For Your Consideration 3.3

The Docent Educator sent surveys concerning docent programming to a variety of institutions and individual docents throughout the United States. The results are presented to edify, as well as to stimulate discussion about docent programming, needs, and service. We invite our readers to send us their observations, comments, concerns, and responses.

Institutional Questionnaire

total sent – 100 total returned – 50

1. The primary academic discipline of your institution is:

art- 13 history- 15 science -16 multi-disc- 6

2. Number of active docents at your institution (female/male):

averages —art – 69/4 history – 3 1/5 science – 70/24 m.d.-76/13

3. Percentage of all visitors receiving docent-guided tours during a year:

art range – 7% to 26% history range – 3% to 100% science range – 2% to 70% multi-d range – .5% to 40%

4. “Professional” characteristics of docent program, such as interviews, job descriptions, evaluation, and access to chief executive officer:

a) Art Museums

• 10 of 13 have entrance interviews when recruiting docents
• 10 of 13 provide docents with informal, oral evaluations of their touring/teaching
• 8 of 13 have written job descriptions for their docents
• 7 of 1 3 require commitment contracts of those who become docents
• 5 of 13 provide docents with formal, written evaluations
• 5 of 13 assign docents mandatory research projects
• 2 of 1 3 provide docents with access to the museum’s director or c.e.o. in the form of regularly scheduled meetings

b) History Museums

• 13 of 15 have entrance interviews
• 12 of 15 provide informal, oral evaluations
• 10 of 15 have written job descriptions for docents
• 7 of 15 provide docents with regular access to museum director or c.e.o.
• 6 of 1 5 require commitment contracts
• 5 of 15 provide formal, written evaluations
• only 1 of 15 assigns mandatory research projects

c) Science Museums

• 12 of 16 have entrance interviews
• 11 of 16 provide informal, oral evaluations
• 11 of 16 have written job descriptions for docents
• 6 of 16 require commitment contracts
• 5 of 16 provide formal, written evaluations
• 2 of 16 provide docents with regular access to museum director or c.e.o.
• none assigned mandatory research projects

d) Multi-disciplined Museums

• 6 of 6 have entrance interviews
• 4 of 6 provide informal, oral evaluations
• 3 of 6 require commitment contracts
• 2 of 6 assign mandatory research projects
• 1 of 6 provides formal, written evaluations
• 1 of 6 has written job descriptions for docents
• 1 of 6 provides docents with regular access to museum director or c.e.o.

e) All Museums combined

• 41 of 50 have entrance interviews when recruiting docents
• 37 of 50 provide docents with informal, oral evaluations of their touring/teaching
• 30 of 50 have written job descriptions for their docents
• 28 of 50 require commitment contracts of those who become docents
• 16 of 50 provide docents with formal, written evaluations
• 12 of 50 provide docents with access to the museum’s director or c.e.o. in the form of regularly scheduled meetings
• 8 of 50 assign docents mandatory research projects

5. The largest audience served by docents in all museums: • school groups and students

 

6. Museums provide their docents with the following:

• photocopied handouts & notebooks—50 of 50
• social gatherings or parties — 46 of 50
• guest lecturers from outside the museum — 44 of 50
• curatorial lectures — 42 of 50
• periodicals or newsletters — 36 of 50
• textbooks — 9 of 50

 

7. Average percentage of the Education Department’s budget expended on docents:

• art museums – 8%
• history museums – 13%
• science museums – 8%
• multi-disciplined museums – 7%
• all museums (combined) — 9% of Education Department budget devoted to docents

8. Length of formal training period before new docents are permitted to begin providing tours:

• art museums
  • longest – 1 year briefest – 16 weeks
• history museums
  • longest – 3 months briefest – I day
• science museums
  • longest – 8 months briefest – no training required/offered
• multi-disc, museums
  • longest – 9 months briefest – 6 hours

9.  Among the stated “entrance requirements” for decent applicants were the following:

• none required
• “must be breathing”
• interest in subject matter
• willingness to serve and learn
• love of people
• 3 year commitment to program
• 18 years of age or older
• college graduate
• no full-time employment or school
• live within 15 miles of the institution
• well groomed, neat appearance

10. Main source for recruiting new docents:

• word-of-mouth 35 of 50
• press releases, media, ads 35 of 50
• Junior League /service group 10 of 50
• others: museum newsletters or publications- 5, corporate volunteer programs – 3, retirement groups – 3, local colleges, United Way recruitment, receptions, telephone inquiries, retired teachers organizations

11. Decent Program Requirements – Length of Service

• longest – 3 years
• briefest – no requirement
• most frequent response – 2 years

12. Most frequently mentioned obligations docents have to their program:

• getting substitutes for missed tours
• be museum members
• observe “dress codes”
• “continuing education” workshops

13. Based on the museum director’s involvement, attitudes, and allocation of resources, does he/she perceive education as:

• of greatest importance art – 3 history – 3 science – 0 md – 3
• a priority over most art – 4 history – 4 science – 7 md – 0
• equivalent to all else art – 4 history – 6 science – 6 md – 3
• of lesser importance art – 2 history – 2 science – 2 md – 0
• relatively unimportant art – 0 history – 0 science – 1 md – 0

14. Based on the involvement and attitudes of non-Education staff, do other museum employees perceive docents as:

• professionals art – 1 history – 1 science – 1 md – 0
• associates art – 6 history – 9 science – 1 1 md – 5
• outsiders art – 4 history – 3 science – 2 md – 1
• problematic art – 2 history – 2 science – 2 md – 0 13

15. What compensation does your institution give its docents beyond training:

• luncheons, teas, parties
• catalogues and museum publications free or at cost
• discount at museum shop
• free museum admission and/or attendance at public programs
• modest pay per tour
• compensation for mileage
• docent trips
• borrowing privileges from reference library
• performance and service awards
• free parking
• insurance coverage while on duty
• uniforms and nametags

16.  Innovations or ideas implemented that raised the performance or status of docents:

• formal, regularly scheduled tour evaluations
• in-house docent newsletter
• mentor program
• established a regional docent council
• more input into decision-making process
• treating docents as unpaid staff members
• uniforms and badges

Individual Questionnaire

total sent – 40 total returned – 16

1. Which of the following would benefit or improve docent programs:

• informal, oral evaluations – 11 of 16
• entrance interviews – 9 of 16
• research projects – 7 of 16
• regularly scheduled meetings with museum’s director – 7 of 16
• commitment contracts – 6 of 1 6
• written job descriptions – 6 of 16
• formal written evaluations – 1 of 16

2. How did you learn about docent service:

• word-of-mouth – 7
• press release, media, or ad – 5
• museum brochure – 3
• Junior League or other service group – 1

3. The training program provided for docents at your institution is:

• adequate preparation – 6
• great preparation – 5
• not enough preparation – 3
• not the right information – 2
• poor or useless – 0

4. I would characterize the relationship between docents and the education department at my museum as:

exceptional – 8 good – 6 fair – 1 strained – 1 poor – 0

5. I would characterize the relationship between docents and the curatorial division at my museum as:

exceptional – 4 good – 1 fair – 2 strained – 1 poor – 5

6. Are the docents who serve in your institution treated by staff as professionals?

yes – 8 no – 8

7. Should docent performance be evaluated by staff?

yes – 10 no – 6

8. Based on your perceptions of the museum profession, are docents perceived to be:

professionals – 1 colleagues – 6 outsiders – 8 problematic – 1

9. What might substantially improve docent performance?

• periodic reviews of docent performance by staff (4)
• have staff treat docents more professionally (3)
• provide better facilities for meeting, storage, and classes (2)
• produce and distribute docent handbooks or manuals
• provide full-time staff member to assist docents
• familiarize docents with workings of entire museum, not just exhibitions toured
• offer short, refresher courses for experienced docents
• have staff show appreciation for the time, energy, and money docents give
• have curators consider touring and logistics when designing and installing shows
• develop a docent program with opportunities for “advancement” through various levels of service
• more workshops/seminars with professionals using the inquiry method
• release docents who do not fulfill standards

“For Your Consideration,” The Docent Educator 3.3 (Spring 1994): 12-13.