2.5.2: Drafting professional emails or recommendation letters

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Communicate Clearly and Professionally—Without Starting from a Blank Page

Writing professional emails and recommendation letters is part of everyday academic life—but it can be difficult to find the right tone, especially when writing under pressure or on a tight deadline. AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, or Microsoft Copilot can help you generate first drafts that are clear, respectful, and appropriately tailored to the audience.

Whether you’re responding to a student, emailing a colleague, or writing a letter of support, AI can help reduce the friction of getting started—so you can focus on personalization, accuracy, and nuance.

🧰 What AI Can Help You Draft

1. Routine or Polished Emails

Use AI to:

Respond to student questions with clarity and care
Compose respectful messages to colleagues or administrators
Adjust tone for formality, warmth, or brevity

✅ Prompt Example:
“Draft a polite, encouraging response to a student who missed the assignment deadline due to illness and is requesting an extension.”

2. Letters of Recommendation

Use AI to:

Draft personalized recommendation letter templates
Help structure letters around specific criteria (e.g., transfer, scholarship, graduate school)
Offer alternative phrasing for strengths, qualities, or experiences

✅ Prompt Example:
“Write a draft of a recommendation letter for a student applying to a public health master’s program. Highlight their research skills, professionalism, and communication.”

3. Tone Matching and Revisions

Use AI to:

Revise a draft to be more diplomatic, enthusiastic, or formal
Translate institutional jargon into accessible language
Catch overly long or unclear phrasing

✅ Prompt Example:
“Rephrase this email to be more concise and student-friendly without losing the professionalism.”

🎓 Why This Matters for Instructors

AI can help reduce the cognitive load of high-frequency writing tasks.
Drafting with AI frees up time and energy to focus on personalization and reflection.
Instructors working in multilingual, interdisciplinary, or fast-paced environments can use AI to maintain consistency, tone, and clarity under pressure.

You provide the insights—AI helps shape them into polished, audience-ready drafts.

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