How to Email Your Professor Like a PRO

There are a variety of reasons that you will need to write emails for faculty and staff, here at UMPI.  You may have a question about class or a scholarship that you are applying for--or you may need to contact your advisor to help you with your class wish list.  It can be stressful, not knowing how to represent yourself and your needs, while sounding professional. We have you covered with that on this page! 

5 Steps to a Professional Email:

1. First, always be sure to email faculty from your @maine.edu school address! Include your class and section number (if applicable) in the  Email Subject Line (ie: EDU 150:001, Question about the weekly assignment)

2. Add a formal salutation--do not address your faculty by their first name unless they have invited you to.  When in doubt, address your faculty as "professor" (ie: Good Afternoon, Professor McPeet...).  If your faculty has a PhD or EdD, you can call them Dr. (ie: Dear Dr. Jones...)

3. Add helpful background information letting them know how you know them, or what the context of reaching out is--this is especially useful when emailing a faculty for the first time, contacting your advisor, or for any staff for an inquiry.

4. Be concise, and state the purpose of your email.  Is this a clarification question, are you sharing information, or reporting an update?  

5. Don't forget to sign!  You can sign-off by thanking your contact for their time/consideration.  A quick tip: did you know that you can set up your  @maine.edu email address with a signature (that includes your name, major, graduation year--or any other essential information) that will automatically apply to all of your emails? Let's look at how!