Tour Guide Handbook Updated Spring 2011, SRC Leadership Team - 1 – SRC Guidelines and Procedures ATTENDANCE All members are expected to show up on time for every tour. If you miss more than two tours, you will automatically be removed from the committee. Please be in the admissions office at least five minutes before the tour is scheduled to leave. We schedule two or four tour guides to a time so that big groups can be split up. Don't let your partner(s) give every tour. Even if you and your partner are on a rotating schedule, make sure that you both show up all of the time. If you cannot make your tour time, it is your responsibility to find a replacement. SATURDAY TOURS Each member will be asked to give at least one Saturday tour per semester. SPECIAL TOURS We often have large bus tours and alumni tours scheduled for times when the Admissions office is closed. It is our responsibility to show them the campus. Every active SRC member is required to volunteer for at least two Special Tours or other special obligations (such as receptions, etc) per term. However, you are expected to volunteer whenever you do not have a class conflict. DRESS Because you'll be one of the first people prospective students and parents meet on campus, you are expected to look nice for your tours. Coat and tie are required for men. Please no jeans, shirts without collars, shorts, hats, or tennis shoes. Women should wear dress pants, skirts, or dresses. Please no flip- flops. PROCEDURE When you come to the office for your tour, please sign in on the SRC table to the right of the front desk, with the actual time you arrived. Be sure to mark who gave the tour. If there is no one waiting for a tour, wait for about ten minutes to see if there are any walk-ins. If you feel strongly about a prospective (positively or negatively), fill out a tour guide report form after the tour. These are the blue sheets located in the first drawer under the bulletin board. Admissions counselors will consider your report when reading the prospective student‘s application. NAME TAGS Your name tags are located in a box on top of the SRC desk.Name tags are mandatory, even for small tours, because prospectives will feel more comfortable asking questions if they can see your name. Please try not to take your name tag home with you. TOUR SIZE In order to give a more personal tour of the campus, it is necessary to break up tours which have eight or more people. That's why it's necessary that all tour guides show up. Ideally, SRC members should maintain ratios of 12 people to one guide or better. If you have any questions, please don‘t hesitate to contact a member of the Leadership Staff. Good luck and have fun! We know this is going to be a great year, and we're looking forward to working with all of you! Thank You! Jarrett Smith, Co-Chair for Membership and Tours Chloe Bellomy, Co-Chair for Recruitment and Communications Mathew O‘Sullivan, Vice-President for Membership and Tours Lizzie Engel, Vice-President for Membership and Tours - 2 – A Word From Admissions Thank you for volunteering to serve as a tour guide. You were chosen by the Student Recruitment Committee Leadership Staff because of your enthusiasm, dedication, composure, and involvement in the life of the University. We are fortunate to have you representing Washington & Lee. Your efforts are essential in the success of Washington & Lee. Countless prospective students count their contact with the tour guide as a primary factor in assessing a college. We know what positive ambassadors you are for us each and every week. We hope you will become integral members of the Student Recruitment Committee and know you will enjoy working with Jarrett, Chloe, Mathew, and Lizzie. We hope that you will turn to one of them or to one of us should any questions or issues arise. In addition to your weekly tours, you will be responsible for assisting with: - Special Tours - Accepted Student Visitation Day - Johnson Scholarship Competition Week - Phone-a-thons in the Admissions office - Recruitment Activities Again, thank you for serving as tour guides this year. Sincerely, Washington & Lee Admissions William Hartog, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jonathan Webster, Associate Dean of Admissions Erin Hutchinson, Sr. Associate Director of Admissions; Coordinator of Minority Recruitment and the Johnson Scholarship Program Erica Riesbeck, Associate Director of Admissions; Coordinator of International Recruitment Tony Conway, Associate Director of Admissions Web Editor and Data Manager Robert Koch, Assistant Director of Admissions Sarah Erickson, Assistant Director of Admissions Jenny Ratzel, Assistant Director of Admissions Chris Rucker, Admissions Counselor Russ Knudson, Faculty Emeritus; Admissions Interviewer Scotty Ashworth, Administrative Assistant - 3 – Agreement Between SRC and Admissions Office * I have read and fully understand the tour guide procedures including: attendance policies, Saturday tours, special tours, other recruitment activities, appropriate dress, etc. * I understand that it is my responsibility to arrive at least 5 minutes early to my assigned tour time. If I am not able to give a tour on my assigned day, it is my responsibility to find a replacement. * If I do not meet the SRC‘s minimum requirements i.e. falling below the 95 point minimum per term, or failing to make 2 blog posts per term, I will be released from the SRC, . Ways to Earn/Lose Points Number of Points Attendance at assigned tour time 5 Giving tour at assigned tour time 5 Covering a tour for someone else 10 Attendance at assigned special/Sat. tour 5 Attendance at special tour (beyond your 15 assigned one) First 4 blog posts 5 per post Over 4 blog posts 10 per post Office recruitment work 10 per hour Working a phone-a-thon shift 15 Absence without finding a replacement -20 * If I do not understand or know the answer to a question I will not attempt to answer the question. A simple ―I don‘t know‖ is a better answer than the wrong information. It is, however, my responsibility to make sure that I know the answer to that question next time I am asked. * I understand that I am afforded a wealth of resources on this campus- the Admissions Office staff, Academic departmental staff, etc.- I will alert them of questions or suggestions that I have. * I understand that I represent Washington and Lee University at all times. As a student representative I will always be mindful of the things I say and the image that I present to prospective students and their parents. I will never make negative or derogatory remarks about this campus. * I understand that I am vitally important to the Admissions Office‘s goal of recruiting interested and qualified applicants. _____________________________ __________________ Signed Date - 4 – Introduction This packet is merely an introduction to the Student Recruitment Committee. As a tour guide, you will encounter questions about academics, athletics, student life, and history, which are not covered in this pamphlet. To avoid such a situation, we encourage each tour guide to be extremely familiar with the current catalog and all brochures available to prospective students. Please feel free to pick up copies of brochures in the admissions office. No one expects a tour guide to know every answer. Please do not be afraid to admit that there are some questions that you simply cannot answer. If possible, try to obtain a correct answer once you have returned to the admissions office. IT IS BETTER TO SAY “I DON’T KNOW” THAN TO PASS ON INCORRECT INFORMATION. If you feel your answer did not satisfy the visitors, direct them to an admissions counselor. If at any point during the year you encounter a question to which you do not know the answer or feel uncomfortable answering tactfully, please do not hesitate to contact your SRC Leadership for suggestions. Although we generally allow guides to design their own tours, there are several points of interest that you should note. Please try to take your tour inside the following: Science Center Leyburn Library Elrod University Commons Fitness Center Williams School and/ or Reid Hall Classroom Lee Chapel Be aware of the needs of your tour (i.e., handicapped or elderly individuals) when planning your route. If visitors on your tour act inappropriately, handle the situation as tactfully as possible and feel free to report the incident to the Admissions office. You were selected as a tour guide because you exhibited solid inter-personal skills. Just relax and have fun showing off your school! - 5 – The Tour I. HISTORY AND GENERAL INFORMATION A. General 1. Augusta Academy 1749. 2. Moved to Timber Ridge (7 miles north of Lexington); Liberty Hall. 3. Liberty Hall Academy 1783 (northwest of campus). 4. Washington Academy 1798 (later called Washington College c. 1813). * George Washington bequeathed the proceeds from his James River and Canawa Canal stock to the academy. He hoped that the canal would connect the East Coast with the Mississippi Valley. The proceeds from this stock today pay for $1.87 of every students tuition. 5. Washington and Lee University 1871, after the death of Lee. 6.* Washington and Lee is the ninth oldest college in the country and celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1999. 7. Washington and Lee became co-ed in 1985. B. Colonnade- main academic buildings 1. John Jordan was architect. 2. Classic style - Doric columns, Greek revival. 3. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1972.