In general, you'll probably be making contact with me in class or on a discussion board online -- and if your question involves something that the whole class will want to know about, that's definitely how you should be contacting me,   However, if you need to reach me outside of class time/space, please notice that your syllabus lists my email address and (if I have an office on campus) my office location, office hours, and office phone number.  There may be some things that are best handled through one form of communication or another, but we can decide that as we go.

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In general, it's okay to contact me through any of the official means at your college (email, phone, etc.), but it's often easiest to reach me by email.  That gives us some flexibility of time and place, as well as a written record of what we discussed.

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When you email me, there are a few important things to keep in mind.  Please see the tips in the videos below.  Some of the important tips are listed below.

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Why to email:

• NEVER email me about things that everyone in class needs to know.  Private conversations are for private matters.  Online discussion boards or in-class questions are the place to ask about general course matters.  Trust me, if you have a question about something, so does someone else in your class.  (Of course, you should always check the syllabus or this website for answers to questions before contacting me -- regardless of the method.)

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Where to email:

• At some universities, there may be up to 5 or 6 ways to (theoretically) reach me.  And I may be teaching at 2 or 3 or 4 universities at a time, each with their own multiple ways to contact me.  Because of this, I will only make use of a limited number of the means of contact provided -- and I will be clear in the syllabus and/or on the class website which ways that you can contact me.

• In general, the appropriate way to email me about private matters is at my university email address.

• Some universities have additional ways to contact me (such as through the course website's email system or grade feedback system).  I don't check these regularly.  Don't use these other methods unless I have indicated that you should.  If you don't get a reply from me, it's because I didn't get your email.  Probably you either sent it to a method I don't check or you mistyped my email address.

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How to email:

• Use your university email, not your personal or business account.

• Be absolutely certain that you've spelled my email address correctly.  That probably means being able to correctly spell my seven-letter last name (plus maybe an initial or something).

• In the subject line, indicate the subject of the email (the reason you are writing).

• In the email or subject line, indicate your course number AND section number.  I've got a lot of students in a lot of different courses, so I want to be sure that I'm answering your correctly for your course.

• Write properly.  Practice being professional.  Use a salutation (such as "Dear Dr. Rhoades") and a signature.  Emailing your professor is not the same as texting your friend.

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When to email:

• Allow up to 48 hours for a response (Monday through Friday).  This may mean that you have to plan ahead.  If you are having trouble with an exam or assignment submission that's due in 20 minutes, it's very likely that I won't see your email in time to help -- so don't leave things till the last minute.  Also, unless required by the college, I may not check emails on weekends, so that might mean that your answer technically takes longer than 48 hours!

• There may be times where I will not have access to email or be too busy to check it (such as when I'm away at a professional conference).  If I know ahead of time, I will warn you that I won't be available during a particular time period.  If my internet service goes down or something, I'll do my best to get an announcement out to you, if at all possible.

• DO NOT email me about the same subject again if 48 hours (or the weekend) isn't over yet -- or if I have informed you that I'll be away from email for a particular period of time.  Pestering me definitely does not get you a better or faster answer.

• If the waiting period is up (48 hours, the weekend, or my time away from email) and I don't get back to you in a reasonable period, ONLY THEN must you send a repeat email.  Perhaps the email didn't go through correctly.  Be sure to double-check my email address.  At that point, you're not being a pest; you're being a responsible student who knows that it's your responsibility to stay in touch with me.