25 Office hours

Office hours allow students to meet with instructors outside of class to consult, ask questions about the course, and discuss their learning progress. Many students are hesitant to attend office hours; some of them are unfamiliar with the concept, while others perceive seeking help and asking for support or clarifications as a weakness. We recommend you share the purpose and what to expect in your syllabus and during the first days of class, encouraging students to visit. You could point out that students are welcome to discuss various questions on the course material, effective learning strategies, research or internship opportunities in your area, academic and non-academic careers in the field, etc. Some instructors rename office hours to student hours or drop-in hours to make it more welcoming and learner-centered.

Some students may have challenging work or school schedules or family commitments that prevent them from attending office hours, so providing by-appointment options is an equitable choice. You might also show your students how to look up your availability on the Outlook calendar or using scheduling software such as Microsoft Bookings to make appointments. Bookings is available for free to all faculty and staff with an Iowa Office 365 mailbox and HawkID. If you are coordinating office hours with multiple TAs, Bookings is especially useful in unifying all calendars into one easy-to-use platform.

TAs and faculty members can make creative use of their time during office hours, either in person or virtually. To become familiar with your students and help ease them into the course, you might schedule individual or small group meetings during the first month to break the ice and learn more about students’ needs. This strategy could make students more comfortable reaching out to you when they need help. You might also use office hours to host small group workshops or reviews as the semester continues. Some instructors offer extra credit for attending office hours to normalize their use and destigmatize them. It could be helpful to occasionally hold office hours in dormitories, libraries, other university spaces, or coffee shops to make them feel more approachable, but it’s important to keep in mind other barriers (for example, some students may not be able to afford to purchase a cup of coffee).

If you notice that some students need additional assistance, contact them via email to invite them to your office hours.

To learn more about making your office hours more inviting and UDL-informed, please read our chapter on Accessible office hours.

💡 Please reflect:

How could you communicate to your students what office hours are and encourage all learners in your class to make use of them?