Quick Tips to Show The Importance of Office Hours to Your Students

Do you remember attending office hours as a student? What did you like about them? What did you dislike?

Whether you enjoyed office hours or not, they are a major feature of higher education (Griffin et al., 2014; Li & Pitts, 2009), and can benefit students (Guerrero & Rod, 2013). They are often required for faculty members and instructors to hold (Griffin et al., 2014; Li & Pitts, 2009). Yet, research in a variety of contexts shows that students may be reluctant to actually attend office hours (Griffin et al., 2014; Guerrero & Rod, 2013; Li & Pitts, 2009). Even though they may provide benefits to students, most students are not reaping the potential benefits that they hold.
Perhaps if students knew the benefits of office hours and instructors were transparent about the benefits, they would attend. Research out of the ASU RISE Center shows that students may be uncomfortable asking questions in front of the class (Nadile et al., 2021). Thus, letting students know they can comfortably ask questions in office hours, can be one way to minimize fear and can maximize student benefit that is in your control as the instructor.
You are probably wondering: How else can you assist students in understanding the benefits of office hours? How can you increase access to this higher education hallmark for more students?

Below are some tips to show your students why office hours are important and what you can do as a teaching assistant, instructor, and/or faculty member.

• Hold office hours on multiple days. If you usually have a two hour time-block for office hours on Tuesday, split that into two one-hour blocks.
• Consider holding office hours by appointment, which will give students access to a day that works for them. You may also consider using a pre-survey at the start of your course to find a day that works for most students.
• Normalize that office hours can be a space for relationship building and not just for content and academic questions. That can help students build connections and relationships that can then be helpful when it comes to getting feedback. It can also build trust between you and your students.
• You may also think about using your office hour space to teach students skills that can be transferred from course to course, rather than using it just as a space to relay information. For instance, you can teach students how to study for a multiple choice exam - they may perceive that as practical and then may be more likely to attend in the future.
• Hold online/virtual office hours for not only your online courses, but also your hybrid and fully in-person courses. That can increase access and flexibility to those who would not be able to attend in person.
• Promote positivity around office hours by letting students know that it is a space where question asking can be safe and comfortable. That can be important especially in large classrooms where not all students may have a chance to ask questions and if students may be uncomfortable in those settings.
• Let students know that they can come to office hours to chat about other topics besides academics. They may ask about how to get involved in research and about jobs on campus, etc. This will allow you to provide additional resources to students and can actually engage them in other ways. Students may feel more motivated and like they can approach you for help.
• Stress the importance of coming to office hours all semester and not just before or after exams. This will show students that you are available and want to help them succeed all semester long.

For more information, check out this research:

• Griffin, W., Cohen, S. D., Berndtson, R., Burson, K. M., Camper, K. M., Chen, Y., & Smith, M. A. (2014). Starting the conversation: An exploratory study of factors that influence student office hour use. College Teaching, 62(3), 94-99.
• Guerrero, M., & Rod, A. B. (2013). Engaging in office hours: A study of student-faculty interaction and academic performance. Journal of Political Science Education, 9(4), 403-416.
• Li, L., & Pitts, J. P. (2009). Does it really matter? Using virtual office hours to enhance student-faculty interaction. Journal of information systems education, 20(2), 175.
• Nadile, E. M., Alfonso, E., Barreiros, B. M., Bevan-Thomas, W. D., Brownell, S. E., Chin, M. R., ... & Cooper, K. M. (2021). Call on me! Undergraduates’ perceptions of voluntarily asking and answering questions in front of large-enrollment science classes. PloS one, 16(1), e0243731.
• Nadile, E. M., Williams, K. D., Wiesenthal, N. J., Stahlhut, K. N., Sinda, K. A., Sellas, C. F., ... & Cooper, K. M. (2021). Gender differences in student comfort voluntarily asking and answering questions in large-enrollment college science courses. Journal of microbiology & biology education, 22(2), e00100-21.

Post-author

Erika Nadile is a PhD candidate in the Biology and Society program exploring ways in which both students and instructors can contribute to making undergraduate biology classes more inclusive and equitable. She has been a teaching assistant in several online and upper-division courses offered through the School of Life Sciences.