If a student is dual-enrolled through your local college, they’ll usually be given an official college email address. Besides being really cool, it is often the required form of communication between the student and the college, especially with their teachers, professors, and advisors.
LOGIN
I sincerely urge you to keep your teen’s login information, and in addition to encouraging them to check their email daily, that you also check it on occasion. We nearly missed an important deadline for an internship one summer because my son wasn’t taking classes and didn’t think to check his email during the break.
Hint: Though it is likely that the college will assign a username or email address, should your teen have the ability to pick their own, be sure it’s very professional and closely matched to their name and not quirky or fun. Jennifer_CookDeRosa@123College.edu is a good example.
PRIVACY
Assume that all emails sent inside the college system to or from their account are not private and part of your student’s permanent record (archives). This includes any and all exchanges between your student and their professor, advisor, financial aid office, other faculty, and other classmates. Your college will have a written email privacy policy. You may want to look at it, but you’ll have to agree to it in order to enroll.
When your student stops taking classes, they will lose email access, so save important emails to and from advisors, admissions, the registrar, etc.
Here’s an example of a typical college email privacy policy:
Technology resources include (but are not necessarily limited to) computers, software, networks, Internet access, telephones, voice mail, printers, scanners, copiers, and electronic (e-mail) services. This policy applies to all users of technology resources provided by the College. Compliance is mandatory. Compliance is critical to the security and integrity of technology resources.
Access to technology resources is a privilege rather than a right. Access may be withdrawn from those who use it inappropriately or irresponsibly. Users who violate any of the technology resource policies may be subject to disciplinary action and/or legal action.
Your student can be expelled or subject to legal action if the college uncovers what it considers inappropriate use of its technology. I strongly urge you to discuss this with your teen in advance and only use their college email for the most specific types of communication – college-related. Your teen should never cc their classmates for private and personal communication (fundraisers, prayer requests, social events, etc.)
Here are examples of what a college may consider inappropriate:
- Harassment
- Libel or slander
- Fraud or misrepresentation
- Destruction of or damage to equipment, software, or data belonging to the College
- Unauthorized access to electronically stored information
- Infringement of copyrights, trademarks, or the rights of others
- Use of the College logo without prior approval
- Violation of computer system security
- Unauthorized use of access codes assigned to others
- Use of technology resources for commercial business purposes
- Academic dishonesty
- Violation of software license agreements
- Violation of network usage policies and regulations
- Violation of privacy
- Accessing pornographic, sexually explicit, or offensive material
- Accessing material that is contrary to the mission of the College
- Intentional distribution of computer viruses, Trojan horses, timebombs, etc.
- Use of e-mail for unsolicited mass mailings (spamming)
FORMALITY
1. Use a clear subject line. The subject “Literary Analysis Essay” instead of “Heeeeelp!”
2. Use a salutation and signature. If your professor is a professor or doctor, you should address them by their academic title. “Prof. Xavier” or “Dr. Octavius.” “Professor” is usually a safe bet for addressing a college teacher. Always include a signature with your name as you are registered under in their class. Signing your full name will be deeply appreciated!
Don’t make the teacher do extra work – include your full first and last name as well as the name of the course and section number you are enrolled in!
3. Use standard punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar. Instead of “idk what 2 rite about in my paper can you help – ty??” try something more like, “I am writing to ask about the topics you suggested in class yesterday.”
4. Do your part in solving what you need to solve. If you email to ask something you could look up yourself, you risk presenting yourself as less resourceful than you ought to be. But if you mention that you’ve already checked the syllabus, asked classmates and looked through old emails from the professor, then you present yourself as responsible and taking initiative.
5. Asking for special treatment. Rightly or wrongly, many professors feel that students “these days” have too strong a sense of entitlement. If your email is demanding and impatient, it will certainly be met with the same. When asking for help, remember your professor can see how many hours you’re logged into the class, can check if your work is on time, and will check the gradebook. If this is truly a special circumstance, they will be more likely to help the student who has put in the work. Even if you have a good reason, some college professors don’t extend deadlines or allow late work, either as a college policy or as a personal policy. If you’re asking for special treatment, lead with taking responsibility: “I didn’t plan ahead well enough, and I understand I’m asking you to make an exception for accepting late work…”
How To As:
Asking in advance is always better than asking after the fact.
“I have a doctor’s appointment next Thursday that I can’t reschedule, would it be ok if I turned in my work early next week?”
vs
“I wasn’t in class last Thursday because I had a doctor’s appointment. Can I get an extension on the due date for our assignment?”
What About Parents
Parents should never, never, never email the professor on behalf of the student. Besides being a FERPA violation that could land the professor in hot water or fired, the professor doesn’t want to talk to parents. If a parent must email anyone at directly, it must come from the lens of being the homeschool student’s school administrator. In other words, not as the mom. There will be times when the school administrator (you) will need to email the college. Likely during the application period, providing a transcript, sending test scores or other records, filling out financial paperwork, etc. Think of this as the administration (thus coming from the school administrator).
If you need to communicate with the student’s advisor, or more accurately, your student needs to communicate with their advisor, the email needs to come from your student’s account and be signed by them. You can still guide the entire process; you have to play by the rules so you can get the job done.
