SMU tour guide

[ponyte]

Should have informed all that we dominate in the Commissioner’s Cup.

[RyanSMU98]

I would honestly send an email about your experience to the Director of Admissions and copy the AD. There obviosly needs to be some better training for the tour guides regarding athletics and certain "talking points" that they should have to get across to potential students!!!!!

I agree that this needs to be brought to someone's attention, but would point out that it is a piece of a larger issue. When I worked at SMU on staff (granted it was a over a decade ago), the tour guides were volunteers given no training. In fact, one didn't show up one day and I was literally asked to "wing it" for a group of about 20 parents and prospective students. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if it is there needs to be an A-Z training for these volunteer guides about the campus, it's history, it's selling points (including athletics) and just some basics on salesmanship. You may have stumbled onto part of a conversation, but it sounds like you hit on something that needs to be addressed in a larger fashion to make sure these guides don't have their heads up their [Gary Fatterson]'s about what it is they are doing.

[abezontar]

I remember when I did my new student tour for law school in 2005, my guide, a 2L who had also done his undergrad at SMU bragged at length about how everybody went to the boulevard, but never the games. He was quite proud of the fact that he never made it into Ford.



Interestingly enough, I saw him at the UCF game.

[Diamond Girl]

The admissions office really needs to hear about this. And I doubt this tour guide isn't the only one who talks like this. My nephew who's at TCU complained about his tour guide when he took the SMU campus tour and this was one of the reasons he chose TCU over SMU, even though both his parents are SMU alumns. One would imagine the guides would have a script or something to follow in order to sell SMU to prospective students, not turn them away.

[PrincessPony]

No question that this needs to be immediately brought to the attention of admissions (and others).
The Dean of Admission is Wes Waggoner - he is new to SMU (and, interestingly enough came to SMU from TCU). I have worked with Wes previously - and believe he will make a great addition to SMU. In addition to contacting Wes, also contact Stephanie DuPaul (Wes' boss) and Joe Davis (Joe serves in a liaison capacity with athletics).

SMU Tour Guides are paid very well and are chosen from hundreds of of applicants each year. Students routinely making these kinds of mistakes should be notified and correct these errors - or be replaced.

PrincessPony

[Harry0569]

I would honestly send an email about your experience to the Director of Admissions and copy the AD. There obviosly needs to be some better training for the tour guides regarding athletics and certain "talking points" that they should have to get across to potential students!!!!!

I agree that this needs to be brought to someone's attention, but would point out that it is a piece of a larger issue. When I worked at SMU on staff (granted it was a over a decade ago), the tour guides were volunteers given no training. In fact, one didn't show up one day and I was literally asked to "wing it" for a group of about 20 parents and prospective students. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if it is there needs to be an A-Z training for these volunteer guides about the campus, it's history, it's selling points (including athletics) and just some basics on salesmanship. You may have stumbled onto part of a conversation, but it sounds like you hit on something that needs to be addressed in a larger fashion to make sure these guides don't have their heads up their [Gary Fatterson]'s about what it is they are doing.

I had many friends who were tour guides and I can assure you they go through an extensive training process.

[SMU2007]

most of the tour guides are douchers. no big surprise there that he makes those kinds of comments.

[PrincessPony]

Ryan is correct... 10 years ago - the tour guides were NOT given an extensive training process... in fact, there was little training at all other than a manual that the students "could" review. It was awful.

I too was on staff at SMU for many years and until recently. About 7-8 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have proposed and receive funding for a complete overhaul of the tour guide process. With the help of two outstanding current SMU students (one of whom is Joe Davis...still in admissions), we developed a rigorous training process, garnered feedback from prospective students, parents and other tour goers, etc... The tour guides were then paid very handsomely for their efforts. Things may have changed some in the year I have been gone from SMU, but my understanding is that the premise still is in play. When I led the efforts, we took any such comment or complaint very seriously (of course, seeing as I am a huge SMU football fan, those issues were addressed first). As I said above, Joe Davis was one of my student leaders in developing the new tour guide system... I will let him know. If others wish to do so also, I would recommend Wes Waggoner and Stephanie DuPaul.

[ponyte]

Taken two kids on SMU tours. Found the guides to be knowledgeable. One tour was the Fri before the UH Homecoming game during Bennett's years. The one where if we won we would-be in the driver's seat for the CUSA West. All SMU folks were excited and proud (of course we screwed it up on Sat in true Bennett fashion). I try to buff up on my SMU stats (academic not athletic) cause folks are usually casually asking questions during the walk from site to site. I want to have may selling points down so I can sell SMU. Usually this revolves around the B school and Meadows. From my limited experience talking to kids and their parents form well outside Texas, SMU has a wonderful reputation.

[OR-See-Nee]

Why was Patterson on our campus and why was he giving a tour?

[whitwiki]

I would honestly send an email about your experience to the Director of Admissions and copy the AD. There obviosly needs to be some better training for the tour guides regarding athletics and certain "talking points" that they should have to get across to potential students!!!!!

I agree that this needs to be brought to someone's attention, but would point out that it is a piece of a larger issue. When I worked at SMU on staff (granted it was a over a decade ago), the tour guides were volunteers given no training. In fact, one didn't show up one day and I was literally asked to "wing it" for a group of about 20 parents and prospective students. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if it is there needs to be an A-Z training for these volunteer guides about the campus, it's history, it's selling points (including athletics) and just some basics on salesmanship. You may have stumbled onto part of a conversation, but it sounds like you hit on something that needs to be addressed in a larger fashion to make sure these guides don't have their heads up their [Gary Fatterson]'s about what it is they are doing.

I did small tours for the engineering school. No training...but they asked me to do it because I had a positive view of things and I wasn't an r-tard

[whitwiki]

I would honestly send an email about your experience to the Director of Admissions and copy the AD. There obviosly needs to be some better training for the tour guides regarding athletics and certain "talking points" that they should have to get across to potential students!!!!!

I agree that this needs to be brought to someone's attention, but would point out that it is a piece of a larger issue. When I worked at SMU on staff (granted it was a over a decade ago), the tour guides were volunteers given no training. In fact, one didn't show up one day and I was literally asked to "wing it" for a group of about 20 parents and prospective students. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if it is there needs to be an A-Z training for these volunteer guides about the campus, it's history, it's selling points (including athletics) and just some basics on salesmanship. You may have stumbled onto part of a conversation, but it sounds like you hit on something that needs to be addressed in a larger fashion to make sure these guides don't have their heads up their [Gary Fatterson]'s about what it is they are doing.

I did small tours for the engineering school. No training...but they asked me to do it because I had a positive view of things and I wasn't an r-tard

From 05-09

[whitwiki]

I would honestly send an email about your experience to the Director of Admissions and copy the AD. There obviosly needs to be some better training for the tour guides regarding athletics and certain "talking points" that they should have to get across to potential students!!!!!

I agree that this needs to be brought to someone's attention, but would point out that it is a piece of a larger issue. When I worked at SMU on staff (granted it was a over a decade ago), the tour guides were volunteers given no training. In fact, one didn't show up one day and I was literally asked to "wing it" for a group of about 20 parents and prospective students. I don't know if this is still the case or not, but if it is there needs to be an A-Z training for these volunteer guides about the campus, it's history, it's selling points (including athletics) and just some basics on salesmanship. You may have stumbled onto part of a conversation, but it sounds like you hit on something that needs to be addressed in a larger fashion to make sure these guides don't have their heads up their [Gary Fatterson]'s about what it is they are doing.

I did small tours for the engineering school. No training...but they asked me to do it because I had a positive view of things and I wasn't an r-tard

Also, this was usually 1 on 1 with student and parents. Not an organized thing, more ad hoc.
So its not necessarily representative of the whole tour guide process.

[whitwiki]

On a side note, the tanning pool at deadman always convinced dad + son that SMU should be top of their list.

[CalallenStang]

Princess Pony = Ron Moss?

If so, Dr. Moss, why Princess Pony?