University of Tasmania, Australia

Hi Everyone

It's unusual for me to send a message to ALL Faculty of Education students at the same time but occasionally there are important issues that apply to the whole cohort. The issues I will be talking about:

• Good character checks
• Social networking
• Email addresses
• Communication with staff and email etiquette
• Creating an electronic signatute
  

Good Character Check (for Professional Experience)
First year pre-service teachers, if you have not already done so, please ensure that you have applied for and obtained your Good Character Check from the Teachers Registration Board (TRB), Tasmania, or relevant interstate equivalent. Students who do not hold a valid Good Character Check which has been issued by the Teachers Registration Board of Tasmania (or state equivalent) will not be permitted to undertake their placement. Please note that a letter issued by the Department of Education is not acceptable for the purposes of pre-service teacher placement.
Please refer to the Good Character Check link, on the PE website to obtain more information about the application process for the Good Character Check in Tasmania as well as requirements for interstate students for state equivalent checks. Please note that Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood) pre-service teachers must also apply for a Safety Screening Check.

Social networking
In recent weeks there have been some postings on social networking sites that have come to the attention of Faculty staff and have caused concern. I would like to remind you of your personal and professional reputations and the serious risks that you may be taking if you post defamatory materials.
The material below is part of a recent article place on the Faculty website regarding social networking:
Remember that social networking is evolving. Privacy settings may be changed without notice.
As a digital citizen, you need to check for any updates and make sure that you continue to update your privacy settings regularly.
As a digital citizen you have ethical responsibilities. Remember to be careful about the tone of any information you post online.
If you name people online in a derogatory and negative way, you run the risk of being accused of defamation. You may personally be legally liable for such material.
Any information online establishes your professional reputation.

Email addresses
This is a reminder to always use your UTAS email address for all mail to and from the University. Students who have diverted their email to other email addresses (e.g. Hotmail) are not receiving important communications as these emails are 'bouncing back'.

Communicating with me and other staff members
For first year students, this is a reminder!! Thanks to those of you who have adopted these practices. It has made so much difference with helping me know who I should reply to or ring!!
For other students please refer to the following requests about communication and apply them when contacting me or anyone else in the Faculty or wider University.
When contacting me by phone, please identify yourself clearly and give your Student ID number before any other information. This helps if I don't know how to spell your name, if there is more than one student with the same name or I don't know which course you are in or where you live. Also please give me your return number slowly and repeat it, if possible, remembering the area code if you are from interstate.

When contacting staff by email you must observe the basic rules of etiquette. Emails also serve as an official record of your communication with the Faculty, and so they should be presented in a professional manner. For example, you should use correct punctuation and check your email for spelling and grammar. Please don't use the shortened and ungrammatical language of SMS or social networking. You should also use an electronic signature (see instructions below). This will ensure that staff will be able to respond to your email.

Here are three tips for ensuring that your emails remain professional:

1. Always use your official UTAS email account. This lets staff know who is sending the email.
2. Do not use Gmail, Hotmail, or your home internet provider email accounts. Emails from unofficial addresses might be ignored, deleted, or spammed without being read.
3. In the Subject Line include your first and last name, ID number, course name and unit code and identify yourself as a student in your Unit Coordinator's or tutor's class.
   

Example: Joe Bloggs, ID 694325 - BEd. ESH102

Teaching and administrative staff receive many emails every day, so it helps both you and the teaching staff if they can quickly see what your message is pertaining to.

When a message is received without the above information, it is often difficult to trace the student, especially if only a first name is used at the end of the message.

Create an electronic signature
Go to Tools in your Outlook - select Options - select Mail format - select Signatures
Your electronic signature should contain the following information:

• First and last names
• Student ID
• Course in which you are enrolled (e.g. Bachelor of Education)
• Phone contact

Well!! This seems like a lot of bossy instructions but all of these things are important for your professional presentation and interactions both now and in the future.

As always, do let me know if you have any queries or concerns about this or any other issue which may be impacting on your studies. Remember, I am here to help!

All the best and kind regards

Carolyn Glock

Student Adviser - Faculty of Education
Support & Equity Unit (SEU)
Division of the PVC (Students and Education)
Email: Carolyn.Glock@utas.edu.au| Tel: +61 3 6324 3312 | Fax: +61 3 6324 3048
Web: www.support-equity.utas.edu.au
Postal Address: University of Tasmania, Locked Bag 1307, Launceston TAS 7250

CRICOS Provider Code: 00586B