FACULTY SENATE RESOLUTION/RECOMMENDATION # RCF05-01
TO: Jeanne Jacobs
DATE: October 12, 2005
RE: Revision for Office Hours 2.4.4
Statement of
Resolution/Recommendation:
Each full-time faculty member is expected to be accessible to students outside of class time. Appropriate access may be defined in a variety of ways, taking into account the following minimum guidelines: full-time faculty will schedule five hours per week for student contact outside of class and will schedule office hours at least three days per week on campus. On-campus hours should be maintained in the faculty member’s regularly assigned office or teaching area. In combination with such traditional office hours, the faculty member has the option of holding a total of two non-traditional office hours per week, choosing from the available, verifiable technology (computer, TDD, phone, etc.). Office hours should be included on the course syllabus and posted.
Brief statement of rationale for Resolution/Recommendation:
The
current office hour policy is out-of-date, considering how many different ways
there are for students to communicate with faculty and for faculty to
communicate with faculty. Allowing for
“office hours” to be both traditional and non-traditional sends a message to
students that Sinclair is an innovative institution catering to their needs and
preferences. With respect to student
preferences, a recent survey conducted by members of Faculty Senate yielded the
following statistics: from over 1000 responses from all divisions, 57%
indicated contact with an instructor outside of class time. From this number, 44.5% met with the
instructor before or after class; 14.5% telephoned; 30.3% e-mailed; 8.4% met
during office hours; and a small percentage indicated “other” without
explanation. With nearly 90% of students
communicating with their instructors at times other than during office hours
and nearly half using the phone or computer, it appears that a change in the
office hour policy is warranted.
However,
faculty also recognize the importance of allowing for direct, face-to-face
communication not only with students but with colleagues. This revision assures that all full-time faculty,
even those few teaching distance courses exclusively, will be accessible on
campus.
Furthermore,
allowing faculty greater choice in how to satisfy their out-of-class commitment
to student contact can have a positive impact on faculty productivity by
reducing unnecessary commute time on days faculty members have no scheduled
classes or meetings. Another benefit—and
perhaps an increasingly important one as Sinclair seeks to build an even more
diverse faculty—is that a flexible office hour policy would broaden the
candidate pool for new hires, motivating all qualified candidates to apply to
Sinclair, even those who live quite a distance from campus.
Resolution/Recommendation
voted on by Faculty Senate:
Passed: X Yes
______ No
President
of Faculty Assembly
Resolution/Recommendation
reviewed by the appropriate college authority:
Date
Received:
President
of College or Designee
Further
Review Necessary:
Statement
of Rationale:
President
of College or Designee
Approved: ______ Yes
______ No
President
of College or Designee