A recent survey conducted by The Minnesota Daily found that three out of four students said they would rather e-mail a professor than go to his or her office hours, and this trend seems to be true for students and professors at AU as well.
Michaela McGill, a sophomore in the School of Communication, said she would rather e-mail a professor because it is convenient and saves her time.
"My professors make themselves so available by e-mail," McGill said.
McGill said two of her professors don't even have set office hours. The easiest way to get a hold of them is by e-mail or calling them for an appointment, she said.
McGill said she thinks students prefer e-mail because "students are intimidated by going to visit their professor sometimes."
Wendy Swallow, a professor in SOC, also said she thinks students are intimidated by the professors. However, she said that professors are here to help students.
"I sometimes think [students] use e-mail instead of face-to-face meetings because they feel like they shouldn't take up professors' valuable time," Swallow said in an e-mail. "Yes, our time is valuable, but one of the services we ... provide is regularly scheduled time when we are available for students."
Unlike McGill, Elizabeth Prevou, a sophomore in School of Public Affairs, said she thinks professors are less available by e-mail.
"If professors were more accessible by e-mail, then I'd rely on that," Prevou said. "But they're not, so I have to go to their offices."
Prevou said she thinks the top students are those that take the time to visit their professors.
"If I'm trying to get a leg up in a class, I'd definitely visit a professor," Prevou said.
Prevou also said she thinks e-mailing professors affects the student-teacher relationship.
"It makes it harder for the professor to know your name when you e-mail because they can't place a name to a face," she said. "It makes it more causal and less professional."
Saul Newman, a professor in SPA, said he certainly gets to know his students better when they come to office hours.
Newman said he will give students who e-mail him a relatively brief response. However, he said, "If they come in, they're putting more effort into the process so I put in more effort."
Swallow said in an e-mail that when a student visits a professor, not only will the professor get to know the student, but the student can acquire important skills in interacting with an adult in both professional and teaching environments.
Professors have found that students tend to be less professional in their e-mails.
Swallow said students need to realize the importance of writing e-mails to professors in a respectful manner.
"The adults in the working world use e-mail, but do so in a more professional manner than students are sometimes used to," Swallow said.
Newman also said the problem with e-mail is that people can hide behind their e-mails and say more combative things that they would not say in person. He said it is easy for misinterpretation to occur in e-mails as well. Newman also said students show less decorum and respect in e-mails than they would show in person.
Swallow said another problem she faces is students' expectations of e-mail.
"The other problem is that [students] often expect instant response, which is often difficult to manage," Swallow said.
