Top / Emailing Wallace (for Cal students)

Emailing Wallace

Required format

❖ My email address is: jwallace@berkeley.edu

❖ I usually do not check email after 9:30PM and do not always check emails every day on weekends or during holidays or during the summer (except when teaching).

❖ Because of how I run classes, I exchange several thousand emails with students every year. In order not to lose your email and to be able to reply in a timely way (as best I can), I ask that you use a regular format for subject lines.

The subject line never has spaces (please use underlines for spaces) and has, in this order:

    1. (always) the course number (like this: EA105, EA109, J7A, J7B, J155, J159)
    2. (sometimes) an assignment tag
    3. (always) your name listed last name (in block letters) then "classname" (the first name you have asked that I use for you in class, which may or may not be the same as what is on the roster)
    4. (sometimes) a keyword (keywords never use spaces; common keywords: question, randomcomment, extracredit, gradeissue)

*I reread all emails with the keyword "gradeissue" and "extracredit" in the subject line and the content of these emails are a factor in calculating your final course grade. If you miss a class for example and have a good reason why, if you tag that email with "gradeissue" when you write me, I will be aware of the reason of your absence when reviewing the attendance record. If you do not tag your email, it is almost a definite that I will not remember why you were missing but rather just that the gradebook has you as absent. There is no guarantee that there is a note in the gradebook. The email you send IS the note but is "live" only if you include "gradeissue" in the subject line.

Here is an example of the subject line format I require (go here for a pdf version):

Advice

Unfortunately, I cannot always respond to emails. (I find this especially true of random comment emails, which I love, where you have shared interesting things or personal life situations that I would like to have a little bit of extra time for, instead of zapping back a simple email.) If your issue or question is really time sensitive, you might consider trying to catch me after class as well, and if you have not heard back in a couple of days, consider emailing me again. It is possible I missed the email.

These instructions are for students emailing me about classes they wish to enroll in, are currently enrolled in, or are writing about a class of mine they recently completed. I don't request special formats from anyone else. However, if you are asking about podcasts, it is helpful to have "podcasts" in the subject line and if you are writing about recommendation letters, there is a specific form, elsewhere.

 

Use this for questions about grades on assignments and exams, emails regarding missed or will miss deadlines, absences — anything that might affect your grade.