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COMMUNICATION CULTURE
Dear students,
As we find ourselves at the university premises, it is necessary to respect the rules of the
communication culture. However, we know that it is not always easy to keep these rules in mind;
therefore, we have prepared this "guide" for you, in which we want to share a few points that
you should follow to communicate with your teachers or other university staff. Please read this
manual carefully and return to it whenever you are unsure.
E-MAIL COMMUNICATION
— Subject of the e-mail
It is not always easy to figure out what to write in the subject line of an e-mail. How to squeeze
everything into three words? Under no circumstances should you skip this point. The subject of
the e-mail will give the recipient an idea of what you want from them and ensure that they will
deal with the e-mail. Thanks to the subject, you will be able to search for the e-mail in your inbox
later easily.
Try to be concise and clearly describe the content of the e-mail. For example, if you want to
make an appointment with your supervisor, you can use this subject: "Consultation request".
— Correct address
Starting an e-mail with a greeting (Good morning/Hello/Hi, ...) is not considered appropriate
in official communication. The usual address is Dear Sir / Madam, followed by an academic
degree or position.
If you call an academic by degree or position, do not use their name, other titles or abbreviations
of his title. Address Dear Mr Associate Professor Novák, PhD. is incorrect.
— Introduce yourself
Your teacher probably has dozens, maybe hundreds of students, and teaches several courses.
After the correct address, introduce yourself and state which course you are attending. The
academic will know where to place you and what subject the e-mail will cover. Also, do not
forget to include your UČO (student ID number) to ensure that the teacher can find you in the
IS.
— Get to the point, but decently
You can now go to the main message of your e-mail and write to the addressee what you want
from them. Don't forget to behave yourself, if you want any favour, ask. Even if you have fun
with the teacher in the lecture, skip the emojis from the conversation. These are dedicated to
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communicating with friends and close people. Try to get straight to the point and write directly
to the educator what you need. If you want to arrange a consultation, state what it should cover.
When you add an attachment to an e-mail, mention it in the body of the e-mail to make sure that
the addressee does not miss it.
— Acknowledgments and farewells
At the end of the e-mail, do not forget to express your thanks. Formal sign-offs are also
important, especially in first correspondence. You can use “Yours faithfully,” or “Yours
sincerely,” in this case. Do not forget to include your full name with UČO. Finally, don't
forget to reread the e-mail and correct the typos – your e-mail represents who you are.
— Wait
The teacher will probably not answer immediately. Wait a few days for an answer, then kindly
remind yourself. Not every teacher has time to respond immediately or make time for you, even
if all of them try to. A good rule of thumb is to avoid asking generic information that can
be found on a website or in course materials. Do your research beforehand and only
reach out for insights or personal recommendations.
FACE TO FACE COMMUNICATION
Generally speaking, if you follow good behaviour principles and communicate with teachers and
other university staff with respect and dignity, you will not ruin anything.
It is always good to follow the basic three rules:
1. Greet,
2. Kindly request,
3. Thank.
If you meet a teacher or any other university staff in the hallway, in an elevator, say hello. This
applies not only at our faculty but also in canteens or anywhere else.
When you encounter a problem or have doubts about something, solve everything in peace. Do
not argue with teachers and remember that you should treat others the way you want them
to treat you.
Sources:
https://iforum.cuni.cz/IFORUM-16403.html
https://www.studyinternational.com/news/how-to-email-professors-admin-university/