Department of Comparative Literature
Policies on Teaching Assistant Selection, Training, and Review
(Reviewed & updated 5/27/09)

1. Selection of Teaching Assistants (T.A.s)

The Fellowships and TA Committee, in conjunction with the Department as a whole, appoints the most qualified graduate students to T.A. positions.

Criteria for T.A. selection (and renewal) include the following (in non-ranked order of importance):

• academic mission and needs of the Department;
• faculty observations and evaluations;
• letters of recommendation;
• long-term support arrangements;
• prior teaching experience and evaluations (when applicable);
• satisfactory academic progress in keeping with the guidelines of the Department and the Graduate School;*
• other factors in accordance with U.W. Madison policy.

***

In accordance with L&S and UW System requirements, T.A. applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate competency in English. If there are questions about that competency, it may be demonstrated by: passing the SPEAK test at a level of at least 50 (in which case no further screening or attention is required) or by passing the SPEAK test at a level of at least 45 (in which case they may perform instructional duties that require spoken English only if also enrolled in a program to improve spoken English skills). Students with scores less than 45 cannot perform instructional duties that require spoken English.

2. T.A. Training

Eight hours of training for new Teaching Assistants (at least two hours of which must be provided after the beginning of the semester) is a contractual requirement of the T.A.A. Agreement with the University. In keeping with that requirement, the Department of Comparative Literature requires that all new T.A.s attend the L&S T.A. workshops offered each fall during Welcome Week.

In addition, the Department offers CL731, Teaching in the Discipline, each fall or, when necessary, every other fall, for new or continuing T.A.s as well as for those graduate students who anticipate applying for a T.A.ship in the coming academic year. This one-credit course meets once a week for one hour for 15 weeks and is required of all new T.A.s in the Department.

The supervising instructor and T.A.s for each T.A.-assisted course should meet together as a group weekly. During those meetings, discussions will include class content and the course itself–exams, writing assignments, the pace of lectures, readings, etc.–student questions or concerns, ongoing questions about section teaching, and teaching questions, methods, and strategies. Emphasis will also be placed upon grading written assignments.

The instructor may offer an experienced T.A. the option of giving a lecture in the course during the semester. This is not a requisite duty. And, as part of training future (and present) teachers, supervising faculty may solicit ideas for exam questions or essay topics from T.A.s. But ultimately the responsibility for these aspects of the course lie with the supervising faculty member, not the T.A.s.

Training in the areas of affirmative action and dealing with harassment is provided jointly by the Equity and Diversity Resource Center and the Academic Personnel Office. Under the T.A.A. Agreement, completion of this training is required for teaching assistants to progress to the "experienced" pay rate (though not for progression to the "senior TA" rate).

The College of Letters & Sciences maintains a Teaching Assistant Resource Center in Room 307
South Hall. The Center houses a collection of teacher training videos, books, and periodicals of interest to T.A.s. The Resource Center URL is http://www.ls.wisc.edu/TAresources.htm
The Writing Center has an excellent and helpful website with ideas for writing assignments and for grading at: http://mendota.english.wisc.edu/~WAC/category.jsp?id=2
Their home page is: http://mendota.english.wisc.edu/~WAC/

III. T.A. Review & Evaluation

Probationary T.A.s will be reviewed by their supervising instructor once early in the semester and once later in the same semester to check on progress; a designated member of the Departmental T.A. Review Committee will also review the T.A. once late in the semester. A (single) final written performance evaluation of the classroom review will be provided to the T.A. by the supervising faculty member. A second evaluation will be provided to the probationary T.A. by the member of the T.A. Review Committee who visits their class.

Continuing T.A.s will be reviewed once each semester by the supervising instructor for that semester/course. A final written performance evaluation of the classroom review will be provided to the T.A. by the supervising instructor.

At least 48 hour notice of the day and time of the visit will be given in all instances. Evaluation criteria for these visits include the T.A.’s ability to:

i. understand course texts/materials
ii. explain texts/materials/concepts clearly
iii. respond to students questions clearly
iv. direct student discussion thoughtfully and deliberately in the classroom,

• speak and write clearly
• engage students’ interest
• draw students out in discussion of course reading/concepts.

In the course of appointment or re-appointment, the T.A. & Fellowships Committee will review T.A.s’ student evaluations. T.A.s are strongly encouraged to review their student evaluations and summaries. The latter are tabulated at the end of each semester. Student evaluations are available for your review once semester grades are submitted.

Student complaints or concerns about T.A.s will be handled first by the supervising instructor of the course and subsequently, if necessary, by the Chair of the T.A. Review Committee, the Director of Graduate Studies, and/or the Departmental Chair.

Any student concerns or complaints about a course or instructor should be referred to the Departmental Chair, or in the event the Chair is the course instructor, to the Chair of the Curriculum Committee. Information about departmental grievance procedures should be included in all course syllabi for 200-level lecture courses – including those for discussion sections.

For the T.A.A. contract, see: http://www.taa-madison.org/contract/index.html