You will engage with many different types of instructors at Harvard. They will range from professors to lecturers and preceptors to teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and course assistants. Harvard teaching staff are here to support you and are happy to hear from you!
Emailing Instructors
Sometimes you’ll need to write to your instructors to get information or to make a request. What should you keep in mind?
Be sure to address your instructor at the beginning of your email.
Avoid saying just “hey” or “hi,” as this can seem too informal to some instructors. Instead, you might write, “Dear Professor [Last Name]” or “Dear Dr. [Last Name].”
ARC tip: If your instructor has told you how to address them, use their preferred title. If they haven’t, and you’re not sure what their title is, err on the side of promoting them. A TF (or any instructor, really!) is never offended if you call them “Dr.” or “Professor,” but calling someone with a doctorate “Ms.” can be interpreted as demeaning.
Reserve email for short, direct questions that aren’t answerable by reading the syllabus or class materials.
If you have a longer or complicated question, go to office hours or set up a meeting with your instructor.
ARC tip: If you aren’t sure whether the answer to your question is somewhere in the class materials, try asking a few classmates before emailing your instructor.
Be polite and be considerate of your professor’s time and attention.
ARC tip: You can ask many kinds of things of an instructor, but be polite (e.g., use please and thank you), and remember to give the instructor the opportunity to let you know they can’t fulfill your request. Avoid making demands or saying things like “thanks in advance.” Instead, phase your request as a question and conclude with something like, “Thank you for considering my request.”
Going to Office Hours
Office hours are an important part of your learning experience at Harvard – they are a chance to interact with your instructors outside the classroom. While they might seem like an “extra” or optional part of a course, most students find that attending office hours has a positive impact on their classroom experience.
Figure out what kind of office hours your instructor holds.
Do they answer questions about course material? Help troubleshoot classwork? Are they individual or group? Office hours can take many different forms, so check your syllabi or the course website for information on office hours and appointments. Also don’t be afraid to ask your TF or professor if it’s not clear.
ARC tip: Try to find a student who has taken the course or other courses with your instructor and ask them about their experience while utilizing office hours.
Prepare something to bring (specific ideas, questions, materials, etc.) to office hours.
Even if you ask only a question or two, knowing ahead of time will help you make the most of your time and help you feel more prepared.
ARC tip: Get a sense for whether your instructor is open to chatting about things outside of class (your academic/professional interests, their own lives, etc.). If they are, try to ask at least one question that isn’t just focused on the material. It can be a great way to build up your relationship with a faculty member! Even something as simple as “How is your semester going?” can make your interaction feel less transactional and more human.
If you need to meet outside your instructor’s normal office hours, send them an email well in advance of your desired meeting time.
Reaching out in advance shows awareness that you are asking them to carve out extra time to meet with you.
ARC tip: Over the weekend, figure out which office hours you plan to attend in the coming week. Then, on Monday, email any professors who require appointments or whom you will need to meet with outside of normal office hours.
Check out the ARC’s Office Hours page for more information on what office hours are for and how you can take advantage of them.
If you are running into accessibility issues in any of your courses or have a medical diagnosis that is impacting your ability to engage fully in your classes, please visit the Disability Access Office for information on requesting accommodations.
Requesting Letters of Recommendation
Sometimes you’ll need to ask faculty for letters of recommendation. Here are some things to keep in mind:
Consider what kind of application you’re submitting.
Is this the right person to write the recommendation?
ARC tip: Generally, you want your recommender to be from the same field or an adjacent one to the position you’re applying for. For example, if you’re applying for a position at a lab, you’ll want to ask a science or math instructor when possible.
Make sure you’ve had a few interactions with your recommender outside of class.
Otherwise, it’s unlikely they’ll be able to write you a very detailed recommendation, even if they agree to do it.
ARC tip: Unless you’re applying for something very prestigious and competitive, such as a national or international fellowship, you probably don’t need a tenured professor to write for you. It’s much better to go with someone who knows you and can write in a detailed way about your abilities.
Give your recommender plenty of advance notice.
Ask for a recommendation at least two weeks in advance, but three to four weeks is better, and offer to send a follow-up email reminder closer to the deadline.
ARC tip: Some instructors may prefer to get letter of recommendation requests over email rather than in person. Since it’s hard to know ahead of time what your professor prefers, a good middle ground can be to make the request over email and offer to meet with the person in office hours to discuss the opportunity to which you are applying.
ARC Services and Workshops
Still worried how to determine the right person to ask for a recommendation? Nervous about attending Office Hours? Don’t know what to do with an instructors response to your email? Schedule an appointment with an Academic Coach, or attend a workshop on working with faculty.