However tragic, sending bereavement email is one way to build rapport with your professor, especially a professor. Do you have an existing relationship with your professor? Are you looking forward to creating one? Then you should not be afraid or reluctant to send an email like this. The biggest challenge might be your uncertainty about whether it would be appreciated or not. Well, this should not be a problem because this kind of email is welcome, it shows that you care and are concerned about the situation. Shortly, you will see some examples and steps you could take to write this kind of email but first, let’s consider what exactly a bereavement email is.
Bereavement Email to Professor
A bereavement email to a professor is a type of electronic mail message you send to your professor when they lose someone close to them; a spouse, child, relative, friend or co-worker. It is sent to show your sympathy and encourage them in their time of grief. It is also called a condolence email.
Reasons for Bereavement Emails to Professor
Just before we give you the steps to take in writing a bereavement email to a professor, let’s look into some of the reasons an email is sent instead of calling or texting. Some of these reasons include:
- The first and most important reason is that the relationship between you and your professor is professional, sending an email helps you maintain that professional relationship whilst being cordial in your writing because this kind of email requires it.
- Sending emails means you understand the grieving period and you do not mind not getting a reply to your email immediately because sending an email helps the recipient not feel pressured into replying as soon as possible.
- Finally, what you might not be able to say over a call, and may be too restricted using a short message service (SMS), you could express properly using emails.
How to Write Bereavement Email to Professor?
Due to the peculiarity of this kind of email, sympathisers are always careful not to send the wrong message or the wrong format. To help you avoid that fear, six steps have been highlighted below:
Step 1: Subject line
Choose a simple and appropriate subject for the body of your email.
Step 2: Salutation
Ensure you use a salutation before going right into the body of the email, and ensure it is the right kind of salutation.
Step 3: Body of the email
Ensure you go straight to the point, and express your condolences with the right words. Be empathetic, however, try not to overdo it especially if you do not have any relationship with the deceased. Also, avoid the use of casual/abbreviated words or phrases.
Step 4: Sign off
This includes your closing remark or signatory. Be sure to use a sympathetic closing remark and write your name in full, so they can identify you as the sender because anyone could use an email address to send an email, that does not tell who you are.
Step 5: Add email address
It is always advisable to include the email address of the recipient as the last thing. If you make a mistake or have gadget failure, which is very common, there would not be a case of sending an incomplete or improper email by mistake, rather it would be saved as a draft.
Step 6: Cross-check and send
After you go through the steps above, take a moment to look through the structure of your email, and confirm that there is nothing that needs to be changed or removed. This is important due to the sensitivity of this kind of email. Once you do this and are satisfied with what you have, hit send.
Examples of Bereavement Email to Professor
Some tips have been given in theory above, now let’s make it practical.
Example 1
Subject line:
My Condolences
Salutation:
Dear Sir,
Body:
I am deeply sorry to hear about the loss of your {input individual}. I may not have known {him or her} personally but I know what it feels like to lose a loved one. Please accept my deepest sympathy and I pray you receive the strength to go through this period.
Sign off:
My warmest regard,
{Your full name}
Example 2 (use this format if you are sending on behalf of a group)
Subject line:
Our Thoughts Are With You
Salutation:
Dear Prof. Lewis
Body:
We cannot express how deeply sorry we are to hear about the passing of your husband. The few times we were opportune to meet him, he seemed so lovely. It feels surreal to hear this news. We pray you and your children gather the strength to bear the loss. We would be happy to help in any way we can, especially with classes for the semester.
Once again, accept our deepest condolences.
Sign off:
With sympathy,
George Smith,
For English Level 4 Class.
Conclusion
The thought of composing a bereavement email to your professor seems like a big deal but in itself, there is nothing too difficult about it. You simply need to obey the rules highlighted above and most importantly, write from your heart. Try this out and see how much it would be appreciated, remember your professor is human, if you need to be sympathized with at certain points in your life, why would they want anything different?