Although most professors do not mandate class attendance, there’re a few who do. And even in the case of professors who do not mandate attendance, they could randomly assign a quiz during class.
Therefore, if you are going to be absent from your professor’s class for any reason, it is imperative that you get their permission first.
Tips For Writing To Professors
Irrespective of your relationship with the professor, you should keep in mind that you’re writing an official letter that could be referenced in the event of any problems. So, you should keep these tips in mind when writing.
Check Syllabus
Before you send an email to your professor about missing class, you should check the syllabus for their attendance policy. It may include information on how they handle absences and whether unexcused absences can lead to some form of punishment.
If the policy outlines the need for correspondence before missing class, you can then proceed to send them an email.
Some may even outline that absentee students should locate the lecture materials and assignments on their learning management system or from their peers.
Follow Emailing Guidelines
Your professor may have guidelines on emailing procedures listed on their syllabus. Any personal preferences should be followed and the outlined email should be used.
The professor may have specified an email that they may use for interacting with students. Refrain from using any leaked private emails to reach out to your professor but only use the official email in the syllabus.
Use Proper Title
Even if you’re on a first-name basis with the professor, you should address them officially when writing an official email. Identify their official titles to address them appropriately.
Use professor, only when they’re professors. Avoid using the title professor to address them if they aren’t yet professors. Academicians go through a lot of work to earn their titles. These titles mean a lot to them and failure to appreciate their stations can lead to a negative response. So, always use Professor or Dr. appropriately when emailing your instructor.
Examples:
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
Dear Dr. {{Last name}}
Use School Email
Most tertiary institutions provide their students with official emails they can use to communicate. The same applies to professors in these institutions.
Students who want to reach out to their professors should endeavor to email them using their school-issued email addresses.
This enables the school to keep track of any communication between professors and students. Additionally, these emails are easily available in the event of an issue or investigation.
Formal Tone
Use a formal tone in any email to your professor. Even when they prefer to be addressed informally when interacting with them in person, it’s advisable to use a formal tone in an official email communication with your professor.
Avoid using emojis and other slang that you’d use in communication with your peers and also refrain from including personal information that is unrelated to the subject matter.
Correct Grammar
At the tertiary level of education, professors expect students to be good at writing simple emails. Even if you’re not the best at writing, you should be able to write correct grammar to an authority figure.
Any grammatical error in your email to your professor would make the message difficult to read. Keep in mind that professors receive numerous emails from students, faculty, and more daily.
Poor grammar in an email would only irritate the professor as it shows that you neglected to proofread your email for errors.
So, it’s advisable to always go over your email to identify any errors in your grammar. Tools like Grammarly are readily available to help identify errors in your writing. Keep in mind that these tools aren’t perfect. So manually proofreading your email can further enhance your message.
Email Early
Don’t wait till class starts before sending the email to the professor. They wouldn’t be able to read this and it also presents an image of sloppiness.
Professors were once students and understand the challenges students go through. However, waiting till the last minute to inform them might lead to them ignoring your email or probably not seeing it at all.
They wouldn’t excuse you if you sent the email late and there was a quiz in class. Respect their time and show professionalism and the professor would also appreciate your situation.
Be Polite
Keep the tone of your email polite. The professor does not owe you and can choose to ignore your email if they identify any sense of entitlement in your email.
After all, the professor is doing their job. They’re coming to class to teach while you’re the one who’s missing the class and any possible points from attendance or administered quizzes.
Identify Yourself
Professors may teach multiple classes and may not be able to easily identify individual students. So, it’s advisable to identify yourself to the professor by including your course and section.
The professor may teach the same course in five different sections. To help them identify you, it’s crucial to indicate the class you are registered for.
Don’t expect your professor to go through their list of students to identify which class you might be enrolled in.
Clear And Brief
Professors receive multiple emails from students, other professors, and various academic sources daily. With their busy schedules, they may not have the time to read longer emails from students.
So, it’s advisable to keep your email short by only including relevant information. Longer emails may end up getting skipped by busy professors.
Ensure that the purpose of your email is clear using as few sentences as possible while also maintaining a polite tone.
Attend Next Class
Although you may be asking for permission to miss their class, you should let them know you’ll be attending the next class to assure them of your commitment to their attending all future classes.
You can follow up in person before or after the next class to apologize for your absence from the previous class.
Clear Subject Line
The subject line should spell out exactly what your message is about. Never send an email without a subject line as it’s highly likely your professor would skip it or possibly consider it junk.
Professors receive numerous emails from various sources, including students, daily. They’re very likely to ignore an email without a proper subject line.
Including words like words “absence,” “class attendance” or “missed class” in your subject line can easily convey the purpose of the email. You can also include class and section numbers.
Examples:
Absence from class
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
End Formally
At this point, you can thank them for taking the time to read the email all the way through and then sign off. Ensure that your full name as well as the class and section number are included here.
Example:
Thank you
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}
How To Find Your Professor’s Email
If you’re not sure how to find your professor’s official address, you can try the approaches below.
School Website
If your school has a website, it’ll include a page about its faculty. You’ll find your professor’s details including email their official email address on this page.
You can also check your school management system as the professor’s official contact details would be included on the overview page of their course.
Some professors also have personal websites where their official and sometimes private contact details are publicly available. It’s advisable to only contact your professor using their official contact details.
Course Syllabus
Course syllabus includes the official contact information and attendance policies of the professor responsible for that particular course. This enables students to officially contact the professor whenever necessary.
Other Students
You’re not the only one who contacts the professor. Your peers may already have the email address of the professor.
If you’re unable to easily find your professor’s email address, simply ask your peers on students’ group pages including course forums.
Sample Email To Professor About Missing Class
Template 1: Missing A Single Class
Email Subject
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
I am {{Your name}}, a {{Year}} student in your {{Class and Section Number}} class.
This email is to let you that I will be missing your {{Class name}} next {{Day and Date}} due to {{Reason}}.
I am worried that my absence might have a negative impact on my performance this semester and would appreciate a copy of the lecture materials as well as any suggestions that might help me make up for the missed class.
I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}Template 2: Missing Multiple Classes
Email Subject
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
My name is {{Your name}} and I am a {{Year}} student in your {{Class and Section Number}} class.
I am emailing you to let you know that I will be missing a number of your classes due to {{Reason}}. My absence will cover the period from {{Absence Start Date to End Date}}.
I will make sure to do the reading for classes and ask someone to take notes on the lecture but I am worried that my absence might hurt my performance this semester.
I would appreciate any suggestions that might help me make up for the classes I will be missing.
I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}Template 3: Missing Class Due To Illness
Email Subject
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
My name is {{Full name}}, a {{First year, or other}} in your {{Class and Section Number}} class.
I’m feeling very under the weather and need to miss class {{Today or Tomorrow}}. I’ll be sure to get the notes and assignments from my classmates as soon as possible.
Would it be possible for me to attend office hours on {{Date}} to address anything else I missed including participation credit and any extra credit work I may complete for that class?
I look forward to hearing from you at your convenience.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}Template 4: Missing This Week’s Class Due To Illness
Email Subject
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
My name is {{Full name}}, a {{First year, or other}} in your {{Class and Section Number}} class.
This email is to let you that I will be missing your {{Class name}} this week due to illness. To ensure that I am not left behind, I have requested a friend to take notes for me as well as obtain a duplicate set of handouts.
Please excuse my absence and I look forward to returning to your class in the following week.
Thank you for your understanding.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}Template 5: Missed Class
Email Subject
Absence from class ({{Class and Section Number}})
Body
Dear Professor {{Last name}}
My name is {{Full name}}, a {{First year, or other}} in your {{Class and Section Number}} class.
I am emailing to let you know that I have missed a number of your classes due to {{Reason}}. My absence covered the period from {{Start Date of Absence to End Date of Absence}}.
I am worried that my absence might hurt my performance this semester and would appreciate a copy of the lecture materials as well as any suggestions that might help me make up for the missed class.
Sincerely
{{Your full name}}
{{Class and Section Number}}
