Scholarly Communication

What does it mean to communicate like a scholar? As a student, you will engage 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.
• Emails are not text messages. Always start your emails or other written communications with a greeting, such as “Good morning” or “Hello, Dr. Alvarez.”
  • If you are unsure of someone’s title, using a greeting such as “Good Morning,” etc, is a great option. When they reply, examine the signature to determine how they should be addressed going forward.
• 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 identify you more easily.
• Use your academic email address for academic matters. Using a personal or professional email may compromise your academic confidentiality. Faculty and staff will not likely reply to emails about student matters that are not from a uky.edu email address. Additionally, email addresses from outside organizations are more likely to be blocked by the university’s firewall.
• Check your institutional email and regularly review posted course announcements. The University, College, Department, faculty, and staff rely on email and posted class announcements to communicate with you and your student colleagues.

Note:  The original text has been adapted and edited for content and tone to better suit the intended audience.