Fall 2017 Campus Tour Talking Points

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Emmeline Pearson
6 years ago
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1 REMEMBER: This is not a script. It is a guide with talking points that you will use on your tour. The tour is built around your personal points, so take time to perfect them. This is what sells Texas A&M! Each stop will consist of at least one personal point. They don t have to be long, as long as they are about your (or someone you know) experience, and include the talking points given for each stop. For the Academic Stops, DO NOT say every point for every college. If there s a student on the tour interested in the college, or it s one you re passionate about, speak more about it. Otherwise one point per college is fine. Keep an eye on deadlines and dates that students will need to know (housing application, admissions, scholarships, etc.) We will provide you with these each year. Please DO NOT walk and talk or walk backwards while delivering the tour. Instead, use the time between stops to answer specific questions and get to know your visitors one-on-one. Invite them to walk with you. Keep in mind that the tour should take no longer than one hour and fifteen minutes from beginning to end. There may be questions at the end that would keep you after the allotted time. Please allow for this in your schedule. Please arrive at least 15 minutes before your tour is scheduled to begin to give you time to visit one-on-one with visitors and get your microphone ready. During the pre-tour visits, find out where visitors are from and what majors they are interested in, so you can use that information on your tour. Exceptional customer service experiences are based on meaningful connections with your audience. When it s time for your tour to begin, say Howdy, just loud enough to get everyone s attention. Let them know to follow you, if they are there for your tour time. Tour Stops: 1. Rudder Portrait 2. The Quad 3. EAB Garden 4. Outside Evans in front of Starbucks (or Inside Evans Lobby ONLY IF GROUP IS <25 people) 5. Steps of Evans 6. Harrington Plaza 7. Inside Academic Building 8. Academic Plaza 9. Military Walk Seal 10. MSC Entrance TH Man Statue

2 Rudder Portrait Personal Story: Your First Visit to Texas A&M Howdy official greeting for one of friendliest campuses Aggie Intro Tour Info (length, four takeaways) Takeaways: Academics & Research, History & Traditions, Student Services, Aggie Family Your Aggie Story Why you became an Aggie Ask every prospective student what major they re interested in tailor the tour toward them History Texas A&M opened in 1876 as an all-male military institution. Originally called Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas - Name changed in 1963 under General James Earl Rudder s presidency Total enrollment of 66,000 for Fall 2016, which includes enrollment at branch campuses in Galveston, Texas and Doha, Qatar; just over 60,000 on College Station campus 5,200-acre campus but it feels like a small world! (with student organizations, friendliness, access to faculty and staff, etc.) Tip: Mention that you ll be taking a shortcut to the next stop through Rudder Tower. Stop on the sidewalk and point out the Sanders Corps Center and mention that they can visit for free after the tour. The Quad Personal Story: Corps, Reveille, Aggie Network Corps of Cadets Quad is home to Corps of Cadets, now more than 2,600 students Corps of Cadets nation s largest uniformed student body and commissions more officers than any university other than the nation s service academies Reveille is Texas A&M s mascot, a sophomore in the Corps is her handler Reveille is a five-diamond general, highest ranking member of Corps of Cadets treated like a queen on campus with her own ID card, spa treatments, etc. goes everywhere with her handler Tip: Transition from senior boots to senior ring both symbols Aggie Ring Aggie Ring most outward symbol of being an Aggie/Aggie Network Aggies hire Aggies We have more than 400,000 living Former Students Ring day several times each year at Association of Former Students. If your schedule permits, recommend you visit the giant ring in the Clayton Williams, Jr. Alumni Center. Engineering Activities Building Garden (for wheelchair tour go down Nagle Street) Personal Stories: Residence Life, Dining, Study Abroad

3 Residence Life Northside, Southside and Westside residence halls, as well as the Corps residence halls, and The Gardens Many different styles to fit needs and price Living learning communities allow students who share academic or social interests to live in the same space Dining Services Dining locations all over campus, from cafeterias to grab-and-go and food trucks Starbucks in Evans is busiest campus Starbucks in nation Scholarships & Financial Aid 72% of students receive financial assistance and 1 in 4 students are first-generation college students Office accepts walk-ins so you can stop by after the tour Tip apply for all the scholarships you can 500 words could get you $1,000 Study Abroad Study abroad gives students a chance to travel and earn college credit o Exchange agreements with universities all over the world, including Asia, Europe and Latin America o Gain cultural experience and skills needed to engage in a global society Can go for a short time (one-two weeks) or extended period of time (semester-year exchange, etc.) Over 5,000 students each year now study abroad to over 105 countries number one public university Student Computing Center Open Access Labs all around campus SCC is open 24/7 Inside Evans Lobby Entrance; near the digital display on the wall (Only for tours less than 25 people; if tours are larger than 25 people stand on the outside of Evans near the Starbucks) Personal Stories: Favorite spot in library Libraries Five libraries on campus Study Spaces: o Each library has a variety of study and collaboration spaces to fit your needs. o Quiet, individual, group

4 With over 5 million books throughout the libraries, you can find almost anything. University Writing Center can help with any stage of the writing process from brainstorming to final revisions. They work with any type of written OR oral communications. Technology & Media: the Libraries have music, movies, laptops, cameras and more! Special events during finals such as puppies to pet, free massages, games, food etc. Academic Services and Research Student to faculty ratio is 20:1 Professors hold regular office hours The professor teaches the class while teacher assistants (TAs) are there to help Research isn t just for graduate students - many opportunities for undergraduate research in almost all disciplines Cushing Library (transition: great place for research) Houses rare books, special collections and the official Texas A&M Archives Winter is here Cushing is well known for its Science Fiction and Fantasy collection including the papers of George R. R. Martin (the author behind the Game of Thrones series) o Cushing has manuscripts of his books, first editions and rare HBO merchandise On Steps of Evans on South Side Academics Texas A&M has 16 Colleges and Schools at both undergraduate and graduate level College of Architecture o 15 highly ranked undergraduate and graduate degree programs o Visualization Program Heavily recruited by Pixar Zootopia won Oscar o Future architects learn through real projects one class built two tiny homes and donated them to a housing development in Austin for the homeless College of Education and Human Development o More than 10,000 Aggie educators across Texas chances are, a teacher at your school was an Aggie o Other programs include sport management, dance and kinesiology Dwight Look College of Engineering o 18 degree programs including top-ranked petroleum engineering o Engineers get hands-on learning by entering design competitions like the Formula SAE racecar, SpaceX Hyperloop hosted by Elon Musk and human powered submarine o Career fair with over 420 companies last year College of Geosciences o Meteorology - only undergrad program in the state Tallest building on campus has a weather radar on its roof

5 State climatologist is Texas A&M professor College of Liberal Arts o Degree programs include International Studies, Anthropology, Performance Studies, Political Science, History and English o Liberal Arts and Humanities Building provides theatre studios, a costume shop, recording studios and teaching labs College of Science o Six departments, including Biology, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Physics and Astronomy o Hands-on presentations like the Chemistry Road Show make science fun and accessible for everyone Tip: Invite them to sit on the stairs Harrington Plaza near blue light pole Personal Stories: First Friday, cheap movie tickets, etc. Big campus, but safety is a huge priority o Code Maroon an emergency notification system to communicate health and safety information to students, parents and faculty o Texas A&M has its own police force and on-campus EMTs Bryan-College Station Community o One of the fastest-growing metro areas in the nation o Things to do include two movie theatres, ice skating rink and bowling alley o Century Square is an up-and-coming development for community events, shopping and more o Downtown Bryan is known for its eclectic restaurants, shops and art galleries Tip: Use your best judgment for where to stand; try to stay in the shade Inside Academic Building Personal Stories: Big Event & Student Organizations Selfless Service o Selfless Service one of core values along with Excellence, Integrity, Leadership, Loyalty, Respect o An example in the Academic Building represents selfless service o The Replica of Liberty Bell given to school after WWII because so many Aggies were lost in war Student Organizations

6 o Big Event largest one-day community service project in the country o Types of organizations Academic, Service, Leadership, Greek, Sports, Hobbies Mention an organization you re in and why you love it Tip: Mention restrooms and water fountain Academic Plaza Personal Stories: Put a penny on Sully, Century Tree proposal, Silver Taps Century Tree The Century Tree is a widely known and cherished tree on the A&M campus A local former student actually grows seedlings from Century Tree acorns and sells them to Aggies to plant in their yards all over Texas - as a Texas A&M scholarship fundraiser! Thousands of proposals occur at this spot Silver Taps/Muster Silver Taps and Aggie Muster two of our most solemn traditions Silver Taps held first Tuesday of each month to honor any current students who passed away in the previous month Families are present, lights on campus are off, and a special rendition of Taps is played from Academic Dome, to North, South and West, but never to the East because the sun will never rise on that Aggie again. Crowd leaves in silence. Shows support and is representation of the Aggie family. Muster happens every year on April 21 to honor any Aggie, past or present who passed away during the previous year Held around the world. Name of fallen Aggie is read during Roll Call for the Absent, and anyone who knew that person answers Here. Example of loyalty and the Aggie family Sully Texas Ranger, Governor, President of Texas A&M from Students tried to pay him for tutoring, but he would say Give me a penny for your thoughts which is why students leave pennies for good luck Money donated to scholarship fund or community project different cause each year During finals, will find lots of money, food, etc. Tip: Silver Taps to Sully is a good transition, can say that he was the first person honored. On Seal near YMCA Building Personal Stories: Undergraduate Research, Military Walk Tips for College Success

7 Go to class, get involved in an organization, get to know your professors (insert your own) Student services can help you succeed at A&M Student Counseling Service 24/7 helpline Student Legal Services Licensed attorney gives free advice Health Promotion addresses topics such as fitness, stress relief and time management skills Women s Resource Center Hosts leadership & equity programs for women GLBT Resource Center Educates campus on GLBT issues Tip: Select two of the above services to mention West Campus Mays Business School o Consistently ranked top ten public business schools programs include accounting, finance, marketing and management o Blackstone Launchpad Helps aspiring entrepreneurs interdisciplinary program for anyone on campus o Named after Lowry Mays, billionaire and owner of Clear Channel Communications College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences o Only Vet School in Texas, Best in the SEC, Ranked top 10 in the world o Undergrad program located in the brand new Veterinary Medicine Education Complex o Biomedical Sciences program is the largest pre-professional program in Texas College of Agriculture and Life Sciences o Largest of its kind in the nation, more than 50 areas of study o Five grand challenges in research feed the world, protect the environment, improve our health, enrich our youth and grow our economy o Norman Borlaug Institute named after Nobel Peace Prize winner known as the Man Who Saved a Billion Lives Bush School of Government & Public Service o 3+2 partnerships between the Bush School and select undergraduate programs allow students to finish both degrees in 5 years. Accelerates the curriculum for high achievers. o Number one place CIA recruits Health Science Center o Colleges of Medicine, Public Health, Pharmacy, Nursing Tip: Mention that our next stop is a living memorial and ask visitors to remove hats once inside Integrity Entrance to MSC Personal Stories: MSC

8 Memorial Student Center MSC is a living memorial dedicated to all Aggies, past, present and future who give their lives to serve our country Because it s a memorial, all asked to remove hats inside the building and not walk on the grass outside Walking through building, you will see a lower level, home to Choral Services, Mac Resources and dining options Main level home to Rev s Grill, Barnes and Noble Bookstore, the Flag Room (campus living room) and Hall of Honor Arts and Culture at Texas A&M Three Art Galleries Excellent singing and dancing organizations MSC Town Hall brought Daniel Tosh and Ben Rector to campus MSC OPAS brings Broadway shows like Beauty and the Beast, Chicago, Wizard of Oz and Moscow Ballet Company 12th Man Statue on Corner of Joe Route and Houston Personal Stories: 12th Man, Rec Center Student Rec Center Across Wellborn Road will see the Student Recreation Center, as well as several athletic and intramural facilities - let them know you re a visitor and they ll give you a tour 12th Man Texas A&M is known as the Home of the 12th Man E. King Gill was a former football player, who was called out of the press box during Texas A&M s game against Centre College in the Dixie Class in January of A&M down to only 11 players, and coach asked Gill to suit up. He never played, but stood ready on the sidelines. Represents how the students of Texas A&M are ready to help when called on, whether it be on the field of play or in life Yell Leaders At games, Aggies don t cheer, we yell, so we don t have cheerleaders, we have yell leaders Five students who are elected by the student body each year Teach tour how to do a yell, and have a mini yell practice Tip: At the end of the tour, say that you are walking back to the Visitor Center, and if anyone has questions they are welcome to follow you.

Personal Story: Your 1st visit to TAMU

Personal Story: Your 1st visit to TAMU Fall 2016 REMEMBER: This is not a script. It is a guide with talking points that you will use on your tour. The tour is built around your personal stories, so take time to perfect them. This is what sells