University of Virginia Library

Office Hours

We took a stroll through Cabell Hall,
Wilson Hall, Randall Hall and Rouss Hall the
other day to see if there was any truth to
complaints we have received that office hours
are designed to protect and isolate a professor
from his students. After a little more than an
hour of strolling and poking our heads into an
office or two we found that there was a
disturbing amount of truth to the students'
claims.

As many as a third of the professors were
not in their offices during their posted office
hours. One had a note up explaining that he
had run down the hall to get a cup of coffee
but most of the offices were locked and dark
with no explanation on their door to the
student who might have skipped breakfast to
chat with his professor.

Even though most professors seemed to be
keeping their office hours, some of those
office hours were incredible. One assistant
professor in the Romance Languages
Department decided he would see students
from 9:30-10:45 on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Now a lot of students have a class in that
period. We figure if the University is kind
enough to give an assistant professor his own
office, he could at least establish a regular
pattern in its use that was a little more
flexible. Then, there were some professors
who liked the late afternoon, around four or
five, to have their hour in which they would
hear the pleas of students.

We found, in our informal little walk, that
instructors and full professors are very good
about keeping office hours. The former do so
perhaps because they are still students
themselves and also because they have not
been around long enough to fear students.
Full professors, on the other hand, seem to
have rather grown to like students, for some
odd reason. But assistant and associate
professors seem to want to avoid students,
perhaps because their research and publishing
ventures are more important.

It should be noted that many professors
were in their offices with their door open
during hours when they were not, according
to the little index card on their door,
supposed to be there.

At any rate the situation is merely an
unfortunate one, not intolerable by any
means. A student can always set up an
appointment with his teacher, even though
that is a small barrier which will only lessen
the intercourse between teacher and student.
Most students go to see their instructor to
brown nose, or discuss a point in his lecture
they found exciting, or merely to shoot the
breeze. Most have no biting need to see their
professor.

Mr. Jefferson, during the one year in
which he lived while there were students at
the University, often invited students to dine
with him at Monticello. He designed the Lawn
so that Professors would live in close
proximity to their students. He couldn't
foresee the advent of office hours. It's a small
matter really, this matter of office hours. But
we feel that it is only one of many small
problems that prevent this place from
conforming to that first Rector's vision of the
University.