How to address people in the department

[Platonist]

I am an applicant and writing to the department with inquires or concerns about my application. The people (usually ladies) in the office of the department replied to me with the ending of her first name. How should I address her in my response to her reply? Should I address her by her last name with a prefix of Ms. or should I address her by her first name (since she ends the letter with her fist name)? Of course, I do not know her. Please give me your advice. Thanks. 

Edited January 20, 2014 by Platonist

[catwoman15]

Generally, when people sign emails with their first name it is an invitation to you to also use their first name. I would address her by her first name if I were you. But, if you want to be cautious, Ms. Lastname would be fine, if not overly formal. 

 

The only thing to be cautious about is if these correspondents (as they sometimes do) have doctoral degrees, then it could be seen as offensive to title them 'Ms.'

[Platonist]

Thank you, Catwoman, for your input. Also, how should I address a professor (who has a PhD) in the department who I do not know? Should I address Dr. Firstname or Prof. Firstname?  

[philosophe]

If it were me I would go with Professor so-and-so. Spelling out Professor is an indication of respect. I know very view philosophy professors who prefer to be called "Dr."

[TakeruK]

I found this tricky as well, because even if I preferred to be addressed as Mr. X, I think it's really weird to sign an email as Mr. X. So while you probably won't look bad if you use the person's first name because they signed it with their first name, it's not always true that signing with the first name means they prefer being addressed by the first name.

 

That said, I think it is common practice in North American offices for people to address each other by the first name, even if they do not personally know each other. I've noticed that staff at all of my schools do this (e.g. I may be sitting in an office and the person calls another staff member that they have not met before and they would use first names). So, I think it's well within protocol to use first name in official correspondence. 

 

However, you should keep in mind that sometimes these emails are sent from faculty members (or as another person said, they may also have degrees) serving in positions such as TA Coordinator, Graduate Coordinator, Director of Graduate Studies, and so on. 

 

In any case, you should always treat everyone with equal respect, regardless of their position in the department. I think the way you phrase any requests or questions is more important than the salutation used in your address. 

[Hopephily]

I have found that "Yo dude" or "Yo duderino (if you're not into the whole brevity thing)" works quite well. 

[DHumeDominates]

Thank you, Catwoman, for your input. Also, how should I address a professor (who has a PhD) in the department who I do not know? Should I address Dr. Firstname or Prof. Firstname?  

 

I've written e-mails to a number of philosophers whom I don't know from programs to which I am applying. I've always addressed them Professor Lastname. You should not use the first name if the title you choose is professor. It's not so much rude (though it probably is that) as peculiar; nobody does that.

 

I should add that of those professors from whom I heard responses (the majority of them), all but one signed his/her first name, indicating (I inferred) that he/she would not mind my addressing him/her with his/her first name. I haven't had the opportunity to respond to any of these professors' replies, but if I were to do so, I would probably ignore the implicit permission to use his/her first name and stick with Professor Lastname, just in case my inference was incorrect.

Edited January 21, 2014 by DHumeDominates

[Platonist]

Thanks for all your inputs. I made a mistake. Since the lady in the office who I do not know signed her email with first name, I responded to her email beginning with her first name. I should have used her last name with a prefix. I am so stupid. Hope that would not ruin my admission. 

[DHumeDominates]

Thanks for all your inputs. I made a mistake. Since the lady in the office who I do not know signed her email with first name, I responded to her email beginning with her first name. I should have used her last name with a prefix. I am so stupid. Hope that would not ruin my admission. 

 

Dude, it will literally have no impact on your chances of admission. It won't even have the most marginal of marginal impacts.

[Platonist]

Thanks, DHume. Your remarks make me feel a bit good. I am becoming stressed about my application.

[philstudent1991]

Thanks for all your inputs. I made a mistake. Since the lady in the office who I do not know signed her email with first name, I responded to her email beginning with her first name. I should have used her last name with a prefix. I am so stupid. Hope that would not ruin my admission. 

Ya man you're being absurd. Do you really think she is going to read your email and be like "Wow, what an unbelievably rude person," and then strut angrily down the hall to the ad com chair and show him/her your email? At which point, of course, the chair will pull out your application, shaking his head in shame that such a misanthrope had ever even been in the discussion of being admitted, and throw your file into the trash? I really think that if you get rejected...it won't be because of that email lol. I'm not trying to be a jerk because I can relate to your angst lol I'm just pointing out that you're being ridiculous