Are office hours useful?

Some feel e-mail is better way to communicate

Kristina Josephs / contributing photographer Dr. Jean Cash(left), an English professor, discusses a paper with senior Erin Englestad during her office hours. Some professors feel office hours are not needed because of e-mail.

E-mail has altered the need for students to visit professors' office hours by allowing more convenient and easier communication, according to some students.

Due to digital technology, some students said it no longer is necessary to visit a professor when a question concerning a test or paper arises.

"I never have the need to go to office hours," sophomore Jessica Michael said. "All my questions are answered by e-mail."

According to the faculty handbook, section III.A.2.b.(11), "A faculty member shall … keep office hours as scheduled in accordance with the policies of the academic unit."

Writing professor Sarah O'Connor explained the university rule as, "Professors should have one office hour per week for every class taught."

Therefore, if a professor teaches three classes, the bare minimum a student should expect his or her professor to have three office hours a week.

This policy varies among departments. In the College of Arts & Letters, the minimum is around five office hours a week. Some departments make the requirements less clear.

"No one ever told me of a required number of office hours," philosophy professor Melissa Clark said. "I was just told to have them."

Some students said there are some advantages e-mail has over trekking across campus to visit a professor. E-mail allows the student to ask the professor a question at anytime during the day or night, although the professor might not be able to respond it until he or she next checks his or her e-mail.

History professor David Owusu-Ansah said he communicates mostly by e-mail now. "I do not see many students [during office hours] until right towards exam time."

E-mail has revolutionized office hours, yet many students and professors think that eliminating office hours is not a good idea.

Math professor John Adams, who said e-mail was "nothing but trash," holds out against this technology. "If you try to do business by e-mail, something tends to get ignored," Adams said. "If something is important to a student, a face-to-face meeting is the best."

Office hours are used by some students for a variety of reasons that e-mail is not an effective substitute.

"Sometimes I do not even pay attention to office hours," sophomore Michelle Summa said. "I'll just stop by, and my professors are always willing to talk."

Junior Paul Golden realized the need for visiting professors more. "I used to not [stop by my professor's office for help], but since I am in higher-level classes, I find I need to more," he said.

Some complaints by students about office hours include inconvenient office hour times, professors not being in their office during designated hours and sometimes a feeling of unwillingness by the professor to speak to the student.

Michael Galgano, the department head of the history program, acknowledged all these problems.

"Our goal is to accommodate students," he said. "It is reasonable to expect faculty to have office hours sometime during the daylight hours."

He also mentioned that many professors will agree to see a student by appointment, and many are in their offices much more than their office hours indicate.

In his years at JMU, Richard Whitman, dean of the College of Arts & Letters, said he never has had a student complaint about office hour related problems.

There is a new advising initiative in development, according to Whitman. "The university is concerned with providing students good advising, and giving more opportunities to allow students to relate to faculty."