Why does this matter?

“Frequent student-faculty contact in and out of classes is the most important factor in student motivation and involvement” (Chickering & Gamson, 1986, p. 3). In fact, we know from multiple studies (Griffin, 2014) that student-faculty interaction can lead to increased retention and satisfaction. Yet many instructors report that students are not taking advantage of the opportunity to meet with faculty during posted office hours. In fact, in her 2019 article in Faculty Focus, Jennie Carr reports that “the percentage of students who attend office hours has declined drastically over the past several years.”

It may be helpful to learn that a search of the literature identified evidence that there are a number of reasons why students are not seeking to meet with faculty outside of the scheduled class time. Read below to learn what researchers have found about how the timing of office hours and confusion around the purpose of office hours impacts student participation.