Whether you’re using Bookings with Me or rebranding “office hours” as “student hours,” encouraging students to meet with you—even informally—can be a challenge. Although students benefit from visiting office hours, they might not be comfortable asking for help. One way to encourage students to reach out to you is by using a meeting menu.

Meeting menus are a way to divide office hours intentionally into categories that make it easier for students to understand the different reasons they could approach faculty. In her meeting menu, Viji Sathy breaks office hours into three distinct categories: We Greet, We Meet, and We Work (with Treats). Inspired by Sathy, Timothy J. Williamson’s meeting menu differentiates the purpose of meetings with students into three categories by purpose, location, and other relevant information to help students identify what type of meeting suits their needs.

Option 1: We Greet 

Designed to be short, these casual chats take place in a common space. Students have time to ask questions about things mentioned in class or discuss a common interest. This is a great opportunity to connect with students and to lay the groundwork for later conversations about the course. These sessions are perfect for students who want to talk after class but don’t want to visit your office. 

Option 2: We Meet  

This is a more traditional one-on-one meeting in your office. This is a good opportunity for students to ask questions about course content, assignments, and, more generally, the discipline or field. 

Option 3: We Work  

In a designated space on campus, students work collaboratively, cooperatively, or independently while you’re present. You’re there to help them if they have questions, but this time and space is set up for students to complete work and study for your class intentionally. If you teach online, you can create specific spaces and times for students to co-work virtually. Shared workspaces function well when students are drafting papers, studying for exams, or finishing readings for your course.

If you’re interested in trying a meeting menu with your students, consider reserving a room, like a study room in Founders Memorial Library, or using a common space, like the former College Grind or one of the many lounge areas in the Holmes Student Center, in addition to offering traditional in-office meetings.

As always, feel free to contact CITL to discussion options or get help with any aspect of teaching or instructional technology!