Scholarly Communication

What does it mean to communicate like a scholar? Part of the implicit curriculum is your socialization as a doctoral student, which includes engaging with other students, academics, researchers, and practitioners in written and oral forms. You will be constantly engaged in knowledge production and discussion with your instructors and peers and will be confronted with new ideas, concepts, and perspectives that will shape your thinking and professional engagement. You will also be exposed to numerous perspectives, cultural values, and professional experiences that are different from your own; thus, it is imperative that you maintain both an open mind and an ear. Participating in academic discourse can sometimes mean that you leave a conversation feeling more confused than when you entered it, but most likely have learned something about yourself. Albeit challenging, academic discourse must happen with respect for others’ opinions, civility, and cultural humility. In some instances, you will be expected to communicate more formally, but in all exchanges, you are expected to display a professional demeanor.

Here are some general guidelines for communicating with your instructors, colleagues, and administrative staff:

• Use the person’s title and last name unless they ask you to call them by their first name.
• Always start your emails or other written communication with a greeting, such as “Good morning” or “Hello, Dr. Alvarez”.
• Include the reason for your email in the subject line and the first sentence of the email.
• Avoid overly long emails. If your email is longer than two paragraphs or requires multiple exchanges between you and the receiver, it is best to request a meeting.
• Provide contextual information and identification. Your instructors and the administrative staff receive dozens of emails daily, so providing some contextual information, such as the specific course you are enrolled in, helps them to identify who you are more easily.
• Use your academic email address for academic matters. Using personal or professional email may cause a breach of your own academic confidentiality. Additionally, email addresses from outside organizations are more likely to be blocked by the university’s firewall.
• Check your institutional email and posted announcements regularly. As the DSW is an asynchronous program, your instructors will rely on email and posted class announcements to communicate with you and your student colleagues.