Greetings,

On this website, I explain a little bit more about my email policy. I have noticed that my approach to email is definitely nonstandard and may therefore deserve some special attention.

My general email policy can be simply stated as follows:

 I actively work to minimize the number of times I respond to unsolicited emails.

If you’d like to learn more about why I maintain this habit, please feel free to read my email philosophy. The email policy document that you are currently reading is not meant to give the philosophical arguments that motivate my approach. Instead, this document is meant to outline the best ways to get a hold of me.

I take my work as a professional educator seriously. I recognize that the people I work with need to get a hold of me. I also love being of service to others. To any of my students, my colleagues, or others in our community who want to contact me, below I outline a number of ways you can do so. I’ve ordered this list based on my preferred mode of communication, starting with my favorite way to be in contact (#1) and continuing through down through the list. 

1. Find me in person

In Pre-COVID times, the absolute best way to get my attention was to find me in person. I suppose that in the world of virtual life, the second best option is to see each other via virtual meeting with video turned on. For anyone interested in tracking me down, you can find my weekly meeting schedule on my weekly schedule webpage.

2. Text me my cell phone number

For students or members of the public: You are welcome to text me at (650) 383-7194‬. This is my Google Voice number. Please be sure to identify yourself and the context of our communication. Below are some great examples for a text to this number:

Example 1: “Hello Jeff. This is Katherine Johnson. I’m a student in your Math 2B course in winter quarter 2021. I’m writing because I want to get an internship at NASA. Can we meet to chat about this? You are welcome to text me back at this number. You can also email me at email_address@service.com. Thanks”

Example 2: “Hello Jeff. My name is John Doe. I am not a student at Foothill. I work at CompanyName as a JobTitle. I came across some of your work on your website and I find it very helpful for my work. I’d like to be in contact with you about XYZ. You are welcome to text me at (555) 555-5555 or reach me via email at email_address@service.com. Thank you, in advance, for your attention and consideration.”

For my colleagues at Foothill: I usually share my personal cell phone number when I work with colleagues on projects that require the ability to consistently communicate. If we plan to work together on a project or if you’d like the ability to contact with me for urgent communication, please feel free to ask me for this number. I usually respond to text messages within 48 hours on Mondays – Fridays during a normal academic quarter. Outside of face-to-face conversation, this is the best way for my colleagues and collaborators to get my immediate attention.

NOTE 1: I do not promise to respond to all inquiries to my Google Voice. My top priorities are to respond to messages from my current and past students as well as messages from my colleagues at Foothill.

NOTE 2: I won’t promise to share my personal cell phone number with everyone who asks me. But, I am happy to chat through this option if you’re interested. 

NOTE 3: I tend not to share my personal cell phone number with students who are currently enrolled in my classes. At this point in my career, I teach exclusively synchronous classes. During a normal academic quarter, I spend at least five academic hours each week face-to-face with my students. I also hold at least four student (office) hours each week. I use these forums to get to know my students, build professional working relationships, and meet my students’ needs in the best way(s) that I can. Because I dedicate a large percentage of my weekly working life to being available in-person to my students, I do NOT share my personal cell phone number with students enrolled in my classes. For students currently enrolled in one of my courses who want to get a hold of me, please chat with me during class about your concerns and we can find a way to be in contact. You can also text me on my Google voice number, as discussed above.

NOTE 4: I am fully aware that my work communications are public information. I make a commitment to myself and to our community to be transparent with all of my records. For any party interested in obtaining records of my work communications, please be in contact and we can find a way to get you the information you desire. In truth, I believe that Foothill College, the State of CA, or the US Federal goverment should pay for a work cell phone on my behalf. The idea of requiring me to use email diminishes my capacity to achieve equitable educational outcomes in my classes. This is not a good policy to support me in achieving my professional goals as I work to satisfy my work responsibilities. However, I recognize that our education is chronically underfunded. Moreover, the legislative and governmental systems that permit this under-investment take a long time to change and require grass-roots activism. In the meantime, I have to find creative ways to serve my students and thrive in my job. My use of text messages is my way of being available asynchronously. I ask you not mistake my careful planning for a lack of respect for public records.

 3. Contact me via solicited email communication

Sometimes I do correspond via email. I focus this communication on current projects that require multiple steps. Most often, this type of communication arises in two scenarios:

Scenario A: I use email when both the message receiver and I have agreed to use this mode of communication.
Scenario B: I use email if I have a compelling reason to believe the recipient won’t be too bothered by my request for their attention.

If you aren’t sure whether or not I am expecting an email from you, I beg you to contact me in person, via text, or write me a note to check in.

4. Call me on my cell phone. If I don’t answer, leave a message with a good callback number

Students and members of the general public can call me on my Google Voice number (650) 383-7194. Foothill Colleagues can reach me on my personal cell phone. If I don’t answer your phone call, please leave me a detailed message with a good callback number. I do my best to return these calls in the order that I receive them. During a normal academic quarter, I process my voice messages once every few weeks in batch form.

5. Contact me via unsolicited email communication

If I haven’t specifically agreed to accept an email from you, please assume I will not respond to your email. In this case, if your message includes an important action item that demands my immediate attention, I politely ask you to find an alternative method to contact me so that I give you the attention you deserve.

Every so often, I respond to unsolicited email and I am not offended to receive such communication. But, in an effort to preserve my mental health and to maintain my desired level of deep focus in my daily work life, I do everything in my power to minimize my responses to unsolicited emails.

6. Write a comment on any video on my YouTube Channel or on any of my blog posts.

I maintain a growing library of open-access learning materials for our community. This includes:

1. My YouTube Channel
2. My blog posts for The Learning Code Blog
3. Jeff Anderson Math Blog

If you want to chat about some of this professional work, find one of those resources that makes you smile. In the comment section, write your message. I do my best to respond to members of these communities. As of this writing in 2022, I am still in the early stages of my development for my work on these projects. The number of people that write me comments on a daily basis is still relatively small. As long as this remains true, you have a good chance of getting a response to your comments in those spaces.

Last Updated: Friday 1/21/2021 at 9:30pm