MEMORANDUM
To: Evan Crisp, UBC Student
From: Brionne McWilliams, ENGL 301 Student
Date: March 4, 2019
Subject: Best practices in Writing an E-mail to a Professor Seeking to be Added to a Full Course
As you requested, I have reviewed your e-mail requesting entry into a full class. I have included several strategies below that will make your e-mail more professional, polite, and respectful.
Strategies for Writing a Professional E-mail:
• Including an informative subject line with the course number and course name.
• Communicating in a polite, professional, and respectful manner. Formally addressing the professor: Dear Dr. X; Sincerely, Your Name. Addressing the professor appropriately shows an acknowledgment of status.
• Using an academic email address portrays your professionalism as a student.
• Providing enough background information to allow the professor to easily the student. Include first and last name, class, class time and day, and section number. In addition, do not assume that the professor knows the details about a situation. Including a preamble that explains the scheduling conflict and the importance of taking the class.
• Framing the e-mail based on the professor’s benefits to accepting your request to enter the class. De-emphasizing the words “I” and “we”. Focusing on the positives and address any qualifications the professor is looking for to persuade the professor into accepting a request.
• Focusing on the facts while explaining the scheduling issue. Indicating a scheduling conflict but refraining from using emotional language.
• Demonstrate appreciation when asking for a favor from the professor. For example, “Thank you for your time and consideration”. Acknowledging that the professor is busy may help your email to be received in a positive light.
• Using proper etiquette by eliminating informal chatty language. Consider leaving out chatty statements such as “P.S. statement at the end of the e-mail.”
• Demonstrating appreciation when asking for a favor from the professor. For example, “Thank you for your time and consideration”. Acknowledging that the professor is busy may help the email be received in a positive light.
In this age of social media, it is easy to forget the proper etiquette for different modes of communication. Effective writing strategies such as shaping your words according to your audience, purpose, and genre are critical skills university students need. Therefore, I have listed common strategies to follow when emailing a professional in a work setting. If you have any questions pertaining to the strategies listed above, please do not hesitate to contact me at Brionne.mcwilliams@alumni.ubc.ca.
Sincerely,
Brionne McWilliams
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