With midterm exams and papers wrapping up before spring break, meeting with professors has become a priority for some MSU students.
While some courses have become more driven by email and ANGEL, professors have noticed some lack in student interest to attend office hours. Still, some professors and students can’t stress the rewards of making that face-to-face connection enough, and MSU requires faculty to hold office hours of some type.
“Email helps if you’re cramming or doing a last-minute thing,” political science and pre-law senior Jake Hogg said. “But I think really having someone that you can talk to if you have a week before your paper (or) a couple days before a test — I think it’s good to have the face-to-face interaction.”
Associate Provost for Academic Services Linda Stanford said professor availability is required by MSU and is a part of MSU policy.
Stanford said it is critical professors let students know they’re available, whether it be in the traditional office hour setting, communicating via email or making singular appointments.
“The fact is the student has the right to know. … They have the right to know when the professor is going to be available,” Stanford said. “(If not), it’s like going to the store and finding out that it’s closed. It doesn’t feel good.”
Edward Watts, an English professor and the associate chair for undergraduate studies in the Department of English, said he has been teaching at MSU for 20 years and recognizes the trend in an increase in demand before large assignments are due. Watts said he has done his best to reach out to students and makes sure he’s available via email until about 11 p.m. the week before a paper is due.
Education freshman Jessica Lewakowski said she feels more comfortable conversing in emails, rather than approaching her professor face to face. Lewakowksi said she has never attended a professor’s office hours.
In large classrooms, it can be intimidating to speak out during lecture, and she would rather speak to her professor after class or contact them via email, she said, adding the feeling might be shared among freshman.
“I don’t even know what I would say to my professor — (how) would I introduce myself?” she said, adding she probably will feel more comfortable doing so once she is more involved in her department.
Watts said he encourages students to take that initial step and meet with faculty. This interaction allows students to know what the professor expects and get some feedback on their projects. He said professors typically enjoy interacting with their students.
“The professors have dedicated their lives to their subjects that they are teaching, and we are always thrilled above and beyond when someone shows interest,” he said.
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