Suggestion 139. Give out your home phone number

IF YOU WANT TO:

• Be accessible to students out of class

• Manifest a genuine interest in students

Giving out your home phone number in class.

Several faculty members encourage students to call them at home if they have any questions about an assignment. "Just not after 2:00 a.m.!" says an English professor. He finds that students rarely abuse this invitation. "I usually get about six calls per term out of several hundred students. It's actually economical for me as well as for the students since it is a lot less time-consuming to clarify an assignment the night before it's due than to negotiate a grade or an incomplete for a student who did the wrong assignment. I've found it's cost-effective to be a bit more cooperative and flexible at the front end."

A professor of political science agrees. "Even in my large classes (over 450) I rarely get more than a dozen calls, but the fact that I give out my number lets students know I am available if they need me."

Limitations on Use of Suggestion

  Discipline:  None
Course Level:  None
 Course Size:  None
        Mode:  None

Copyright 1983 by the Regents of the University of California

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