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Hi Nichole, I think you should most certainly have the conversation with the tutee, and you should have probably intervened. Not doing so, could open you and the university up to sexual harassment litigation, regardless if the tutor was not offended. You may want to speak with your university counsel about your responsibilities. Best, John Cleveland John P. Cleveland, M.T.S., M.A. Director, Tutoring Center Center for Academic Excellence & Adjunct Instructor of Philosophy Department of Philosophy & Religious Studies Pace University 41 Park Row, Room 204 New York, NY 10038 212-346-1407 212-346-1520 (fax) [log in to unmask] www.pace.edu/tutoring -----Original Message----- From: Open Forum for Learning Assistance Professionals [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Nichole Bennett-Bealer Sent: Wednesday, February 18, 2009 4:19 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Tutor/Tutee Comment Hello list (apologies for cross-posting to WCenter), Our Learning Center Director and I are differing in our reaction to a student comment. And we would like your input. All of our tutees sign a contract that includes a clause on treating others in the Center with respect. Yesterday, I was sitting in my office with music softly playing on my PC. The afternoon writing walk-in session table was set up directly outside of my office. Our LC is very open. Twelve-foot ceilings, but our offices are cubicles with six-foot tall partitions so sound travels easily. There are no private consultation rooms; all tutoring occurs in the main area at tables. So even though I can clearly hear most of what happens directly adjacent to my office, and some of what happens in the extended center, I try to respect the sessions and the tutors by not overtly eavesdropping (which would be why I often have music playing). A tutee who knows our policies and signed our contract made a questionable comment loud enough for me to hear (which is not necessarily loud given my previous statements regarding the LC). He was sitting at the writing walk-in table speaking with the walk-in tutor on duty. As the new walk-in tutor (a female) approached the table, the tutee said "shake that sweet @ss over here." The tutor did not appear offended or insulted. In fact, both the male and female tutors and the tutee seemed to have a positive rapport with each other and spent considerable time discussing the tutee's project. I have just meet with the tutor, by chance, and she indicated that the walk-in session was fine. A little overwhelming because the tutee had a 64 page thesis project, but nothing else was troublesome. Our director believes that I should have intervened at the moment I heard the comment. She believes that I should have exited my office, interrupted the exchange between the tutors and tutee, and reminded the tutee that this is an academic setting and such language is not acceptable. She now wants to call the tutee in to discuss this incident. While I do not appreciate hearing that comment, I am sure there are many such comments -- and worse -- that happen in the Learning Center throughout the semester which I do not hear. My feeling is that if the tutor was not offended, then my offense is something we can talk about in our monthly staff meeting, but not something I should interrupt a session to discuss. Plus, I do not want my tutors or our tutees thinking that behind every cubicle partition is a supervisor lurking and listening to every conversation. How do others handle the immature or thoughtless comments students can make when they feel too comfortable in the center? Thanks, Nichole Nichole Bennett-Bealer, PhD Assistant Director/Writing Specialist Claude J. Clark Learning Center SUNY College at Plattsburgh 518-564-2265 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To access the LRNASST-L archives or User Guide, or to change your subscription options (including subscribe/unsubscribe), point your web browser to http://www.lists.ufl.edu/archives/lrnasst-l.html To contact the LRNASST-L owner, email [log in to unmask]