Reply to How are kids supposed to address professors? Dr., Professor, first name? Daughter got rude reaction

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I went to Princeton years ago.  The convention was that students addressed professors as Mr. or Ms. and the professor addressed students as Mr. or Ms.

Equality among scholars and all that.[/quote]

My SLAC was the same way, but everyone used first names. Then again, all of my professors were cool and confident scholars. In my view, academics demanding to be called doctor or professor highlights some mental imbalance and/or professional insecurity.[/quote]

I agree.  The profs I know do NOT want to be called anything but by their first name, all the more so for grad students.  They are offended if they explain this to students and the students still call them Dr. or Prof.  Academia is generally not about power relationships but collegial learning.  That said, I would probably start with Dr. or Prof. until told to do otherwise or until I heard my classmates using first names, unless it's practice at the entire school to use first names. But I'm from an older generation than students today.

In my experience moving from the west coast where even elementary school teachers sometimes go by first names to the very old-fashioned east coast, I've concluded that using titles is more about distance than respect.  Sometimes you want to keep someone at arms length/have a more business-like relationship--then titles are appropriate.  Most professors are focused on teaching important stuff, not worrying about social conventions as much as other settings like the corporate world.  First name basis is just as much about respect as last names--it's how you conduct yourself that conveys respect.[/quote]

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