Great Benefits - Anonymous employee Thomas Edison State College Employee Review

If you are thinking of going back to school, TESU is a great option.

You need to be proactive and comfortable with doing everything remotely.

This job entails working with students in online courses which can be very rewarding. At first, there was steady work and reasonable class sizes. Responsibilities are clear and unlike some other institutions offering online learning, there is no constant monitoring or pressure.

Mentors are hired as independent contractors. This means they must pay self-employment tax of 15.3% and file a schedule C on their tax return. Depending upon circumstances, they may also have to make quarterly income tax estimated payments. There are some business deductions that can offset this, but it is extra work to deal with these issues. Mentors are paid several weeks after a course is completed. That means from the start of the course until the check arrives, it is usually about 15 weeks. Courses are now often assigned at the last minute and sizes have become unpredictable. Because pay is per student, small class size results in disproportionately low pay because setup and some administrative tasks are the same regardless of class size. When technology changes take place, mentors are provided video lessons which they must view on their own time. Tech support is generally good although on weekends and holidays there can be problems. While management can be helpful, it is sometimes hard to find help during vacations or on weekends. New students are less prepared than previously and seem to ignore comments on their work that would help them to earn higher grades.