Student Monopolizing my Office Hours

[u/PissedOffProfessor]

I have office hours for 2 hours twice a week. A couple of weeks into the semester, a student started showing up religiously for one of those two days. Starting a week or two ago, they started showing up for both.

If I'm not in my office for whatever reason, they email me. They ask for private meetings outside of my office hours. Once they even asked me when I got into the office before my first class of the day (8am) and, when I told them around 7:30, they asked if they could meet then. The answer is always no.

When I do meet with the student, they basically want me to go over topics from lecture in gory detail. And they never leave after one question. They literally sit there and try to think of more things to ask until they have used up 100% of my office time.

I finally sent them a long email explaining that they are welcome to come to my office hours, but that they are not using them effectively. I am not a personal tutor who is available for 4+ hours a week for 1-on-1 teaching. I also explained that sending me emails requesting meetings outside of my office hours is not appropriate.

Their response? A request to meet with me 1-on-1 so that we could discuss it. smh.

The twist: the student is not even one of mine. They are taking one of the courses I teach from another insructor.

The double-twist: the other instructor also holds 4 hours of office hours each week and the student attends 100% of the time there, too.

Edit: y’all profsplainers need to recognize when someone is venting and sharing an amusing anecdote and not asking for advice. You know the secret to how you can tell? It’s the part where I didn’t ask for advice.

[u/rand0mtaskk]

There's zero chance I'd be allowing someone else's student to take up all of my office hours.

[u/DocLava → u/rand0mtaskk]

Agreed. I wouldn't even let my actual students monopolize the time.

[u/Faewnosoul → u/rand0mtaskk]

Agreed 100 percent. They are using you as a free tutor. It is hard to do, but tell them no more

[u/PissedOffProfessor → u/Faewnosoul]

Did you miss the part where I told them no more?

[u/Faewnosoul → u/PissedOffProfessor]

No, I am confirming for you that you have every right to tell them no more

[u/Outrageous_Chair3252 → u/PissedOffProfessor]

This sounds more tall tale than “anecdote.”

[u/totallysonic]

Why are you giving this much time to a student who is not enrolled in your classes? Not only is it an unreasonable workload for you, but it could also be seen as undermining the other instructor. You need to tell this student that you will no longer be available to meet with them and they need to go to the campus tutoring center if they want additional help.

[u/Sillyguy42 → u/totallysonic]

I agree that the student should find tutoring, but is it really undermining the other professor if the student attends 100% of their office hours too?

[u/Kasseroni]

I would be quite miffed if one of my students was being tutored by another prof for my class. Redirect them to the professor of that class. You can simply tell the student that the current professor is the best source of information for the current offering, and perhaps give that professor a heads up about what has been going on as a professional courtousy.

[u/Crowe3717 → u/Kasseroni]

Depends on the situation. If you were the only one teaching the course this year and the other professor taught it in previous years then yes it's weird for a student to go to them instead of you. But this sounds more like multiple professors teaching different sections of the same course, in which case a student should be able to go to any of them for help.

[u/PissedOffProfessor → u/Kasseroni]

That’s your ego talking. Regardless, I’m talking to their instructor all the time (hence why I know that the student is going to their office hours as well).

[u/Outrageous_Chair3252 → u/PissedOffProfessor]

How could they ask for “gory details” from a lecture you didn’t give? Sure, prof.

[u/DianaeVenatrix]

I had one of these and the main thing is to just keep saying no. No meeting outside office hours, no meeting without a purpose (make them come in with a plan for what they want to discuss, which might help combat their "sitting around trying to think of questions" thing), no reteaching what was already explained in class, no hand-holding while they do their homework in front of you. I set a time limit of around 20 minutes on my frequent flyer before I'd kick them out to attend to other things (they would generally ask if they could stay longer, so I'd say no again). As they're not even your student, you're well within your rights to say they can't attend your office hours at all.

Obviously, monopolizing your office hours to this extent is not a normal student behavior, so you could also refer them to someone else in student services. I sent my student to a study skills support group since their idea of studying for an exam was sitting in my office and making me tell them everything, so they obviously needed to learn another method.

[u/knitty83 → u/DianaeVenatrix]

Requiring them to email me questions/issues first has definitely streamlined my office hours.

"I sent my student to a study skills support group since their idea of studying for an exam was sitting in my office and making me tell them everything" - I wonder if a student monopolizing office hours like that simply doesn't have anybody else to study with. A colleague once had to set a hard boundary for a student who dropped by unannounced several times, and finally asked her whether she wanted to have coffee with him. Not as a date, as non-romantic socialising, because he hadn't made any friends at uni (yet).

[u/ciabatta1980]

I have students sign up for office hours and there are limited time slots and each one is 20 minutes. You can only have multiple time slots if no one else signs up. There are no 1:1 meetings outside of these office hours unless there is a verified conflict (another class).

[u/taewongun1895 → u/ciabatta1980]

Good idea. Also, tell the student they are depriving other students of the office hours.

[u/aepiasu → u/taewongun1895]

i'm sure the student knows that nobody else ever shows up for office hours ... because they don't.

[u/bankruptbusybee → u/aepiasu]

That’s when you claim a zoom meeting

[u/needlzor → u/bankruptbusybee]

They'll just wait for your meeting to be over. You don't need to lie to get out of a meeting, you can just kick them out because this is not what office hours are for. The more you make excuses, the more they will find ways around them.

[u/bankruptbusybee → u/needlzor]

I had a student like this years ago (not even my student, taking up all my office hours). I asked my chair what I could do (student was a known nuisance). The policy was office hours were for students. I was not allowed to limit them unless another student was waiting.

If you can say “no, get out” great. But not everyone supports that

And just like irl they may come back when you’re done, but at least you get a twenty minute break

[u/needlzor → u/bankruptbusybee]

That's terrible when your chair abandons any form of reason for pure customer service.

[u/respeckKnuckles]

Edit: y’all profsplainers need to recognize when someone is venting and sharing an amusing anecdote and not asking for advice. You know the secret to how you can tell? It’s the part where I didn’t ask for advice.

Oh fucking gross.

[u/skella_good → u/respeckKnuckles]

I was learning from reading the comments as I’ve been in this position too. Sorry for offending you…

[u/AdForeign5362]

Just wanted to add that you're doing the student a huge favor by shutting this down early. Over the years, the Interns and Juniors that I work with that ultimately end up failing out are the ones who can't work independently or learn on their own. This behavior would fly for three months outside of academia and then quickly get old.

[u/DocLava]

Why are you encouraging this if you don't have time? My office hours are for my students in my class. They are also for advisees but I'm not talking about course material in there unless they are also in the class.

[u/Cute-Aardvark5291]

Why are you still meeting with them to tutor them through a class if you are not their professor? "Dear student, office hours are used for specific questions that you may have to clarify points from your lectures or course readings. As you are not in my class, I need to reserve my office hours for my own students"

[u/havereddit]

I would say "It has come to my attention that I am not allowed to meet with students from another section in case I contradict the teachings of the other instructor"

Boom. 4 hours of your life back every week.

[u/No_Intention_3565]

It sounds like you have created a rod for your own back.

No - is a complete sentence.

Because....seriously....WTAF????

[u/lulugrapefruit]

I ask students to make appointments on canvas and it’s set to be max 15 minutes. I also add instructions that it should be very specific question. If they need general help, I lead them to ask the tutoring center on campus or point to the textbook.

[u/Extra-Sprinkles-388]

Office hours are for pointed questions about the content. Tell them to come with questions otherwise they cannot stay the entire time.

[u/countofmoldycrisco]

My colleague had a student that did this. He would even walk her to class from her office. I guess she didn't mind. But she took a job at another institution and left. The student took a leave of absence and went back to his home country. It was weird.

[u/badwhiskey63]

Cut them off! Just say no. You need to send a SHORT email that says that you can no longer meet with them and that they should be utilizing the office hours of their instructor.

[u/DrBlankslate]

Sounds like they don't understand boundaries. It's time to set them, be firm, and be direct about it.

"I can see you for fifteen minutes, once a week, but that's it. And I need you to leave when I tell you to. If you won't agree to these conditions, you can't come to my office hours at all unless you're enrolled in one of my classes."

[u/jayprov]

The word for this student is “askhole.”

You have to explain very carefully what is inappropriate about the behavior and stick to the boundaries you erect. The student does not understand how the relationship is supposed to work.

[u/Finding_Way_]

I stopped reading after the 'student is not one of mine'.

End of discussion.

Refer them to:

-the instructor with whom they're taking the course,

• the library to do their own research,

-the learning/academic help center if they're having trouble organizing notes and retaining the material.

Forget the long email. Just tell them the above and that unfortunately at this point in the semester you have other responsibilities and students that need your immediate attention and they need to utilize these resources.

Shut that sh** down

[u/Practical-Charge-701]

If you’re venting, say you’re venting. Don’t expect people to read your mind.

[u/PissedOffProfessor → u/Practical-Charge-701]

If I’m asking for advice, I’ll say that I’m asking for advice. Why do you assume that people read that in my mind?

[u/dragonfeet1]

NOPE. that's a big no. They should be seeing that professor during office hours.

I was going to suggest you do what I do, which is 15 minute appointments, to keep focused, but if it's not your student...kick 'em out. Don't do free labor in this place.

[u/PluckinCanuck]

I feel this one hard. I have one of these. Makes me dread office hours.

[u/incomparability]

Regarding your edit. I don’t find this amusing at all. It’s a waste of your time and you should have realized it at the start.

[u/PissedOffProfessor → u/incomparability]

Thanks for proving the point.

[u/Ttthhasdf]

They have a crush on you

[u/bankruptbusybee → u/Ttthhasdf]

Scrolled too long to find this. Student definitely has a crush.

[u/Crowe3717 → u/bankruptbusybee]

Could be but not necessarily. Some students do genuinely want that much help and just don't have any sense of professional boundaries. They will take as much of your time as you let them.

I've had to deal with both types of students 😅 Sometimes at the same time.

[u/GriIIedCheesus]

As others have said, my office hours are for the students I teach. I only help other students if I've extended the offer.

[u/Nicholoid]

I have wondered sometimes if office hours need to be reframed or renamed as quick time. Saying hours plural could be taken by some as an open floor for multiple hours. If one well meaning adult tells them "use office hours to support your studies or get to know your profs, that's what office hours are for" it sets up this false hope of endless time. Or doing them virtually regularly and only allowing slots in 15 minute increments.

[u/AntiRacismDoctor]

They probably heard you're the "better" professor but couldn't get into your section. The professor they're registered for sucks, and so, to this student (who likely obsesses about getting good grades), they're diligently pestering your office hours because you explain things in a way they can comprehend.

I usually incentivize my office hours with extra credit and very few students actually attend. But I do get the occasional student who just milks the extra credit and ends up with 100%+ by the end of the semesters.

[u/cheetoburrito]

I think you need to up the assertion. They're not even your student. Tell your chair about this and that you intend to send them away to their own instructor so that when they go tell on you, you're already ahead of them. Then send them away next time they show up.

[u/Life-Education-8030]

One of my advisees would do this to avoid going to class. I asked if he had a class to go to, and he said yes, but waved it off, saying it was no problem to get there late. I told him to get to class and cut off the video chat on his shocked face.

[u/6alexandria9]

Just curious but have they ever explained why they do this?? Or if they do it for other classes? Do they seem to pay attention in class? Have they notified you of any disability accommodations that could explain the behavior? I’m just so baffled- who had 8 extra hours a week to attend every office hour while taking other classes?! Wow

[u/PissedOffProfessor]

The sheer number of people commenting here who lack basic reading comprehension skills is worrying.

[u/iTeachCSCI → u/PissedOffProfessor]

When you vent, people will provide advice. If you don't want it, ignore it. Others may see the thread and be in a similar situation and want the advice. Others discuss what to do with it.

[u/bankruptbusybee → u/PissedOffProfessor]

“I posted in a public forum and the public is responding to it?! Morons!”

[u/Outrageous_Chair3252 → u/PissedOffProfessor]

Seriously. I’m alarmed they didn’t clue in to your bullshit when you stated the student asked for “gory details” of a lecture you never gave.