Office Hours: I'm Here to Help
Because I care about your academic success
Dear Students,
I always meant to write a series like this . . . not in these circumstances.
Why am I writing to you?
I dreamed of being able to send a sort of open letter to you where I could speak to things that don’t quite fit into your university course curriculums but that you probably want to or really should know. Things you deal with... have questions about. Things that pertain to your education, albeit silently or indirectly. Things like hidden curriculum, food, housing, power dynamics, relationships, scholarships, organizations, options, and opportunities you may not be aware of. Things that I, having both navigated through and served within the system of higher education for over a decade now, often found out by accident or circumstance, sometimes by determined digging, and more than once by a kind, perceptive professional who recognized a student in need. Things I now understand and observe from the other side and would like to share with you.
Sometimes I imagined how these little snippets might read - writing them out in my head after witnessing an embarrassing moment in a class, having a less-than-stellar advising appointment, receiving a particularly cringe-worthy email, or overhearing an issue at a meeting. I fantasized about explaining (yes… you read that correctly: nerd level = 100) that an email is not a text, and should not look like one. Offering information about free food pantries. About computer labs that stay open late. About the inner workings of things like Academic Services, getting a work-study position, rideshares, printing, and office hours.
I imagined things you may not know. Ways my colleagues and I could help you: the questions we wish you would ask and answers we’re eager to share.
Need Help? It’s okay, everyone does.
Niggling doubt always stopped me short. Would you really want that help? You, who Google everything… check Wikis and ask Twitter, Quora, and Reddit threads, or look to TikTok and YouTube first. It always seemed sort of silly… self-indulgent. Until now. We are, at this moment, living in an unprecedented situation. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is forcing educational institutions to respond rapidly, moving operations forward in new, untested ways. Both you, the students and we the professors, teachers, staff, and administrators are being asked to perform while facing incredible pressures, and for some, impossible odds. You need information you can trust, that will help you through whatever stage of your academic journey you are in. I can help you there.
Who I am
As an English Professor and Writing Center Director at a private institution in the Midwest, my inbox, messaging, and social media are exploding with questions, reactions, uncertainty, and fear. My heart goes out to everyone suffering. But most of all, my thoughts are with you, dear students. So now is the time. If you need to know more than that, you can find additional details on my About page.
Ask away. I will do my best to answer your questions - address the comments, queries, and concerns that preoccupy you most during this precarious period. Please feel free to send them using my Contact Form. When possible (or necessary), I plan to collaborate with other education professionals to ensure the most accurate and helpful responses.
As a note: though I work in higher education (at the college-university level), I’m really writing to every student who may feel a little lost, want to understand the world of academics, or just want to do a little better in their classes.
Be cool, excel in school,
MARYREDINGWRITES
