Revision Date: 01/13/2026
Last Review: 01/13/2026
Responsible Office: Provost
Policy:
Faculty are expected to be accessible and responsive to students for regular and extraordinary contact and to be accessible to participate in and contribute to their on-campus responsibilities. A minimum of ten hours per week is expected of faculty availability beyond any scheduled classes or laboratories assigned as part of the normal load. Acceptable activities in which faculty may engage during these ten hours per week can include but are not limited to being on campus participating in labs, doing research, attending meetings, and performing service.
Faculty shall designate dedicated student availability hours (virtual or in person) as part of the required ten (10) hours. These hours will be determined by the faculty member in consultation with the department head, be appropriate to the faculty member鈥檚 rank and assigned duties, and be posted in course syllabi, the learning management system (LMS), and on the faculty member鈥檚 office door.
Dedicated student availability hours should be scheduled at times that are reasonably convenient for both faculty and students. Faculty should also make reasonable efforts to accommodate students who are unable to attend during scheduled availability hours by offering special appointments as needed. Faculty are encouraged to provide additional availability to students during the last week of the academic term.
When faculty are not available during designated on-campus availability hours, information shall be posted on the office door and provided to the appropriate College/Unit administrative office indicating how the faculty member may be contacted or when they are expected to return.
Definitions:
Not applicable.
Procedures:
Deans of the academic colleges are responsible for overseeing and assessing faculty accessibility and responsiveness as part of the annual evaluation process.