllabus, I see that I missed a quiz. May I please make it up during your office hours on Thursday? I’ll bring the ER invoice, too.

Thank you,

Jackie Jones
ENGL 1301, Section 002
10 a.m.-10:50 a.m., MWF

If you know you are going to miss a class, don’t wait to e-mail the professor that you will be absent next time the class meets. Let them know ahead of time and in person. If the absence is because of an emergency, e-mail or even call the professor the moment the emergency happens or immediately after so that the professor is not left wondering what happened or thinking you just skipped.

Do not be afraid to e-mail your professors. Most take the time to read and reply to e-mails, and most don’t take forever to reply.

“It’s the way I communicate with my students,” said Myers.

In the end, professors use e-mail to help you, the student.

“E-mail is one of the best things that ever happened to college students,” said Scheidt.

Travis Beck, a sophomore Mathematics major said, “E-mail is helpful.” Beck said he never misses classes, but if he does he can contact his professor via e-mail.

If you need an e-mail address, keep in mind that the college provides one for you and it’s free. All you have to do is log onto www.accd.edu/pac, click PALS (formerly ePortal), and it will prompt you to find your ACCD e-mail address.