Taking Office Hours to the Next Level
- Snacks- who doesn’t like a treat now and then? You might keep a variety of snacks in your office or even offer a large “office hours” gathering with pizza or other treats. This will encourage students to attend and provide you all with the opportunity to build community. If you utilize this strategy at the start of the semester, it may help to destigmatize office hours for the rest of the semester and make your students more comfortable seeking support in the future. It might also provide a needed energy boost for students trying to get through the day, especially if they are food insecure.
- Collaborative Office Hours- although this is not a substitute for your regular office hours, you may occasionally consider offering a large group office hours session in collaboration with other instructors. This strategy is particularly useful in a large department with many sections of the same course. This office hours gathering could include support from tutors or more advanced students, perhaps to help students prepare for a large assignment or exam.
- Required Meetings- some instructors may choose to require each student to meet with them one-on-one in the first part of the semester. This strategy ensures that you have the opportunity to personally interact with every student and demonstrate that they are welcome to seek further conversation in office hours. The added benefit of requiring office hours at the start of the semester is to show your students that office hours are not scary!