I. POLICY PURPOSE

1. AUS is committed to ensuring that students have access to faculty for discussions or consultations about their course content and academic progress during scheduled times outside of regular class instruction. The Faculty Office Hours Policy provides a university-wide description of the minimum expectations for faculty office hours.

2. This policy intends to reflect AUS's commitment to the principles, goals, and ideals described in the AUS’s vision, missions, and core values.

3. The purpose of this policy is to provide for minimum requirements regarding office hours required of faculty at AUS. The principal goal of office hours is to allow students access to faculty members. However, given the variations in time, location, and modality of courses (traditional, online, or blended), some flexibility within this rule may best serve student needs for access to faculty.

II. POLICY APPLICABILITY

1. This policy applies to all full-time and part-time faculty who teach at The American University of Science, hereinafter referred to as AUS or the University, as defined herein, including:

1.1. Individuals assigned as Instructor of Record;

1.2. Individuals assigned as a Primary or Secondary Instructor in any section of a credit-bearing course, including lecture, laboratory, seminar, clinical, and other sections, regardless of academic rank or appointment type.

2. All faculties should become familiar with and abide by the provisions of this policy.

III. POLICY STATEMENT

A. Definition

1. Asynchronous transmission of information and communication occurs intermittently, not in a predetermined time frame, at regular intervals, and in real-time. The asynchronous online office hours may include the cumulative time responding to student emails, student posts to faculty in discussion forums, text messages, or other means outside of scheduled class time.

2. Instructional Faculty are individuals who are responsible for teaching courses. "Faculty" noted below should be interpreted as a reference to instructional faculty.

3. Synchronous is a transmission of information and communication in real time. A synchronous online office hour may include chat, instant messaging, video-conferencing, or similar methods outside of scheduled class time.

B. Policy Elaboration

1. During each academic semester, faculty will be physically or virtually available for meetings called with reasonable advance notice and for assessments by the Department Chair, School Dean, or appropriate academic administrator.

2. During each regular academic year semester, summer session, or intersession in which a faculty member is the instructor of record for one or more courses (other than thesis, dissertation, or individual supervision), the faculty member is required to have office hours posted in the course website and filed with the school/department and Dean’s office before the start of each academic semester/session/intersession. The faculty member shall notify each class of the hours during which the faculty member is available for consultation. A faculty member may either have fixed hours each week or offer flexible times for students.

3. Faculty are expected to post and maintain a minimum of 1 hour of scheduled office hours for each 50-minute lecture/lab/activity class assigned in a given course, and an additional 1 hour shall be made available by appointment only per week.

4. During a regular academic year semester, each faculty member who is the instructor of record for one or more courses (other than thesis, dissertation, or individual supervision) shall be available for consultation through office hours either in person or electronically for a minimum of 8 hours per week. During a summer session or intersession, each faculty member who is the instructor of record for one or more courses (other than thesis, dissertation, or individual supervision) shall be available for consultation through office hours either in person or electronically for a minimum of 4 hours per week.

5. For each full-time faculty member teaching four credits or fewer in any regular academic year semester or any summer session or intersession, as well as for each part-time adjunct faculty member, the expectation of availability may be adjusted upon consultation with the appropriate faculty governance body of the unit.

6. Given the variations in time, location, and modality of course offerings (traditional, online, or blended), it is recognized that availability may more appropriately be facilitated via synchronous electronic means. Faculty members are expected to offer at least some of their office hours in a way consistent with the course's instructional modality.

7. Faculty who cannot meet during their posted office hours for work-related or personal reasons and receive an excused absence from their Department Chair, School Dean, or direct supervisor must notify the academic administrator and students and reschedule the equivalent number of missed office hours.

8. In the event of illness or other reasonable justification, faculty

who will be unavailable for meetings or their office hours designated for students will, as soon as reasonably possible, notify the Department Chair, School Dean, or appropriate academic administrator for alternate arrangements and/or student notifications to be made.

9. In the case of an occasional absence, the general practice is for another faculty to substitute until the faculty member returns. Faculty who will be absent from campus for more than 3 days due to illness or any other qualifying event must also notify the Office of Academic Affairs. In cases where leave is approved, the Department Chair, School Dean, or appropriate academic administrator will make arrangements for course coverage.

10. Violations of this policy may result in a written reprimand by the faculty member’s department/school administrators.

C. Roles and Responsibilities

1. Deans shall ensure compliance by their academic unit and faculty.

2. Department Chairs shall ensure compliance with the office hour policy by all faculty within their academic unit.

3. Faculty members shall schedule, post, and attend office hours per this policy.