Tips for Faculty Contact Communicating Online

Identify Faculty Rules Identify faculty address(es) to be used Carefully read general directions for ing 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 only in Blackboard?

Check Your Accuracy Spelling of the username/domain? Important!!! is a STUDENT account 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 was sent at a certain date/time – If option exists, select “request read receipt” Verifies that the was looked at by the receiver

Receiving Mail Make sure to add all of your teacher’s 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: – Get the 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 is not yet an issue until you try to resolve it and still get no response – Multiple resources – , 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 – , phone, when physically at office. Note witnesses – have them sign – Keep a hard copy of your printed s 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 s in a timely manner Recommended that a 24 hour response time be used to return s 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, , – Mo Eckroth knows who I am so ask