By Katie Sittig-Boyd
Staff Writer
On Sunday, Dec. 6, Provost Katie Conboy announced that she will be holding open office hours for students over the next two weeks.
Provost Conboy held office hours on Wednesday, Dec. 9, for an hour in the afternoon, and will be holding another hour of open office hours next Tuesday, Dec. 15.
“We’re glad to see the administration responding to the student demand to close contact with members of the student body,” said the executive board of the Student Government Association (SGA). “We encourage and applaud any high-ranking members of administration who follow Provost Katie Conboy in making a real attempt to reach out to the student body at large and listen to our concerns.”
Several students have responded positively to the announcement, expressing excitement at the opportunity.
“I think that this is a really great opportunity for students to get to know the administration,” said senior Dahn Bi Lee-Hong. “I presented it to my first-year Explore class, letting them know that Provost Conboy is doing this and that they should stop by and say hi, because I know that there are going to be tons of students who are going to want to share their personal experiences in a more casual setting. I hope it continues into next semester. This is a line of communication that should be available.”
Other students were more ambivalent about the opportunity for a one-on-one conversation with Provost Conboy.
“I probably won’t attend,” said Maria Rolsal, a senior. “I feel like talking about concerns on a personal level makes them feel like a personal issue instead of a community one. We need to address these issues as a community.”
Additionally, students expressed concern that the hours available are not enough for students who want to make their experiences heard.
“Finals are really stressful and a busy time for students, so only having two hours over two weeks available doesn’t provide students with a lot of flexibility,” said Casey Walden.
Provost Conboy’s office is in the MCB in room C-219. “I look forward to meeting with any of you who wish to speak with me,” wrote Provost Conboy in her announcement email. Additionally, Provost Conboy has promised to release a list of office hours for the spring semester in the upcoming weeks
