Office hours can be a new experience for many students, especially first-generation and international students, and availing of them can sometimes be viewed as weakness or failure. Some simple ways to do this are:
- Demystifying office hours. Taking time to explain the importance of office hours, and encouraging their use throughout the semester is essential. Some students perceive office hours as a time when you’re not available and working on other tasks! Reinforce to students that office hours are not just for asking questions about assignments or course but for getting to know their instructors, discussing a topic in more depth, exploring career paths, or simply to pop in and say “hello!”
- Making office hours more accessible. Consider using more student-friendly terminology for your office hours like: drop-in hours, student hours, check-in chat, open space, free for all, afternoon tea, morning coffee, bat cave, around the campfire, design studio, a walk in the park, etc. You can even move out of the office to a more neutral and relaxing environment for example meeting at a coffee shop, somewhere outside under a tree, or even taking a walk around campus together. Vanderbilt University gives additional tips on how to make office hours more accessible and less intimidating for all students.
- Offering scheduling options. It can be helpful to get students’ availability for the best meeting times if your usual office hours are not well-attended. If you offer office hours by appointment, consider using digital sign up options like Starfish or Microsoft Bookings, which both offer the ability to schedule appointments and send reminders of appointment times. Western Washington University offers additional tips on how to reclaim and diversify office hours.
Lastly, this slightly more humorous article from the Chronicle describes “the subspecies of North American professor” in terms of how they run their Office Hours: the early bird, the door closer, the counselor, the chatterer, and the fugitive. Which one are you? Which one would you like to be?