Teaching Guidelines

*** PLEASE NOTE GSAS funding is provided for six years, regardless of the number of semesters students ultimately teach.*** 

REQUIREMENTS

Doctoral students with multiyear fellowship packages are expected to teach up to six semesters or three years (see the schedule below). 

The distribution of teaching assignments depends on the student’s track: regular, which includes writing an MA thesis, or advanced standing.

Those students who receive certain outside or Harriman fellowships in a year when they would otherwise be teaching should consult GSAS Financial Aid and the DGS about a possible exemption from teaching that year.

ASSIGNMENTS

Our general instructional model is for graduate students to gain teaching experience both in language and literature/culture classes. Decisions about particular teaching assignments are made by the Teaching Committee (which consists of the Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, and the Russian Language Program Director) in consultation with the faculty as a whole, as well as with the individual faculty members who supervise or teach the specific courses that may require or benefit from a teaching assistant.

In making assignments, the Teaching Committee balances various considerations: the needs of the program, undergraduate enrollments, the student’s preferences, language skills or knowledge of the field, prior teaching experience, and the need to develop a broad teaching portfolio. 

Notification of Teaching Assignments: The Teaching Committee informs students of their provisional teaching assignments in writing at least one month before the semester begins, but quite often, earlier than that. However, assignments are subject to change as late as the beginning of the semester, depending on course offerings, course enrollments, and the pool of graduate students available to teach. The pool is dynamic and can change as students are awarded fellowships or teaching positions outside the department.

Students are welcome to discuss teaching assignments with the Teaching Committee. 

ASSIGNMENTS: TYPES AND DUTIES

There are several types of teaching assignments: 

1. Teaching assistants (TA) in language classes: TAs in language classes are responsible for attending all classes of the assigned section(s); eventually teaching the section(s) at least once a week; providing consultations to students; assisting with grading oral and written homework, tests, and exams; participating in the development of teaching materials; organizing and leading enrichment activities.
    
2. Teaching assistants (TA) in literature and culture courses: when it is justified by enrollment, teaching assistants with the relevant background and training may assist faculty members in courses in literature and culture. The duties vary depending on the nature of the course. Duties may include: grading homework, papers and exams; responding to student questions; advising students on course projects; proctoring exams; keeping records of attendance and grades; conducting review sections; and possibly other teaching duties, such as running discussion section(s), teaching select classes, or giving a lecture on a subject related to the TA’s research. The teaching assistant receives training for these duties from the faculty member who conducts the course and meets with the faculty member regularly.

Teaching Assistants in all courses are expected to hold regular office hours.

In the week before classes begin in the fall, all new teaching assistants should take part in any workshops or orientations run by their supervisor in the Slavic Department, as well as any relevant orientations held in other units or departments.

EVALUATION OF TEACHING

Teaching is evaluated in several ways. The immediate faculty supervisor is responsible for monitoring and observing the student’s teaching in an ongoing fashion. The TA should ask one faculty member (normally the faculty mentor or dissertation adviser) to visit their class at least once a semester and provide feedback, preferably in writing. Last, the faculty supervisor will review with the TA the course evaluations submitted by the undergraduates.

The ongoing evaluation of teaching is intended both to improve the quality of teaching and to allow the PhD student to create a teaching portfolio that is often necessary in applying for teaching positions.

OTHER TEACHING OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES

Advanced doctoral students should consider applying for teaching opportunities outside the department. These include the Teaching Scholars Program, which gives graduate students the opportunity to design and teach a course in their area of expertise. All Teaching Assistants are urged to take advantage of the offerings of the Center for Teaching and Learning. The Center offers graduate students a variety of services, including workshops, consultations, mid-course reviews, and teaching observations. When possible, doctoral students with a serious interest in pedagogy should apply to become Lead Teaching Assistant.

Advanced students are also encouraged to pursue summer language teaching opportunities beyond Columbia (as circumstances allow). Possibilities include Middlebury’s School of Russian and Indiana University’s Summer Language Workshop, among others. These experiences can be extremely helpful on the job market. Sign up for ASEEES, AATSEEL, or SEELANGS to learn about openings as they arise.

POLICY ON GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT ABSENCES

Teaching Assistants are expected to meet all class sessions, appointments, and other obligations associated with their teaching assignment. Teaching Assistants should consult with the supervisor of their course to make sure that they fully understand their responsibilities at the start of the semester.

In the event that a Teaching Assistant must miss a class they are leading, office hour, appointment with supervisor, or other meeting, or is unable to perform other teaching-related duties due to illness or other extreme circumstances, they should follow the procedures outlined below

If the absence is anticipated in advance, the Teaching Assistant should do all of the following

• contact the immediate supervisor and the Russian Language Program Director (in the case of a Russian language class) about the need to miss a class or meeting and consult with them in making appropriate arrangements for covering the class or meeting.
• once these arrangements have been made, email the chair, DGS, and academic department administrator as soon as possible and in advance of the missed class.

If an absence is due to an unanticipated, last-minute emergency (medical or other), the Teaching Assistant or a proxy should do all of the following as soon as feasible:

• call the Slavic Department at 212 854-3941or 212 854-5157 (the DAAF’s direct line). If there is no answer, leave a message.
• contact the course instructor to let them know the situation.
• provide an update as soon as it is possible

Note: Medical or other documentation may be required

RESOLVING PROBLEMS  

Teaching Assistants are encouraged to consult, in person or in writing, with their immediate faculty supervisor or the DGS about problems that arise in the course of teaching. If the problem cannot be resolved within the department, we encourage you to contact the Office of Student Affairs at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences in 107 Low Library.