You have a family emergency and need to inform your professor to inform them that you may be unavailable for class for a few days. Unfortunately, you’ve never written such an email to your professor and you aren’t sure how to begin.
This is where we come in. We’ve put together some samples you can easily modify for the purpose as well as certain tips that would help you avoid certain mistakes.
Tips For Emailing Professors
Writing to a professor isn’t rocket science. It’s just like writing to any other professional. Be polite and avoid using language that you may use with your friends.
Don’t give the professor additional work to do. They don’t want to spend the rest of the day trying to find out the meaning of certain words you may have used.
Use Proper Title
Use their proper title when addressing them. Use “Professor” when that’s their official title or “Dr” if that’s their title. If you need to reach out to them, the least you could do is identify their official titles.
You’re addressing them in their station, so you should try and address them formally. It doesn’t matter how friendly you may be with the professor.
Always address them formally when writing an official email. Keep in mind that this email is readily available to the school for moderation or in the case of any investigation.
Examples:
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
Dear Dr. {{Last name}}
Use School Email
Most tertiary institutions provide their faculty and students with individual email addresses to use for official purposes. This should be used for any communication between professors and students.
Using the school-issued email address is beneficial as you can be assured that your email won’t end up in the spam folder. Additionally, some educational institutions prohibit teacher-student communication outside official school channels.
If you want your professor to respond favorably to your email, you should avoid contacting them through their unofficial emails.
Formal Tone
It is important to use a formal tone and language when communicating with a professor via email, regardless of how close you may be to them. Avoid using informal language or slang, as it is considered informal.
Remember that the professor is not a peer and using formal language is appropriate for the professional setting. Additionally, it is best to avoid any appearances of over-familiarity, as it may raise questions.
Correct Grammar
Students need to have good writing skills, especially when communicating with professors. They expect students at that level of education to have a high level of vocabulary and grammar proficiency.
To help avoid common mistakes, students can use free tools like Grammarly to identify and correct errors. However, it is still important to proofread them as these tools are far from perfect.
Be Polite
Avoid making demands as that will lead to a negative response. Don’t presume that you’ll be receiving special accommodations.
Keep in mind the professor is in a position of authority. Even if you dislike the professor, you should refrain from any negativity in your email.
After all, being polite doesn’t cost anything, especially when rudeness could lead to consequences.
Identify Yourself
Professors have busy schedules and the last thing they want to do is to spend the next few hours looking through their students list to determine who you may be.
You should identify yourself before you ask for anything. If you’re unable to include any information about yourself in the introduction, you can include your full name, class, and section in the email signature.
Clear And Brief
Don’t beat around the bush. No one has time to read long emails, especially in a busy school environment. Try and keep the message as short as possible while also maintaining a polite tone.
Professors receive emails from different sources daily and wouldn’t have the time to read through your long email. So, keeping your email short and to the point, while maintaining a polite tone is advisable.
Explain Your Situation
If you need something from them, try and explain politely without sounding entitled. Trust me, they wouldn’t mind the demands of any entitled student.
In cases where you’ve already discussed with the professor, you can simply remind them of the discussion in a few words. Don’t relate the entire event in your email.
Don’t Forget Attachment
If you need to attach any document or information to the email, you should ensure that it’s properly attached. It’s pretty easy to forget an attachment when sending emails so you should double-check that. This is especially necessary in cases where the email is time sensitive.
Wait Patiently
Be patient when waiting for a response from a professor. Avoid sending multiple reminder emails and instead, wait for a day or two before sending a reminder.
Remember that the professor may not view your request as urgent and they may be dealing with more pressing matters. If your request is truly urgent, consider visiting their office instead of bombarding them with emails.
It’s important to be mindful of the timing and frequency of reminders and to only send them when necessary.
Act Early
Don’t wait till the last minute to contact your professor. Reach out to them as soon as you realize you wouldn’t be able to join their next few classes or you may be missing that important test due to a family emergency.
Ideally, you should contact them before they come to class. This increases the chances that they may read your email and would put measures in place if there’s a test.
Clear Subject Line
Don’t forget to include a subject in your email if you want a response. Professors receive numerous emails daily from coworkers, pupils, and other academic and non-academic sources.
Without a subject line, your email will just be ignored. You may use a subject line like this:
Example:
Request For Extension On {{Assignment}}
End Formally
Before concluding, express gratitude to them for reading your email. You can include your full name, class, and section numbers after you sign out if you didn’t in the first paragraph.
Example:
Thank you
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section}}
How To Find Your Professor’s Email
If this is the first time you’re emailing this professor and you don’t have their email address, you can find it by following any of these approaches.
School Website
You can locate your professor’s official email address on your school’s website. Most colleges feature faculty pages where you may learn more about specific professors, including their contact information.
You can also look at the course overview page on your learning management system for the professor’s contact details.
Course Syllabus
The course syllabus is another area where you can find the professor’s professional email address. The course syllabus often includes their contact information as well as attendance policies.
Other Students
Most likely, you weren’t the only student who occasionally had to email the professor. You can get the professor’s email by asking your friends. You’ll probably get some advice on how to look for the email if none of them have it.
Sample Email To Professor About Family Emergency
If you’re asking the professor for leave because of a death in the family, you can check some of the templates in this article.
Template 1: Request Extension On Assignment Due To Family Emergency
Email Subject
Request For Extension On {{Assignment}}
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}},
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to request an extension on the deadline for the {{Assignment}}, which is due on the {{Due date}}. Unfortunately, {{Emergency}}, and as a result, I have been unable to complete the assignment on time.
I understand the importance of submitting assignments on time and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. I would greatly appreciate your understanding and consideration in granting me an extension on the deadline.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}
Template 2: Requesting Leave Of Absence Due To Family Emergency
Email Subject
Request For Leave Of Absence
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}},
I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to inform you that I will be taking a leave of absence from class due to a family emergency that has required my immediate attention.
I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and I would greatly appreciate your understanding during this difficult time. If all goes as planned, I should be back in class by {{When you’ll be back}} but will update you should anything change. I will do my best to catch up on any missed assignments or class material.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}
Template 3: Missing Classes Due To Family Emergency
Email Subject
Missing Classes {{Date range}} Due To Family Emergency
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}},
hope this email finds you well. I am writing to inform you that I will be missing classes from {{Date range}} due to a family emergency. My {{State emergency}}. As a result, I have to {{What you’re needed for}}.
If all goes as planned, I should be back in class by {{When you’ll be back}} but will update you should anything change. I will do my best to catch up on any missed assignments or class material.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}
