teaching - What can professors do to encourage properly written email messages from students?

(Motivated by https://academia.stackexchange.com/questions/55082/hey-i-was-wondering-of-your-students-write-like-this)

The writing style probably [stems] from the electronic age of text messaging. In any case, an email between an a student and professor is a professional communication (not a social text message).

[Example:] "hey. i was wondering if your students write like this when they send you emails or ask for your help in an email and weather or not your willing to respond when such little effort is put forth when writing."

What can professors do to encourage properly written email messages from students?

(Other than being a positive role model.)

Answer

The best way to deal with this is on a broader level and explain the rules during an introductory or preparatory course to all incoming students. For example, at our department, first year students have to follow a course on academic skills, and there they also talk about emailing professors. It also has the advantage that students don't have to deal with different expectations by each professor. One sign that it works at least to a certain extent: Students seem to learn in that course that they should sign with their name and their student number (something which I never expected and definitly did not ask for), but most of them actually do sign this way (at least when contacting me first).