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LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
Welcome to the staff of the office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes (LRSA). Our department appreciates your joining us to provide the best academic support services possible to our student-athletes.
Your job is significant and requires a great deal of responsibility while offering many challenges. Our students run the gamut in terms of ability, motivation, and areas of interest. In your current position, you can help the students achieve their full potential by providing direct tutoring help, promoting a positive academic environment, and providing vital clerical help to our staff. Together our mission is to provide academic and personal support services to all varsity student-athletes with the goal that each student-athlete will be provided fair opportunity to achieve her or his academic, intellectual, social, and personal development potential.
We at LRSA continue to strive to improve our programs. Student employees committed to quality teaching and unparalleled integrity remain one key element to our success, and we welcome timely input from you on how to make our programs better and more efficient. We welcome you to our staff.
This handbook has been compiled to help you understand our programs and the role you can play within them. Please read it thoroughly. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to speak with any of the full-time staff members. They are available at any time to assist you in your job. Thank you for your participation in our program.
Respectfully,
Ferna L. Phillips, Ph.D.
Director
Learning Resources for Student-Athletes (LRSA), in conjunction with several other tutorial and support programs across campus, provides academic support services to Boston College varsity student-athletes.
If you have questions, problems, or requests, please discuss them with your immediate supervisor. Please do not make changes to procedures, initiate programs, or take on responsibilities that you have not first discussed with the professional staff person who supervises your particular area of employment. Remember, you are not here to do students' work, talk about their sports, inquire about tickets to sporting events, or to do your own work. We rely on you to act in a professional manner and help our student-athletes continue their success in the classroom.
The goal of LRSA is to see that each student-athlete is provided fair opportunity to achieve her or his potential of academic, intellectual, social, and personal development. The entire staff is here to help the student-athlete achieve academic excellence. As a student-employee, you are part of this team. LRSA staff members include:
Ferna L. Phillips, Ph.D., Director 617-552-8533
ferna.phillips@bc.edu
Dard A. Miller, Ph.D., Associate Director 617-552-8669
dard.miller@bc.edu
Lee Metzger, Academic Counselor for Football, 617-552-0617
lee.metzger@bc.edu
Mariette Landry, Academic Counselor, Learning Specialist, 617-552-1497
mariette.landry@bc.edu
Clare Turkington, Academic Counselor for Football, 617-552-0616
clare.turkington@bc.edu.
Solly Haynes, Counselor Assistant, 617-552-0614, tracyha@bc.edu
Deirdre Brogan, Graduate Assistant, brogande@bc.edu, 617-552-8533
Valerie Kelly, Graduate Assistant, 617-552-6011
valerie.kelly.1@bc.edu
Jennifer Winslow, Graduate Assistant, 617-552-6011
winslowj@bc.edu@bc.edu
Sandra Dorsainvil, Graduate Intern, 617-552-6010
dorsains@bc.edu
Yan Zhao, Graduate Technology Coordinator, 617-552-6010, zhaoyj@bc.edu
All staff have offices at:
Yawkey Athletic Center 400 (North End Zone- 4th Floor)
Phone - 617-552-8533 Facsimile (FAX)- 617 552-0822
Please feel free to contact the staff if you have questions or concerns regarding a student-athlete or the policies and procedures of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes.
STUDENT-EMPLOYEE JOB DESCRIPTIONS
ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE POSITIONS
Support staff provides clerical support to the Administrative Assistant at LRSA
Support Staff Requirements:
Ø Must be enrolled as a full-time student at Boston College. Preference is given to undergraduates.
Ø Students should have some familiarity with office environments (typing, data collection).
Other duties of the support staff include: receptionist duties, scheduling of appointments, telephone contact, data entry, mail distribution, statistical reports, filing, and other duties as needed.
TUTORIAL PROGRAM
Tutors provide specific content instruction to student-athletes under the supervision of the Tutorial Coordinator.
Content Tutor Requirements:
Ø Must be enrolled as full time Boston College students.
Ø Must have achieved a high level of success in their specialty or
specialties.
Ø Should meet weekly with the student-athletes assigned to them.
Ø Should implement procedures that empower the students to work on their own.
Ø Maintain accurate records and return these records to their supervisor in a timely fashion.
Ø Possess good oral and written communications skills.
Ø Required to attend 10 hours of training sessions offered by the Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes. This enables tutors to obtain tutor certification under the auspices of the College REading and Learning Association.
Ø Strict adherence to the policies and procedures outlined in the Tutorial Handbook.
Ø Work evenings and weekends as necessary.
Ø Utmost respect for the confidentiality of the tutor/student relationship.
Content tutors may work regularly with some students and just occasionally with others, depending on need and motivation. Sessions may range from one hour to as many as are needed by the student-athlete.
Additional Requirements:
Tutors must report concerns about student-athletes to the Tutorial Coordinator. Areas of concern to report are: absenteeism, lack of class preparation, emotional stress, questions pertaining to academic integrity, or other indications of obstacles to academic progress.
INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS (IAs) IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM
Instructional Assistants (IAs) provide developmental instruction to student-athletes under the supervision of the Associate Director and/or the Learning Specialist.
Instructional Assistant Requirements:
Ø Must be graduate students enrolled at least half- time at Boston College.
Ø Should meet with assigned student-athletes at least once a week, providing content and strategy tutoring, as assigned by the Associate Director and/or Learning Specialist.
Ø Work closely under the direction of the Associate Director and/or Learning Specialist, to help develop, implement, and evaluate instructional plans for each student-athlete to whom they are assigned.
Ø Possess good oral and written communications skills.
Ø Required to attend 10 hours of training sessions offered by the Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes.
Additional Requirements:
Instructional Assistants must report concerns about students to the Associate Director and/or Learning Specialist. Areas of concern to report are: absenteeism, lack of class preparation, emotional stress, questions pertaining to academic integrity, or other indications of any obstacles to academic progress.
Murphy Family STudy Center Monitors
The Murphy Family Study Center monitors provide primary supervision of the LRSA Study Center and provide academic assistance as needed.
Murphy Family Study Center Monitor Requirements:
Ø Must be graduate students enrolled at least half-time at Boston College.
Ø Possess good communication skills, be able to supervise as many as 40 student-athletes during a structured study time.
Ø Responsible for opening, closing, and securing the LRSA Study Center.
Ø Possess some computer experience, and be able to address problems that arise in the computer lab.
Ø Maintain a proper study atmosphere in the LRSA Study Center
Ø Required to attend 10 hours of training sessions offered by the Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes.
Ø Compile data on Center use.
Additional Requirements:
The Murphy Family Study Center Monitors must report concerns about students to the Assistant Director. Monitors are also responsible for the upkeep and safety of the Study Center.
The Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes expects every student employee (Support Staff, Content Tutors, IAs, and LRSA Study Center Monitors) to participate in a variety of training activities. Whether you do so with your individual supervisor or in organized sessions sponsored by LRSA (or other offices on campus, our intent is to ensure that you gain valuable work experience and knowledge for future employment opportunities, whether on campus during your undergraduate (or graduate) days or for full-time positions after graduation from Boston College.
Each year various workshops are sponsored by the department. The schedule is accessible on the LRSA web page at www.bc.edu/lrsa.
LRSA offers a training program certified by the College Reading and Learning Association. Our training and tutor certification program is for all employees of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes. All employees are required to participate in this program and, upon completion of the requirements, are able to receive a certificate of training. Further details can be obtained from Dr.Ferna Phillips, Director, and Dr.Dard Miller, Associate Director and Coordinator of the Program.
Compensation:
Salaries paid to student employees are set by the Student Employment Office located in Student Services in Lyons Hall. They are commensurate with other campus positions. Information can be obtained through the Student Services Office, or you can contact your individual supervisor in the Learning Resources for Student-Athletes.
Since tutoring demands vary from semester to semester, it is difficult to maintain a fixed number of tutors or to guarantee any tutoring work beyond a given semester. For that reason, you are encouraged to investigate and secure other employment opportunities on and off campus. If you are released, you will be advised of the situation by the Tutorial Coordinator, and you will be given preference for any tutoring in your discipline when a student requires assistance.
Payment Issues:
1. Student employee pay rate is established on an hourly basis. No additional pay is granted for simultaneously tutoring two or more students during a given time period.
2. All documentation for time worked must be submitted on the appropriate forms (see appendices). Time sheets without signatures will not be submitted for payment.
3. Paychecks are issued weekly on Friday. You are required to have direct deposit.
4. Our pay period runs from Sunday to Saturday in accordance with established university guidelines, so your checks will be one week behind.
5. Training on the Kronos system will follow.
1. No tutors in this program or any other student employee will write papers for student-athletes, complete homework, write foreign language compositions, or provide any other materials a student may submit as his or her own to an instructor. Those found in violation of the above will be dismissed immediately and referred to the University for disciplinary action. Employees must refer any and all suspicions of academic fraud to their supervisors.
2. Employees are to maintain a professional relationship at all times with student-athletes. If you have concerns regarding your relationship with assigned student-athletes, please inform us so that we may assign the student a new tutor.
3. Tutors/IAs are to complete an evaluation form after every appointment (see attachments-Appendix B and C), detailing the progress of their students. Each form should offer specific details of the session and contain the student's and tutor's first and last name, and the student-athlete's team (printed neatly). Please be specific about what you went over and whether or not the student understood. If students are not on time please write down how late they were. Students should come prepared to each meeting. If they are not, please document it on the evaluation form.
PLEASE BE SURE YOUR TUTOR FORMS ARE FILED ASAP. YOU WILL NOT BE PAID FOR SESSIONS THAT TOOK PLACE MORE THAN A WEEK PRIOR TO YOUR SUBMISSION OF SESSION EVALUATION FORMS.
4. Tutors/IAs have the responsibility to request student phone numbers (cell, off-campus, etc.) so that you can notify them if you cannot attend the scheduled meeting. Do not make changes in your scheduled appointment time without approval from one of the tutorial staff. Tutors are allowed only one unexcused absence and three late arrivals before your employment will be terminated. If you have an emergency, contact your supervisor. Always call the office at (617) 552-8533 to leave a message.
5. Weekends/After Hours/Off Site: If the Tutorial Coordinator is not notified prior to the appointment, you will not be paid for your work.
6. Tutor/IAs are required to wait 30 minutes for each student.
7. Employees do not have direct contact with teachers, parents, or coaches unless authorized by their supervisors. Any special or additional tutorial days or times (even if a coach asks) a t must be arranged through the Tutorial Coordinator.
8. Employees do not interject their personal opinions as to the validity of a student's enrollment in a certain course.
9. Employees do not do their own homework during scheduled work hours unless authorized by the Tutorial Coordinator. Newspapers, magazines, etc., should not be read when working with students. Do not leave work area unless authorized by the supervisor.
10. You are expected to maintain appropriate and professional conduct: no feet on tables or chairs; no sleeping; no lying on the floor; no food or drinks; no walkmans or radios; no loud talking or disruptive laughing during study table hours.
11. All tutoring must be done in LRSA during the following hours unless approved by the Tutorial Coordinator. Hours: Monday - Thursday 9am-9pm, Friday 9am-3pm and Sunday 4pm-9pm.
12. Failure to comply with any of the rules above may result in immediate termination.
If you have a problem with the Tutorial Coordinator, another tutor, or some aspect of the Program outlined in this handbook, please feel free to talk to us about it.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
We at LRSA take Academic integrity very seriously. We will devote further significant time to issues of integrity during our mandatory orientation for all tutors. Please make yourself familiar with Boston College's policies outlined in the College Handbook. Tutors are responsible to act with integrity at all times.
THE FOLLOWING ACTIONS WILL RESULT IN TERMINATION:
1. Failure to uphold the general duties of a tutor as outlined in this handbook.
2. Failure to observe the rules and regulations of the LRSA Tutorial Handbook.
3. Deficient academic skills.
4. Falsification of time sheets.
5. Disruptive behavior that calls unfavorable attention to the tutor as a representative of LRSA, or to the student-athletes or the Athletic Association.
6. Failure to maintain tutoring appointments.
7. Violating university policies regarding academic integrity.
8. Failure to show up for mandatory meetings.
9. Violation of any NCAA mandates regarding "extra benefits" or other pertinent policies.
10. Any violation of student-athlete confidentiality.
Student Employee Trainings
Throughout the year, LRSA will conduct student employee training sessions. YOU MUST ATTEND 10 HOURS OF TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. The first two hours will occur during the orientation meeting. A schedule of other meetings will follow.
Tutor Certification
During the year, LRSA in collaboration with other campus offices will offer training sessions on various topics. Attendance at these sessions is required to become certified by the College Reading and Learning Association. Guidelines and minimum requirements will be made available throughout the year.
Application form:
Every person who would like to become a tutor must fill out the application form. Applications will be held on file for one year. You can complete an application form in the Yawkey Athletic Center Fourth floor or online at www.bc.edu/lrsa. If you have not done so already, you must complete a W-4.
Hire Form:
Make sure that your I-9 identification is complete in the Student Services Student Employment office located in Lyons Hall. You will not be paid if this form is not complete. Missing information will delay the processing of your paperwork.
Conditions of Employment Statement:
As an employee of LRSA, you are required to sign a Conditions of Employment Statement. Guidelines regarding issues such as confidentiality, academic integrity, and conduct while employed by LRSA are addressed. This form must be signed before you can begin tutoring. Any violation of these guidelines will result in your immediate termination of employment with LRSA. You will keep any information that you learn about a student confidential. (See Appendix A for a copy of this agreement.) In addition, there are other NCAA rules that affect your employment here. (See Appendix D for an outline.)
Forms:
The tutor contact record needs to be filled out after each tutoring session. It should be returned to the LRSA as soon as possible. In Appendix B and C are examples of how the form should be filled out.
Paychecks
All employees are required to participate in Direct Deposit. You must complete, sign, and return a Direct Deposit Enrollment Form, along with a voided personal check, to the Payroll Office located in More Hall. Forms can also be completed in the Student Services Student Employment office located in Lyons Hall, or on the website.
Relevant Materials
If there are materials that you may need, such as textbooks, study aids, etc., please submit a request to the Tutorial Coordinator for approval.
SPECIFICS OF THE TUTORIAL PROGRAM
The Matching Process - How Students sign up for tutoring.
General Expectations:
¨ The student-athlete will talk with an LRSA counselor regarding difficulty in a class.
¨ The student-athlete will fill out a tutor request form.
¨ The student-athlete is told that the tutor coordinator will phone him or her ASAP with the name and phone number of the tutor.
¨ If the student-athlete does not hear from LRSA within a week he or she is told to stop by the office or call about the request.
¨ It is expected that the student-athlete be prepared to meet with the tutor.
Student-Athlete Responsibilities:
¨ Go to class regularly.
¨ Ask professors questions during class and office hours.
¨ Read class assignments.
¨ Review notes.
¨ Do as much of the homework as possible.
¨ Make initial contact with the tutor to set up tutoring sessions.
¨ Prepare specific questions to ask the tutor about the material.
¨ Bring all necessary materials to tutor session.
¨ Set a regular meeting with the tutor and notify theTutorial Coordinator of that time commitment.
Tutor Responsibilities::
¨ Be prepared to meet with the student on a regular basis.
¨ Use objectives and procedures that empower the student to work independently on his or her own.
¨ Be as familiar as possible with the material before the meeting.
¨ Both tutor and student have the responsibility to be on time for meetings and to call in advance if they cannot make the scheduled meeting times.
¨ For drop-in tutoring, make sure you attempt to set a regular meeting for the students.
Tutor Program
Procedures for Tutors (how student-athletes are assigned to you)
1. The tutorial coordinator will contact you with the student-athlete's name, sport, academic counselor, phone number, email address and the course/professor in which the student needs help.
2. The student-athlete will contact you. If you do not hear from the student-athlete, please try to contact him or her. If you are unable to connect with the student-athlete, call the Tutorial Coordinator or the Graduate Tutorial Coordinator. Often student-athlete need a tutor, and their counselor and coaches are waiting for feedback from you.
3. Each tutoring session should last as long as needed to complete the work necessary. Please take time at the end to fill out the appropriate paperwork. Be sure to have the student sign in and out; often they need that time to fulfill study hours.
4. After your session, please complete the evaluation form. Note that the student-athlete's signature is required. This form is to be returned to LRSA within 48 hours. We do payroll on Friday mornings, so we will count forms turned in up to Thursday evening..
5. If you have any concerns about the session, please contact the Tutorial Coordinator, The Assistant Tutorial Coordinator.
7. All tutoring sessions must be held somewhere in the LRSA office area or study center unless prior approval by the Tutorial Coordinator (or the Assistant Tutorial Coordinator) is granted for tutors to meet with student-athletes somewhere else on the Boston College campus or after hours. Under no circumstances will tutoring take place off-campus or at a student's residence.
8. Please contact the Tutorial Coordinator if a student-athlete cancels an appointment. Appointments should be canceled the day before. If you hear from a student-athlete on the day of the appointment, you will be paid for the session. If a student-athlete does not show up for an appointment, you will also be paid for the session. However, you must fill out a contact record stating that the student-athele cancelled or did not show up.
9. If you are not able to make a session, please contact the student-athlete and the Tutorial Coordinator at LRSA main number (617) 552-8533. You will not be paid for a missed session if you are unavailable. It is assumed that your next session with the student will be during the following week. If other plans are made, please discuss them with the Tutorial Coordinator.
10. No Faculty or Coach contact should occur unless the Tutorial Coordinator has given prior approval. (See Conditions of Employment Statement-Appendix A.)
Tutors who are assigned to "drop-in" hours must show up at the time assigned. Student-athletes count on you to be there. If you miss two drop-in hours, you will be replaced as a drop-in tutor and be placed on notice for your regular tutoring position. Drop-in tutors should use the time to actively seek out students who need help. If a student-athlete asks you for help, and it is a subject with which you are familiar, try to help the student-athlete.
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT STATEMENT FOR STUDENT EMPLOYEES
As a student employee in the Office of Learning Resources for Student-Athletes (LRSA), I understand and agree to abide by the guidelines concerning the preservation of confidentiality. I understand I may not:
a. Discuss with anyone other than my supervisor(s) any information that I learn, overhear, or read while performing my duties as a student employee.
b. Contact any administrator, faculty member, or coach without the permission of my supervisor(s) regarding any student-athlete with whom I am working.
c. Engage in any interactions that will compromise or jeopardize the professional relationship(s) that I establish with student-athletes.
In addition, I will refrain from allowing a student-athlete's athletic ability or performance or specific team membership to influence my attitude toward or work with that student-athlete.
I will adhere to the University's written policy regarding plagiarism and cheating and other acts of academic dishonesty.
I understand that any violation of these guidelines will result in my immediate termination of employment with this office.
Signature: Date:
PLEASE PRINT NAME HERE
Date: April 1 Tutor: Marie Curie
Student's Name: Jenny Thompson Subject: Chemistry
Sport: Women's Swimming Length of Session: 1.25 hours
EVALUATION OF TUTORING SESSION
Please include the following in your evaluation of the session: Punctuality; student effort; preparation and improvement; tutoring goals; next meeting planned (next meeting should be same time and place-please note if it has changed and why. Ex. Team travel)
Jenny was on time as usual. We discussed the properties of noble gasses and the importance of Boyle's Law. Jenny demonstrated a good understanding of the concepts, and even knew the atomic weight of gold. She was well prepared, with good lecture notes, and had attempted most of her homework. She will need to work harder on the computational side of things in order to succeed. We moved our next meeting to Tuesday because of trip next week, and agreed to meet on Thursday as well to review of the midterm.
Student's Signature: Jenny Thompson
LEARNING RESOURCES FOR STUDENT-ATHLETES
IA TIME SHEET
Instructional Assistant: Ignatius Anderson
Name of Student-Athlete: Sebastian Altschul
Session Date: March 15h Sport: Skiing
Session Goal: To improve writing Hours: 1.5
Please include the following in your evaluation of the session: Punctuality; student effort; preparation and improvement; tutoring goals; next meeting planned (next meeting should be same time and place-please note if it has changed and why. Ex. Team travel)
Evaluation of Session:
Sebastian and I had a great session. He seems more comfortable with the research methods and sentence variation we have been working on. He was comfortable with his Perspectives exam, and feels relatively well prepared for his history exam. We will work on his text book reading and reading note skills in our next session. As he gains confidence his writing will continue to improve.
Next Scheduled Meeting: March 17th @ 10 am.
Follow- up Assignment: Read play for Theatre and prepare reading notes summarizing plot and any symbolism he can identify.
NCAA Rules to be Aware of During Your Employment in LRSA.
NCAA legislation states 16.01.1 states: "A student-athlete shall not receive any extra benefit…If the student-athlete receives an extra benefit not authorized by NCAA legislation , the individual is ineligible in all sports." Bylaw 16.02.3 further states, "An extra benefit is any special arrangement by an institutional employee or a representative of the institution's athletics interests to provide a student-athlete or the student-athlete's relative or friend a benefit not expressly authorized by NCAA legislation."
You, as a student employee of LRSA, represent the institution of Boston College, so you must be familiar with what constitutes an "extra benefit." If you would not offer a benefit to every other student at Boston College, you cannot offer it to a student-athlete. Some, though by no means all, prohibited actions follow below:
YOU MAY NOT: Buy a student-athlete a meal, a snack, a soda, any food item, or let the student-athlete use your ID card.
YOU MAY NOT: Give a student-athlete a ride, money for the T, money for a cab, or let a student-athlete use your car (even if the student-athlete pays for gas).
YOU MAY NOT: Buy a student-athlete a book, a magazine, a newspaper, a planner, or any other school supply, even if it is for an assignment you are working on with that student-athlete.
YOU MAY NOT: Allow a student to make a call from your cell phone, use your calling card to make a long- distance call, or make that call for him/her.
YOU MAY NOT: Buy a student-athlete a computer disk or any other computer materials.
YOU MAY NOT: Give the student-athlete free admission to anything or give coupons not available to all other students.
If you have any questions about what is allowed, don't do it. Ask first.