Laptop and Electronic Communication Guidelines
Classroom Laptop Etiquette Guidelines
During class, students should use laptops as a learning tool. Students should:
- During class, students should not check e-mail, browse the Internet, instant message, play games, or perform other off-task activities.
- Engage in class activity actively. This includes making eye contact, paying attention and staying on task. The computer should not become a barrier to one-on-one interaction, but instead should help facilitate the exchange of ideas and engagement in classroom contact.
- Use laptops for specific classroom tasks as assigned by the instructor including taking notes, conducting research required for activities, and other assignments.
- Demonstrate sensitivity to others. Students should not display screen images, including wallpapers and screen savers, which might be distracting or offensive to other members of the class.
Email Communication and E-mail Etiquette Guidelines
- Proofread and use spell-check before sending email.
- Be careful about sending mail or replying to a message when angry or upset. Do not present yourself in email differently than you would in person. Do not use profanity. Before sending an email think about reading the email out loud to the person you are sending it to… would you feel comfortable?
- Have reasonable expectations for response time. Faculty and staff need a reasonable amount of time to respond to email. Please allow at least 48 hours for confirmation, response, or resolution. Do not expect responses on weekends.
- Try to keep messages concise and to the point as they will be more likely to be read.
- Use descriptive subject headings. This makes it easier for someone to decide whether to read the message or to determine priority in responding.
- Distribute e-mail only to those individuals or groups that have a known interest in a topic.
- Check e-mail often and delete or store read messages immediately. UW-Stout will communicate with you frequently through your Stout email account so be sure to check it often. Mail messages can be downloaded, printed, or saved as disk files.
Thanks to the Department of English & Philosophy for contributing content.
| For further questions about the e-Scholar Program, please contact: |
| Jane Henderson, e-Scholar Program Coordinator 212G Millennium Hall Phone: 715-232-5005 |