The cluttered office of William W. Savage Jr., history professor, almost looks like any other on campus. Stacks of books and papers line the walls and spill over onto his desk. It's a typical professor's office except for one gaping, empty spot on his desk.

Savage does not use a computer or have an e-mail address for students to contact him. When he needs to type something, the professor digs up his old typewriter, which sits under a stack of papers in his office.

"Everyone I know who has e-mail finds it a huge pain in the derriere," Savage said. "Answering all of those e-mails from students on Monday morning has got to be very counterproductive."

Gloria McCarty, Creek language instructor, said she tells her students not to contact her through e-mail when they miss a class.

"If a student misses class and e-mails me asking what they missed, then that's an entire class hour I have to catch them up on," McCarty said.

Professor E-mail Etiquette

o Spell the instructor's name correctly.

o Put first and last name in the subject line of the message.

o Be professional and polite.

o Ask a specific question that can be quickly answered in a few sentences.

Source: OU professors

McCarty also said students often use e-mail as an excuse for turning in assignments late.

"They will claim they e-mailed it to me, and I never got it," McCarty said.

Clayton Canon, social studies education junior, said he finds it easier to e-mail his professors when he has to ask for an extension on an assignment or when he has an uncomfortable question about his grades.

"It's easier to take rejection if it's not in person," Canon said.

McCarty said she thinks e-mail is a good tool, if used properly.

"I like the documentation of e-mail," McCarty said. "Sometimes my students have to contact me in the middle of the night in an emergency."

Wayne Elisens, associate professor of botany, said he remembers how much harder it was for students to contact their professors before e-mail became such an integral part of communication on campus.

"We did things the old-fashioned way," Elisens said. "You would play a lot of phone tag with students."

Fewer students approach Elisens after class or come to his office because he is available through e-mail, he said.

"They are more likely to contact me with lots questions," Elisens said.

Wayne Riggs, associate professor of philosophy, said communication with students is easier with e-mail, but it can also be more time-consuming.

E-mail makes it all too convenient for students to e-mail their instructors with questions they wouldn't otherwise ask, he said.

Riggs frequently teaches classes of about 200 students, generating numerous e-mails about the syllabus or exams, he said. A large lecture class can generate up to 20 e-mails each day for him to answer, Riggs said.

"The e-mails can be overwhelming," he said. "It's very intrusive."

But Kindell Savoie, anthropology sophomore, said professors who teach large classes can be intimidating and hard to approach.

"It's easier to e-mail a professor than talk to them in person because you don't have to worry about being embarrassed," Savoie said.

Overall, Riggs said he likes to use e-mail to communicate with students, despite being barraged with daily messages.

"It has encouraged more communication between students and professors than in years, but it's a small price to pay," he said.
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