{"id":3080,"date":"2026-07-30T09:31:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T16:31:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/?p=3080"},"modified":"2026-07-30T09:31:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T16:31:07","slug":"virtual-office-hours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/virtual-office-hours\/","title":{"rendered":"Virtual office hours: What they are, how they work and why you should try them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Make a connection with the instructor teaching your online course<\/h2>\n

Traditional office hours involve a student walking into a professor\u2019s office to talk about course concepts. At Oregon State University, students learning online don\u2019t have to come on campus for a similar experience. You also don\u2019t have to wait until there is a problem to reach out.<\/p>\n

Virtual office hours are offered in many Oregon State online courses, and they give you the opportunity to meet with faculty in real time to talk about your course, your career and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cOffice hours aren\u2019t just for when you\u2019re stuck,\u201d said Cyndie McCarley, associate director of instructional design for Oregon State Ecampus. \u201cThey\u2019re also a great way to test ideas, get early feedback and save time. Even a quick check-in can help you feel more confident and avoid rework later.\u201d<\/p>\n

What are virtual office hours?<\/h2>\n

Virtual office hours, delivered through online tools like Zoom or Microsoft Teams, are meetings that allow you to talk with your instructor in real time.<\/p>\n

Many office hours are one-on-one discussions, but some faculty offer a unique spin on the concept. For example, in one OSU online course, students sign up for virtual meetings to work through assignments with other students and the instructor.<\/p>\n

Every course is different, but your course site in Canvas (OSU\u2019s online learning platform) should outline how office hours work and when they are available. Faculty members may also remind you.<\/p>\n

\u201cI encourage my students to attend virtual office hours in the first weeks of the course,\u201d said McCarley, who also teaches a graduate-level class on online course development. \u201cIn my weekly overview announcements, I pitch what others have gained from the virtual chats, and that usually opens the door.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why should you attend office hours?<\/h2>\n

Students often use office hours to get answers to questions about an assignment or a course concept. But there are plenty of other reasons to attend these meetings.<\/p>\n

You can ask broader questions about the discipline or get advice about how to build your skills through resources like tutoring or practice assignments. In each meeting, you\u2019ll build a relationship with someone who has experience in the field you\u2019re preparing to enter. Together, you could explore graduate school and internship opportunities.<\/p>\n

\u201cI reframe office hours as \u2018conversation corner\u2019 and open them up to more than just course questions,\u201d said McCarley. \u201cMy course includes graduate students who are often interested in teaching online themselves, so I invite them to use that time for broader conversations.<\/p>\n

\u201cNot everyone attends, but those who do often want to talk about professional development or career opportunities tied to their teaching goals. Academic questions come up too, but the conversations tend to be more expansive,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Oregon State student Ray La Point<\/a> encourages fellow online students to think beyond course questions when attending virtual office hours.<\/p>\n

\u201cAsk your instructor if they know of students or faculty doing related work. Often, instructors are happy to make introductions or point you toward academic and professional opportunities,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

What if office hours aren\u2019t right for you?<\/h2>\n

Even if you don\u2019t enjoy live meetings, you can still work directly with Oregon State faculty through email, chat or message boards. What matters is finding ways to ask questions, seek guidance and build relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do not have to be face-to-face to make a connection or get help,\u201d said Ella Wilcox<\/a>, who is pursuing her Oregon State bachelor\u2019s degree online. \u201cThere are many ways online students communicate effectively with their instructors, from emails to virtual office hours. Every instructor is different, but they are all willing to work with you and want to see you succeed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n

Find out more about learning online with Oregon State and explore the resources available to support you on your journey to a degree.<\/em><\/p>\n

Request information<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

<\/span> 3<\/span> minute read<\/span><\/span>Virtual office hours are offered in many Oregon State online courses, and they give you the opportunity to meet with faculty in real time to talk about your course, your career and more. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":90,"featured_media":3081,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1,6,9,15,672,657,677],"tags":[26,718,717,30],"class_list":["post-3080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-all","category-ecampus","category-faculty","category-staff","category-learning-experience","category-resources","category-students-and-alumni","tag-distance-education","tag-ecampus-faculty","tag-office-hours","tag-student-success"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Kaitlin-Lee-5R5A2794-800x450-1.jpg?fit=800%2C450&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p7BNSE-NG","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":740,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/innovation\/","url_meta":{"origin":3080,"position":0},"title":"Great ideas are worth sharing","author":"Julie Cooper","date":"January 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"From virtual reality labs to online field trips, innovations in course development help make Ecampus a nationally ranked leader in online education, creating innovative and accessible ways for students to engage with course materials, their classmates and instructors.","rel":"","context":"In "Archives"","block_context":{"text":"Archives","link":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/category\/archives\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"A member of the Oregon State Ecampus staff helps demonstrate a virtual reality assignment to an attendee of the faculty forum event.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/assets\/Faculty-Forum.jpg?fit=638%2C410&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2273,"url":"https:\/\/ecampus.oregonstate.edu\/news\/2023-ecampus-awards\/","url_meta":{"origin":3080,"position":1},"title":"OSU faculty, staff lauded for commitment to online student experience","author":"Carly Fredericks","date":"May 10, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"For the seventh year in a row, Ecampus presented its Ecampus Awards. 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