Has it been that long?

By Zachery
Last week during a class visit, a student asked how many consultations I'd done. I told him that I had no idea, but that I was starting my fifth semester and had worked over two summers.

The question bugged me.

After doing some research, I found how many sessions I'd done:
Today I had my 500th consultation.

I'm not really sure if that means anything, but for all of those sessions, I've never regretted working in the center. I've never heard other consultants complain about work. And I can't believe I've been doing this so long.

Comments

  1. Jenny6:08 PM

    Congrats Zach...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Clint Gardner6:17 PM

    Congratulations, Zach.

    Our only reporting system here at SLCC lets folks see how many reports (meaning student writers tutored) instantly. We've had various celebrations for tutors who reach certain achievements like 500 sessions. It really isn't a competitive thing since the our writing advisors work shifts of differing lengths, but it sure gets people excited when they reach a certain number. Our current leader has had, for example, a little over 828 appointments in one year, and he is fast approaching the top record holder who has since moved on from the Student Writing Center with 835 sessions. They will never beat, however, a tutor who worked for us several years ago for 5 years (her entire undergraduate career.) She has, I'm sure, thousands of sessions. Unfortunately, I don't have adequate record of it, as her records were all kept on paper.

    When our current leader reaches 1,000 (which will be this year), we're all going to take him out to dinner.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Clint Gardner6:20 PM

    Only reporting system? That should have been "online reporting system."

    ReplyDelete
  4. Alisha Kamph7:44 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Alisha Kamph7:49 PM

    Way to go Zach! 500 sessions is quite a number and something you should indeed be very proud of. Hmm, let's do the math. 500 consultations times...carry the one...

    Holy cow! That's 15,000 minutes of consulting time..and that's only in half-hour sessions...

    That's definitly worth some cupcakes or something. What's your favorite dessert? Or favorite any-food?

    ReplyDelete
  6. ecpowers1:40 PM

    Happy 500th Zach. As it is written-if there is no Zach, there is no Writing Center. Yay for you!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sara W.3:14 PM

    Congrats...yay for you!

    I must agree with you, I have never heard anyone complain about their "job" in the Writing Center. The attitude in the Writing Center is amazingly positive, I've never worked in a place where there weren't constant whiners. I think the positive attitude really has a lot to do with why people stay to do so many hundreds of consultations, but also why there are so many consultations to do. I believe writers pick up on our positive vibe (and our candy), and it encourages them to visit more often. Consultations simply must be more successful when happy music is floating in the air, I don't see how it can be any other way. There are already enough hurdles to climb with each writer in each consultation...I don't know what I'd do without the happy music!

    Again...Congrats!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Zachery1:43 PM

    Clint, your center must be run differently to get those numbers in a single year!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Clint Gardner1:46 PM

    Hi Zach,

    Not really. We have a student body of about 23,000 students. That might make the difference. Our appointments average around 30 minutes, although a full 50 minutes is available to folks per session.

    How are you all set up?

    --Clint

    ReplyDelete
  10. Zachery8:59 PM

    We offer 30-60 minute sessions, but I'm guessing your consultants work more hours. Most consultants work less than 8 hours a week and we often have fewer than three consultants scheduled at the same time.
    To get numbers like yours tells me that you have more consultants at a time working longer hours.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Zachery9:10 PM

    Clint,

    I checked and BSU has only 18,000-ish students so I'm sure that also factors in.

    Zachery

    ReplyDelete
  12. Clint Gardner11:11 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Clint Gardner11:13 PM

    Zach,

    We do work more hours per week. Most folks average around 15 hours. Some go up to as high as 20. Most of our peer tutors are in the position of working here or working elsewhere. I'm glad to offer an on-campus job to folks. Community colleges differ in that respect to other institutions.

    --clint

    ReplyDelete

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