Student Email Communication

I usually receive if not 1000, 100s of emails withing a day. It is not possible to answer all of them, so I use some filters, I have some priority rules. Therefore if you do not receive any reply very quickly from me, remember that I am teaching several courses, modules, training, depending on time, demand and situation. I am conducting research on my PhD, I run a company and I am Chairman of an NGO and I have plenty of other tasks to do.  I am here to help you and I will be glad if you understand me, too.

If you are my student you should follow these suggestions

  1. Please do not send me any email, if you can. Is there any other person that can solve your problem? If it is about a course registration, or course platform, about a homework, did you ask any of your friends?
  2. Check whether you have any real reason to email me. Could you wait till our next session, course, break between lectures, until we meet f2f next time?
  3. Now you are dedicated and convinced that you should send an email. Please read course compendium!. 99% of your answers are there. Please do not be lazy and write me any email that you can find answers there. I will, usually, not  be happy to reply  you if your answers are already there. I put tens of hours to prepare that document and I expect you to read it carefully.
  4. Please start with a greeting!. You do not need to call me as ‘Dear  High Majesty’ but good to read an email with greeting. If this is not first email of the same topic, you can skip it.
  5. Please have a subject, a clear descriptive subject: ‘ME2603 Can I re.submit my assignment’
  6. ME2603 is the course code, or training code, or the place we met, talked etc. I usually use filters for my courses, if you do not want your email to be lost, use these course codes.
  7. Be precise. If you need to write a veyr long email, then provide me a short version where you add longer version and details in the end. I need to understand topic very quickly. I added example below*
  8.   If you have not received any email from me within a 5 working days timeframe, use 3+3 rule. Remind me 3 times more every 3 working days. If you still think you should receive an answer after all these attempts but you did not, then please call me.
  9. Never ever, I repeat NEVER EVER write “URGENT, ASAP, ” type of words in your subject line or in the email you are sending to me. It will just annoy me!. Your urgency does not mean that I will reply urgently. Something is urgent if it is matter of life and death. If something can wait, let it wait.

Remember I am here to help you and I will be glad if you understand me, too.

 

*For example: Dear Serdar,

I had some urgent travel* issues, therefore I could not submit my homework could you please accept my delayed homework?

//here you add long description about travel