Email Templates
Introduction
“Kind words can be short and easy to speak, but their echoes are truly endless.” — Mother Teresa
Emails are one of the easiest ways to move an OER conversation forward. A short note can be used as a natural follow up after a meeting, to invite someone to an event, or to help move an idea forward. No matter the length, finding a sincere note of thanks in one’s crowded inbox can make a big impact.
These email templates are designed for a range of uses across campuses. Some may work well for students, while others may be adapted by librarians, staff, faculty creators, or OER teams. Below are some ideas, examples, tips, and steps to help you customize one.
Ideas for Use
Here are a few ways students, librarians or staff, and faculty might use them for either gratitude or advocacy:
Students
- For gratitude: Thank an instructor for using OER or no-cost materials and mention one way that choice helped you.
- For advocacy: Follow up after a conversation about textbook affordability and encourage one next step.
Librarians or Staff
- For gratitude: Recognize a faculty member for choosing affordable course materials that support students.
- For advocacy: Invite faculty to learn more about OER or attend an event.
Faculty
- For gratitude: Thank a colleague for sharing or creating OER, reviewing materials, or supporting affordable teaching practices.
- For advocacy: A faculty member might encourage colleagues or campus leaders to consider OER or support affordable course materials.
Inspirations
Here are two real examples that show how email and message-based outreach have been used in open education work.
Student Example: Open Oregon Educational Resources
Who did it: Open Oregon Educational Resources
What students did: In its Textbook Affordability Student Toolkit, Open Oregon included sample follow-up language students could use after meetings with faculty and administrators, along with a sample faculty thank-you note students could personalize and send. The toolkit also encouraged students to share a brief personal story and follow up by email.
Why it worked: The language is simple, practical, and easy to adapt. It gives students a starting point, which lowers the pressure of knowing exactly what to say.
How to adapt it with this email template set: Use one of these templates as a thank-you or advocacy email. Invite students to add one personal sentence about cost, access, preparation, or stress. Then, include one clear next step, such as asking a professor about course materials, sharing a campus OER link, or thanking an instructor for using free materials.
Advocacy Example: Florida State College at Jacksonville
Who did it: Florida State College at Jacksonville (FSCJ)
What they did: FSCJ’s Zero Textbook Cost student advocacy page includes an “OER email template: Student email to professor” and describes it as a template students can adapt to communicate with professors about the importance of having affordable or no-cost course materials.
Why it worked: It turns advocacy into something concrete. Instead of telling students to “speak up,” it gives them wording they can adapt and send, which lowers the barrier to taking action.
How to adapt it with this email template set: Include one advocacy template aimed at reaching an instructor, department, or campus leader. Keep the message focused on one lived example and one clear ask, such as considering OER, learning more about affordable materials, or connecting with the campus OER team.
Quick Tips for Writing an OER Email
If you are writing an email expressing gratitude
- Keep the message focused. A thank-you email usually works best when it centers on one clear reason why you are grateful.
- Name what made a difference. A brief detail about cost, access, stress, or learning helps the message feel sincere and specific.
- Use your own voice. Warm, natural language is usually more meaningful than formal or overly polished wording.
- Keep it respectful and simple. You do not need a long message to make someone feel appreciated.
If you are writing an advocacy email
- Be clear about your purpose. The reader should understand early on what you are asking about and why it matters.
- Use one real example. A short personal story or concrete example can make the issue feel immediate and easier to understand.
- Ask for one next step. Advocacy emails are usually stronger when they make one clear, manageable request.
- Keep the tone constructive. The goal is to invite conversation or action, not to overwhelm the reader.
Guidance and Templates
Select the arrows to read the steps for customizing your email template.
Get the Email Templates
Email templates[1] can be copied into your email platform as plain text or shortened for a newsletter or announcement. Choose one of the templates below that best suits your purpose. For more email templates for various OER purposes, see the Michelson 20MM OER Student Advocate Toolkit and Open Oregon’s Textbook Affordability Student Toolkit.
Gratitude Email Templates
Advocacy Email Templates
Email Banner Templates
Want to give your OER emails or newsletters a more polished look? Open the OER California Email Banner template to customize a free, editable Canva template. You’ll need to create and sign in to a free Canva account to customize and download your banner.
Customize your email template.
Step 1. Choose the email template that fits your purpose.
Start by choosing the purpose of your message.
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- Gratitude email to an instructor
- Follow-up advocacy email
Then choose the template that most closely matches that purpose. The templates are just a starting point, and because each template includes placeholder language, you will need to adapt it before using it.
Step 2. Personalize the message.
Replace the placeholder language with your own details and add the specifics that make the email feel authentic, such as:
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- The course, textbook, or initiative
- One personal sentence about cost, access, or learning
- One clear reason for writing
- Your name, role, or student group
Step 3. Review before sending.
Before you send the email, make sure you’ve replaced all the placeholder text, that links have been added, and that the dates are correct. Most importantly, make sure the message still sounds like you!
- Attribution: Adapted from OER Student Advocate Toolkit by Jenifer Vang, Natalie Miller, Trudi Radtke, Ashley Chavez, Timothy Maldonado, Edwin Hernandez, Carlos Espinoza, and Laura Cruz. Licensed CC BY 4.0. ↵
