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~FAST Tex student handbook

Welcome to the ~FAST Tex program. We look forward to working together with you and your faculty clients in the creation of successful instructional technology projects for UT Austin courses. This handbook provides hiring and appointment information, program guidelines, and project process tips for the upcoming ~FAST Tex season:

~FAST Tex staff contact info
Student appointments
Program orientation
Weekly progress reports
Timesheets
Payroll
Project team responsibilities
Development standards (User Name, Password: fasttex, fasttex)
Student project organizer (Word doc)
Project management tutorial
Project problems guidelines
Student mailing list
Equipment for project development
The University of Texas honor code

~FAST Tex staff contact info

Program Manager – Coco Kishi
kishi@austin.utexas.edu, 475-6050

Program Administrator – Jane Ann Parker
japarker@mail.utexas.edu, 232-5835

Technical Leads
John Gallner, johngallner@mail.utexas.edu, 471-6351
Scott Herrick, csherrick@mail.utexas.edu, 475-6161

Student appointments

Students are interviewed and appointed (hired) to projects starting Fall of every year when the new projects are posted. Project development work takes place during the late fall and spring semesters and most projects have a May 31 completion deadline.

A student is appointed for a total number of 100-600 hours, between 5-20 hours per week depending on the project requirements. For many (but not all) projects, the hours are flexible and will be determined by the student, faculty client, and ~FAST Tex staff.

More than one student may be appointed to a project.

Both undergraduate and graduate students may apply.

Appointment Steps

1. Email Coco Kishi (kishi@austin.utexas.edu) the following information:

• Resume with contact information and references
• The number of hours you are available to work per week
• Dates and times you are available each week for an interview

2. Interview

~FAST Tex staff will email students to set up an interview to discuss project possibilities, student skills, and project contribution. While students are often appointed to one of their project choices, it is not guaranteed. Appointments are based on project availability and the closest match between student skills and experience and project needs. Student should bring portfolio examples.

3. Appointment paperwork

1-2 forms of personal identification are needed for the UT hiring process. Please refer to the last page of the I-9 form for the list of acceptable identification forms.

Students may pick up, fill out, and drop off official UT hiring paperwork with Jane Ann Parker in GSB 2.130 once appointed to a project. Please email to make an appointment.

Student Technician is the title used for all ~FAST Tex student employees. These are non-academic, hourly positions.

Pay scale:
Student developers are paid $10-15/hour to start depending on the project requirements and student qualifications. Students who are rehired the following year receive a $1/hour raise.

4. ~FAST Tex management contacts faculty client

Faculty clients are contacted via email by ~FAST Tex staff introducing the appointed student(s). The appointed student will be cc’d on this email. Faculty may review student online applications at this time.

5. Project orientation and kick-off meetings

It is the responsibility of the appointed student to contact their faculty client, ~FAST Tex staff (for meeting facilitation), and any other parties involved in the project to set up a meeting to kick-off the project in a timely manner. The one-hour kick-off meeting is an initial meeting for all team members to discuss:

• The detailed requirements of the project
• How, when, and where to do the work
• How team will work together
• Next steps and upcoming meetings

~FAST Tex teams should use their Project Organizer (Word doc) to help guide the meeting.

Program orientation

~FAST Tex students new to the program are required to meet with a ~FAST Tex staff member to discuss program guidelines and policies, tips for successful projects, and timesheets and progress reports.

Weekly progress reports

Once appointed, students must fill out a weekly progress report after logging into the ~FAST Tex system online. Progress reports should be a short, descriptive bulleted list that includes:

• What tasks got done last week
• What did not get done
• What you plan to do next week

Important: It is your responsibility to ensure that your reports are up to date before turning in your timesheets. We will not process your timesheets and you will not receive a paycheck if your progress reports are not up to date or show discrepancies from your timesheets.

Timesheets

Turn in to GSB 2.130 by 2pm the first working day of each month.

Download blank timesheet (pdf)
Sample of completed timesheet (pdf)

Blank timesheets are also available in the ~FAST Tex offices in GSB 2.130.

Students are required to turn in paper-based UT timesheets on a monthly basis. A reminder email is sent out several days before the payroll deadline. It is the students' responsibility to submit timesheets in a timely manner. If timesheets are not turned in by the deadline, students will not be paid until the next pay period.

~FAST Tex staff will be available for checking and signing time sheets the day of the timesheet deadline. Students will be given prior notification of these days and times via email.

IMPORTANT: enter the exact number of hours you worked each week NOT the hours you are appointed unless they are the same. See above “Appointments” for more information.

Payroll

Payroll deadlines and check release dates:

Payroll information will be submitted to Payroll Services by the second workday after the last day of the month. The calendar for monthly and bimonthly payroll deadlines are posted here: http://www.utexas.edu/payroll/info.html

Paychecks are available on the fifth workday after the close of the payroll period. Exceptions are unusual, but sometimes necessary. Special notification is given when exceptions occur.

Payment options:

Campus mailings and U.S. mailings are not options for hourly employees.

Options for student check distribution are:

• Pick up check at Payroll (MAI 134)
• Direct deposit

Project team responsibilities

Faculty

• Provide subject matter expertise instruction
• Provide all written text and other content as required
• Secure permission for copyrighted material
• Participate in project Kick-off, Mid-term, Exit meetings
• Project management
• Meet with and check in (via email) with student developer on a regular basis
• Provide feedback on work completed in a timely manner
• Secure server space
• Manage future updates and maintenance of project (non ~FT-based)
• Quality assurance testing and development feedback
• Assess and report success of project on student learning
• Complete program evaluation form and be interviewed for project showcase

Student

• Project development
• Technical training and skills required to complete project (usually non-billable)
• Weekly reporting of status and progress
• Participation in project orientation, Kick-off, Mid-term, Exit meetings and other meetings as required for the project
• Backing up all work on a weekly basis
• Quality assurance testing (e.g. few bugs)
• Archiving of files (code, original and final media, final product, and code documentation)
• Writing final 1-page project report (server access info, development process, instructions for future development and maintenance)

~FAST Tex management

• Project proposal definition, requirements, scope consulting
• Student hiring, matching, tracking, mentoring
• Grant hours/budget tracking
• Content organization assistance
• Project development consulting (tech help for students)
• Server space acquisition assistance
• Hardware/software resources (where most needed)
• Facilitation of project Kick-off, Mid-term, Exit meetings
• Conflict resolution
• Assistance in assessing impact of final product on teaching and learning

Project problems guidelines

Notification of problems

Students should discuss issues with faculty client first. Students should also report any problems relating directly to the project to ~FAST Tex staff in a timely manner. Problems may include:

• Lack of time to dedicate to project
• Hardware problems or missing files
• Lack of project tasks (i.e. faculty client late with content)
• Lack of knowledge or skills required for project
• Poor communication between faculty client, student, ~FAST Tex staff
• Too much time spent learning or acquiring new skills, troubleshooting project problems (i.e. 2+ hours trying to figure out a bug in code)

Disciplinary Action

The two most critical functions of a ~FAST Tex student developer are:

1. Project completion in a timely manner according to the project deadline
2. Regular communication with faculty client and ~FAST Tex program managers

A student’s disregard of responsibilities or negligence in completing assignments in a professional manner will result in a disciplinary consultation with the ~FAST Tex Program Manager.

Students may be removed from a project and/or terminated from ~FAST Tex employment for any of the following reasons:

• Discrepancy between timesheets, progress reports, and work completed
• Poor communication with faculty client (missing meetings, not responding to emails within 48 hours, informing faculty clients of time off, etc.)
• Failure to back up work on a weekly basis
• 2 or more legitimate complaints from a faculty client
• Lack of knowledge and skills required for the project
• Failure to accomplish defined job duties
• Faculty client/~FAST Tex staff/other teammate interactions characterized by rudeness, disrespect or lack of assistance/service
• Lack of understanding of project/program expectations or student’s own accountability or ~FAST Tex program goals

~FAST Tex student mailing list

Once students are appointed, they are automatically subscribed to the ~FAST Tex student mailing list. ~FAST Tex staff will post pertinent administrative information via this list (i.e. timesheet reminders) as well as industry job openings.

Equipment for project development

Although students are required to work on-site in the DIIA multimedia lab, they may use their own computers and software as long as they are compatible with the project requirements. Student are required to back up their work on a weekly basis. Ask ~FAST Tex staff about back-up options available for the project including loaner external hard drives. ~FAST Tex does not purchase or loan out software for project development on students' personal computers.

Faculty clients are responsible for providing DV tapes, CDs, DVDs, and means for long-term storage.

Lab

DIIA's multimedia lab offers a high-end production lab equipped with high-end Mac and PC workstations, a full array of the latest multimedia software, and peripherals including removable storage drives, scanners, CD/DVD burners, and audio/visual equipment.

Lab hours are located at the above link.

Equipment available for short-term loans

The equipment listed below may be borrowed for ~FAST Tex project use only:

• Digital audio recorders
• Digital video cameras
• Digital still cameras
• Mac and PC laptops with a variety of software installed
• External hard drives
• DV decks (2)

Conditions of use for ~FAST Tex borrowers:

• You are not responsible for damages to equipment unless the equipment was used for purposes other than the ~FAST Tex project.
• DIIA staff has priority of use (you may be required to bring back equipment temporarily during your check-out period).
• All files including ~FAST Tex project files left on laptops will be wiped once returned.