Tour Basics

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Beginning your tour

• After panel is finished and the COD has broken up all of the visitors to head out on tour, meet your tour outside. If you are the first tour to go out, walk through the arch and down the pathway, being sure to leave enough room for the other groups that will go out after you.

• Once your tour has met up with you, introduce yourself once more, and if you weren’t on panel, tell them a little about what you do on campus. Next, have the students introduce themselves with their name, hometown, and potential major.

• Before you hit Main Street, be sure to talk about the history of UVM, explain that you will be walking backwards for the majority of the tour, and make them aware that you are happy to answer any questions.

• IMPORTANT: Only one group should be crossing Main Street at a time; this is a huge safety issue. We know that it can be awkward because you have to improvise while you wait for the lights to change, but it’s important that only one group goes across at a time.

• Do not allow this waiting time to feel awkward – you do not need to talk over the traffic, and you should not be telling jokes about the size of the road or doing anything that doesn’t fit with the overall theme of the tour. If you have to wait for a few minutes for the signal to change, simply collect your thoughts and get ready for a great tour!

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Things to be aware of

• It’s really important that you project! When you are talking to your group, imagine that you are talking directly to the person that is in the back of your group. Your voice should be travelling that far so that your entire group can hear you.

• When leaving a building, wait to make sure that everyone in your group has met back up with you before talking. Every visitor is important, even the ones that straggle.

• Think on your feet—if there is construction or a hold up somewhere, look for alternative routes that will allow you to keep the tour moving and still seeing campus.

• Point out water fountains, bathrooms, and elevators for visitors on your tour. Also, if you know you are able to stop for a few minutes and talk about something invite them to sit down.

• Be aware of your pacing. If you are going slow and stopping often, you will begin to lose your tour and they will become uninterested. It’s important to keep your tour moving and only stop when necessary or if you feel they need a break. Your tour should not be longer than an hour and fifteen minutes.

• Be mindful of the other tour groups around you. Maintain an appropriate distance from other groups, as it becomes distracting when visitors can hear more than one tour guide speaking. Keep up an appropriate pace when there is another group close behind you, and either slow down or pass when a group is too close in front of you.

• Only pass a tour group if you are completely confident that you can maintain a faster pace than them for the rest of the tour.

 

In case of an emergency

• If someone becomes injured on your tour and it is clear that they need medical attention, hit the blue light if you are near one. If you aren’t, call 802-656-3473, which is UVM’s emergency dispatcher. Afterwards, call Muffy at the Visitor Center to make them aware of what is going on (Muffy: 802-656-3373)

• If someone becomes injured but does not need immediate medical attention, call Muffy for further instruction.

• If the visitor wants to return to the Visitor Center, work to have your tour group merge with another nearby tour group - another Advo can take your group! After that, bring the visitors who want to return to the Visitor Center back there.

• Make sure that you know the name of the student who this person is with. Please make sure that Kayla, Jay, and Muffy are made aware of the situation that arose and who was involved.

 

In case of inclement weather

• If it begins thundering and lightening, seek shelter and remain inside until it passes or until you receive instruction from Kayla, Jay, Bridget, or Muffy.