It is important to recognize that even in email or Moodle you are in fact in an extension of a classroom, and certain behaviors are expected when you communicate with both your peers and your instructors. These guidelines for online behavior and interaction are known as netiquette.

General Guidelines

When communicating online, you should always:

• Treat your instructor and classmates with respect in email or any other form of communication
• Always use your professors’ proper title: Dr. or Prof., or if in doubt use Mr. or Ms.
• Unless specifically invited, do not refer to your instructor by first name
• Use clear and concise language
• All college level communication should have correct spelling and grammar (this includes discussion boards)
• Avoid slang terms such as “wassup?” and texting abbreviations such as “u” instead of “you”
• Use standard fonts such as Ariel, Calibri or Times new Roman and use a size 10 or 12 pt. font
• Avoid using the caps lock feature AS IT CAN BE INTERPRETED AS YELLING.
• Avoid the use of emoticons such as :) or 😁
• Be cautious when using humor or sarcasm as tone is sometimes lost in an email or discussion post and your message might be taken seriously or sound offensive.
• Be careful with personal information (both yours and that of another student)
• Do not send confidential information via email

Email Etiquette

When you send an email to your instructor, teaching assistant, or classmates, you should:

• Use your Southeastern Louisiana University assigned email (@selu.edu) email address for all class communication
• Use a descriptive subject line 
• Be brief, but include necessary information
• Avoid attachments unless you are sure your recipients can open them
• Avoid HTML in favor of plain text
• Sign your message with your name and return email address
• Think before you send the email to more than one person—does everyone really need to see your message?
• Be sure you REALLY want everyone to receive your response when choosing to “reply all”
• Be sure the message author intended for the information to be shared before choosing to “forward” the message

Discussion and Forum Nettiquette and Guidelines

When posting on a Discussion Board or Forum in your class, you should:

• Make posts that are on-topic and within the scope of the course material
• Take your posts seriously and review and edit your posts before sending
• Be as brief as possible while still making a thorough comment
• Always give proper credit when referencing or quoting another source
• Be sure to read all messages in a thread before replying
• Do not repeat someone else’s post without adding something of your own to it
• Avoid short, generic replies such as, “I agree”—you should include why you agree or add to the previous point
• Always be respectful of all opinions even when they differ from your own
• When you disagree with someone, express your differing opinion in a respectful and non-critical way
• Do not make personal or insulting remarks
• Be open-minded when reading other posts

Security

Remember that your password is the only thing protecting you from pranks or more serious harm.

• Do not share your password with anyone
• Change your password if you think someone else might know it
• Always log out when you are finished using the system