By Jane Harvey
Why students come to office hours and how to attract them to your office hours
Office hours are an opportunity for students to connect with faculty. This interaction plays an important role in students’ university experience in that it can highly impact student retention, persistence, achievement and confidence, as well as increase their motivation and sense of involvement (Carr et al., 2021). Also, knowing a few faculty well can enhance students’ perceptions of their own values and build their confidence for future courses.
Knowing the value of office hours, the question remains: how can we encourage students to attend?
Many students, and especially international students, need explicit guidance about
what office hours are intended for, what they can offer students, and how students
can make use of them. Therefore, a clear explanation about your office hours – their
purpose and value – at the beginning of a semester would be beneficial. Help students
understand that office hours are more than just Q-and-A sessions outside class. Share
that office hours are not held only for solving crises, difficulties or struggles.
Specific guidance on what office hours are intended to do and models of what they
can offer and how students can make use of and benefit from them will make them more
attractive to students. Tell them that office hours can involve informal conversations
about the broader field of study, career advice, and even requests for letters of
recommendation or discussions of research opportunities.
Other ways to foster greater and more beneficial attendance at office hours involve
the scheduling and naming of office hours. Consider scheduling the time and number
of office hours once you know the students’ availability, e.g., what times they are
not attending other classes, will allow more students to attend them. Offering appointment
times is another way to accommodate students’ schedules, as is offering both in-person
and online meetings. Make sure that students know where your office is and how to
get there. Changing the name from “office hours” to “student hours,” “student drop-in
hours,” etc., can help all, and especially international, students understand that
the times are scheduled for their use, rather than the only times when faculty are
in their offices.
Openly and proactively promoting office hours during class can also encourage attendance,
as can helping students feel they have something to contribute during office hours,
such as by creating an atmosphere where students and faculty learn together. Also,
demonstrating your approachability during class will create a rapport with your students,
encouraging them to seek additional help from you during office hours. And if students
who attend office hours have positive experiences, then word will spread among students
in a positive way.
There are several ways to make interactions with students during office hours effective
in terms of learning as well as student confidence and motivation. When students arrive
in your office, put your work aside and make them feel like welcome guests, rather
than intruders. Greetings and smiles, and offering them a place to sit, as well as
brief social chat will create a positive atmosphere initially and ensure students
that they are not bothering you. What you say initially will set the tone for the
meeting, so let them know they are welcome and that their visits are valuable.
Actively listening to what a student says and/or asks about is important as well as
endeavoring to have a positive impact on the student, regardless of their course performance,
grades, or the questions they ask. Complimenting students on their strengths, the
questions they ask, and their utilization of office hours can also increase their
confidence and motivation for the course as a whole. Good ways to show you are listening
and concerned about the student’s development are to ask questions (e.g. “Do you want
us to talk about the basics?” “Would you like to work through a problem?”), and as
you’re comfortable, share your own learning experiences that echo the challenges that
the student seems to be facing. It is also best to rely on the student to tell you
what they have come to see you about and not press them to disclose deeper or hidden
problems.
Ways to deal with an upset student
Being friendly can help a student feel less nervous if they are anxious or concerned about their course performance and are seeking guidance. If a student seems very anxious about an upcoming assessment or assignment, then providing specific information they need to help them prepare as well as referring them to the campus resources (e.g., tutoring, writing studio, etc.) can give them comfort and confidence. If a student is angry or upset about a grade and starts blaming you, then it can help if you both acknowledge their feeling and also make them understand that grades are earned and not given, and how their grade was earned. If the student stays upset or angry, then it would be useful to arrange a future office hour with them and invite a colleague or Chair to participate.
The value of office hours and communication with students
Office hours play a crucial role in student retention and achievement (Smith et al., 2017). The quality of interaction between teachers and students is important and office hours offer the opportunity for highly successful interaction between students and faculty. The below resources assert the value of office hours to both individual students and universities as a whole. Office hours are also seen as particularly useful and effective for first generation and minority students. They can be also considered beneficial to instructors too since learning and understanding more about students, their perspectives and experiences, can help in teaching. Taking a partnership rather than authoritarian orientated approach can result in more effective interaction with students. Also, showing that you care about students and their success when you communicate with them can benefit students’ motivation and retention (Robertson & Smith, 2020).
Resources
Carr, J. M., Santos Rogers, K., & Kanyongo, G. (2021). Improving student and faculty communication: The impact of texting and electronic feedback on building relationships and the perception of care. Research in Learning Technology, 29. http://dx.doi.org/10.25304/rlt.v29.2463
Mowreader, A. (2023, April 19). Academic success tips: Rebrand office hours. Inside Higher Ed. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/student-success/academic-life/2023/04/19/academic-success-tip-rebrand-office-hours
Robertson, K., & Smith, T. (2020, December 9). For those who need it most: Using active inclusivity to increase office hour attendance and extracurricular activities. Faculty Focus. https://www.facultyfocus.com/articles/equality-inclusion-and-diversity/for-those-who-need-it-most-using-active-inclusivity-to-increase-office-hour-attendance-and-extracurricular-activities/
Smith, M., Chen, Y., Berndtson, R., Burson, K. M., & Griffin, W. (2017). “Office hours are kind of weird”: Reclaiming a resource to foster student-faculty interaction. InSight: A Journal of Scholarly Teaching, 12, 14-29. USF Library Permalink