TECH Center Student Staff

Guidelines and Responsibilities

Informational packet for TECH Center consultants

Fall 2015

Main responsibilities of student workers when reporting for duty:

Show up for your scheduled shifts on time

Proceed to sign-in clock on pillar andswipe-in for your scheduled shift

Put on your consultant vest

Determine current staffing and where you are needed

-Printer room must always have one consultant

-Two consultants should always be at main desk

If stationary positions occupied:

-Check lab printers:

Make sure they have paper (not to exceed the max line on tray)
Make sure they are not out of toner
Make sure there are no jams
The display screen should show ‘Ready’

-Walk through the lab to make sure:

No one is eating in the lab
No one is being disruptive
No one is altering or manipulating lab equipment without permission

-Check breakout rooms:

If room occupied:
Make sure equipment /room is not being jeopardized
Make sure no one is eating
Make sure the room is being used for educational purposes
If room not occupied:
Make sure plasma is turned off
Make sure door is locked
Make sure door is closed
Light can be left on unless told otherwise by Manager

-Walk through specialty labs:

Check to make sure no one is eating
Make sure no one is disruptive
Make sure everything is in order

Perform any additional tasks or projects asked by the manager on duty. The manager is in charge and it is not your job to question them or determine whether or not you ‘feel’ like doing what they ask. If asked by a manager to go to the printer room, do so. It is not optional. This goes for any manager on duty. If you have complaints against a manager report them to me in an e-mail or in person. If the complaint is against me, report it to Gene Mayro.

WHAT NOT TO DO WHILE ON DUTY:

No wearing head phones

-This makes you look unapproachable and is not professional

Do not sit and spread out your personal work to do homework as if you are at home

No eating while on duty

-How can you enforce policies and rules if you are breaking them yourself

No loud talking or disruptive behavior

-Users are trying to study and work on projects, be respectful

No unapproved breaks

-Whether coffee, smoke or food breaks

Permission must be granted by the manager on duty
You are being paid to be in the lab and working, so that is where you should be

General lab rules:

Lab is for use by current students, faculty, staff and alumni who possess alumni cards

Lab breakout rooms are for use by only Temple Students (13 total rooms)

Rooms reserved for academic use only

Only one laptop per owl card can be borrowed at a time unless Manager gives approval otherwise

Noise levels are to be kept to a minimum. This is a study facility

No food is permitted outside of the internet lounge and front lounge area

Manipulation of connected wires and/or cables is prohibited without manager permission

-No disconnecting network cables to plug into laptops

-No plugging scanners into laptops, etc.

-No tampering with recording booth cables

Users cannot connect personal equipment to lab equipment, ports or printers. Only Computer Services Personnel may attach or remove equipment. If someone is having a problem with a computer they should see a lab consultant or the Lab Manager.

-Exception for jump drives and/or external (USB or firewire) hard drives

All Copyright laws and Computer Services policies will be strictly enforced.

Computer Services is not responsible for lost or stolen articles, damaged disks or damage to users' personal equipment.

The Lab Manager or student Lab Shift Supervisor has the right at his/her discretion to ask individuals who are not behaving properly to leave the lab at that time. If the user does not cooperate Temple Police should be contacted at (1-1234)

Guidelines for shift coverage:

When you miss a shift, it negatively affects the entire lab. Not only does it make the lab short one consultant, but it negatively effects morale as well as causes additional stress to those left to pick up your slack. So, to prevent this from bringing down the entire lab, we are going to establish some guidelines.

Do not take a shift you cannot cover. Do not stretch yourself too thin. If you do not take a shift, it gives me the opportunity to find someone else or hire someone else to fill the slot. However, if you take it then I am not looking to fill it…but when you call-out constantly it leaves us short staffed. So, only take shifts you know you can cover.

Picking up a shift is a responsibility. Work is a responsibility. You need to learn time management. If you are scheduled to work at a given time, schedule your other commitments or appointments accordingly. If you are constantly scheduling other events during your work time, I will assume you do not need the job and I will replace you with one of the numerous applicants looking for a job.

Missing shifts to meet with your advisor or for a doctor’s appointment will now require notes. This may seem childish, but too many times in the pastconsultants scheduled 3 hour meetings with advisors while they were supposed to be at work. I am certain that an advisor or doctor will have no problem writing a quick one line note with the date and time of the mandatory appointment. I know you have priorities, but I have a lab to run and I need to do so in an efficient manner.

Call-outs will be limited. You cannot call out for a shift less than three days in advance. To clarify what I mean by three days is that it must be 72 hours in advance. You need to not only send an e-mail to the listserv, but a separate e-mail to me detailing why you will be out. You will be limited to 2 call-outs a week and no more than 5 total call-outs a semester. If you exceed these numbers, you will face the possibility of losing your shift as well as being completely replaced on the schedule.

Lateness will not be tolerated. You need to show up for your shift, all shifts, on time. Lateness shows a lack of respect for the job, your coworkers and for the managers. Your time is no more valuable than the rest of ours. Get in the practice of being punctual now, or when you graduate and find a job you’re going to be in trouble.

Just a FYI: When I do referrals or recommendations over the phone; which many of your future employers will want; one of the main questions I am asked is ‘if you show up for all of your scheduled shifts and if you are on time.’ This tells a lot about a person’s character. If you are not a punctual person, you are better off finding someone else to do your reference. However, that could be a problem because if you list this job on your resume and don’t use me as a reference, the future employer may wonder why.

Any overnight call-out cannot be sent to the listserv. It must go through me and Ron Ardron.

You need to take this opportunity seriously. You are not children, you are adults.

Rule enforcement:

No Food in the lab area: Too many times I notice consultants sitting at the desk while people are eating in the front row or in clear view. You need to start taking initiative and enforcing the no food policy, it’s part of your job.

You can be nice about it, just go to the person and quietly state there is no eating in the lab area. Give them the option to take the food to the lobby area or the internet lounge. If you notice in a couple minutes they are still eating, ask them again to put the food away or you will have to call security. If they do not oblige and give you a hard time, call the manager or call Temple Security at (1-1234) to report the incident and have the person removed from the lab.

Breakout rooms and plasma screens: When the rooms are not occupied, the doors should be closed and locked, the lights should be on but the plasma screens need to be off. The doors also need to be closed and locked to prevent users from wandering in to the rooms without signing-in at the desk.

Noise levels in lab areas: The lab is a study facility. With the amount of users in the lab, there is going to be a certain level of ‘noise’. However, this level should be kept to a minimum. If someone is: being overly loud when talking with others; or has an ipod playing so loud it can be heard 3 rows away; or is holding a cell phone conversation which can be heard throughout the lab; etc. it is the consultants responsibility to ask the person to keep the noise level to a minimum. You can suggest they go to the lounge area. Remind them it is a study facility and their actions are disruptive to others around them. If they are not cooperative, contact the manager on duty and/or Temple police at (1-1234).

Noise level in the quiet labs: Quiet labs should be quiet. No music from headphones, no cell phone use, no collaborating between people. Anyone not following the Quiet Lab rules as posted in the lab, should be asked to leave the area.

Coffee, smoke and food breaks: Breaks for such things as a smoke, coffee, snack, are not required. You cannot just leave your shift to go take a break. You must receive permission from the manager on duty to do so. If we are short staffed or the lab is over 80% full, breaks are not permitted. Too many times I have a full schedule, but when I go to the lab there are only two consultants running around like crazy because others decided to take a break or go for a smoke. These breaks are not required and therefore need to be approved.

Tips for assisting and dealing with users:

Be attentive
Give the user asking the question your undivided attention
Look at the person while they are talking
Not at your books or your text message or your e-mail
Do not accept a personal phone call while they are talking to you
Be courteous
Most likely the person is speaking to you because they need assistance
Do not speak down to them or be short with them
Smile. Don’t look as if you are bothered by their question
Remember, if they don’t ask questions, you won’t have a job
Be thorough
Make sure you completely understand their question and then provide a solution
Provide the information they are looking for
If you do not know the answer, ensure them you will find out
Ask another consultant
Use the help menus
Google the question
Ask a manager
Do not just quickly dismiss the user with an ‘I don’t know…’
Be professional
You represent yourself as well as the entire TECH Center staff
Conduct yourself in a professional and respectful manner
Do not give one word answers
Do not cut the users short when they are talking
While you are at work, your time is their time
You were hired to make their life easier while in the lab

Too many times I notice consultants attempting to give users long explanations with details while remaining at the desk. This usually overwhelms and/or confuses the user and leads to a negative interaction. I also see consultants say ‘I don’t know’ while sitting at the desk. MAKE AN EFFORT. Go to the user’s computer to assist them. You may surprise yourself while you are there and actually figure out the answer. Regardless, this shows a willingness to help and that goes a long way.

If you do not know, find out. Use the help menus or the internet to find an answer. Ask other consultants or the manager on duty. Find out the answer even if the person leaves so that the next time the question is asked you are not in the same situation.

Let’s help the TECH Center live up to its reputation as the biggest and best lab in the country. Don’t just work here to make money, work here to make a difference.

Common questions and concerns:

I think I was charged too much for my print job.
Log-in at – select ‘diamond dollars’ from left side and review charges
Also good for when someone wants a receipt for their printing
My print job didn’t come out but I was charged.
Do not ask the user to reprint job and then put in for a refund. Refunds are the last option.
Check printer status. See if the printer is in ‘Ready’ state according to the display.
Make sure they selected the job on the touch screen.
The user can check in Tuportal to confirm they were charged.
Have the manager check the print que and verify the job is in there. Manager can then reprint job.
It is much easier for a manager to reprint a job than to obtain a refund.
Refunds only for technical errors, not user errors
Paper jam; ink runs out; printer crashes, etc
The scanner is not working.
If the background after log-in does not look like all the others it means the profile did not load properly and the settings did not copy over completely.
User must restart the computer; wait about 3 minutes and then log-in again.
Problem occurs when computer is restarted and user attempts to log-in while the profile deletion script is running.
Make sure the scanner is turned on and the power light is lit
Check the cables going from the scanner to the computer
Open Photoshop and go under file and then import to see if the scanner is there
If none of this works, contact manager.
I’m sending a document to the printer but it is not showing up when I swipe my card.
Check to make sure the user is actually logged on as him/her self to the computer and not logged on under a different person.
Make sure they are sending to the proper printer (over 25 if a large document).
Check bottom right of computer monitor to see if there is a printer icon
If icon is there, open and view contents.
If print jobs from an earlier user are listed, computer needs to be restarted
Minimize all screens and make sure there are no error messages hidden on the screen
Where do I put more money on my card?
There are three ways to add money to your card to be used as diamond dollars
The diamond dollar machine located on the side of the consultant desk
Accepts bills ranging from $1.00 – $20.00
You can add money online (through TUportal)
Must use a credit card or debit card
You can go to the diamond dollar office
Located on Liacouras Walk next to 7-11
Where do I print over 25 pages?
You select the over 25 page printer from the drop down menu on any computer
Pick up the print jobs in room 204 or from the HV printer in Orange section
Where is the color printer?
The color printer is located in the print room (204)
How do I log-in to the computer?
The username and password are the same as your accessnet account information
Do we have a fax machine in the TECH Center?
No. There is no fax machine in the TECH Center
You can scan in your document and go to to fax a limited amount for free
If you exceed the limit, there is a small charge
Why is there no manager on duty?
There is always a manager on duty
You may have to page him/her at times
Pager information is located on Marc’s web site
Can I borrow a pen, scissors, tape, etc.?
If a scissors is available let the person use it at the desk
Too many times the supplies disappear
Hole punchersare on the main consultant desk as well as the print room desk
Staplers are located at the printers as well as consultant desk
Pens are not supplied
Tape is for administrative use only
Taping the names to the lost USB drives before “filing”
What are the requirements for using a breakout room in the lab?
Must be student reserving
Not faculty, staff, etc.
There is a faculty breakout room located on the first floor which is handled by the ISC which is located on the first floor and can be reached at (1-8529).
Maximum of six hours at a given time
No more than 9 hours per week
Must be for academic use
Must have valid Temple ID card
What are the requirements for laptop and/or peripheral borrowing?
There is a 3 hours max time limit
Must have valid Temple ID card with them
Must sign contract and be entered in the system once a year
Where