Are You Taking Advantage of Vacation Mode?

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I used to put next to no thought into my away message, in fact, I often didn’t use them. When I did, they would say something basic, like, I’ll be out of the office from x date until x, expect a response when I return. This approach was a missed opportunity to get people the answers to their questions while I was away and to cut down drastically on the responses needed when I returned. I want the same for you.

People ( parents and students) are writing to you because they have questions, not because they want to know your vacation plans.

You know what kinds of questions you get on a regular basis, as well at certain times of the year, ie the end of the semester, or the day the report cards go home. To save yourself from answering emails over breaks, the weekend, and while on vacation, harness the power of your away message.

Below, you’ll find two examples to give you some inspiration and get you started.

Information to always include

  • To make it easier for you to find the information that you need while I”m always, I’m linking to several important documents. Here is the cause FAQ page and the course syllabus. (insert links to both of these for any and all courses that you teach.)
  • If you have a question about your grade, you can access the grade book here: Grades are updated weekly.
  • If you’re having issues with any of the online platforms that we use, make sure that review the troubleshooting document first. (link document)

End of the Semester/Marking period

Sample message: I’m out of the office and won’t be checking or responding to email from x to x date during break. While I’m always I want to help you gain access to the information that you need.

  • The semester ended on x date, and the last date for any assignments to be submitted, graded, and count towards this semester was x date. Anything that was submitted by that time received __________. This process is reflected in the class syllabus (link the syllabus).
  • Grade reports will be sent out by x date.

When to use

I recommend that you turn the message on 1-2 days before your time away starts. You should still try to respond to messages, however, this gives you a buffer. If you wait to turn your away message on, until the day that you go on break, it’s likely that you’re going to have a pile of messages that you need to find a way to respond to.

  • When you go on vacation, take a personal day or sick leave.
  • over any breaks
  • over the weekend
  • if you’re swamped with grading and other work and need to step away from email for a few days to catch up.

How are you using your email away message to save yourself time, and support those that have questions while you’re away?