email:

Go ahead and send me an email. I am generally available, and usually respond in a day or so. Sometimes I take three or four days, however, so don’t email me about a paper or exam the night before or the morning of, asking for vital information that will change what you will write or study—the chances of me being able to respond in a time frame that would be useful to you are low. This happens to me dozens of times in a typical semester. Generally speaking, if I don't get back to you after 3 or 4 days, send me another email; I forget, emails get dropped into the Junk mail folder, other stuff goes wrong. I won't get angry if you repeat your question (I'll probably be grateful you reminded me).

Do you want college to prepare you for the work world? Our students say they want this, and yet they often don't treat college like what it is—a profession. Please write to me the same way you would your team manager or boss at work. “Dear Rob” is fine, especially once the semester is underway, as is “Dear Professor” or “Dear Professor Rushing.” (There is a complicated debate about being called "Doctor Rushing," but to me, "Doctor" as a title is best reserved for those with a medical degree, which I don't have.) Everyone who grew up with paper mail (i.e., many of your future employers) will find the lack of an opening greeting weird and offputting, and an abrupt "Hey" will sound rude. (In all seriousness, I hear my colleagues complain about this more than any other thing that students do.)

phone:

I don't have a phone in my office anymore, which is true of basically all profs at the U of I.

office hours:

I’m in my office (2122 FLB, on the second floor of FLB, on the north side of the building) every Tuesday and Thursday from 11-12. Come prepared with specific questions or ideas—it’s a generally unproductive session when a student arrives and says “I have no ideas for the paper, and I don’t know what movie I want to write about.” It’s okay to come from time to time to just chat, but don’t ‘occupy’ my office hours—other students need to talk, too, and a surprising number of people don’t knock or let me know they’re waiting.