I RECENTLY received and filled out a survey from the Office of the Provost regarding several aspects of student life at the University ranging from the first year to the final semester. One aspect of student life in which the survey demonstrated a strong interest was the frequency and nature of encounters between students and faculty. In the last few years, student-faculty interaction has generated a great deal of interest from the University administration as well as from official parts of the student body. No matter what measures any of these groups take, however, the onus remains on the individual student, and to a much lesser degree the individual faculty member, to create productive encounters and relationships between students and faculty.
The issue of student and faculty interactions is less a question of opportunity than one of inclination. Never in my experience at the University have I been unable to speak with a faculty member because he or she declined to make himself or herself accessible to students through office hours or email. Rather, nearly every professor I have had has announced a desire for students to stop by during office hours; some have practically begged for students to do so. No faculty member I have encountered has ever done anything to discourage students from contacting or visiting them.
Rather, the issue is one more of inclination than anything else. This takes several forms. It can be based on the interest a student has in a subject. If, for example, a student is taking a history course merely to fulfill a requirement, then the odds of that student stopping by a professor’s office hours to discuss some aspect of the subject matter of the course will be much more limited than if the class pertained in some way to the student’s major. It is not a reflection on the quality of the professor, or on the opportunities provided for interaction between the two. It merely demonstrates the relative interest of the student in the material provided. This may be reflected in some data produced by a student survey from 2008. In it, 19 percent of first years surveyed indicated that they spoke with a professor “often” or “very often” about their career plans. When asked about discussing ideas from class or readings, the number was 16 percent. For fourth years, more of whom are presumably taking classes in their areas of interest, these numbers jumped to 32 and 21 percent, respectively. This may reflect an increased desire to engage faculty when taking classes of greater interest.
Similarly, many students simply are not inclined to take advantage of opportunities offered by professors. This is not a value judgment on whether or not students are right or wrong in feeling this way--it merely reflects a reality. When asked if they would go to a set of office hours to discuss class material or related subject matter, many students will look at you askance and question your sanity. It simply never occurs to many people. If students do not desire faculty to interact with faculty, or feel uncomfortable doing so, it is not a reflection on the quality of the faculty of our University.
Certainly there are things that the University can do to encourage student-faculty interactions. Some positive programs are already in place. The introduction of first and second year seminars gives students a chance to share a smaller, more intimate space with a faculty member. The use of classroom spaces with variable seating arrangements is also helpful, as circular environments are more conducive to conversation than rows prepared for lecture. And programs and grants like the Mead Grants awarded to professors provide unique opportunities for students and faculty to share experiences.
But ultimately the primary pressure for creating student-faculty relationships falls on the student. Faculty simply face too many students semester after semester to make a great effort to know them all (some try, and for this effort are worthy of admiration). Thus, if a student wishes to really get to know a professor, the responsibility lies with him or her to make it happen. The University can certainly encourage this by providing class opportunities, more conducive spaces, and funding for special programs, but ultimately, the student must exert his or her own time and energy to create relationships with faculty members. No programs or efforts by the University administration can take the place of the individual initiative of students.
Robby Colby’s column appears Thursdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at r.colby@cavalierdaily.com.
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