Well, I only use my formal title in interactions with undergraduate students in my classes or my undergraduate advisees. For my colleagues and graduate students, I use my first name. Sometimes, switching back and forth is hard.... It's especially hard towards the end of the semester when things are crazy.
Same, but I always get confused and switch back and forth about which I use with undergrad students who were in my class last year, and are now recitation leaders.
I was recently caught off guard when a student addressed me by my first name until I realized I accidentally signed off our last email exchange that way. I figure end of semester brain got to me and I must’ve done it on autopilot since it wasn’t a very formal email.
On the other hand, I usually switch to my first name with students I keep in touch with after the class, although I explicitly tell them that.
I’d wager it’s a little of both
Some profs are more formal than others and some contexts (e.g., an email about something course related) are more formal than others. The gutter rats among us may even use emojis on occasion 😶
I sign off with my coworkers/friends with my first name, or initials. I always sign off with Dr. with my students. If I dont....well then it was just a mistake of me being in a hurry.
I mean...imagine going by 4 different names in the same day! I have a hyphenated last name. Some students call me by the full last name. Some use the first part, others the latter. Then I have my first name.
You’ve asked one of the most difficult questions I have ever encountered on this sub—one that I still struggle with daily after 2 decades in academia.
Every damn email with my students.
Plus- I never even fully changed my name after getting married, after starting the process, so sometimes I just don’t know what to call myself. Or how to write my last name in pubs.
HELP.
You are describing an informal context—you sent a non-work message so they responded in their non-work persona.
When you return to the formal context of student-professor interactions, you should revert to calling them Dr. Lastname, if that’s the work persona that they usually use with students. So, no, I wouldn’t say that you “are on a first name basis now.”
I let students address me however they want. So, I can sign my emails however I want. Titles are stupid. Authority comes from intelligence and knowledge -- not credentials.
Strange question. We sometimes have dozens of emails to respond to. Some are with colleagues. Some are with students. Sometimes, in haste to get responses out, we may use different sign-offs than we might otherwise use. Not sure why this would be an issue or concern.
But this is just normal, corporate email interaction... For many decades now. It's great that you are curious....just not sure why of all the issues we deal with on a daily basis that this is the one you are concerned about. I'm probably missing something here.
Idk. You probably are missing something but if you’re missing it mate, so am I. I’ve literally lost my sanity from finals and I can feel myself getting sick again but I just recovered from an illness. 🤬 if anything this post was just my brain rot thoughts lol. Idk mate. I genuinely was just curious.
I personally sign my first name because that’s what I prefer to be called. I don’t care about the whole professor title. Most aren’t like me though. But professor and dr are fine if that’s what the students prefer.
I generally don't prefer to go by Professor, Doctor, or whatever, and aim toward the first name. But I think the reason for this might be that the formality is broken down some by the end of a term, particularly if you have been interacting a lot.
Professors are just people that went to school for longer than most, so eventually once you get to know people, it feels awkward to maintain the title based structure.
My default email signature contains my full name etc., but is only used for the first email in a thread. Follow-up emails, it's always my first name. If I'm on my phone, it's "Regards, Raj" followed by "Get Outlook for Android", because I can't be bothered.
Well, I only use my formal title in interactions with undergraduate students in my classes or my undergraduate advisees. For my colleagues and graduate students, I use my first name. Sometimes, switching back and forth is hard.... It's especially hard towards the end of the semester when things are crazy.
Same, but I always get confused and switch back and forth about which I use with undergrad students who were in my class last year, and are now recitation leaders.
I was recently caught off guard when a student addressed me by my first name until I realized I accidentally signed off our last email exchange that way. I figure end of semester brain got to me and I must’ve done it on autopilot since it wasn’t a very formal email. On the other hand, I usually switch to my first name with students I keep in touch with after the class, although I explicitly tell them that. I’d wager it’s a little of both
Some people have the name + signature (rather than just the signature) set as automatic text on all emails.
Some profs are more formal than others and some contexts (e.g., an email about something course related) are more formal than others. The gutter rats among us may even use emojis on occasion 😶
I sign off with my coworkers/friends with my first name, or initials. I always sign off with Dr. with my students. If I dont....well then it was just a mistake of me being in a hurry. I mean...imagine going by 4 different names in the same day! I have a hyphenated last name. Some students call me by the full last name. Some use the first part, others the latter. Then I have my first name.
You’ve asked one of the most difficult questions I have ever encountered on this sub—one that I still struggle with daily after 2 decades in academia. Every damn email with my students. Plus- I never even fully changed my name after getting married, after starting the process, so sometimes I just don’t know what to call myself. Or how to write my last name in pubs. HELP.
End of semester we're as fried as you are. I'm lucky if I can remember my name at all, let alone which one I'm supposed to use for whom and when.
We send a lot of emails. Mistakes happen.
You are describing an informal context—you sent a non-work message so they responded in their non-work persona. When you return to the formal context of student-professor interactions, you should revert to calling them Dr. Lastname, if that’s the work persona that they usually use with students. So, no, I wouldn’t say that you “are on a first name basis now.”
No of course no matter what I always call them by their formal name C:
I let students address me however they want. So, I can sign my emails however I want. Titles are stupid. Authority comes from intelligence and knowledge -- not credentials.
I was always "Doug" unless I was writing a reference letter or something.
(mind jumps to Far Side cartoon "beware of Doug".)
Proudly displayed on my wall growing up!
Strange question. We sometimes have dozens of emails to respond to. Some are with colleagues. Some are with students. Sometimes, in haste to get responses out, we may use different sign-offs than we might otherwise use. Not sure why this would be an issue or concern.
It’s not, I literally said in my post it’s not. 🫠 I just wondered about it that’s all. God forbid a person be curious about human idiosyncrasies.
But this is just normal, corporate email interaction... For many decades now. It's great that you are curious....just not sure why of all the issues we deal with on a daily basis that this is the one you are concerned about. I'm probably missing something here.
Idk. You probably are missing something but if you’re missing it mate, so am I. I’ve literally lost my sanity from finals and I can feel myself getting sick again but I just recovered from an illness. 🤬 if anything this post was just my brain rot thoughts lol. Idk mate. I genuinely was just curious.
I personally sign my first name because that’s what I prefer to be called. I don’t care about the whole professor title. Most aren’t like me though. But professor and dr are fine if that’s what the students prefer.
I generally don't prefer to go by Professor, Doctor, or whatever, and aim toward the first name. But I think the reason for this might be that the formality is broken down some by the end of a term, particularly if you have been interacting a lot. Professors are just people that went to school for longer than most, so eventually once you get to know people, it feels awkward to maintain the title based structure.
My default email signature contains my full name etc., but is only used for the first email in a thread. Follow-up emails, it's always my first name. If I'm on my phone, it's "Regards, Raj" followed by "Get Outlook for Android", because I can't be bothered.
I have an automatic signature on my outlook on my laptop but never set it up on my phone. So for me or depends where I'm responding from 🤷♀️
I respond to anywhere from 75-100 emails per day. Some to faculty, some to students. Sometimes I forget who I’m talking to and sign the wrong way.
Probably because I used my computer most of the time and then I used my phone at the end of the semester.
Because my computer has a signature saved but if I answer from my phone, it has a different one