The Big Cat Rescuer Information Center
The Big Cat Rescuer Information Center has two components; On-Site Time Tracking Stations for clocking in and out, updating your calendar, or viewing your volunteer service history and an Online Site you can access from home to update your calendar, update your profile or emergency contact information, and view your volunteer service history.
On-Site Time Tracking Stations
The main On-Site Time Tracking Stations are located in food prep and in the gift shop office. You will need to clock in when you arrive at the sanctuary and clock out before you leave using these stations. All of your volunteer hours will be tracked using these new clock in/out stations. These stations also give you access to update your calendar and view your volunteer service history.
Below are detailed instructions, but this site is so easy to use that you probably won’t need them.
How do I clock in or clock out?
In order to clock in and clock out at one of the On-Site Time Tracking Stations, you will need to enter your assigned PIN number (located at the end of the intro email you received) using the on-screen keypad to access your account. Enter your PIN and follow the easy instructions to Sign-In and Sign-Out each day you volunteer.
Detailed instructions for clocking in and clocking out
Simply enter your PIN and then click Continue. The system will ask Is This Your Name? Click Yes if it is and No if it is not. If your name did not appear after entering your PIN please see your Coordinator. Once you click Yes, the system asks What Would You Like To Do? Sign In, View My Schedule, and View My History. To clock in click Sign-In. The system will tell you to Select The Department You Volunteer For. Listed will be your volunteer level as well as Off Site Event. Select the appropriate department then verify the information is correct by clicking Yes. The system will tell you that you are now logged in, click Ok. The screen will go back to the welcome screen with the keypad. If you forget to click Ok or if the screen is idle for a few minutes it will automatically go back to the main screen with the on-screen keypad. Be sure to clock out using your PIN at the end of your volunteer time at the sanctuary. You will follow the same above instructions but will be given the option Sign-Out instead of Sign-In.
Customized PIN number
Your PIN number is located at the end of the introductory email you receive once you are entered into the system. The PIN number was assigned to you by the system. If you would like a specific 4-6 digit PIN number assigned to your account (that would be easier for you to remember) please email that number to jamie.veronica@bigcatrescue.org and she will assign your requested number to your account. Note: The PIN number cannot begin with a 0.
Which station do I use to clock in or clock out?
It does not matter which station you use to clock in or clock out. For instance you may clock in using the station in the gift shop office and clock out using the station in food prep. Both stations relay this information to one database, so you may use any station at any time to clock in or clock out. It also does not matter if someone is using the station at food prep while another person is simultaneously using the station in the gift shop office. These two stations can be used simultaneously.
What if I forget to clock out?
If you forget to clock out you will be automatically clocked out after 4 hours. Use this form to submit your hours if you forgot to clock in, forgot to clock out, forgot both, or was unable due to computer/internet problems. Your hour submission will be manually entered into your service record after the end of the month. All of the hours submitted using this form will be entered into service records before the monthly hour report is pulled.
What if I have Off-Site Volunteer Hours that I need to log?
If you have volunteered off-site you can use the form here: https://sites.google.com/a/bigcatrescue.org/volunteer/training/off-site-hours-form to submit your hours. Simply sign in to the BigCat.me site using your firstname.lastname@bigcatrescue.org email address, enter the number of hours that you volunteered, specify in the provided box the task which you performed, then click the Submit button. Off-site hours should be entered within a day or two of when completed. Your off-Site hours will then be manually entered into your record after the end of the month. All of the hours submitted using this form will be entered into service records before the monthly hour report is pulled. If you are late entering your hours using this system they may not be credited to your service record and you will receive a Deficient Hours Notice.
Online Site – Big Cat Rescuer Information Center
The Online Site can be accessed from any computer with an internet connection. You can access this site from any of the available computers at the sanctuary or even from home, work, etc. At this site you can view and update your calendar (these new calendars will replace the calendars you currently use on the BigCat.me site for scheduling your volunteer time). You can also update your profile and emergency contact information and view your volunteer history.
How do access the new site?
The link for the Online Site is located on the Start Here Page of the BigCat.me site here: Big Cat Rescuer Information Center Click the large button that says Schedule to access the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center. You will be directed to a log in screen where you will enter your firstname.lastname@bigcatrescue.org email address and your temporary password. Your temporary password is your first name and last name all together and in lower case letters, for instance a temporary password would appear like this jamieveronica. When you log in for the first time please change your password to something more secure. It can be any password you choose.
How do I change my password?
Once logged in to the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center click the tab titled Account at the far right. Enter your current temporary password in the box on the left and your desired password in the two boxes on the right and then click Save. You should then receive this message on the screen: Your password was successfully changed. Use your new password the next time you login.
How do I schedule myself on the calendar?
Once logged in to the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center click the tab titled My Schedule. Use the green buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll backwards or forwards through the months. When you find the day that you want to schedule yourself for click the box for that day. A screen will open showing you who else is scheduled for that day. Click the green button at the right of the screen that says Schedule Me. Be sure to click the correct green button, one will be to the right of your volunteer level and one will be to the right of Off-Site Events. Select the start and stop times that you plan on volunteering that day using the drop down boxes and then click Continue. A screen will open asking you to verify the schedule information you have submitted. If the information is correct click Yes. A screen will open saying Thank You. Click Continue to go back to the calendar view. You can add yourself to the calendars (any month) up to 100 times each month and can even schedule yourself up to 6 months in advance.
What if I have a consistent reoccurring schedule?
Currently the calendar only permits you to schedule yourself for one day at a time. If you have a consistent schedule and know that you will volunteer for example every Monday from 9 AM – 1 PM you can email jamie.veronica@bigcatrescue.org that information and she will add your reoccurring volunteer schedule to the calendar so that you will be scheduled every Monday from 9 AM – 1 PM.
How do I see who else is scheduled?
To see who else is scheduled for a particular day log into the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center and click on the tab titled My Schedule. Use the green buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll backwards or forwards through the monthsWhen you find the day that you want to view who is scheduled, click the box for that day. A screen will open showing you who else is scheduled for that day.
What if I am scheduled and I have to cancel?
Go to the day that you have to cancel for and click the box for that day. A screen will open showing you your schedule for that day. Click the green button to the right of the screen that says Remove Me. You will be automatically removed from the calendar and an email notification will be sent to the Coordinator alerting them that you have removed yourself from the calendar. You can not remove yourself less than 24 hours before the time you are scheduled to volunteer. If you must cancel within this time frame please call the Coordinator for the day of which you were scheduled to volunteer to let them know. If you try to remove yourself less than 24 hours before the time you are scheduled to volunteer it will appear as if you were successful in doing so, however, your name will still appear on the calendar and the Coordinator will be expecting you to show up for your scheduled time. It is very important to contact the Coordinator if you are removing yourself less than 24 hours from your scheduled volunteer time so that the Coordinator can plan the days activities and assign them accordingly to the volunteers that are scheduled.
How do I update my Profile and Emergency Contact Information?
Please take a few moments the first time you log into the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center to update your Profile and Emergency Contact Information. Simply click on the tabs at the top of the screen titled My Profile. Fill in or update all of the available fields. To save your updates simply click any of the green Save buttons on the page. You can return to this page at any time to update your information.
Big Cat Rescuer Information: Including your contact information, date of birth, t-shirt size, favorite species, and favorite cat.
Photo: You can upload a photo of yourself here. This photo must be a head shot (facing forward) of you wearing your current color volunteer shirt. The logo should be visible in the image.
Availability: Check the boxes for the days of the week and time frames you are usually available to volunteer.
Skills & Experience: Check the boxes for the skills you have that Big Cat Rescue could put to use.
Emergency Contact: Including your emergency contact’s information. Please include as much detail here as possible.
Employer: You may fill this in if you would like, but it is not mandatory.
What is My Service History?
Click on the tab titled My Service History to view your volunteer service information including a status bar that indicates how close you are to meeting the current month’s minimum required hours for your level, your volunteer start date, your year-to-date volunteer hours, and your life-time volunteer hours. You can also review your past volunteer service by year. The status bar at the top of this page will show you how close you are to meeting the current month’s minimum required hours. Once you have reached the minimum hours for the current month you will not see additional hours here, however, do not worry, your hours are still being recorded. To see your total hours simply scroll to the bottom of the page, past all of the status bars to the section titled Service by Year. Here you will see your grand total of volunteer hours for the year. For a more detailed report that displays each day you volunteered and the hours you volunteered for click on the link below this section titled 2012, 2013, or so on. So far only your start date has been entered into your record.
Why are my hours not showing up?
Click on the tab titled My Service History. If the status bar that indicates you have completed the current month’s minimum required hours for your level, your additional volunteer hours will not appear in this section. To see your total hours for the month simply scroll to the bottom of the page, past all of the status bars to the section titled Service by Year. Here you will see your grand total of volunteer hours for the year. For a more detailed report that displays each day you volunteered and the hours you volunteered for click on the link below this section titled 2012, 2013, or so on. So far only your start date has been entered into your record.
How do I exit the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center?
When you are finished using the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center just click the green Exit button at the bottom of any of the tab pages. A screen will open that says Thank You. You can now close the window, or click the link on the screen to return to the BigCat.me site.
Coordinator Features
How do I schedule myself as the Coordinator on the calendar?
Log into the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center, choose Volunteer capacity (not Coordinator). Once logged in to the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center click the tab titled My Schedule. Use the green buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll backwards or forwards through the months. When you find the day that you want to schedule yourself for click the box for that day. A screen will open showing you who else is scheduled for that day. Click the green button at the right of the screen that says Schedule Me. Be sure to click the correct green button, one will be to the right of your volunteer level, one will be to the right of Coordinator, and one will be to the right of Off-Site Events. Select the start and stop times that you plan on volunteering that day using the drop down boxes and then click Continue. A screen will open asking you to verify the schedule information you have submitted. If the information is correct click Yes. A screen will open saying Thank You. Click Continue to go back to the calendar view. You can add yourself to the calendars (any month) up to 100 times each month and can even schedule yourself up to 6 months in advance.
How do I change the volunteer schedule or remove a volunteer that is scheduled?
A volunteer can remove themselves from the schedule up to 24 hours prior to their scheduled volunteer day. After this time the volunteer no longer has the option to remove themselves and must contact the coordinator for that day to inform them of their unavailability. This feature has been set up to decrease the occurrences of volunteers removing themselves from the schedule and not giving the Coordinator enough time to find a replacement in turn leaving the Coordinator short handed.
To remove a volunteer from the schedule you must sign in to the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center, choose Coordinator capacity and then click the green Go button. Once logged in to the Big Cat Rescuer Information Center click the tab titled My Schedule. Use the green buttons at the top of the calendar to scroll backwards or forwards through the months. When you find the day that you want to remove the scheduled click the box for that day. (The boxes for each day will be very long as they list each volunteer scheduled for each day. You may need to scroll down to find the appropriate box for the day). A window will open with the date appearing at the top and the volunteers scheduled for that day listed. Click the blue link titled Change to the left of the volunteer’s schedule and name you want to remove. A window will open proving you with options to; Change the start and end times for that day’s schedule, Replace the scheduled volunteer with another volunteer, Remove the volunteer, or Add a reoccurring schedule for the volunteer. Make the needed changes and then click the green Save button.
Assistance or Questions
All of the Coordinators have access to the PIN numbers assigned to you for the On-Site Time Tracking Stations. If you forget your PIN, please see your Coordinator for assistance.
If you have any questions or need assistance with the new programs please email jamie.veronica@bigcatrescue.org
