Course Office Hours Policy

Purpose 

In accordance with our vision to be a leading public college of engineering distinguished by excellence and equity in engineering education, the UMass College of Engineering (CoE) expects all instructors teaching courses within the college to provide a minimum number of course- related office hours (OHs) per week. This policy is consistent with MSP CBA, section 15, Faculty Workload, which expects faculty to be “available to students both through scheduled office hours and other traditional methods of student-faculty contact” outside of the classroom. This policy also applies to graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who are serving in the role of instructor of a course at the discretion of the appointing authority and dependent on the resulting workload being consistent with the appointment, as outlined by the GEO contract. 

Office hours are considered an essential component of academic support as well as mentoring. They are a place for students to improve technical understanding, build confidence, and practice self-advocacy. Providing a supportive, inclusive space for students to connect with faculty one-on-one or in small groups is essential for building sense of belonging for all demographics across the college. 

Policy 

All instructors teaching courses within the college shall provide a minimum number of regular office hours (OHs) per week. The OH schedule should be noted on each course syllabus and on- line in the learning management. Reasonable accommodations for students that are not able to attend the regular office hours should be made. Specific guidelines are given below. 

1. Scheduled OHs must be stated in the course syllabus/posted in the learning management system (LMS).
2. Instructors should also clearly communicate the purpose and importance of office hours. International students may not be aware of the concept. It is important for instructors to both note this on the syllabus/LMS and discuss on the first day of class.
3. Instructors shall schedule a minimum 2 hrs/week of OHs per 3-4 credit hour (CH) course. This applies to both undergraduate and upper level/graduate courses.
4. For courses < 3 CHs, instructors shall schedule a minimum 1 hr/week of OHs.
5. If instructors are teaching multiple sections of the same course, those office hours may be combined/common.
6. When teaching both a larger/core undergraduate course and a smaller upper-level course, distinct times for the smaller upper-level/graduate courses should be provided to ensure students in those classes have equitable access to the instructor.
7. Office hours should be scheduled so that support is regularly available between when assignments are assigned and due.
8. Office hours should be scheduled in an orthogonal way to maximize access for students with differing schedules.
   1. For example, instructors should offer at least 1 OH on MWF and at least 1 on TTh.
   2. Every effort should be made to not schedule OHs during other 200- or 300-level required courses for the major which students are commonly advised to register for during the same semester.
   3. Faculty are encouraged to make reasonable adjustments to OHs based on feedback from students in the course.
9. Modality of OHs should match the modality of the course:
   1. In-person for in-person classes*,
   2. Zoom or equivalent for on-line courses,
   3. For hybrid/flex courses, instructors should employ an appropriate mix of in-person and on-line OHs
10. Departments/instructors can go above and beyond the minimum number of OHs at their discretion. Reasonable accommodations for students that are not able to attend the regular office hours should also be made.
11. Students should be informed sufficiently in advance if scheduled office hours need to be canceled, and alternative options provided. An acceptable alternative to cancelling a particular instance of OHs would be to have a TA cover them.
12. Teaching assistants (TA), both undergraduate and graduate, may provide regular OHs/problem sessions for a course as agreed upon with the course instructor, but these should be in addition to main instructor office hours. 

* For in person classes, instructors may propose that a mix of in-person and virtual OHs is more equitable for access, particularly if some of the OHs are offered outside of the normal business day. Such arrangements are subject to Department Head approval.