MY EMAIL POLICY
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Last year I tried a new email policy as an experiment and I'm sorry to say it hasn't worked out. Distance learning builds in distance.
First, my office hours were empty, and it was typically the people who most needed to see me in the office that were trying to get by with email. That was unexpected.
Second, I can't overlook that in two or three cases-- where I worked very hard trying to involve the student between classes using email-- those students actually started attending class less. That was the very opposite of what email was expected to achieve! My only guess is that some people are under such time pressure that if the professor seems to be willing to teach them the course through email, well, they'd much rather do that than commute to school. The truth is, though, email is a very poor substitute for personal face to face instruction. They won't really learn, and they could even fail. They must come to class.
So, back to the old policy, improved by what we've learned.
- I will continue to use email to notify people of events or opportunities. You can use email to alert me to an event, TV show, song or other object that I might want to share with the class that way. That has worked great! Email *is* good for something. Far fewer people got lost on the way to the museum last year, possibly because I was able to send the URL and even advise you guys to buy tix in advance.
- Do not use email to communicate with me for any other reason-- which means, don't use it to alert me about absences or excuses, but also don't use it for questions, clarifications and teaching in general. Not only is there still such a thing as a telephone-- now you all carry them 24/7. Call me up! Ask me in class! Office phone: 415-338-7428. My office hours are immediately following our classes, very convenient. MW 2-3, MW 855-925. Above all, I like to see people in the office. It's personal. It really works. HUM 530. Those of you who have been there know I even took out the computer and put in a comfortable couch for students, to make it a more relaxed, welcoming kind of place. You need to eat lunch, you can bring your lunch. I'll even give you a napkin and some fresh green tea.
- Unless I specifically request it, *papers* can no longer be submitted by email. You must make it TO CLASS and hand in the hard copy. I want to see you physically at school. Papers are late until they are presented in hard copy form at the office. No more email papers.
- What I said above does not mean that you can still send me email as long as you start it, "Dr. Leonard, I know you told us not to email you but...." Call me up. Come to the office. Slip a note under the door of HUM 530. What did people do in the dark ages before universal email, three years ago?
- I of course reserve the right to have an email conversation with anybody, including a student, if I think that's in the student's best interest.
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Do not email me unless I specifically ask you to. Do not email me for any other reason -- which means, don't use it to alert me about absences or excuses, but also don't use it for questions, clarifications, or teaching in general. Not only is there still such a thing as a telephone, now you all carry them 24/7. Call me up! Ask me in class! Office phone: 415-338-7428. My office hours are immediately following our classes, very convenient. MW 2-3, MW 855-925. Above all, I like to see people in the office. It's personal. It really works. HUM 530. Those of you who have been there know I even took out the computer and put in a comfortable couch for students, to make it a more relaxed, welcoming kind of place. If you need to eat lunch, you can bring your lunch. I'll even give you a napkin and some fresh green tea.
I will continue to use email to notify people of events or opportunities. You can use email to alert me to an event, TV show, song or other object that I might want to share with the class that way. This is the only exception, and it has worked great! Email is good for something. Far fewer people got lost on the way to the museum last year, possibly because I was able to send the URL and even advise you guys to buy tix in advance.
Unless I specifically request it, you may not submit papers by email. You must make it TO CLASS and hand in the hard copy. I want to see you physically at school. Papers are late until they are presented in hard copy form at the office. No more email papers.
Just in case I was not clear, what I said above does not mean that you can send me email as long as you start it, "Dr. Leonard, I know you told us not to email you but...." Call me up. Come to the office. Slip a note under the door of HUM 530. What did people do in the dark ages before email, five years ago?
I do reserve the right to have an email conversation with any student who would benefit from it, in my opinion.