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Baker University Center at Ohio University. (Nate Swanson | For The Post).

Student employees start new work remotely

After canceling the remainder of the semester’s in-person classes, Ohio University has announced and began to implement remote work for student employees.

Student employees who do not typically work remotely, such as those who work as tour guides or in the dining halls, have been given additional, meaningful work while they are away from campus. That work is optional for student employees.

“Ohio University has committed to providing remote work opportunities to all student employees who have been previously employed during Spring 2020, as we rely on these students to complete necessary everyday tasks and to help accomplish our academic mission,” Jim Sabin, a university spokesperson, said.

Sabin said the university is upholding its commitment to those student employees by providing free, remote options during the pandemic. That type of work varies depending on the student’s on campus position.

For some students in academic affairs, they have now been moved to remote tutoring work and technical support, Sabin said. Additionally, departments are now able to use student employment to increase their social media presence. 

Student employees at Alden library have been working with customer service, trying to provide the library’s patrons with the same types of assistance they can get on campus, according to a previous Post report. The students have been helping find articles and assisting patrons through chat.

Joey Walden, a student employee coordinator at Alden, said the library has a focus on finding meaningful work for student employees while trying to use the remote services the library already has available, according to a previous Post report.

Other types of student employees have had their work taken online as well.

“Student tour guides are recording videos at home this week talking about their University experience for a virtual recruitment effort,” Sabin said in an email. “They are also managing chat rooms, providing a student perspective to questions asked by students and parents. This group has also been instrumental in our new Facebook group, Official Bobcats 2024, exclusively for admitted students and their parents.”

Some work that was originally digitally based, like telerecruiting and website design, has been moved to remote work as well.

Nicole Dinan, a senior studying interactive design who works as a Web and UX designer in Student Affairs Communication and Marketing, said although her work itself has not majorly changed, the way she interacts with her colleagues and some of the content involved with her work has.

“We just have our meetings online now through Zoom or through Teams,” Danin said. ”We have also been making certain changes to (the webpages) due to coronavirus.”

Other types of student employees, like telerecruiters, have been doing a very similar job remotely.

“Telerecruiters are making phone calls to admitted students from home and pointing them to virtual ways in which they can interact with staff members in Undergraduate Admissions,” Sabin said in an email.

Many types of employment have also been using this time to improve upon skills that would normally not fit into a typical shift for student employees.

Many student employees working at Alden library have gotten the opportunity to work on soft skills, like Microsoft Excel, according to a previous Post report.

Similarly, other student workers will also get the chance for remote training in many areas.

“Student workers will also have the opportunity to complete relevant virtual training and professional development, such as: Virtual and mock job interviews using remote technologies to help with job preparedness (and) LGBTQ+ SafeZone trainings, which are available through Microsoft Teams and raise awareness about the dynamics of gender and sexual diversities while exploring different ways to embody inclusive allyship for people of all orientations, genders, sexualities, identities, and levels of being out,” Sabin said in an email.

The university is also working to extend training to other workplace subjects.

“We are also preparing to provide training resources related to Clery – Campus Security Authorities; Difficult Dialogues in Social, Academic and Employment Situations; and Sexual Misconduct for Nonmandatory Reporters,” Sabin said in an email.

tb040917@ohio.edu

@thatdbemyluck

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