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[prytania3]

Office number only. The day my school wants me to put in my home/cell number is the day they can start paying the bills.

[snowbound]

Very very few students are going to call your home number at an unreasonable hour. BUT (and it's a big, bolded BUT) that small percentage of students who will do so could be a major headache for you!  I do occasionally get students who repeatedly send me irate, semi-incoherent emails--generally because they have been caught plagiarizing or are failing or both--and I have no doubt they would call me in person if they could to vent / plead their case.  It's because of (relatively rare) cases like this that I never give out my home phone number.  Once or twice a situation has arisen in an online class where a phone call seems like the most convenient way to resolve some problem the student is having.  In that case, I get the student's number and I call them.  And I have only done so when the student is a responsible, together student.

[littlefred]

snowbound, while I agree the potential is there, in my experience, students don't pick up the phone and do what you indicate. I think that email offers them 'keyboard bravery' and they can vent, act inappropriate, and be disrespectful fairly anonymously... or at least they don't have to 'face' the person they are being disrespectful toward.

I have called students (after receiving such emails) on the phone, and confronted them, generally, their attitude changes quickly.  It isn't my first response to such situation, but it can keep these situations from escalating.

I have had this situation arise with both the 'plagiarizer' and the 'why did you dock me 1/2 point on this 100 point assignment' students.

[infopri]

I occasionally have had students with "keyboard bravery"--but I'd still rather deal with that then with even the most polite student who has forgotten (or doesn't care) that it's 3am where I live.  (Because I teach online, I have students in time zones all over the country and even all the way on the other side of the world.)  I will--on very rare occasion--call a student, but I try to avoid that, as well.  I much prefer to use instant-chat features with my online students and see my on-campus students face to face.

[bigghostdini_tha_don]

Office number: yes
Personal number: absolutely not

[mimi1]

I've posted both my office number and my cell phone number in my syllabus.  I told them in my syllabus they could text me.  Total number of times I've had students call or text this summer semester:  6.  None were at unreasonable times. 

[alleyoxenfree]

I always give students my cell phone and I haven't had anyone call me out of the blue in three or four years.  They prefer to email or instant message when they find I'm online.

[wxdude]

I much prefer to use instant-chat features with my online students and see my on-campus students face to face.

Same here. I give out my office number and use scheduled Skype hours as well. I make it clear when I'm available online to chat and then stick to the announced schedule.