DeCoding CICS - Communicating in CICS

Communicating in CICS 

Most professors and staff want to talk to you. They want to work with you and they want you to succeed. Yet, we know that it can be a bit stressful or confusing to reach out to them. You might have questions like: 

• What is the best way to get in touch with a faculty member?
• How long should I wait before I send a reminder or follow up email?
• How do I request an extension on an assignment? 
• What exactly are office hours? 
• What does "drop-in times" mean?  

Below are the answers to those questions and some general advice to help you effective communicate with professors and staff. 

Before or after class 

• You can talk to a professor before or after class. If you want to talk to them before class, realize that they might be still preparing for the class and they might not be able to give you their full attention. You might just ask them if they can give you some time to talk after class. 

• After class is generally easier than before class. Sometimes professors teach consecutive classes, but most of the time they will have a few minutes. 

Email

Email is a useful way to get in touch with a professor and it is a great way to begin a longer conversation about a specific aspect of a class. A few things to keep in mind when writing an email to an instructor or to a staff member:

• Professors receive a lot of emails. Give them 24 hours to respond. If you haven't heard from the professor after 24 hours, you can send them a followup email. 
• Acknowledge that they are a human by beginning with a greeting and use the name, titles, and pronouns that the professor has presented on the syllabus or CICS website. For example: Hello Dr...  Identify yourself - professors communicate with a lot of students.  Especially if it is your first email to that professor, you will need to give them some context (class, year, how you know them...)
• Do your best to explain what is going on and what you want as clearly as you can.
• Don't stress about grammar. Just do the best you can. 
• You can send emails at 2AM in the morning, but don't expect a response until later in the day. 

How to ask for an extension on an assignment?

• It is important to know that not all professors offer extension. Even if you ask, they will refuse. Check the syllabus for policies about extension. The syllabus might include if the professor offers extensions or not. If the professor has a policy, you can refer to it in your email. Some professors offer a once a semester, no questions asked, extension. If your professor has that policy, you just need to write to them and tell them you would like to use that option for the particular assignment. 
• Whether your professor has an extension policy or not, your best approach is to 1) follow the guidelines about writing an email above 2) explain your situation and offer a time when you will be able to turn-in your assignment. 
• When you ask for the extension, you can also ask the professor for any other help you might need. Do you need questions about a project guidelines answered? Do you need a concept or tool explained? Do you need to meet with GTA or UCA? Would it be beneficial to meet with the professor? You can make these requests as well. 
• How to know when you should ask for an extension? If your professor doesn't have an extension policy, there is not an universal approach for when to ask for an extension. It really depends on what is happening in your classes and in your life. 

Here is an example of what an email asking for an extension might look like:

Office Hours 

Attending office hours is an essential part of academic success. Going early in the quarter, and often,will help you understand material, establish a relationship with your professor, and can even help you meet classmates to form study groups. Here is a quick guide to help you use office hours.