E-mail has changed the nature of student/teacher relationships, allowing for more interaction with professors outside the classroom while encouraging informal and impersonal contact, according to many AU professors.
Katherine Gillespie, a literature professor at AU, said a lot of students who don't speak in class e-mail Gillespie their thoughts on course material.
"[E-mail] lets me know that [students] are listening and engaged," she said.
However, students often write e-mails when they miss class, making excuses and requesting material from the lesson, substituting e-mail for the basic requirements of coming to class and reading the material, Gillespie said.
Although they are always respectful in their tone and language, "students feel freer to violate the rules because they don't have to do it in person," she said.
Some students do not use proper etiquette when writing e-mails, said Daniel Masis, a professor in the School of International Service. One student attached a paper proposal to an e-mail without any text in the body.
AnneMarie Hamant, a Spanish professor, said students are sometimes less formal in e-mails, using inappropriate expressions. One student wrote her, "Hey, I won't be in class," she said.
Students said they try to write e-mails in formal language, but occasionally use Internet conventions.
"Every once in a while I won't capitalize my 'I'," said Hal Baillie, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
Since she started teaching university students 10 years ago, Gillespie said she receives a lot more e-mails. She said students are more likely to turn in papers late via e-mail.
Gillespie said some students write to suggest books and movies, ask how she is doing or tell her about jobs and marriages.
"I love knowing what my students do," she said.
Hamant said she receives a lot of e-mails.
"Basically any communications outside of class is through e-mail," she said.
Hamant said she would prefer students to come to office hours, but understands that an e-mail is more convenient. Since she doesn't have many office hours, e-mail is useful because she can be more accessible to her students, she said.
Not all professors said e-mail is a good way to communicate. History professor Edward Smith said he prefers students to call or come to his office. He doesn't use e-mail to have conversations.
Smith said students should "develop interpersonal communications skills that electronic communication doesn't provide."
Smith said before e-mail became popular, students had to take time to make appointments during office hours. Since they were making a professional visit, students had to come prepared.
"E-mail allows you to skip over that stuff," Smith said.
Julie Wojtulewicz, a freshman in SIS, said she uses e-mail often to ask professors questions about homework. When she had a question for a professor who did not have an e-mail address, she was not comfortable calling the professor at home.
"In my experience, it has paved the way for a more personal interaction with the professor," said Marianne Jonsson, a senior in SIS.
She said she e-mailed professors before going to study abroad in Nigeria for advice and keeps in touch with one professor on a personal level via e-mail.
Jacob Choi, a freshman in CAS, said e-mail allows him to think about what he wants to say to a professor and revise it before asking a question.
