Transcript Tips for Faculty Contact

Tips for Faculty Contact
Communicating Online
Identify Faculty Rules
• Identify faculty email address(es) to be used
• Carefully read general directions for emailing
instructor
– Do they require a special subject line?
– Do they require a first-time message sent to them
to add you to a distribution list?
– Do they require the use of email only in
Blackboard?
Check Your Accuracy
• Spelling of the username/domain?
Important!!!
• [email protected] is a STUDENT account
• [email protected] is a FACULTY account
Sending Mail
• To: - this send to the primary recipient. In this
case, your teacher
• CC: - this is a courtesy copy box
– Always send yourself a cc
– Confirmation that an email was sent at a certain
date/time
– If option exists, select “request read receipt”
• Verifies that the email was looked at by the receiver
Receiving Mail
• Make sure to add all of your teacher’s email
addresses to your safe sender’s list
– This will make sure that when a teacher does
reply, you don’t lose it in the mix
– Check your Junk and/or spam folders
• Follow-up with marking as safe sender
– Add your faculty to your addressbook
• Eliminates chances for typos
Technology is not an Excuse
• My computer hard drive crashed. NOT!
• The computer won’t recognize my thumb/USB
NOT!
• I did it in Microsoft works and now it won’t
open on campus in Microsoft Office. NOT!
• I know I sent it. It must have gotten lost in the
mail. NOT!
• Any other excuse. NOT!
YOU are Responsible
• You as the student are responsible to:
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Get the email address right
Certify a copy to yourself
Follow-up to make sure the assignment arrived
Make your due dates one day earlier than the
instructor has designated
• Allows for “real” technology glitches
• Gives you breathing room
– There are campus computer labs to use when you
own computer fails but not at 11:59p when the due
time is midnight
Keep a log
• Start from the beginning of the semester
– If you have it, you probably won’t need it.
– If you don’t have it, it is not a resource in conflict
• Document in writing
– If you leave a document with a secretary, ask her
to sign for it.
– The secretary said….
What if?
• What if you have followed all of these guidelines
and you don’t get an answer?
– Multiple documented attempts – one unanswered
email is not yet an issue until you try to resolve it and
still get no response
– Multiple resources – email, phone, secretary
– Every faculty member has a department chair. Once
you have exhausted your efforts with the faculty
member him/herself, make an appointment with the
chair
– Use campus directory to find who you need
Going Above Their Heads
• Keep a folder of hard copy evidence – rhetoric
doesn’t cut it
– Keep a log of contacts made – email, phone, when
physically at office. Note witnesses – have them
sign
– Keep a hard copy of your printed emails showing
the days and times of contact
– Keep a copy of any replies from faculty
Classes Online
• Online faculty have a particularly important
responsibility to check and respond to emails
in a timely manner
• Recommended that a 24 hour response time
be used to return emails and phone calls – but
review your syllabus to see what’s in writing
• Assignment return may take more time than
that. Take note of turnaround time noted in
your syllabus or orientation to the course
Classes Online
• First point of contact should always be the
instructor
• Next point of contact should be the
department chair
• With online courses, you may ask me to be
part of the process after you have pursued the
first two
– Becky A. Smith, 652-7836, [email protected]
– Mo Eckroth knows who I am so ask