Dear Students & Staff,
Emails are an essential form of communication, but must be used in a respectful, responsible, effective, and lawful manner.
Staff and students are reminded to observe proper etiquette when communicating by email on any University matter.
- Know when it is appropriate to send an email – it is not always the most effective communication tool. A phone call or in-person conversation can often resolve a question more quickly.
- Address the email to the relevant person only – sending an email to lots of people only clogs mailboxes and slows down a response. For the same reason, think carefully before clicking ‘reply all’.
- Give a clear indication about the subject of the email in the subject line.
- Always use your university email account for university business.
- Be polite – greet your contact properly, introduce yourself and sign off politely.
- Be brief – an email longer than one or two paragraphs is unlikely to be read.
- Keep it simple – don’t add images as this can slow down transmission.
- Do not include anything confidential or controversial – remember that an email, once sent, cannot be retrieved, and is likely to end up in the public domain. Confidential or personal information should always be password protected.
Professor Toby Wilkinson,
Vice-Chancellor