RE: Checking In...

[lenaya.flowers1]

Where to start...

Here are some of the problems with the appointment system: Administrators cannot cancel appointments on the current system and if a student does not input his/her email and/or phone number we have no way to contact them. When students log in to make an appointment they can enter this contact information; however, it is not required, so most (all) don't do it. Also, if a tutor wants to come in, for example, at 2:30p, the appointment system will schedule to the tutor for 2:00p. I always forget this little fact when I create a schedule, so some tutors are always "late."

I know some students have issues logging into the appointment system. I don't know if they are entering in the wrong information or if there is something wrong with the appointment system. So for every student that can log-in there is about five that can't. But I think that will remain as one of the great mysteries of the writing center.

Hopefully, sometime in the future, we will be able to enter tutor reports into the appointment system. I should also note that if a tutor want to change their schedule for one day of the week, let's say they work Monday-Thursday and now they no longer want to work on Wednesday, I have to delete each Wednesday, individually. So, if it's not the end the semester, it gets old fast (the numbers on that calender are really small). Although this may not be of great concern, if I could delete/edit one day of the week for the entire semester with just a few clicks like I can when I create a schedule, that would be super.

I allow students to study individually in the WC. Given the set-up of the writing center, it is difficult to tell students they cannot study in here. Yet, I've never had an issue where students became too disruptive as a study group. If a student simply wants to quietly work alone, then they should not have to sign-in; however if a student needs to see a tutor, then of course they should make an appointment or sign-in on the walk-in sheet. The policy regarding students who simply want to study should be: individual study at an unoccupied table, computer (no printing), or couch is permitted. Group study should be held in the student lounge or the designated areas of the library.

There is a sign-in sheet for walk-ins on the front desk. Its in the bottom compartment of the black paper holder to the left of the computer on the receptionist's desk. There are extra copies in the bright yellow folder to the right of the computer also on the receptionist's desk.

To create a positive, warm, and inviting environment in the WC, we all must exhibit patience, politeness, and assertiveness, which I always do. No one wants to police the students, but abuse of our resources and services cannot be tolerated. So trying to find a line between passivity and committing tutor police brutality will always be a challenge for us. If any student has an issue with our policies and wants to show attitude, I kindly tell them to take their concerns and problems to the directors.

Lastly, I believe we need a hard copy of a shorted version of the Tutor Protocols from the Tutor handbook. Having a hard copy on hand will help us become more cohesive about our policies. If a tutor doesn't know how to approach a certain situation or is consistently making mistakes regarding the tutoring process, which can and will compromise the integrity of the Writing Center, then they can easily be referred to the Tutor Protocols.

--Lenaya


________________________________
From: hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com [hccs_se_writ...@googlegroups.com] on behalf of Ronald Foster [toro...@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2013 6:25 PM
To: hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Checking In...

You have well pointed out that the mentioned event is pretty isolated, Wayne. For sure, when someone comes into the writing center and ask if they can print, the ones on my shift always - and very politely - tell them that this printer is only for the Writing Center and our students. Also, Danny and I monitor the paper levels to keep them low. They seem to understand very quickly that they are in the wrong place, and we tell them about other places that are set up for them.

As for students who must want to come in and work, we are usually somewhat 'discriminating.' We have found that as long as they want to work alone, it's usually OK, but when they want to sit down in groups, they tend to 'chatter' and get loud, so that many times we have had to ask them to leave - though very politely, and they are seldom surprised. Some, who have been students of the WC for some time, routinely come in and sit down and work quietly. These folks know the rules and are very polite and quiet.

We do not have a sign-in sheet, and I have not seen anyone sign in all semester.

Another problem that comes up sometimes originates in the hall way. It may be an event, or simply people getting out of a class, but they can get very loud. It disrupts the sessions quite a bit, so I usually step out and ask them to quiet down, that people are working in here. It usually works, but perhaps a big sign that says, 'Quiet, Writing Center,' could help. It doesn't seem that bad this semester, however.

Ron Foster C. 281-748-1994

________________________________
From: pwayne....@hccs.edu
To: hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com
Subject: RE: Checking In...
Date: Tue, 2 Apr 2013 22:07:21 +0000


The printer might be moved to one of the cubes in the room to take it out of general view. Since students are charged for printing in lab and library, they will abuse it in the WC because we won’t charge them for copies.



Why is it there in the first place? To facilitate tutors working with students. Its use should be the tutors’ call, not the students’.



I know the student involved in this incident (had her in class), and Attitude is her middle name…it goes with her into every encounter. She didn’t want to be told she couldn’t use the printer outside a tutoring circumstance, so she complained that a tutor was rude to her because she thought it would get results.



We can be sympathetic to their unjust plight, but we also don’t get any more funding for paper they use when we need more to help students who come for the primary purpose of the WC—tutoring.



w



From: hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com [mailto:hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Robert Lunday
Sent: Tuesday, April 02, 2013 4:35 PM
To: hccs_se_wri...@googlegroups.com
Subject: Checking In...



Hello Tutors,



Sorry for my silence; it's been a busy term, with extra projects added on....



I've just had a chat with a student who was unhappy about her experience in the Writing Center, so, I guess it's time for some discussion -- reminders, retooling, re-coordinating, etc.



First, some of the practical details: that darned printer!



What, from your points of view, are the problems regarding the printer? Here's what I see so far: we don't have a way to oblige students to pay for printing; so, we use the printer simply for tutors' needs -- printing out a student paper or assignment instructions. Is that correct? We don't allow students to print -- although, it seems to me, it is OK for a student to ask to print out his or her draft or assignment sheet. Do you agree?



So, can we agree that we will let students ask for permission (of the tutor or receptionist) to print out a few pages of material for the tutorial session?



If they print out their drafts or instructions on their own, and then work with a tutor -- no big deal if they didn't actually ask permission, it seems to me.



However, if they are not working with a tutor, students should not print in the Writing Center; we aren't a printing service.



SO -- how to deal with it when someone does feel free to print?



ALWAYS, please, be polite.



Smile, tell them politely that the printer is only for tutors, and for helping students with a tutoring appointment; and tell them about the Computer Lab, etc. But don't chastise, argue, etc.



But -- please tell me, from your experience and reflections, what sort of policy/strategy we might have regarding the printer. Should we ask for it to be removed?



I have asked them to set up a password for us, but evidently they can't I will inquire again, because it seems to me there must be a solution between no printer and a totally exposed, abused printer causing conflict.



*



OK, Next:



Appointments, signing in, etc.



We have an online appointment system in need of fixes; please, since you guys use it every day, tell me -- again -- what improvements it needs, and I will make it my mission to get it working. I don't think returning to WCOnline will be an option for us (for various reasons); but I believe our homemade (Antonio-made) system can be made to work well, with some fixes. Tell me what specifically is wrong, and I will sit down with him, as I should have already.



Also: obviously, students who want to work with a tutor need to be recorded. My own opinion is that students who want to quietly work -- sit at an unoccupied table, or on a couch -- are fine, invited, welcome, and don't need to sign in. But we need a consistent, sensible policy on that. SO -- students who want to work with a tutor need to make an appointment and sign in; students who want to quietly work, read, write, don't need to sign in. Any thoughts on that?



I guess the problems arise from: phone use, conversations, that start to interfere with tutoring. Or, as today, someone using audio on the computer.



I think it's a good idea to ask students not to use audio on the computers (without a headset, and we don't have headsets for their use if they don't have their own). But, again, do it politely.



Other situations seem like judgment calls. If there is too much chatting unrelated to actual tutoring, you might -- politely -- ask the students to go to the lounge. It's a writing center, a place with a specific purpose, so we can control and should control the environment as needed; but we want students to feel welcome. It's a balance.



Any thoughts or particular experiences that might help us on how to maintain the best sort of environment?



*



Anyway, please post your thoughts/advice regarding the appointment system, the printer, and anything relating to our social dynamics in the Writing Center, and how to keep it healthy. BUT -- please -- always, always be polite to the students. I am not talking about their behavior, presently; how to deal with our clients' bad behavior is another issue, though one worth revisiting, I agree -- but right now, I just want to emphasize the need for tutors and receptionists to be kind and polite to students in the Writing Center, even when you are trying to get them to do or not do something they should or shouldn't be doing, in your view. We've seen in the past that one seemingly isolated incident can reverberate and cause big problems, and we don't want t alienate the students; we have a Writing Center only for them.



Thoughts?









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