Student Interruptions/Company Policy
I am the director of a program on my career school campus. I also share an office with another program director. Our programs are unrelated, but we both have large class sizes, thus many student issues.
We also share one phone line, because of the location of our office. Our company has an open door policy, basically stating we are "never to busy". One of our company's major values is helping our student achieve their goals, and treating our students as "customers".
This has particularly become very challenging given the shared office, phone line, and lack of extra space due to a recent campus merger.
At any rate, I have lots of student questions and concerns, throughout the day, that I am willing to address...whenever my students need me....but sometimes its a hassle in the moments I need the door closed to accomplish tasks, and the other director needs it open to be available to is students, yet my students are passing by, seeing me and needed something......how do I not address their concerns/issues without seeming rude, or uninterested in their needs, and not disrespecting/disrupting my office mate?
Krista,
You might try tofind a way to work at another location in the building so that you are not as easliy accessible when you have a project that demands attention without interruption. If you leave a note where you are, the students who really need you might stop by, but you'll get fewer casual conversations.
Jeffrey Schillinger
I also had this issue-I had to share an office (but not phone lines) with an instructor in my department. As the program director I was responsible for many adminstrative duties regarding accreditation and needed both privacy and no interruptions. When this employee left I insisted on my own office and would not budge off that decision-I made it a deal breaker. How can you possibly help students with confidential or emotional issues with a "I'm not listening but my phone rings and I must answer it" audience. It is a totally untenable situation and one that I worked on diligently and was very insistent to correct. My next issue was the "open door policy"-anyone can walk in any time regardless of what you are doing? confidential interview? open student files? short term deadline projects? not to mention the noise level from all the cubes outside the office. I just closed the door and most times its locked so that if someone visits I can blank my screen, close my files and change my mindset before addressing them. In addition, a closed door indicates that I need privacy and quiet to accomplish my goals. Having said what I have insisted on getting, my rewards for the company are excellent student outcomes, accreditation, affiliation agreements, a happy, organized unified faculty and a superb student learning experience. If I can function at peak performance the entire department follows my lead.
As for your problem-either go to the top and discuss why what you have is not working or find an admissions interview office that you can use for student interactions. Or, as I initially did, ask your officemate to leave until you are finished and extend to them the same courtesy. But that will not fix your problem-you both need your own space.
