How to address members of teaching staff?

#1 · 19-10-2013 07:59PM #1

With professors, I've just been calling them "Professor Last_name", and I presume this is correct.

But what about associate professors and assistant professors? I have an assistant professor for a tutorial, and she has a PhD, so I've been calling her "Dr. Last_name". She's very friendly, but she hasn't said "oh, call me by my first name" or whatever. Yet I've heard people call her by her first name and she hasn't said anything. What's the protocol? I presume it depends, but what's the best thing to presume?

And Teaching Assistants, it's OK to call them by their first name, right?

What about non-professor titled teaching staff that have no PhDs? They seem to sign them selves off with their first name in emails and one has asked to be called by her first name, so I presume this is the norm. Like "Mr./Ms. Last_name" sounds weird in a university setting, no?

What about other senior academic staff?

Amirani · 19-10-2013 08:03PM

I call everyone by their first name, regardless of their formal title.

Ravelleman · 19-10-2013 08:45PM

First names all round for me. Perhaps after introducing myself first though.

languagenerd · 19-10-2013 10:35PM

I generally went with how they referred to themselves (in signing off emails, etc.) or how the other teaching staff referred to them. Some people are happy to be known by first name, while others wish to be Dr. <name> only. And there are some formal situations where you probably have to use the title...

kiffer · 19-10-2013 10:47PM

Entirely dependent on the person in question, call them by their title until they say it's ok not to. Also take cues from the PhDs... but you can't go wrong with formal.

Different departments have different levels of habitual formality if I remember correctly.
So by 3rd year in Geology we were all using first names for almost all the staff > 90% of the time but people in Chemistry were talking about Prof. This and Dr. That and surprised that we were talking about Ian, Geoff and Chris...

bscm · 19-10-2013 11:10PM

kiffer wrote: »

Entirely dependent on the person in question, call them by their title until they say it's ok not to. Also take cues from the PhDs... but you can't go wrong with formal.

Different departments have different levels of habitual formality if I remember correctly.
So by 3rd year in Geology we were all using first names for almost all the staff > 90% of the time but people in Chemistry were talking about Prof. This and Dr. That and surprised that we were talking about Ian, Geoff and Chris...

The Geology department are quite casual and informal (might be to do with the fact that half the staff drink you under the table on field trips).

It's better to go with whatever they sign off emails with, some people will take offence if you miss their "Prof" title because technically only a small percentage of staff in Trinity get the honour of being called "Professor".

BlutendeRabe · 20-10-2013 11:26AM

bscm wrote: »

The Geology department are quite casual and informal (might be to do with the fact that half the staff drink you under the table on field trips).

It's better to go with whatever they sign off emails with, some people will take offence if you miss their "Prof" title because technically only a small percentage of staff in Trinity get the honour of being called "Professor".

Nearly every member of staff is a professor now, given those stupid academic title changes.

I'd just address them as "Dr", except for the head of the school who would be usually a full professor.

Tweej · 20-10-2013 09:48PM

Ask them?

goingnowhere · 21-10-2013 12:01AM

Those who are college officers should (always) be addressed by the formal title, so its Junior Dean, Provost, Dean, Registrar, Senior Lecturer etc.

Senior staff by title Professor, junior by Dr (if PhD held)

Once you work with/know someone its normally on a first name basis no matter where in the hierarchy that person is save for the college officers where the formal title will nearly always be used i.e. a student should never refer to the Provost by anything other than Provost (he is not a professor anymore either)

In conversation about the person, its always by title.

VincentLeB · 21-10-2013 04:30AM

goingnowhere wrote: »

Those who are college officers should (always) be addressed by the formal title, so its Junior Dean, Provost, Dean, Registrar, Senior Lecturer etc.

Senior staff by title Professor, junior by Dr (if PhD held)

Once you work with/know someone its normally on a first name basis no matter where in the hierarchy that person is save for the college officers where the formal title will nearly always be used i.e. a student should never refer to the Provost by anything other than Provost (he is not a professor anymore either)

In conversation about the person, its always by title.

OK, I get this. And addressing the Provost by saying, for example "Excuse me, Provost, but ...", makes sense. But the Senior Lecturer, do you actually say "Excuse me, Senior Lecturer..."?

VincentLeB · 21-10-2013 04:31AM

BlutendeRabe wrote: »

Nearly every member of staff is a professor now, given those stupid academic title changes.

I'd just address them as "Dr", except for the head of the school who would be usually a full professor.

Yeah well senior lecturers are not assistant professors, but do you call assistant professors "professor"? This is part of my question!

endacl · 21-10-2013 05:08AM

If the staff member's name is, for example, 'John', call him John. If it's an official function, and you're all robed up, call him Prof. In this instance, it's generally considered good form to adopt a tone that imparts at sense of ironic self-awareness. I only ever called one professor 'Professor'. And then only as it was the long-standing custom of the department. A term of affection, if you like. He also answered to 'Gerry'. His successor was addressed by first name. Formality is for better or worse, a thing of the past. I suspect that it's been a positive development. We are, after all, collegial colleagues these days....

fishtastico · 21-10-2013 10:22AM

I'll usually call them by their title on first meeting as a sign of respect, and ask if they mind if I call them by their first name after. This is provided we're in a professional setting. Most don't mind a bit of familiarity, but manners cost nothing.

As for TA's/demonstrators; of course call them by their first names. They're students also.

BlutendeRabe · 21-10-2013 04:57PM

VincentLeB wrote: »

Yeah well senior lecturers are not assistant professors, but do you call assistant professors "professor"? This is part of my question!

Yeesh. Just address them as "Doctor".

Sir Ophiuchus · 12-11-2013 11:35AM

I default to "Dr. X" until told not to. It works pretty well. I'm not a PhD (yet), so I'd tell my tutorial students to just call me Stephen (except they don't really use names anyway). Even if I was, I'd be fine with first name, but a lot of faculty are more traditionalist and there's no sense in offending people.

In email, definitely go formal unless told not to. If I was a lecturer and a student opened with my first name, I'd be a bit surprised (obviously, unless I'd said they could).

Unisaur 64 · 12-11-2013 06:00PM

I still can't shake the habit of saying "sir", or "miss" from secondary school.

saltyjack silverblade · 13-11-2013 06:14PM

I always tend to be formal in my emails until otherwise told or until I see the other person doesn't do this through usage.
I really hate getting emails in from people starting with "Hi Jack". It's overly familiar.

The Black Oil · 13-11-2013 09:21PM

I tended go with Dr. ____ for the initial email or two. First name after that. Take the cue from them.

How to address members of teaching staff?

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