View More

February 1, 2024

Yes, individuals, departments and organizations still use email to communicate.

In college, you are at risk of missing critical information when you do not open and read email sent to you by professors, the provost, campus organizations, financial aid, or other campus entities.

Having worked in higher education for many years, I was astounded by the fact that many students simply did not read or respond to email. As an academic dean, one of my roles was to handle student complaints. Quite often, students would claim that they weren’t informed about something or no one told them. More often than not, this claim would be refuted when someone (i.e. a faculty member, the registrar, the financial aid office, etc.) produced an email that was previously sent to the student. If the student had opened and read the email, they would not have been in my office filing an erroneous complaint.

There is a reason that you are provided a college email address. The college wants to communicate with you via email! If you are prudent, you will check your college email account regularly and respond to requests for information.
What information could you possibly be ignoring?

• Financial Aid information specific to you
• Your semester bill and when it is due
• Bookstore information, such as when your rentals are due
• Advisor appointment availability and scheduling information
• Information from your professors about your classes and assignments
• Job opportunities on campus
• Tutoring opportunities
• Social events and activities on campus
• And much more!

Advice:
• Check your college email, at least, once daily
• Read important emails thoroughly—don’t just skim them
• Delete the emails that aren’t relevant or no longer needed
• If you can’t respond right away to an email, keep it as “unread” so you know to read and respond to it later
• Always be professional in your email response

Email provides an additional means to stay connected and informed in college. It may seem “old school,” but email is still a very relevant and important form of communication. Check your email!