MATT DEL BUSTO | STAFF REPORTER
Butler University President James Danko is hosting his next session of office hours on Jan. 28 from 3-4:30 p.m. To schedule an appointment, students can sign up here. His office hours are in his office in Jordan Hall 101.
Danko said the office hours, “It really allows me to keep a pulse on the beat of what’s going on, and what’s on students’ mind.”
He said he finds the office hours to be very informative for him and hopefully helpful for students as well.
“There’s no better way than just being close to those people that we are here to serve rather than hearing things indirectly, and I think the two-way communication helps,” Danko said.
Libby Moyer, political science major and sophomore, went with two classmates to meet with President Danko last fall to discuss a semester-long project they were doing in their political science class.
Danko said he spoke with students over a variety of different topics. Some students want to share their Butler experience, some want to meet the president and some have financial aid concerns. He said he spoke to one Butler student who was almost 30 years old and wanted to share her experience of being an older student on campus.
Danko said he prefers the confidentiality of office hours as opposed to spending time in Starbucks, because he feels like students are comfortable in the privacy of an office.
Moyer agreed.
“I think it was nice because it was in his office, and it was just us and him,” Moyer said.
She said Danko was very positive about the project she was working on and would consider going to the office hours again.
“It was definitely a positive experience, and I think I know that students are taking advantage of it because when I went to sign up a lot of people were signed up, too,” Moyer said.
Danko said his primary role during the office hours is to listen to what students have to say.
Moyer said Danko lets students guide the conversation.
“He allows you to talk about whatever you want so I would say to just have something written down that you want to talk about, or maybe some main points,” Moyer said.
Danko said the office hours help him as much as he hopes it helps students.
“I want them to understand I am as eager to meet the students as they are hopefully to meet me and to kind of share their concerns so they shouldn’t be nervous about it,” Danko said. “I probably get as much out of this as I do anything. I always look forward to it.”
