Working Your Shift

Good grooming and hygiene

Shower and wash clothes regularly.

Use deodorant and avoid excessive cologne or perfume.

Dress code: casual

Look clean and presentable online or on campus.

Avoid clothing which is explicit, contains profanity or slurs, reveals too much skin, or advertises alcohol or drugs.

Appropriate footwear is required on campus.

Plan ahead

When working on campus, allow time for traffic and parking.

For online shifts, allow time to set up your device, log-in to Zoom and join the online TLC.

Bring a positive attitude

Do what you can to leave any pieces of a bad day behind. Often, a good interaction with a student can turn your day around!

"A day in the life..."

The following outlines before, during, and end/after shift information. Some information is relevant for only On Campus or Online and are are labeled accordingly.

Starting Your Shift

On Campus

Store your personal belongings.
Put on your nametag lanyard (or nametag with no lanyard for desk staff).
Check in with the COD of your sup-org as you begin your shift.
For Tutors: Grab a tablet and log-in to the Employee Hub in Canvas to review any announcements and for quick access to TLC systems used throughout your shift.
Cell phones are put away, except for two-factor authentication (2FA) or for an emergency call.

Online

Log in to your licensed Zoom account and join the online TLC. The link to the TLC Zoom room can be found on any of the three Centers' websites (ASIC, STEMLC, or WC).
Log in-to the Employee Hub in Canvas to review any announcements and for quick access to TLC systems used throughout your shift.
Have your cell phone accessible for the necessary two-factor authentication (2FA) for MCC Single-Sign-On.

During Your Shift

SARS Anywhere

All staff use SARS Anywhere (SARS) to view their work schedule. During shifts: tutors use SARS to log all interactions with students as they occur and for online shifts only, desk assistants use SARS to enter and track students in the system.

Keep TLC focused on student learning by observing the following guidelines:

Eating

On Campus We ask that staff eat away from the tutoring space and enjoy a staff lounge. You may eat during breaks and lunches, or ask approval from a Learning Coach to have a short snack break during your shift if you are in need.
Online You may turn your camera off during your brief snack break, but stay at your computer so that you may be "called to action" to help a student, if needed.

Drinking

On Campus Beverages are allowed in sealed containers but should be kept at the COD station or in the staff lounge.
Online Beverages are allowed and a spill-resistant container is recommended around electronics.

Talking

On Campus Be mindful of others trying to study. If you need to have a work-related conversation or discussion with a colleague, move to another area away from students.
Online Some conversations will occur in the Staff Lounge, such as checking in with a tutor upon their return from an interaction. If sustained quiet is needed to complete work tasks or if you need to engage in a more in-depth discussion with a colleague, seek approval from the COD to move to a vacant breakout room.

Angry or Challenging Students… What do I do?

You should not tolerate disrespectful behavior or profanity. If you are faced with this, continue to be professional and calm and follow the tips below that are most appropriate to your situation:

Suggest the student take a break and resume their studies after a few minutes.
Politely excuse yourself from the interaction and find a different tutor to work with the student.
If a student is irate and/or begins to yell, alert someone from the Leadership Team immediately to resolve the problem.
On Campus If a member of the Leadership Team is not immediately reachable during the disruption and you feel unsafe with the student present, call the MiraCosta Police Department (ext. 6640) and request that the student be removed. Immediately write a note to the Leadership Team and talk with them as soon as possible to explain the circumstances leading up to the escalation.
Online If you are to the point in your discomfort where you feel you can no longer interact with the student, leave the breakout room and inform the COD that you need to speak with a Leadership Team member immediately in a private breakout room. Describe what happened. Remember, you have the "Record" feature in Zoom and may use it in-the-moment for these types of situations. If the student's behavior is particularly offensive or disruptive, a Coach may "remove" the student from the online TLC which will prohibit the student from returning for the rest of the day.
If you have a concern about an individual’s behavior or safety that affects the MiraCosta College community, please complete and submit a CARE Referral From.
- Provide the student’s ID number as well as the student’s name in the CARE referral. (Student ID number can be obtained from the SARS interaction log.)

Customer Service

It is the responsibility of all TLC employees to create a welcoming space conducive to learning. Keep in mind that for some students it is difficult to ask for help, especially in a new environment full of unfamiliar faces.

Try to get to know students by name as it makes them feel welcome in the Center and can also decrease student anxiety related to asking for help.

On Campus You should appear available unless you are already helping a student. Acknowledge new arrivals as they come in the center, and let them know someone will be with them as soon as possible.

Online You are expected to be attentive and ready to assist students when directed to do so by a Learning Coach. Unresponsiveness will result in a meeting with your Operations Supervisor, so communicate with the Coach on Duty when you step away from your device. You are expected to have your camera on when in the presence of students. Seeing a friendly face helps the student to feel more at ease. If you or the student are having internet connection issues, tell the student that you will turn off your Zoom video until the connection improves.

Collaborating with Staff

The TLC staff operate under the principle that we are part of a larger team and believe that our services are most successful when the staff interacts and collaborates with each other.

Every staff member is encouraged to ask for help when they have a content question they are unsure of, whether it comes up during a drop-in session or an appointment. We often like to call this a "consult," because a fellow team member is giving a consultation as a second opinion.
On Campus Get the attention of another staff member and ask for help.
Online You can return to the Staff Lounge breakout room or message the Coach on Duty in the Zoom app to ask for assistance at any time. This is also in the case of the student having technical difficulties.

Ending Your Shift

Exiting Gracefully... Wrapping up your final session

In an effort to be amiable to and supportive of students, some staff may struggle to wrap up their tutoring sessions in a timely or professional way. Here are some procedures to close a tutoring session and end your shift more smoothly.

If your shift is coming to a close, set student expectations at the beginning of the session. You may say something like, “My shift will be ending in 15 minutes, and I'm happy to work with you to help get you started with this problem until then.”
Give yourself a buffer (a few minutes) before the end of your shift to remind the student your shift is coming to a close and to execute the last steps of the tutoring cycle. If your shift ends at 4 pm, remind the student at five or so minutes till, don’t wait until 3:59 pm and then leave the session in a rush.
If you have to interrupt a session with the student and they still need help, notify the Coach on Duty or any available Leadership Team member so they can assign another staff member to help.

Working Longer

You should not work outside your scheduled shift time during the semester. Any changes to the start or end of your scheduled shift time require advanced approval from a member of the Leadership Team. All changes to shifts will be documented in SARS and you are encouraged to include a Workday comment when entering your time worked.

"Clock-out" Procedure and Tasks

Go through the following check-list at the end of your shift:

Make sure all of your interaction timers in SARS are ended. If there is an interaction that needs correcting -- whether the start or the end time -- inform the Coach on Duty or any available Leadership Team member.
Review your shift in SARS and make sure it accurately reflects your work for that day. If there is a discrepancy that needs correcting, inform the Coach on Duty or any available Leadership Team member.
Enter your time worked into Workday. If the shift is your last working day for the week, submit your entered time for the week. (NOTE: Sunday is considered the last day of the work-week.)
Notify the Coach on Duty or any available Leadership Team member that your shift has come to a end.

On Campus

Tablet

Log yourself out of SARS, close all windows, and put the tablet back at the COD station.

Nametag/Belongings

Take off your nametag and put them away in their proper place so that they are ready for your next shift. Collect all your personal belongings from the staff lounge before you leave.

Changing Roles

When you are "off the clock" you are welcome to remain in TLC if you have your own studying to do!

Online

Signing-off

Exit the online TLC by using the "Leave room" > "Leave meeting" option.

Changing Roles

When you are "off the clock" you are welcome to remain in the online TLC if you have your own studying to do! Go to "Leave room" > "Leave breakout room" (instead of "Leave meeting") and ask the Host to transition you to a student/customer.

Between Shifts

Off-The-Clock:

Your Responsibility to the STEMLC

Setting the example is important, so even if you are not working, be respectful of the responsibilities of those who are. Be aware of your behavior when off-the-clock or “hanging out” in TLC – keep your noise level down and try to minimize distractions for staff and students around you.

Your Responsibility to Yourself

While your behavior reflects on TLC at all times, you are not expected to work outside of your shifts. If you are approached for help when you are not working, this is an opportunity for you to establish healthy boundaries and expectations.

Students may recognize you as a TLC staff member and may approach you with questions while you are off-duty. Decline to help them by politely thanking them for coming to you and referring the student to other tutors or writing consultants who are currently working (wearing a lanyard and nametag).

On Campus

Working at Multiple Campuses on the Same Day

If you are assigned to work at multiple campuses on the same day, your drive time between campuses may be paid depending on the gap between your shifts.

You might also be eligible for mileage reimbursement for the drive between campuses. Eligibility is determined by the gap between your shifts and pre-approval through MiraCosta’s Risk Management Department.
- The pre-approval process requires paperwork to be completed in advance, including authorizing MiraCosta to pull your DMV Motor Vehicle Report and providing proof of the required automobile liability coverage (minimum coverage must be: $100,000 bodily injury, $300,000 per accident, and $50,000 property damage).

If you are assigned to work at multiple campuses and want to determine if you are eligible for mileage reimbursement, contact your Operations Supervisor.

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