Faculty Student Hours Policy & Implementation Guidelines

Purpose

To ensure faculty are accessible and supportive to students by maintaining and clearly communicating student hours, in compliance with the Academic Management Manual (AMM) and utilizing Navigate360 as the official platform for posting and managing these hours.

Establishing Office Hours
- Minimum Requirement:
  Faculty must schedule student hours in accordance with the AMM and PBSC’s collective bargaining agreements (Article XXI Time Accounting). Instructional faculty shall schedule a minimum of twenty-five (25) hours each week, which shall consist solely of classroom contact, student advising, and office hours. CCP Instructors shall be scheduled to be on duty forty (40) hours a week, which shall consist of classroom contact, student advising, and office hours. The Administration recognizes that it is the proper function of faculty and CCP Instructors to schedule office hours and also a minimum one-half hour lunch period during each duty day, having due regard for the principle that service to the student is of first importance.
- Modality:
  Faculty student hours must be flexible to accommodate student needs, both in terms of scheduling and modality.
Posting Office Hours in Navigate360
- Platform Use:
  All faculty are required to use Navigate360 as the primary platform for posting and updating student hours. The service will appear as “Meet with My Professor” within the platform.
- Instructions:
  1. Log in to Navigate360 using your PBSC credentials https://pbsc.edu/eab-navigate/.
  2. Navigate to the “Office Hours” or “Availability” section.
  3. Enter your available days, times, and modality (in-person, virtual, or both).
  4. Specify the location (campus/building/room or online meeting link).
  5. Save and publish your office hours for student visibility.
- Updates:
  Any changes to student hours should be made at least 24 hours in advance when possible and promptly updated in Navigate360. It is also recommended that students be notified via LMS/Canvas course announcements.
Communicating Office Hours to Students

Syllabus:
Clearly list your student hours and the Navigate360 availability link in the course syllabus.
Course Announcements:
Announce your student hours during the first-class meeting and post them on the course’s LMS page (e.g., Canvas).
Periodic Reminders:
Consistently remind students of your hours of availability and the procedure to schedule appointments via Navigate360.
Display Office Hours:
Faculty members are strongly encouraged to post student hours outside of their office door and on the faculty webpage to promote accessibility and student engagement.

4. Student Accessibility & Support

Scheduling Appointments:
Faculty should strive to schedule student hours at times that maximize accessibility. Encourage students to use Navigate360 to schedule appointments. Walk-ins should be accommodated as much as possible, within posted hours. Moreover, faculty should remain flexible and responsive to students who face barriers in using Navigate360 or attending scheduled hours and provide alternative meeting arrangements when needed.
Documentation:

Maintain a log of student interactions during the designated hours through Navigate360, as appropriate, to record student engagement and support. Sensitive information should be handled in accordance with FREPA guidelines.
5. Compliance and Review
Department Oversight:
Student hours compliance and availability will be reviewed periodically by the Associate Deans or designees as part of the faculty annual performance review and compliance checklist.

6. Support & Training
Training Sessions:
PBSC offers regular training on Navigate360. Faculty are encouraged to attend to ensure effective use of the platform.
Help Resources:

For technical assistance, contact the PBSC IT Help Desk or email navigate@pbsc.edu. You may also consult the Navigate360 Resource Center for Faculty & Staff.

Enacted July 2004 from existing policy; reviewed July 2010; revised September 2025