Discussion 1: Introductions and Writing Emails
Please complete Step 1 by Saturday, 9/5 and Step 2 by Sunday, 9/6.
Directions
Step 1
First, introduce yourself to the class by answering the following questions using complete sentences. Second, write a draft email about one of the topics described below.
Introduction
- What is your name? How long have you been at CMCC? What are your major(s), minor(s), and/or programs of study? When do you expect to graduate? What do you hope to do after you leave CMCC?
- What kinds of writing have you done at CMCC thus far? (Not much is okay!)
- What kinds of writing do you do outside of school? (Remember, posting on social media, sending personal correspondence, etc. all count!)
- What interests and hobbies do you have outside of school? Are you an expert musician, novice crafter, etc.? Do you have any pets? (Photos welcome!)
- Is there anything else that you'd like us to know about you?
Compose a sample email to me (Dr. Kretzschmar) about one of the following topics. Be sure to include all of the relevant parts of an email as described in our textbook.
- You have a personal emergency (an illness, family issue, or similarly unavoidable crisis) and want to request a deadline extension for one of our assignments (be sure to specify which). You are free to utilize humor for this prompt (I remember that one student told me that they became trapped in the game Doom), but just be sure that your request is sincere and that your email maintains professionalism despite the circumstances.
- You are working on your cover letter and are wondering if it's on the right track. For an email like this, it's good practice to come prepared with specific elements that you want your professor to check out (i.e., structure, formality, use of specific examples, etc.).
- You earned a "C" on an assignment and are wondering about what went wrong (and how you can improve).
- Your peer review partner did not review your work before the deadline and you're wondering about how you should proceed. (Aside: I've had a few students who chose this topic in the past. Although their emails were fine, when the situation actually happened to them, they didn't follow my feedback. Remember that if you experience an issue with peer review, let me know sooner rather than later.)
- We met at an event. Compose a follow-up email. Express appreciation for meeting me and share a few key takeaways or highlights from the event. Additionally, consider next steps for future correspondence.
- You are a customer representative. I recently purchased something from your store or website. Craft a personalized welcome email for new customers like me who have just made their first purchase. Express gratitude for my purchase and introduce me to your brand and its values. Include information about my recent order and highlight any exclusive offers or benefits for new customers.
Step 2
Comment on two (2) of your classmates' introductions and emails after reading Chapter 9. Note any commonalities that you have, say hello if you've been in courses together previously, etc. Then, in 3-6 sentences, offer one compliment and one critique of their email. To do so, follow this template: “One thing that your email does effectively is…. If you were to revise this email, you might think about changing....” You might suggest changing specific words, the order of words or ideas, the salutation, the closing, or anything else. Please avoid saying something like, "I liked your e-mail and don't have any recommendations!" Even if you think that's true, it goes against the requirements of the assignment.
To be successful in today's workplace, we must master email as a genre! So be kind but pointed in your feedback.
So What Does Good Feedback Look Like?
INSTRUCTIONS
Hello, *student*!
Before I decided to come back for a second degree, human resources was a field I considered, too. I also grew up going to Disney very often, but nowadays I go more often to Universal and Islands of Adventure.
One thing you could do to improve future emails would be to include a bit more specificity. Rather than just asking to review the assignment, you could let the professor know that you read any comments on the submission and/or compared it to the rubric. That way, the professor knows you went as far as possible to understand the grade on your own before reaching out for further assistance.
Beyond that, though, and as *another student* noted, your email did well in conveying your question concisely. Additionally, rather than simply saying "I'd like to know why wasn't my grade higher," you approached the situation from a place of self-improvement. I imagine professors prefer when students do that.