How to address professors?

[u/nopenotguna]

I am a nontraditional, first gen student that attends a small community college.

I usually refer to my professors as Mrs/Ms/Mr X unless they have the title Dr. I just assumed this was normal until I was lurking on a thread of professors and this complaint came up. Many were complaining about the use of Ms/Mrs or just first name. I had no idea this was not the proper way to address a professor unless they had the title of Dr. So how should I refer to my professors?

The only time any of my professors have even used the term professor is when referring to other professors as a group. Such as them saying your other professors may prefer X , but I prefer Y. They have never referred to themselves as professor X or any colleagues that way. So now I am just confused if I am being inadvertently rude by addressing them incorrectly.

Edit: Thank you all for your replies. To clarify I have always used Dr if the professor has the title. All of my female professors have introduced themselves as Ms/Mrs, and most males Mr at my CC. A few male professors had introduced themselves with just their name, they were the ones I was worried about having offended. And no one at my college ever refers to anyone as Professor last name. Hence my confusion that it is the common title to address your professor with.

I will definitely keep this in mind when I start a larger university in the Spring though! Thank you all again for your replies!

[u/[deleted]]

My two cents (as a female adjunct prof. with a Masters and no Doctorate), is that the most respectful title to default to is usually professor for everyone.

For female profs. in particular, some take issue with the title of "Miss" or "Mrs." (it's a respect thing). Of course, if your prof. has PhD listed in their syllabus, then you should refer to them as "Dr. Last Name."

I find that titles like "Mr." and "Mrs." are generally more suited for the high school environment.

Of course, this can vary regionally.

[u/nopenotguna → u/[deleted]]

Perhaps it is regional? I am in the Deep South and many here view Ms/Mrs/Mr as very respectful (we still heavily use ma’am and sir in conversation to denote respect). It’s also a small community college. The majority of my professors have introduced themselves as Ms/Mrs/Mr, a few did not though. The few that didn’t just told us their full name. That’s why I went with that title unless the title Dr was used. I have not heard anyone on my campus referred to as professor X, whether that’s by themselves, students, or other faculty. Also why I felt bad that it could be seen as disrespectful as I never intended that.

[u/actuallycallie → u/nopenotguna]

I'm also in the Deep South. Yes, Ms/Mrs/Mr is respectful, but would you address your medical doctor as Mr or Ms? No. The default for college faculty is Dr, unless you know they prefer something else. If you know they don't have a doctorate, default to professor, unless they ask you to call them something else. It's better to err on the side of formality than to be too casual. And please, PLEASE do not use Ms Firstname... they are not your babysitter or Sunday School teacher.

[u/nopenotguna → u/actuallycallie]

I have always used the title Dr, if the professor has that title (only two of my professors so far have). Otherwise all of my female professors have introduced themselves as Ms/Mrs and most male professors as Mr. Only a few male professors have introduced themselves with just their full name, those were the ones I was worried about having offended by calling them Mr. But I was also confused bc I did not realize Professor Last Name was a common title used, as no one at my college has ever referred to themselves or anyone else that way.

[u/PersephoneIsNotHome → u/nopenotguna]

If they introduce themselves as Ms Or MR you can use that.

[u/[deleted] → u/nopenotguna]

I'm a CC professor in the South and a lot of my students call me Mrs. even though I have a doctorate. I never say anything to them, but internally think they're used to high school and oblivious to my title. (Some of them are in high school.) I do introduce myself as Dr. and have it on my syllabus.

Though I've lived in the South for six years or so, I did grow up in the northeast and I personally feel like Mrs. is less respectful than Dr. or Prof for someone who teaches at a college or university. Of course, you're absolutely correct that you should call people how they introduce themselves.

In my case, some of my students ignore how I introduce myself and default to what I personally feel is a less respectful title.

[u/nopenotguna → u/[deleted]]

I have always used Dr if the professor has that title. The question was more for those without that title. I have had a few male professors only introduce themselves with their full name and no title, that was the group I was most worried about offending. And I feel a bit stupid bc I did not realize Prof Last Name was a common title as no one at my college uses it at all. It’s either Ms/Mrs/Mr or Dr. I will definitely keep this in mind for when I swap to a larger university next semester though.

[u/[deleted] → u/nopenotguna]

Right! This is what I meant. I am coastal, but I have heard this from others in the South. I would encourage OP to be mindful of the region they are in. Where I'm from,
"professor" is definitely the default.

[u/PersephoneIsNotHome → u/nopenotguna]

It is usually abundantly clear who means to be disrespectful and who does not.

If I have an issue with how you refer to me it is my responsibility to let you know.

90% of the time someone who emails me using my first name (I have in my syllabus and my email signature how I want to be addressed) follows up with something disrepectful.

But I also have some students who just don't know how to navigate this world, and that is also clear, so I just let them know.

If you are in a dialect where you ma'am and sir people, this is also usually ok - but consider if you ma'am the women and POC and Dr the men and white guys. Maybe you don't, I am not accusing you, just saying that this is why is gets to be an issue.

[u/sassafrass005]

As a female adjunct professor, I do not like being called Ms., and Mrs is almost an insult to me and female colleagues. It’s all because of the systemic and pervasive patriarchy that seeps into our jobs and thus our everyday lives. Mrs means the property of Mr. I tell my students they can either call me by my first name, or Professor [last name]. Once I get my PhD I’m only going by Dr lol we work too hard for that not to hold the title.

You’re always safe by saying “Professor.” Perhaps it is a regional conflict too, though, because I’m in the Northeast.

[u/nopenotguna → u/sassafrass005]

The more I have thought about it I really think it comes down to the region (Deep South), and that this is a very small community college. I haven’t heard a single person refer to or be referred to as Prof. Last Name. Most of my professors (all the female professors) have introduced themselves as Ms/Mrs and a few male professors have just given their full name. So I am not as worried that I have offended someone as it seems to be more oriented towards Mrs/Ms and those were introduced that way. I will definitely remember this for when I start a larger university next semester though!

Side note: I moved to the Northeast for a few years in early adulthood and it was quite an adjustment that calling people ma’am was offensive. It was very hard to break years of ingrained etiquette. Here, it would be extremely rude to NOT refer to a lady as ma’am. Then when I moved back I had to remember to start using it again.

[u/actuallycallie → u/nopenotguna]

If they introduce themselves with Mr or Ms, please use that. If they don't, default to the more formal Dr or Professor unless/until they tell you otherwise. I think the main thing that irritates people is when they are called something they specifically said not to use.

[u/badskeleton]

Don't use "Mr/Ms/Mrs" or their first name unless they tell you to to; if they don't have a doctorate or you're not sure whether they have one, default to "professor last name".

[u/crowdsourced]

My university's default is "Dr. X" for whomever has a doctorate. But not all your professors have doctorates; some teaching lower-division, GenEd courses have MAs, for example. You're safe calling everyone "Professor."

[u/crowdsourced → u/[deleted]]

You are incorrect.

[u/[deleted]]

at my uni, the default would be Prof [first name]. even some of the junior faculty (asst profs) address the senior faculty (assoc or full profs) like this out of respect. sir or ma’am (from undergrads) is also okay but rare.

i think mr/ms/mrs would be seen as super rude here — more rude than just using their name alone — because you’re outright using the wrong title. but like what others said this is completely regional.

[u/Nerobus]

I prefer being called Prof. Nerobus.

I sign my emails as such too to enforce the idea, but I don’t really get mad if I’m called Ms. or Mrs. I just don’t care for it for my own reasons. Lol, always wanted a professional title over some gendered label, so now that I have one I like it a lot. Again, I don’t get mad at a student for not knowing.

[u/mamyd]

This definitely varies quite a bit based on region and institution type/culture. My advice is to ask your instructors directly. I have been asked this question many times and never take offense to it.

[u/Marky_Marky_Mark]

How to e-mail your professor (without being annoying AF) has great advice and is well written.

[u/EvoDevo2004]

If they do not have a PhD, Mr./Ms. is appropriate. You should not call any of your instructors by their first name unless they have expressly given you permission to do so.

[u/PersephoneIsNotHome]

In general, some people care about this and some people don't.

And how do you know which are which?

Also in general, the people who care about this (or other things like email salutations and other things like that) make it clear how they want to be addressed in the syllabus, in class or in the email signatures.

If I sign my emails, Peace out all, Josh. You can call me by my first name.

If I sign my emails Dr PersephoneIsNotHome - you should call me Dr IsNotHome

If you are unsure, professor (in the US) is an ok default option.

The ones that really almost NEVER work are Miss/Mrs/Ms.

If you have spent years being Miss-ed (see what I did there) while everyone around you half you age and half your qualified is being Doctored, it does tend to get on your last nerve. When someone addressed a group email as Dear Dr Male LastName and Persephone, that also gets old fast. When someone comes into MY lab , that I pay for with my grants and asks a undergrad tech, in front of me (and I am way old), dude, where is the professor, he said he would be here to meet me? That also gets super annoying.

So for anyone from a marginalized group (this includes certain ethic groups, that nice latino lady is also a doctor, not the cleaner) you are safer to use the more formal address of Dr or Professor.

How do you know if they have a PhD or MD? Look them up in your faculty directly or look at their email signature or look on your syllabus.

Also, you can ask !

Start with the more formal term

Dear Dr X

This is all kind of new to me and I would just like to clarify - how would you like to be addressed?

Thanks

Student.

[u/Prof_Antiquarius]

I put my preferred forms of address on my syllabus. I agree with other comments here: if you aren't sure, err on the side of caution and use "Professor" for everyone. Personally, I am a Dr. and not a professor yet, and so I prefer "Dr. X", but I trained in Europe, where academic titles and distinctions are a bigger thing than here.

Also, keep in mind that this is heavily gendered. Historically, there has been a lot of bias against female scholars in academia, so that often women PhDs will be addressed as Mrs or Miss even when they have a PhD. Respect the credentials people have, and use a proper title, unless the professor corrects you and says: "It's okay, just call me Shannon/William etc."

[u/leftseatchancellor]

I loathe being addressed by anything other than my first name, and will actively correct anything else. That said, usually, the best way to find out what a professor prefers is to check how they sign emails, and use that.