The college recently announced an initiative that would allow students to interface with President Denise Battles through “presidential office hours.”
The office hours, which are scheduled four times in the semester three weeks apart, will allow members of the college community to schedule 15-minute meetings with Battles.
“Each year I’ve been here, I’ve looked for ways to make sure I provide opportunities to connect with the folks in our community,” Battles said. “This idea is one that came to mind because sometimes I’ve noticed people come to the Fireside Chats, but perhaps want something that is less public to share what’s on their mind … So, we’re trying it out and we’ll see how it goes.”
This semester is the first that Battles is offering the office hours; if they receive positive feedback, the administration will likely continue them in the future, Battles said. This initiative will replace Battles’s occasional “Fireside Chats” where she would sit in the Fireside Lounge and talk with members of the college community.
The first office hour Battles will offer is on Thursday Sep. 20, followed by one on Oct. 24, one on Nov. 16 and one on Dec. 3.
The president’s office placed the hours on different days of the week to apparently provide opportunities to people with different schedules.
Some students have had generally positive reactions to the planned presidential office hours, like communication major sophomore Kyanna Wiggins.
“I literally did not know about this,” Wiggins said. “But it seems like a great idea.”
Although she had never been to a Fireside Chat, international relations major freshman Elizabeth Reynolds felt that the office hours format could be more constructive.
“I feel like this is more of a formal way of doing it,” Reynolds said. “A Fireside Chat has a more casual, ‘come meet the president’ vibe to it, but setting an appointment feels more like getting to know the president, figuring out how to make Geneseo better and talking about the general student experience.”
Communication major sophomore Brianna Linn agreed that the Fireside Chats were less formal, but she felt that the informal element had value.
“I think that the Fireside Chats were more personalized and it’s less intimidating than going in and having an appointment,” Linn said. “I prefer the Fireside Chats.”
Despite the value Linn saw in the Fireside Chat, she felt that Battles’s overall communication strategy has been effective.
“I think it’s really good,” Linn said. “I applaud her because she lets us know when an issue arises or anything.”
In planning the first office hour session on Thursday Sept. 20, Battles believes that the scheduled slots could provide a large impact in the long run.
“My hope is that we’ll learn something that will help us improve the college for everybody,” Battles said. “It’s a big complex institution and sometimes there are things that could make life better for everyone with a little bit of a tweak, but it might not hit my radar screen. So, this is that opportunity.”
Associate news editor Kara Burke contributed reporting to this article.