In an effort to reach out to more students, Ohio University's dean of students, Ryan Lombardi, will offer increased office hours for the remainder of this quarter.
The office of the dean of students will now be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays and 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Fridays, adding a total of 12 extra hours each week, said Lombardi.
Our students don't live in an eight to five world
Lombardi said. We're advocates for the students and we want to be available for them at convenient times.
Lombardi will periodically be at the office during the extended hours. However, students who come might also encounter associate dean of students Patricia McSteen, assistant deans Jennifer Hall-Jones and Charlene Kopchick or various coordinators who also work in the office.
The added hours will also make the office more available for parents, many of whom want to be able to call the dean of students after they are finished with their workday, Lombardi said.
The office will hold the changed schedule for the rest of Spring Quarter and evaluate its effectiveness over the summer to determine how to continue in the fall, Lombardi said.
Both OU President Roderick McDavis and Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith recently began holding open office hours for students.
McDavis has offered monthly office hours since February of 2009, said Becky Watts, chief of staff to the president. The number of students who visited McDavis started at about 15 each month and has since dwindled to one or two.
McDavis will hold his office hours for this month from 2 to 4 p.m. today.
It's fallen off Watts said, adding that the Office of the President has not received feedback about why fewer students, staff, faculty and community members are utilizing McDavis' office hours.
Watts added that McDavis is often able to refer people to Smith or Lombardi when they come to him with questions.
Smith began holding office hours last September. They usually coincide with McDavis' hours. His office does not keep a log of how many students visit during each session, said Megan Vogel, assistant to the vice president for Student Affairs.
Lombardi hopes the office's extended hours will continue to encourage students to seek him out when they have concerns or suggestions.
Dean Lombardi has always been open to student interaction and has been accessible to students
said Student Senate President Robert Leary. A lot of times I can just walk into his office. This is just an extension of his willingness to meet students and get to know them.
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Rebecca McKinsey
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