TA Types & Teaching Credentials

The purpose of this document is to establish the University’s policy regarding the teaching credentials and support activities required for Teaching Assistants (TAs). This policy is based on the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) teaching credentials guidelines for graduate teaching assistants as follows: Master’s in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate semester hours in the teaching discipline, direct supervision by a faculty member experienced in the teaching discipline, regular in-service training, and planned and periodic evaluations.

Definitions: For the purpose of this policy, primary responsibility is defined as a teaching assignment assumed by an individual who functions autonomously to carry out teaching and learning activities, evaluate student performance, and assign final grades.

In addition to TAs with primary, independent responsibility for teaching a class (Type 1), the University uses TAs in three other major ways:

(Type 2) to teach a section of a course under a course coordinator who closely supervises all aspects of the teaching and learning process. Courses eligible for Type 2 TAs must be approved by The Graduate School and should be sections of a multi-section course with a faculty member serving as the course coordinator. In this type of teaching assignment, TAs deliver the course by using a common syllabus, common textbook, common exams, and common grading criteria. "Common" here means established by the course coordinator and used across the sections of the course. The TA recommends a final grade to the course coordinator who reviews the recommendation and takes responsibility for the final grades. Also required is ongoing structured support of Type 2 TAs, e.g., weekly meetings, a support course, grading calibration sessions, a series of workshops geared specifically to the course being taught, etc.
(Type 3) to support a primary instructor within a classroom or lab setting, such as a recitation leader or lab instructor; and
(Type 4) to provide out-of-classroom support to a primary instructor (behind the scenes, with minimal direct student interaction, but engaged in instructional duties such as grading).

Teaching Credentials and Support Activities: The criteria below describe the credentials and support necessary for each TA type:

Type 1

A Teaching Assistant who has primary responsibility for teaching a class must:

have an earned master’s degree in the teaching discipline or 18 graduate semester hours completed in the teaching discipline. The faculty member making a teaching assignment is responsible for ensuring a match between the TA’s educational credentials and the teaching area;
have an assigned faculty member who provides supervision and support;
participate in regular orientation and development programs and/or pedagogy courses provided by the Graduate School, CELT, and the primary college and/or department for which she/he is teaching;
participate in the TA Observation and End-of-Semester Evaluation process as required by the Graduate School and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan improvements
participate in the university-required Teacher Course Evaluation process and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan for improvements; and
achieve a Category 1 status (a score of 3.5 or above) on the University’s oral language screening if English is not the TA’s primary language (AR 5.3).

Type 2

A TA who teaches a class under the direct supervision of a course coordinator must:

be enrolled as a graduate student in the teaching area;
have an assigned faculty member who provides supervision of and support for all teaching activities;
participate in regular orientation and development programs and/or pedagogy courses provided by the Graduate School, CELT, the primary college, or the department for which she/he is teaching;
participate in the TA Observation and End-of-Semester Evaluation process as required by the Graduate School and SACS and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan improvements (AR 5.2);
participate in the university-required Teacher Course Evaluation process and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan for improvements; and
achieve a Category 1 status (a score of 3.5 or above) on the University’s oral language screening if English is not the TA’s primary language (AR 5.3).

Type 3

A TA who serves in a supporting classroom role to a primary instructor must:

be enrolled as a graduate student in the teaching area or a related teaching area;
have an assigned faculty member who provides supervision and support;
participate in regular orientation and development programs provided by the Graduate School, CELT, and the primary college and/or department for which she/he is assisting;
participate in the TA Observation and End-of-Semester Evaluation process as required by the Graduate School and SACS and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan improvements (AR 5.2);
participate in the university-required Teacher Course Evaluation process and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan for improvements; and
achieve at least a Category 2 status (a score of 3.0 or above) on the University’s oral language screening if English is not the TA’s primary language (AR 5.3).

Type 4

A TA who serves in a supporting educational role outside the classroom (e.g.. grader) must:

be enrolled as a graduate student in the teaching area or a related teaching area;
have an assigned faculty member who provides supervision and support;
participate in regular orientation and development programs provided by the Graduate School, CELT, the primary college, or the department for which she/he is teaching;
participate in the End-of-Semester TA Evaluation process as required by the Graduate School and have an opportunity to discuss results with the faculty supervisor in order to plan improvements; and
achieve at least a Category 2 status (a score of 3.0 or above) on the University’s oral language screening if English is not the TA’s primary language (AR 5.3).

Questions? Contact Dr. Morris Grubbs (257-9725) or Chad Gilpin (257-4137) in The Graduate School.