HELP: How to address professors in email?

[pinkberry]

I was wondering if you guys could share how you address professors in email. Like, what if you write to them and call them "Dr. Smith", and then they write back and sign the email "Mark", do you then start addressing them as "Mark"? Or are they "Dr. Smith" forever and eternity?

[katieliz456]

Personally, I would stick with "Dr. Smith".  If I ended up going to his office hours/helping in his lab and he told me (in person) to call him "Mark", then I would switch.  It never hurts to be a little extra-formal, but that's just my opinion

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

I pretty much agree with katieliz, I still have professors at Pitt who I talk to frequently, have been on road trips with, etc that are still Dr. Jordan or Dr. Davis. Maybe it's just me. I have met a couple professors who insist on a first name and then I think it's okay. It's possible to get into a whole discussion of credentialism and how some structures stifle creativity by this system, but at the end of the day it comes down to the worst you can do by being a little extra formal is be seen as perhaps a little "stiff", the converse is being seen as rude.

[pinkberry]

That's what I was thinking.... That it never hurts to be too formal. BUT it could also be interpreted as like "I dont' want to be that buddy-buddy with you", right? I have met these professors before, but only once... Still "Dr. Smith"? 

[midnight]

I always stick with formal titles unless I'm explicitly told otherwise.

[CO (soon to be) SLP]

That's what I was thinking.... That it never hurts to be too formal. BUT it could also be interpreted as like "I dont' want to be that buddy-buddy with you", right? I have met these professors before, but only once... Still "Dr. Smith"? 

 

The overall tone of your email can convey warmth, familiarity, distance, frustration, or any thing you want

 

Hello Dr. Smith, 

 

Thank you so much for your time today after class, I think I have a much better handle on XYZ. Take care, and watch out for those freed morphemes!

 

vs 

 

Dr. Smith. 

 

After reviewing the material you assigned after class I have no further questions. 

 

 

I feel the title you use is really just a way to hurt yourself if you choose the informal... and get it wrong. 

[midnight]

The overall tone of your email can convey warmth, familiarity, distance, frustration, or any thing you want

 

Hello Dr. Smith, 

 

Thank you so much for your time today after class, I think I have a much better handle on XYZ. Take care, and watch out for those freed morphemes!

 

vs 

 

Dr. Smith. 

 

After reviewing the material you assigned after class I have no further questions. 

 

 

I feel the title you use is really just a way to hurt yourself if you choose the informal... and get it wrong. 

 

And consider this (somewhat extreme) example from the results page:

 

'1 year of experience as a speech technician in public schools. DO NOT call them with questions until you receive a letter in the mail and DO NOT address a person by their first name when they have their doctorates. I made this mistake and got this response "oh you were the one who addressed me as (first name) and not as (dr. ____) yes I said do not contact me until you have received a letter and obviously you have not received a letter yet." I might have ruined my chances here. But do I really want to go to a program where the people are THAT rude?! Yikes. What are other people's experience with staff here???'

[pinkberry]

OMG @ midnight streetlight!!!! I will definitely use "Dr"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so ridiculous though.... Why would it matter that much to them? 

 

Also, take this for example.... I wrote a professor and addressed her as "Dr" and then she wrote back and signed "Jane" and then I wrote back and still called her "Dr" and then she wrote back and signed with "Dr". Maybe I was reading too much into it but I took that to mean that she was trying to be more informal with me and I did not accept and then she went back to formal.... Am I reading too much into it?

[midnight]

OMG @ midnight streetlight!!!! I will definitely use "Dr"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so ridiculous though.... Why would it matter that much to them? 

 

Also, take this for example.... I wrote a professor and addressed her as "Dr" and then she wrote back and signed "Jane" and then I wrote back and still called her "Dr" and then she wrote back and signed with "Dr". Maybe I was reading too much into it but I took that to mean that she was trying to be more informal with me and I did not accept and then she went back to formal.... Am I reading too much into it?

 

I think you're reading too much into it, but I do stuff like that, too.

 

I don't think anyone in her right mind would be offended by formal and polite communication.

[jeffmooo]

It's always better to be over-dressed, than under.

 

With that being said, it's Dr. ______ always, always always, for me at least! I'd rather be over-respectful, than under.

 

The way I see it is, they've earned their titles and the ensuing respect that comes with it.

 

That's just my $.02

 

I also slightly bow/nod my head when I shake hands... Why? I have no idea LOL.

[midnight]

I also slightly bow/nod my head when I shake hands... Why? I have no idea LOL.

 

Because you're a gentleman and a scholar, Jeff! Duh.

[lexical_gap]

Unless I know with absolute certainty there is a PhD after the name, I usually go with Professor _______.  At some universities, clinical professors / instructors  are not required to have PhDs.  My current clinical instructor does not have a doctorate, but is M.S., CCC-SLP.  In my email correspondences with this instructor, I always address it: "Professor ______."   In this case, addressing this instructor as, "Dr. ______" would be inappropriate.

While you don't want to make the mistake of being too casual, calling someone Dr. _____ when he/she does not have a PhD can be just as insulting.  Previous instructors I have had were very clear about NOT calling them Dr. if they hadn't earned that title.

[rcacemek]

I always stick with Professor X until explicitly told otherwise. I've found most take their titles pretty lightly, or at least will address their preferences gently if you address them in a way they don't like.

[Kozo]

Definitely agreed with everyone staying you should stick with the formal title unless told to do otherwise. Although many of them  would not be mortally offended if you didn't, there are some that take their titles very seriously. Better safe than sorry

[queenleblanc]

I agree with the others on here -- unless I know for sure they have a D.SLP or PhD (etc) - I use "Professor ____."  If I know they have a PhD (etc), I try to use Dr. ____ because I want to give them the respect of earning that title.  I'm also a good ole-fashioned southern chick, and using formal titles for ANYONE you don't know on a personal level is just part of the expectation down south.  Even though I'm a bona fide adult, and I have people in my church choir telling me to call them "Jane" instead of Mrs. _____, I still can hardly make myself use their given/Christian name, as we used to call it.  In an academic setting, even in my first master's program, I had a prof or two that wanted first names... I just couldn't do it.  I figure at a minimum, I have NO risk of offending them if I use a formal title of some kind.  Especially in email or snail mail.