Online office hours, or virtual office hours, should be optional but encouraged. Holding synchronous office hours at a distance, in addition to regular on-campus office hours, can help faculty members reach students unable to come to campus. Most frequently, online office hours take the form of the faculty member being available in a class chat area. However, since chat areas in a class website may be public to all students in that class, for one-to-one communications of a more private nature, the use of e-mail or telephone are effective supplements.