Undergraduate TA Program

IST 337 IM&T Support Practicum

If you are thinking about having undergraduate support for a class this coming semester, please reference the information below to find out more information:

  1. ANY instructor (full-time or adjunct) can utilize one of our undergraduate TA positions. If it will enhance your class and the student’s classroom experience, we’re all for it. Therefore, think about what you’d like an undergraduate TA to do for you and how they would help enhance your class instruction. You can use the documents attached at the bottom of the page for ideas, and talk to other professors about how they leverage their undergraduate TAs (we are happy to recommend some regular undergraduate TA-users to you).
  2. Ask a student, likely a former student in one of your sections who you know you can trust to be responsible, and who has demonstrated proficiency in the work. We like the student to have received a B+ or better in the class the first time around. If you need a recommendation of someone, just let the advising office know and we can pull rosters from former class sections.
    • You can also have students fill out the TA interest form before the end of the semester. That way you will have a pool of students to choose from for the upcoming semester. Click on the link to access the form: TA Interest Form
  3. Once you have a student who agrees to be an undergraduate TA for your class, have a talk with the student about the structure of your class. Build out the expectations (very specifically) that you have for your undergraduate TA and amend the documents below to match your goals. Make sure to go through your syllabus in detail with your new TA and let them ask questions to be sure that you’re both on the same page with how the semester will run. Both of you should sign the IST337 Contract paperwork in the necessary spaces.
  4. Send your student to Jeff Fouts in student services, Hinds Hall 106F, with all the paperwork. He will keep a copy for his records and you should keep a copy for yourself for review. The only way your student receives credit for the work they are doing is if they bring in the paperwork so they can get enrolled in IST 337: IM&T Support Practicum course. The paperwork should be submitted no more than TWO WEEKS BEFORE the start of classes. Paperwork should include the IST 337 contract/form, the IST 337 syllabus with your specific amended expectations, and a copy of the course syllabus.
  5. Once the paperwork is received by Jeff Fouts, the student will then be able to register for the course. They WILL NOT be able to register for IST337 until all paperwork has been received.

We are happy to enhance your teaching experience by providing you the ability to have an undergraduate TA for your class. Hosting an undergraduate TA is often really rewarding and the student finds the experience extremely beneficial as they get to connect further with a professor, have a deeper understanding of material and develop the people skills that come with serving others.

There are many benefits of having an Undergraduate TA:

  • You can develop deeper connections with our students
  • You get a fresh set of eyes (from the student perspective) on your teaching material and receive feedback before you present to class
  • An undergraduate TA can test the weekly labs before the class completes them to fix any bugs or alert you of any confusion
  • The undergraduate TA learns the material in a whole new way, helping them gain a deeper understanding often leads to them pursuing more coursework in that subject area
  • Someone can help you answer questions when all those hands go up in the labs
  • Undergraduate TA’s can assist with light grading and organization projects

IST 337 Contract

IST 337 IM&T Support Practicum Syllabus