Establish Office Hours
Office Hours for Online Courses
Office hours are an important part of any course, but the need for students to have opportunities to connect with faculty one-on-one is even greater in online courses. Benefits of office hours (virtual or in-person) during online courses include:
- A face-to-face alternative communication channel for students
- You can answer students' questions and concerns more efficiently
- Students feel better connected to the course and more motivated to succeed
- You can gain better insight and feedback about how your online course is progressing
While it's important to devote consistent time to office hours, you should also provide flexibility for students who may have busy schedules. This might look like: determining a time for office hours once a week, but allowing meeting times by appointment. For additional information on office hours, see section 3.1.4 in the USU policy for Academic Freedom and Professional Responsibility