Document Type

Poster

Department

Science Education

Publication Date

9-17-2015

Abstract

The 2015-18 Teaching Assistant Union (TAU) Contract calls for greater transparency about graduate teaching assistant (TA) appointments. Specifically, hiring units are responsible for:

  • Making information available on websites about teaching assistantships, including the application and selection process, desired and required qualifications, and application due dates.
  • Listing on websites all courses that typically have TAs, and updating lists regularly to include other teaching opportunities that become available (such as summer teaching).
  • Providing to all TAs a copy of its policies, and communicate any new policies or changes in policies.
  • Making available to TAs information relevant to the courses that TAs are teaching (including syllabi, textbook information, exams, and course policies.
  • Annual evaluation of TAs (encouraged but not required).

As of 2014-15, the Department of Geosciences lacked a formal policy governing the hiring and evaluation of TAs. As departmental Graduate Advisor, I chose to develop and implement a Departmental TA Policy as my Academic Leadership Academy project.

Comments

This poster was presented at the Teaching and Learning Bash on September 17, 2015 at Western Michigan University. NAME was part of the 2014-15 Academic Leadership Academy cohort.

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