I encourage you to take advantage of my office hours to meet with me when you have questions or concerns about this course or your development. When you come to my office hours, we can discuss readings, research strategies, revision options, various ways to improve your writing, whatever you need. If you have class during my office hours, we can arrange a different time to meet.

 

I keep an 8am-5pm schedule, and will respond to email by the following business day (Monday-Friday). Email is a great communication tool, but it also lends itself to abuse by users. I check my email account once a day and during office hours. In other words, I am not available at your will through email. Listed below are guidelines for email communication; following these guidelines will make our communication much easier. Being familiar with these guidelines will also help you beyond the GWS 201 setting. I will not answer emails that are not in a format that follow the guidelines below.

 

• When you email me always fill the subject line with “GWS 201”— at the very least! I receive a considerable amount of email, and use a “GWS 201” filter to help flag student emails. Failing to include “GWS 201” in the subject line means I might not see your email immediately.

 

• Use formal greetings and salutations: In this class I go by Ms. Ruderman or Professor Ruderman. Please close your email with your name.

 

• Please email if you have a question or ideas that I can respond to in the length of a short email. It’s good to ask yourself Can this question be asked in class? before contacting me. Chances are other students have the same question.

 

• Do not email with questions that can be answered by carefully reading the following documents: the course syllabus, additional course materials, the project assignment sheets, or the course schedule. It is your responsibility to be familiar with these documents.