Communication Guidelines

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At the graduate level, you are expected to seek feedback and consultation to facilitate your progress through the course. Faculty are available via email and by appointment to assist you with coursework. Keep in mind that assistance includes informal discussions of what you are learning. Faculty need to hear from you regularly as you are learning and it is especially important if you are struggling with a particular concept, idea, or tool. The following guidelines should help with the communication process:

• Emails will be responded to within 24-48 hours unless it is a weekend or holiday. Faculty will respond to emails sent on weekends and holidays at the start of the next work week.
• Students should use the subject line of an email to indicate the topic of any message. Because of the threat of email viruses, faculty may not open email messages that do not appear relevant to the course and student-faculty interaction. Please use the subject line to ensure a response from faculty. If you need an immediate response, i.e. in case of an emergency, write the word "URGENT" in the subject line. See more about email etiquette here.
• Telephone, fax, and U.S. mail communication are available; however, the response time may be slower than when using email and so these methods should not be used unless there are problems with email.
• As always, you should use the most appropriate method of communication to alert faculty to any emergency.
  

See also:

Expectations of Students

Time Commitment

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