President Thomas J. Botzman is available for out-of-office coffee hours, and students, faculty and staff need only pull up a chair to attend.
The coffee hours give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to interact and get to know the new man in charge.
Botzman will be available each week at various times and loca- tions, and members of the campus community are free to chat about anything they have on their minds.
“Some talk about questions or concerns, and some come just to talk,” said Botzman.
The time, date and location for each week’s meeting spot will be posted each week under the news section on e-MU’s main page.
Botzman said the casual coffee talk is an excellent opportunity to meet with the campus community. The president stays at each location for about an hour each week. “It’s another way to communicate,” he said.
Botzman said the chats keep him well-informed about campus news.
“Students can just show up. They don’t have to make an appointment,” said Botzman.
The president said the coffee talks helps cut through the scheduling required for a more formal in-office appointment.
If the scheduled hours are not accommodating to students, faculty or staff they can always wait until the next week to meet up with the president.
Botzman said he started these out-of-office hours because he knows of other presidents who have used coffee hours, and they
were very successful.
“The president of HamiltonCollege does coffee hours,” said Botzman. “She’s been doing them for 10 years.”
Botzman said he will continue as long as people want him to and as long as people continue to show up.
“Each week there has been a good turnout,” Botzman said. Christina Ocasio, a transfer medical imaging student, said she had a good out-of-office meeting with the President.
“I enjoyed having this opportunity to get to know the president,” said Ocasio.
Ocasio said coffee hours are a friendly–and unintimidating–way to speak with the president.
“I believe it is a great opportunity to get to know the president,” said Ocasio. “Since he is running the school it is a good way to get to know him and see where he is coming from. I wanted to get better acquainted with the president of my school.”
Although Ocasio did not bring any concerns to Botzman, she said she would likely return to share a cup of Joe if she has an issue to discuss.
“I would return to coffee hours in the future especially if I have questions or concerns that need to be tended to,” Ocasio said.
Ocasio encourages others to pull up a chair and chat with their president.
“I feel that the students should take advantage of these coffee hours,” Ocasio said. “This way, if there is a problem, and you would like it to get resolved, you can talk to the president.”