Meeting with professors on campus can be a challenging task. Faculty and students have busy schedules and office hours can be random and inconvenient. But some students and professors have another impediment when it comes to meeting outside the classroom – they have nowhere to meet.

Tenured professors tend to have their own offices but are also less likely to have the time for students because of research grants and side projects. Contractual instructors have more time, but often get crammed into office spaces shared with up to 30 or 40 others.

“The office space crunch is really just a problem for contract instructors,” said Gord Beveridge, English professor.

Almost 70 per cent of first-year English classes are taught by them, he said. Being a contracted employee himself, Beveridge shares a space with four others in one of the highest offices on campus.

“When someone comes to my office, first I have to let them catch their breath,” he said.

In a lot of cases, this sort of inconvenience deters students from seeking the extra help they need.

Contractual offices also tend to be ill-maintained and uncomfortable, leading some professors to meet with their students elsewhere, even when the space is available. Student-professor conferences are often held elsewhere on campus, but the noisy atmosphere and lack of privacy are distracting and certainly not the ideal solution.

Not all instructors at the U of W are feeling the office space crunch. Geography professor Salah Hathout has taught at the University of Winnipeg for 33 years and has never entered an office belonging to more than one person.

“Sometimes there are not enough classrooms, but office space is really good. Maybe other departments have other experiences,” he said.

Chemistry professor Chris Wiebe is new to the University and has a prime office space location on the first floor of Lockhart Hall, though it’s not very big and often boasts loud, mysterious noises unexpectedly.

“I have a really big office compared to some other people, so I’m pretty happy with it,” he said.

With the University of Winnipeg’s expansion downtown, the question of whether or not this will free up more office space is raised. With University policy moving towards hiring more and more contractual professors, this could become an even bigger issue.

Beveridge thinks the university will continue to get by just fine with the space it has.

“Contract instructors are very resourceful and capable people,” he said.

Published in Volume 64, Number 8 of The Uniter (October 22, 2009)