public safety officer

Oakland Community College

A portion of my work was done outside the classroom (making lesson plans), but the other portion was inside the classroom and it was the fruition of all these lesson plans. The day starts with me placing a sign-in sheet on a desk in the front of the room, students who were interested in attending a tutoring session that day (so that they could better understand the last lesson, prepare for a quiz, or get more information on writing a paper) would sign in and sit down. I had prepared an hour's worth of study where I would interact fully with the students. While I alone held the position of SI, I would say that a significant portion of the work was done by students. I had to follow their needs and lesson plans always had to be adaptable, because I was there first and foremost to help students, so I would always adjust to cover their needs. Some days we would go over the entire study guide, where I stuck to asking the students questions so they could figure out answers, we would do practice quizzes and some days just go into a discussion on what kind of work the professor expected from them. I deeply enjoyed helping all the students and understanding all the various ways people learned, sometimes we would talk it out, sometimes draw a picture, etc. and certain methods would make the lightbulb blink behind their eyes and they would finally understand what they could not in the previous lecture. The hardest part of the job were the days that students were unresponsive, or when they were too antsy to listen to something that would help them. I would interact with the professor of the class after every SI session and we might go over what the students concerns were, but for the most part I managed my session without the guidance of any professor or supervisor, and the students reviews of me were what kept me as a trusted SI for several semesters.

Depending on what time it was in the school year, it could be very busy, high rate of phone calls and students coming in.  Then when registration is completed, it quiets down and it can be very slow, but it gives the office time to catch up with other paperwork and day to day office management.  You learn customer service in this capacity because you are dealing with students, parents, co-workers, deans, and higher ups on a daily basis so learning to take yourself out of the picture and focus on the task at hand is important.  Even in the most stressful times, everyone found time to laugh, and smile and make the most of the job.  Everyone worked hard to help each other, and learn about the functions in each department in order to make sure each student was being served correctly and expeditiously.   The hardest part of the job was taking on new job duties during high priority times and having to learn them with minimal training, but we all just worked together to learn from each other, takes notes to what works, what doesn't and bring it back to our supervisors.

Oakland Community College Student Assistant position entailed basic office work: answering phones, taking dictation, making copies, and scheduling appointment. But there were other duties, such as administering tests, providing makeup work, assisting with technical issues in the computer lab, and troubleshooting course issues.

The management was wonderful: they were willing to work around student issues and provided a fun environment, creating a highly motivated workforce. The other student workers were generally happy to be their, and learned their duties quickly.

The hardest part of the job was dealing with students and parents who had issues that often had little to do with out department. Often, we were able to help regardless.

The most enjoyable part of the job was being able to help people, and seeing them mature as students in a professional environment.

This position required knowledge of the subject matter, organization, intuitiveness, excellent listening and communication skills along with a compassionate attitude.

Responsibilities including the preparation of lessons, innovative study tools and academic support to the students in both classroom and one-on-one situations. Also important to the position was record keeping, recruiting student attendance, being available and flexible for teaching opportunities and supporting others in my department.

My favorite part of this position was seeing the student success rate increase as a result of my unique teaching methods and tools.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The ACCESS department. Working in that department has the best management that will take care of you.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
The professor's that don't care about the students. They just want a paycheck. 

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
It's easy going, self sufficient, very supporting.  There are no such things as stupid questions.  Education focused when asked a question.  Never any judgement.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Notetaker: logging on to my computer, pulling up a note document, signing onto the class, Watching the lecture and taking notes. (No participation in class necessary). Afterwards, send the student the notes.

Tutor: discussing with the student their needs and areas of help. Study strategies, time management, a particular class, type of assignment, etc.

OCC offers a diverse student base and earnest faculty members (full-time and adjunct alike).  It also offers better-than-average pay for community college adjunct work.

It has a 3-step pay raise schedule, based on training and number of courses taught.  No further raises are offered after that.  It also offers a retirement plan, even for adjuncts.

There is perhaps a bit more drama with the students than at the university level, as many come here from disadvantaged/disabled backgrounds.  Politics and policy changes plays a much more visible role, here, as well.

Full-time is available, and adjuncts are encouraged to apply.  Recently, however, there has been a significant drop in enrollments, and recruiting has screeched to a halt.

Supervisors definitely are reflective of “race bias”, the union may as well NOT exist, there is no room for advancement and boredom is a key factor of the day. The students that you serve are the best part, the few that are left. Not being micromanaged is a huge plus! If you can pretend to be a robot for a few hours a day, then it’s totally doable. Your opinion on anything will never be asked, the powers of be make blind decisions on a regular basis and there is zero family atmosphere among coworkers. Pay is decent, work conditions are great and if you have a life outside of OCC…then it’s a great job. Just let it serve it’s purpose.

•	Helping students acquire financial assistance by assisting them with their online fasfa accounts.
•	Telephonic skills answering inbound calls, as well as following up with students with their upcoming appointment.
•	Referring inquires while relaying messages to the appropriate person.
•	Maintained documentation and filing papers with accuracy date, time, and subject filing system.
•	Maintained a clean reception area complying with rules and procedures and regulations.
•	Assisting in planning and preparation for each work day.
•	Providing secretarial support. Responsible for opening and closing procedures as well as cash control and security

What is the best part of working at the company?
My co-workers because they have the same passion that I have when it comes to helping students.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
I was a contract worker and did not receive any sick time, PTO, or vacation time. It was very stressful especially through COVID

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
The environment was pretty good and the culture did change for the better the longer that I worked there.

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
I would visit area high schools to talk to the students about their plans for after graduation. Making phone calls and giving campus tours were part of my job responsibilities.

As a part-time tutor at a community college, I have the pleasure of working with motivated students working toward degrees to improve their career paths.  

The administrative and para-pro people are  helpful and accommodating in creating effective work spaces and working with the part-time scheduling 

To a tutor there is no more enjoyable experience than to have a student return to you semester after semester with his/her stories of accomplishment and the help that the tutor has given.  I have had this experience many times in the ten years I have been at Oakland Community College

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