Guidelines for E-mail Communication
 Non-Traditional Pharm.D Program at the University of Kansas

E-mail is often perceived as an informal method of communicating, but some basic rules of style or Netiquette (network etiquette) are expected. This is particularly important in the KU Non-Traditional Pharm.D program, as e-mail is one of the primary forms of contact between students, staff and faculty.

Today, the community of Internet users includes people who are experienced online, as well as those who are new to the environment. In order to establish consistent standards for all into this, we in the NTPD program offer some general guidelines that must be followed, along with some links that are very informative for both novice and experienced users of e-mail as a method of communication.

In general, rules of common courtesy for interaction with people should be used for any situation and on the Internet it is especially important where, for example, body language and tone of voice must be inferred.

1. Mail should have a subject heading which reflects the content of the message.

2. Your message should begin with an appropriate salutation, including the name of the person being addressed, and end with signature of sender, even if an electronic .sig file is being used.

3. Use mixed case and proper punctuation. UPPER CASE LOOKS AS IF YOU'RE SHOUTING. Using all lower case is unprofessional.

4. Use symbols for emphasis. That *is* what I meant. Use underscores for underlining. _War and Peace_ is my favorite book.

5. Be brief without being overly terse. When replying to a message, include enough original material to be understood but no more. It is bad form to simply reply to a message by including all the previous message: edit out all the irrelevant material.

6. When forwarding e-mail, be sure the subject line is descriptive and appropriate.

7. Limit line length to fewer than 65 characters and end a line with a carriage return.

8. Make things easy for the recipient. Many mailers strip header information which includes your name and return address. In order to ensure that people know who you are, be sure to include a line or two at the end of your message with contact information. You can create this file ahead of time and add it to the end of your messages. (Some mailers do this automatically.) In Internet parlance, this is known as a ".sig" or "signature" file. Your .sig file takes the place of your business card. (And you can have more than one to apply in different circumstances.)

9. If you include an electronic .sig keep it short. Rule of thumb is no longer than 4 lines.

Communication Policy for the NTPD Program:

 - Current e-mail address must be maintained in the Blackboard system. Each student must edit this in the "Personal Information" section of  "Tools". Students are initially enrolled with a generic, non-functional e-mail (bogus) address and if you send an e-mail from within Blackboard before editing your address, your message will come from a non-existent account and there is no reply possible. Faculty and staff will not be able to contact you and you could miss important information about courses.

 - Direct your request to the appropriate staff person, as indicated below:
--- With questions concerning course content, email the pertinent faculty member teaching that module
--- With questions concerning program content, email NTPD office ( ntpd@ku.edu )
--- With technical questions, email tech support person listed in Blackboard (staff information link) for your course

 - If you are unsure of where to direct questions, send them to the NTPD office. Do no send message to "All Instructors".

 - When contacting faculty or staff regarding a specific issue within a course, you must supply an appropriate, descriptive subject heading. Your message should begin with an appropriate salutation, including the name of the person being addressed. Within the email also supply the course name and number, module number and activity or assignment number, and specific problem. Your message should end with signature of sender, even if an electronic .sig file is being used.

 - The general rules of common courtesy, as listed above, and professional conduct, are expected to be followed in all communications between students, staff and faculty.

 - When using discussion boards, anonymous postings are not permitted.

 - Check your e-mail often and regularly. Daily check of email is recommended. Most information and communication from instructors and staff will come via e-mail.

 - Failure to adhere to this policy may result in course failure or dismissal from NTPD Program.

Non-Traditional Pharm.D. Program
6050 Malott - 1251 Wescoe Hall Drive
The University of Kansas 
Lawrence, KS  66045-7582
Voice: 785-864-5526
Fax: 785-864-5562
http://ntpd.pharm.ku.edu/nontrad

Last updated: 04/16/08