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Along with the focus on productivity is greater emphasis on the bottom line. Facilities cost
money to configure and maintain and may be difficult to evolve or scale as the institution
evolves. A home office makes it easy to get to work, meaning more work may be done over a
day since employees can readily access their computing environment. The virtual office space
enables the office to be readily available nearly anywhere the faculty member travels. In
addition, the stress and cost associated with the commute are eliminated. One of the key savings
to faculty is in the form of decreased travel and gasoline expenses. With the high costs of fuel,
such savings represent a major portion of the family budget. The savings at the institutional level
would ideally be passed on the student in the form of limited increases in tuition and fees.
Collegiality: Collegiality can be defined as respect for one’s colleagues and for their professional
endeavors (Kouchokos, 2002). The American Association of University Professors (1999)
describes collegiality as collaboration and constructive cooperation but not as a distinct capacity
to be assessed independently of scholarship, teaching, and service. There are countless
opportunities for collaboration and constructive cooperation within the virtual office environment
with limited barriers for communication across the globe. This is not always the case within the
onsite office where fellow faculty members and students are often in different buildings, or
campuses, and thus too far away for the ease of face-to-face communications. Within the virtual
office, faculty may communicate via e-mail, group or individual online chats, and interact in
virtual meeting rooms, common within the virtual office setting. Increased interaction brings
added opportunities for faculty to support one another toward enhanced collegiality.
An additional component of collegiality is highlighted by Neal (1996) in his statement to new
faculty. Neal encourages faculty members to involve students in collegial relationships in ways
that bring them into the intellectual community as research partners. Neal asserts that collegiality
is a rare but precious commodity among faculty who are committed to the world of ideas and who
are involved in the creative sharing and exchange of information. The virtual office space
enables this type of information sharing to be possible where faculty, students, and graduates
collaborate without physical barriers.
Human Resources: Recruiting a qualified diverse group of faculty may be easier to accomplish
when the expectations placed on faculty do no include onsite office hours. Faculty may be more
likely to consider working for an institution located out of state or in another country when the
expectations do not include physical relocation. Faculty training and orientation is yet another
key aspect for human resource professionals seeking to recruit and retain qualified faculty. In a
centralized office, training is usually accomplished by bringing a group of new faculty members
to an on campus meeting place. Videoconferencing provides a reasonable alternative for training
faculty who work in a virtual office setting. As with any employee, the needs of the family
members are paramount. Unfortunately, far too many faculty leave institutions after years of
dedicated service due to personal and family circumstances and the need to relocate away from
the geographic proximity of the institution. This creates higher faculty turnover rates and
associated costs. Ultimately the institution thrives when a more diverse group of faculty are
recruited, oriented, and retained.
Student Learning Needs: Faculty can promote student-faculty contact within the virtual office
environment by building communication mechanisms into the course and by encouraging
students to make frequent visits to the virtual office. Such practices ultimately lead to enhanced
student learning. Chickering and Gamson (1999) discuss the seven principles for good practice in
undergraduate education. Faculty members who function within a virtual office environment have
ample opportunities through e-mail, phone calls, online group discussions and videoconferencing
Virtual Office
ASBBS E-Journal, Volume 4, No.1, 2008 14