Issue: Students have interpreted “office hours” times on the syllabus as the times when faculty were busy, or off-limits.

Solution: Refer to them as “drop-in hours.”

Issue: Freshmen especially, have gotten caught in a misunderstanding of finals week. Many went to their classes as usual, expecting their finals to be delivered during their regular class time.

Solution: Explain the finals schedule explicitly, how to find it online, and how the final will be delivered.

Issue: Students were unaware of campus resources, particularly student services.

Solution: Faculty create class assignments in which students sought out resources with a service office based upon their self-identified needs.

Issue: Students were reluctant to visit faculty during drop-in hours.

Solution: Faculty made drop-in hours visits mandatory, with discussion topics developed in advance.

Issue: Students were unable to meet during drop-in hours because they were working off campus more than 20 hours per week.

Solution: Faculty created “virtual” drop-in hours after regular business hours and students were able to visit with faculty via Skype.

Issue: Students were hesitant to engage in class discussion.

Solution: Students were more willing to contribute in small-group settings and were able to better understand expectations.