Valerian T. D'Souza Office Hours

Zoom Office Zoom Office Hours:  Mon - Thu:  2:00  - 4:00 pm. Zoom Open House:   Mon - Thu:  1:00 - 5:00 pm In-Person Office Hours (B322): By appointment as needed

vally@umsl.edu Office: B 322 Phone: (314)516-5324 Fax: (314)516-5342 Zoom link

 The best way to understand my availability on zoom is through a probabilistic model.  Like Schrödinger’s cat, I am both on zoom and not on zoom until you click on the link.  Table below gives you a probability of finding me on zoom at any given time.

My vision of zoom office is similar to the one I used to use in my face to face teaching.  I would go to my office at 10:00 am and start my work.  I would have the door open and students were free to walk in and chat with me about anything under the sun.  If I stepped out, I would close my door and if students came by, they would know that I am not there and come back later.  I would designate certain hours as my "office hours" which would be published in the syllabus.  I would make a valiant effort to be in my office during that time since the students knew that there is a high probability of finding me in my office at that time.  I am carrying that concept to my virtual teaching effort.

Zoom Office Hours:  Mon - Thu:  2:00  - 4:00 pm.  

Zoom Open House:   Mon - Thu:  1:00 - 5:00 pm;   That is a term I have coined  to mean that I am at my house and may be available to help you. .  I generally start my school work around 1:00 pm and I welcome anyone who wants to stop by and chat with me about anything under the sun.   Please do give me feedback on your experiences so that I can modify it to suite your needs.

Office Visit Protocol:  Normally, as soon as you click on the link, you should be able connect to me.  If I am not at the desk, please make a sound and I will be with you shortly.  If I am away from the desk for an extended period of time, I will put up a sign indicating when I will be back and I am normally back before that time.  Since it is important for me to talk to students privately, if I am talking to another student, I will enable a waiting room which means you will be placed in the waiting room until I am ready to let you in.  Zoom will notify me that you are in the waiting room.  As soon as the student being attended to has left my office, I will let the waiting room person in and attend to your needs.

Thank you for patience while I work this all this out.