SP 23-16 - Policy on Faculty Office Hours

Effective Date: Fall 2024
Policy File:
SP 23-16 Policy on Faculty Office Hours

Drafted By: Faculty Affairs Committee
Purpose: In addition to teaching, one of the responsibilities of CSU faculty members is “maintaining office hours and/or opportunities for student consultation” (CBA, Article 20). However, the CBA does not stipulate the number or type of office hours that faculty are required to maintain. This policy is designed to provide clear guidance for CSUCI faculty with regard to office hours and faculty availability to students, staff, and other faculty outside of class.

Accountability: Academic Unit Chair or Coordinator (where applicable) and Dean

Applicability: All CSUCI Faculty

Definition(s):
Office hours - These are blocks of time set aside outside of class time for faculty to meet with students, staff, and other faculty.

Policy:
A. Scheduling and Number of Office Hours

Faculty members teaching a minimum of 12 WTU¹ during a given semester shall hold a minimum of three (3) regularly scheduled office hours per week, to be offered in blocks of at least 30 minutes.
Faculty members teaching a minimum of nine (9) WTU during a given semester shall hold a minimum of two (2) shall regularly scheduled office hours per week, to be offered in blocks of at least 30 minutes.
Faculty members teaching less than nine (9) WTU during a given semester shall hold a minimum of one (1) shall hold a regularly scheduled office hour per week, to be offered in blocks of at least 30 minutes.
Faculty members teaching during Summer Session or Winter Session shall hold a minimum of one (1) regularly scheduled office hour per week, to be offered in blocks of at least 30 minutes.
For students who are unable to attend regularly scheduled office hours, faculty members are expected to meet by appointment (in-person or virtually) at mutually convenient times, to a reasonable extent.
Faculty members shall not be required to hold office hours during Final Exam Week. If faculty choose to hold office hours during Final Exam Week, they have the discretion to do so by appointment only.
No instructor shall be required by their Academic Unit or School to schedule and hold more than three (3) hours of regularly scheduled office hours per week.

B. Office hour Modality and Notification

The modality in which faculty members hold their office hours (e.g., in-person, virtual, or hybrid) should generally be congruent with their current mode(s) of instruction; however, faculty have the discretion to choose the modality of office hours that will best serve their students’ needs.
Faculty shall make a reasonable effort to meet with students with DASS accommodations in ways consistent with their approved accommodations.
Whenever possible, faculty members are expected to communicate to their students and program/department office if they need to cancel or reschedule their office hours.
Faculty are expected to include their office hours in their syllabi and, whenever possible, to post them outside their office (or their program/department office).
Faculty members shall communicate their office hours to their program/department office by the end of the first week of instruction. If a faculty member changes their office hours, they shall inform their students and program/department office upon doing so.
To the extent that this policy requires meeting with students in person, the University shall provide a reasonably accessible and private location for such meetings.

¹The references to WTUs in this policy refer to any type of class taught by a faculty member in a given semester: lecture, lab, activity, studio, service-learning, etc.