Summary
This session builds students' ability to communicate effectively and professionally in academic and campus settings. By composing and revising real-world messages — to instructors and a resident advisor — students learn to see their communication through the receiver's eyes, adjusting tone, clarity, and professionalism based on audience and relationship. The session grounds these skills in situations that students are likely to encounter on campus, from an unexpected disruption before class to a roommate conflict, giving them a practical framework they can carry into instructor emails, resident advisor (RA) conversations, and other communication they'll navigate throughout college.
Essential Questions
How does seeing a message through the receiver's eyes change the way you communicate with the different people you rely on in school and on campus?
Learning Objectives
Identify effective communication strategies for emailing and messaging instructors in academic and professional contexts.
Demonstrate the ability to adapt communication styles based on audience, relationship, and personality differences.
Apply communication guidelines to real-life campus scenarios, including contacting professors, advisors, RAs, and peers.
Evaluate messages from the perspective of the receiver to improve clarity, tone, and professionalism.
Reflect on how effective communication can support stress management, mental health, and successful campus involvement.
Snapshot
Engage
Students respond to an unexpected scenario; then they compare responses and discuss how communication style shifts based on relationship and personality.
Explore
Students mark up a “bad email” sent from a student to a professor; then they discuss their reactions in a whole-group conversation.
Explain
Students watch a video of a professor reacting to a similarly poorly written email; then they use the “Anatomy of an Email” guide to rewrite the flawed email.
Extend
Students apply the same communication guidelines to a new scenario, composing a message to their resident advisor (RA) about a roommate issue.
Evaluate
Students reflect on a key takeaway from communicating with a professor that they can apply in a different college situation.
Materials List
Inbox Disaster Example Worksheet (attached, one copy per student)
Anatomy of an Email (attached, one copy per student)
Blank Email Template (attached, one copy per student)
Preparation
10 Minute(s)
How to set up Mentimeter for the Engage and Extend sections of this presentation:
Go to Mentimeter and select “Sign up” or “Log in.”
Select “New Survey.”
Choose “Start from scratch,” and then “Open-Ended.”
Type your prompt or question in the title field, then select “Share” in the upper-right corner of your screen to share with students.
Copy the Mentimeter link and QR code on slides 9 and 13 so that students can enter or scan it with a device.
If using the code option, make sure to adjust the option under “Set access code expiration” to ensure the code will still be valid when you present the Mentimeter.
You can set up two separate Mentimeter surveys if you like, but you don’t have to. Just add a slide in Mentimeter and a second prompt and return to that spot when you get to the Extend (slide 13).
When ready, start the presentation. To display participants’ responses, select “Present” in the upper-right corner of the screen.
To share results with participants at a later time, select “Link to the live results” and then select “Copy link.”
Engage
10 Minute(s)
Introduce yourself and present slides 1-4 as you see fit. Display slide 5 and, without giving students any context, ask them to imagine themselves in this scenario:
You woke up and headed to your car to get to class. You have a flat tire.
Ask students to use Mentimeter to create and submit a message to their instructor. Guide them through accessing Mentimeter with the QR code, web link, or session code. Allow students 3-5 minutes to respond. Then project and read student responses on the screen.
If you are unable to use Mentimeter, use the Commit and Toss strategy. Unhide slide 6 and have students write their message on a piece of paper. Crumble up the message and toss it. Students then grab someone else’s message to read out loud.
Move to slide 7 and conduct a discussion with students. Use the questions on the slide to guide your conversation.
What do you notice that’s similar in the texts? What is different?
How would you communicate about this situation with someone you’re close to?
How might your communication change when speaking with someone whose personality is very different from yours?
Explore
15 Minute(s)
Pass out the Inbox Disaster handout and display slide 8. Have the students read through the email as if they are the instructor of an introductory college class and mark up the email with what stands out to them. Set the timer and allow students to read the email; they may not need all the time allotted.
After the students have read through the email, move to slide 9 and ask the group the following discussion questions:
What do you notice?
Does it bring up any emotion?
Explain
15 Minute(s)
Now the students will hear from a professor who received a similar email to learn what a professor thought about the email. Display slide 10 and play the YouTube video Bad Email Reply - What not to say to your professor... You may want to pause the video near the beginning and pre-read the email to the students to give them prior context.
When complete, discuss as necessary and pass out the Anatomy of an Email worksheet. This sheet is a quick guide to writing communications to instructors. Go through the rules to identify elements that students weren’t familiar with when communicating to their instructors.
Pass out the Blank Email Template. Prompt students to rewrite the “Inbox Disaster” email to their professor that they read at the beginning of the session. Display slide 11 and set the timer for 10 minutes.
After the students have rewritten their email, show slide 12 and conduct a discussion, asking the group the following questions:
What did you make sure to include?
Did seeing emails through the eyes of the instructor help you draft your email?
Extend
10 Minute(s)
Display slide 13 to introduce a new scenario. What other types of communication might they write emails for? What other campus groups might they address their emails to? Suggest a new scenario, asking students to role-play a typical college scene:
You are having issues with your roommate. Reach out to your resident advisor (RA).
Have students use Mentimeter again to send a message to their RA. Walk them through the Menti code and link on the slide. Give students 3-5 minutes. The facilitator will project on the screen and read student responses aloud.
If you are unable to use Mentimeter, use the Commit and Toss strategy as before, unhiding slide 14.
Evaluate
10 Minute(s)
Display slide 15 and inform the participants that you are going to take a moment to reflect with a quick instructional strategy called POMS: Point of Most Significance. Instruct them to reflect on all the new information they've learned and conversations had through the discussions. Have participants share out their POMS.
What was the most significant takeaway you gained today about communicating with your instructor?
How can you use your takeaway with other situations?
Examples:
Joining an organization
Talking to your advisor
Research Rationale
First-generation college students often face challenges transitioning to college due to limited institutional knowledge, financial barriers, and fewer opportunities to build campus connections (Bolkan et al., 2021; Hallett et al., 2020; Havlik et al., 2020; Payne et al., 2023; Pratt et al.,2019). Research shows that students are more likely to persist and succeed when they develop relationships with peers, faculty, advisors, and campus support networks; when they learn how to communicate effectively with professors, upperclassmen, and fellow students; when they gain knowledge of campus resources; when they strengthen time-management and academic skills; and when they foster a sense of belonging within the college community (Bolkan et al., 2021; Demetriou et al., 2017; Hallett et al., 2020; Kulp et al., 2021; Payne et al., 2023). Therefore, programs are designed to provide these supports before the first semester begins through academic success workshops, campus resource sessions, guided campus experiences, wellness programming, and opportunities to connect with faculty, advisors, upperclassmen, and fellow students, helping reduce summer melt and strengthen students’ transition to postsecondary education.
Resources
Anderson, M. G. (n.d.). Bad email reply: What not to say to your professor... [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSNc8F9tqzY
Bolkan, S., Pedersen, W. C., Stormes, K. N., & Manke, B. (2021). Predicting 4-year graduation: Using social cognitive career theory to model the impact of prescriptive advising, unit load, and students’ self-efficacy. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 22(4), 655-675.
Demetriou, C., Meece, J., Eaker-Rich, D., & Powell, C. (2017). The activities, roles, and relationships of successful first-generation college students. Journal of College Student Development, 58(1), 19-36.
Hallett, R. E., Kezar, A., Perez, R. J., & Kitchen, J. A. (2020). A typology of college transition and support programs: Situating a 2-year comprehensive college transition program within college access. American Behavioral Scientist, 64(3), 230-252.
Havlik, S., Pulliam, N., Malott, K., & Steen, S. (2020). Strengths and struggles: First-generation college-goers persisting at one predominantly white institution. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 22(1), 118-140.
K20 Center. (n.d.). Commit and toss. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/119
K20 Center. (n.d.). Mentimeter. Tech Tools. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/tech-tool/645
K20 Center. (n.d.). Poms: Point of most significance. Strategies. https://learn.k20center.ou.edu/strategy/101???????
K20 Center. (2021). 10-Minute Timer. YouTube. https://youtu.be/9gy-1Z2Sa-c?si=mZT8we776f2Oew46
Kulp, A. M., Pascale, A. B., & Grandstaff, M. (2021). Types of extracurricular campus activities and first-year students’ academic success. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 23(3), 747-767.
Payne, T., Muenks, K., & Aguayo, E. (2021). “Just because I am first gen doesn't mean I’m not asking for help:” A thematic analysis of first-generation college students’ academic help-seeking behaviors. Journal of Diversity in Higher Education.
Pratt, I. S., Harwood, H. B., Cavazos, J. T., & Ditzfeld, C. P. (2019). Should I stay or should I go? Retention in first-generation college students. Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 21(1), 105-118.