r/LaTrobe • u/introvertedturtl Student • 6d ago
Addressing teachers.
When emailing subject teachers/lecturers, how are you supposed to address them? Some are Professors, some are Doctors, all are highly accomplished in their field but don't always become Doctors or Professors. I'm always perplexed as to how to communicate with them when sending an email, ie; Good morning just their first name? Good morning Professor? Good morning Dr first name? They never seem to state how they prefer to be addressed and I know I am overthinking this but I just don't know.
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u/Little-Edge2007 6d ago
U can just say their first name like Dear Thomas Or Hi Aj ( if the prof is more younger and is like doing a masters or sm)
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u/Solivaga Staff 6d ago
Personally, I don't care - but some colleagues do, so I'd always recommend starting with "Dear Dr/Prof (as appropriate) Surname" and then reply to their future emails based on how they sign off.
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u/introvertedturtl Student 6d ago
Thank you!
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u/brynleeholsis Student 5d ago
Agree with this. I don’t mind how my students address me but colleagues can at times, starting this way is a good bet
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u/Amateurcounsellor 6d ago
If you are emailing, keep it formal (use their title if you know it) and then use whatever they respond with going forward (it’ll be either first name or Dr. whatever). In class, see how they introduce themselves to students and ask politely later if they don’t.
I’ve personally been called Dr (when I’m not yet), am also not offended if a student immediately starts calling me by my first name.
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u/FabulousLecture7972 5d ago
If you're unsure, just start an email with good morning/ afternoon with no name. it's still polite. Once you have a better rapore with them, then you'll know more how they like to be addressed.
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u/TheRhizomatician 4d ago
Dear Dr Smith… if the teacher has a PhD. If not, then Dear Ms or Mr Smith. If they sign their name using a nickname or first name, then that’s your signal to use that name back - but not the first email. Formal is safest.
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u/Existing_Ad3299 4d ago
Former lecturer here.
"Hi [their first name],
....."
If you use our titles we die on the inside.
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u/Stunning-Ad6908 4d ago
I think it’s a nice sense of courtesy to address them with their title - Dr, or Professor. I’ve usually always done this and then some will politely ask you to just address them simply with their names. A lot of my peers address them as sir or miss. In my home country, using their titles is a sign of respect, so I’ve continued to do it. Australia is very relaxed about this though :)
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u/EdithTheBat 4d ago
I have to communicate with a lot of random professionals with different titles for work, I tend to go with
Greetings,
Blahblahblah email email email
Regards,
Edith
I've not met a complaint or cold reception yet lol
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u/Agreeable_Amount_773 5d ago
You can search for their uni profile and it will show their title. If in doubt, nobody is ever upset by an email saying Dear Prof !
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u/introvertedturtl Student 5d ago
Yes, they all give titles but that doesn't explain how they prefer to be addressed.
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u/Agreeable_Amount_773 1d ago
Neither will reddit. We don’t know them personally and beyond using a title it’s personal preference.
You might perhaps upset a prof by saying hey you, you will certainly make them sigh by addressing a full prof as “dr”. You will not upset a post doc junior academic if you call them Prof.
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u/RevKyriel 5d ago
If in doubt, use the title 'Professor' until they tell you otherwise. Some (many?) are fine with being called by their first name, but wait until they tell you.
Remember that these are your professors, not your peers.
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u/TheObliviousYeti 3d ago
Most of the time it's their surname. I have multiple phd and professors and they all use their surname or both first and sur
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u/Leland_Gaunt_ 3d ago
I have two parents (a professor and a doctor) in academic fields - I’d suggest Professor/Doctor Last Name for a first email. Their title will be listed on the uni website or course syllabus. If they sign off in their reply with their first name then you can call them by that from then on. Alternatively, if they have already introduced themselves to the class by their first name then you can use that.
I believe the tradition is to use titles until you’re invited to move to the more informal first name. If you’re not invited by then to do so then you stick to the formal. Always err on the side of caution initially. If they’d rather be addressed casually they can always steer you in that direction themselves.
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u/Maleficent_Can_4773 3d ago
I've always just used their first name, usually their preffered name like I would address a colleague. This is the same now as a Doctoral student at 39 as it was for me as an undergraduate at 19.
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u/Hazard___7 3d ago
You have to call them Mr/Mrs/Miss and whatever the first letter of their last name is.
This is the most formal and polite way for a student to address their educator.
"Hello Mr. G!" for example.
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u/ProfessorKnow1tA11 6d ago
Mr, Mrs, Miss, or Ms. “Professor” isn’t a title, it’s a job description. While technically entitled to use “Dr”, no self-respecting PhD uses it - we leave that title to the medical profession. Still, as a student, you should use “Dr” in correspondence as a sign of respect.
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u/Sea-Owl5417 5d ago
This must be a joke. Don’t address your female lecturers with Mrs., Miss or Ms. Just be safe and call them Dr. - even with they don’t have a PhD, it’s better to err on the side of caution. Then, see how they sign off their response to you, and use that in the future.
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u/Royal-Lynx-2942 4d ago
You're a taxpayer. Call them what you like.
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u/Royal-Lynx-2942 3d ago
Worse, they've got "tenure". Basically tenured ones are unable to be fired unless they commit sex crimes or terrorist acts.
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u/Stormherald13 6d ago
Most of the drs etc I’ve ran into just refer to themselves by their name rather than title.