Re: Appointments

[mcarroll@GROG.RIC.EDU]

Meg Carroll
mcarroll@ric.edu

On Sat, 3 Oct 1998, Sonja Bagby wrote:

> Dear WCenter Friends:
> My center has grown so much that I have questions about a good thing--too
> many writers for the number of tutors.
> 
> In the past, we have allowed mostly drop-ins, but now we find the need to
> encourage appointments.   We have some unhappy procrastinators, but we
> manage better when we DO ask people to make appointments by phone or email
> or when we must turn them away.
> 
> The questions:
> 1)Do your centers insist upon appointments?  Why or why not?
> We encourage appointments, but do take drop-ins. During our class
presentations, we tell students that they're welcome to take their chances
by just stopping by for an appointment, but that by the third week of the
semester, they may have some difficulty. Most students schedule ahead of
time. We also tell those who are the last minute types that they can come
back on the hour -- we wait 15 minutes for someone to show up, then we
give the appointmnet away.

 > 2)Do you mostly have drop ins, or do you
balance the two? > I guess the previous answer covers this one.

> 3)And do you hire someone simply to "person" the desk and control the ebb
> and flow of humanity?

We are fortunate to have a full-time secretary as well as students (4) who
are available for filing, copying, etc.
 
> 4) Hhow do you handle the panicked, the frantic, the upset, the angry, the
> hurried and the harried?
> We end up trying to fit people in because they "didn't know" they needed an
> appointment.
If they can't fit into the schedule, and hanging around waiitng for a
cancellation doesn't work. We suggest that they ask their professors for
an extension. Usually, the student at least realizes that s/he needs to
make an appointmnet in the future.  Of course then there are alsways the
ones who _do_ make an appointment for the hour before the paper is due,
but that's another story.

> 
> 5)Will people eventually accept this change?  Is this just a growing pain
> or a mounting problem?

My guess is that it's a growing pain. Smile, be supportive, and offer
coffee.  They'll come back.
> 
> 6)And if we do change to appoinment only, how can we spread the word most
> effectively?
Hmmmm -- class presentations, book marks, posters?? But does it need to
either appointment _or_ drop-in?
> 
> I really need your input for this thorny challenge.
> Thanks in advance for your help.
> Sonja
> 
> Sonja S. Bagby
> Director, University Writing Center
> College of Arts and Sciences
> State University of West Georgia
> Carrollton, GA 30118
> sbagby@westga.edu
> 770-830-2258
> 
>