Class Email Guidelines

• Always use the Bcc: field when emailing the class.
   
• Email to the entire class isn't private and should never contain confidential information such as grades, social security numbers, etc.
   
• Don't say anything via email that you wouldn't say in person.  Remember, an email message can be a permanent written record of your comments.
   
• Include your email address on the syllabus.
   
• If you use email do the following:
   
  • Specify on the syllabus that students are required to check their campus UMail on a regular basis - be specific about the UMail.  You can also specify that their response must be from the UMail address.
     
  • Request that students always include their name in the body of the email.  You may not recognize their return address.
     
  • Specify a time as well as a due-date for assignments accepted via email (ex.  Essay # 1 is due in my email Inbox no later than March 15, 2003 at 6:00 p.m.)
     
  • Make students aware of how long they should expect to wait for your reply.  Their message sent at 2:00 a.m. may not get a reply by the 8:00 a.m. class time.
     
  • Tell the students that the group email they receive will display your name in the From: field and the To: field.
     
• Send a test message and ask for a reply.  Confirm a reply from every student.
   
• Save all email to and from students.  Keep electronic information for the same amount of time that you keep paper records.  You can organize your email by creating separate folders for each class.  For help with organizing student responses in your Outlook account, contact the Computer Services Help Desk at (205) 665-6520 or, via email, helpdesk@montevallo.edu.
   
• Let your students know how to get help using email: come to the Computer Services Help Desk in Morgan Hall Room 109; telephone (205) 665-6520, or send an email to helpdesk@montevallo.edu.  A UMail FAQ document is also available.  Please remind your students to be sure to have their UM ID available when going to the Help Desk in person.
   
• Short, to the point, email is more likely to be read than long messages.
   
• For the duration of the semester, leave the class email lists in an email folder undeleted or create a separate folder and drag the class email lists into that folder.
   
• At the end of the semester, delete all class email lists for that semester so they do not cause class email list management issues with subsequent semester class email lists.

Updated December 2004