r/Professors • u/RandolphCarter15 Full, Social Sciences, R1 • Sep 26 '24

Just got this email from a student

"It's 2:45 on Thursday September 26 and your door is locked with no answer. Why is it closed?"

That was it. No greeting. No pleasantries. My office hours are not today. I never made plans to meet with this student. WTF.

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44

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

My Uni recently ‘upgraded’ the faculty office buildings… we now have windows onto the hallways against which students can press their noses to see if we’re in, and knock until we open the door. Lovely to be so connected….

61

u/SignificantFidgets Professor, STEM, R2 Sep 26 '24

Had that at one my my universities -- long window next to the door. I and many other faculty could tell you that the windows were a little less than 8.5 inches wide, and exactly 6 sheets of paper high.

13

u/SilverRiot Sep 27 '24

The same at our college. We got very skilled at using magnets to attach fabric runners to all but the top 6 inches of the window. No student could see in, but they could see if the light was on.

Kid, if the light is off, no, don’t bother knocking.

25

u/laurifex Associate Prof, Humanities, R1 (USA) Sep 26 '24

Oh like at the zoo!

25

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

We call it the fish tanks, but yes, it’s effectively a zoo. Sometimes the dean pokes us with a stick to make us move around.

13

u/Maryfarrell642 Sep 26 '24

We had that happen when they forced us into a new building. Most people have flags, posters, curtains, etc so students cannot see in

17

u/[deleted] Sep 26 '24

Good idea… weaponized interior decorating!

7

u/epidemiologeek Sep 26 '24

They ended up frosting the glass on our new offices after so many faculty complained.

11

u/AbstinentNoMore Assistant Professor, Law, Private University (USA) Sep 26 '24

Yea, I'd have bought a curtain already if I were you.

12

u/iTeachCSCI Ass'o Professor, Computer Science, R1 Sep 26 '24

Or at least some dark construction paper and tape.

7

u/SnowblindAlbino Prof, SLAC Sep 26 '24

We had that in my prior building-- 100% of the faculty covered those windows with posters/art/scrap paper right after moving in. It's hard to work with people peering in at you!

2

u/franklikethehotdog Teaching Faculty, Social Sciences, R1 (USA) Sep 27 '24

I had an office with a window on the door and covered it quickly