Graduate Teaching Assistants in the School of Education must complete evaluations for the courses they teach or assist in teaching as required in Administrative Memorandum 349.  Each department must have in place procedures for evaluating the performance of their graduate teaching assistants. A copy of the procedures used in each department follow as does a copy of Administrative Memorandum 349.

Memo from Brad Bartel(page one)
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Administrative Memorandum 349 (page one)
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Procedures:

1. Each teaching assistant is assigned a mentor from eligible LIS Department faculty.

2. Formative evaluation (2.1.1) occurs during the fourth class of the semester in each class   taught.

3. Student course evaluations (2.1.2) are completed by students in all courses taught.

4. Peer review (2.2) is conducted in each course taught or at least once a semester.  Selection of class session to be evaluated is made jointly by teaching assistant and peer reviewer.  Peer   reviewers are selected from the LIS Department tenured or tenure-track faculty.

5. Results of student course evaluations and peer reviews are included in the teaching assistant's teaching effectiveness files (TEF, 2.3)

6. The assigned faculty mentor and teaching assistant meet each semester a course is taught to review the teaching effectiveness file information.

Adapted from: Department of Library and Information Studies: Policies and Procedures

1. Students who are interested in teaching ELC 381, participate in a semester-long seminar to   prepare them for teaching this course.  The seminar meets weekly.  Part of the work    requirements for the seminar are that students attend current 381 sessions to observe and   critique.  GA's who are already teaching 381 often continue to attend the seminar.

2. Each GA teaching 381 is evaluated by a department faculty member.  The faculty member   attends a minimum of 2 class sessions, discusses the sessions with the GA, and writes a letter   about the experiences that becomes part of the GA's file.
 

Adapted from: Department of Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations: Policies and Procedures

1.    All new GTAs will attend the mandatory workshop presented by the Graduate School in August

2.    All new and continuing GTAs will attend the orientation session presented by CUI department in August

3.    Each GTA will be observed and evaluated by his or her faculty supervisor

4.    End of course student evaluations are mandatory for each course taught by a GTA

5.    All GTAs are strongly encouraged to conduct mid-semester student evaluations, using the School
        of Education Teaching Evaluation Form B.

6.    All GTAs are strongly encouraged to engage in peer observations and evaluations

7.    The faculty supervisor and/or department chair will review the past semester's evaluations with the GTA,
        discussing his or her teaching improvement goal for the coming semester and suggesting additional
        goals as indicated.

8.    Copies of (a) supervisor evaluations, (b) summary of student evaluations, and (c) peer evaluations
        should be forwarded to the CUI graduate coordinator.  Data will be used for (a) the compilation of
        an annual report to the Graduate School and (b) the development of the annual GTA departmental
        orientation session.

Adapted from the CUI Policy for Review of GTAs

MEMO

TO:    Associate Dean, Ada Vallecorsa

FROM:  L. DiAnne Borders

RE:  Review of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) in CED

Each semester that a doctoral student teaches a course, the student must be enrolled in CED 657.  Dr. William Purkey instructor for CED 657, leads regularly scheduled class meetings, assigned readings, and evaluates students' performance in the classroom.  He also holds individual conferences/consultations with the GTAs as needed.  Each GTA creates a teaching portfolio, and they are required to solicit student feedback (currently, all use Form CEDSAT).  Summarizes of student feedback (conducted by your office) are first returned to Dr. Purkey, who creates a table of comparative data (anonymous), which is shared with the Chair and with the students.  Dr. Purkey then gives each GTA his/her student evaluation results (ratings and written comments).

GTA's work also is discussed during our Departmental student review meeting, held at the end of each semester.

As needed, a remedial plan is designed for a GTA.  For each GTA continuation of a teaching assignment is contingent upon the evaluation of his/her performance.  Several of the above assignments (e.g., portfolio) also function as a tool for teaching enhancement.  In addition, GTAs must attend the Graduate School training workshop before their first semester of teaching.  Dr. Purkey supplements this training with a mandatory day-long orientation/training workshop at the beginning of each fall semester.  He also has created a training manual for the GTAs.

Please let me know if you need any further information.

LDB:vkp

cc:  Dr. William Purkey
 

Retyped from original memo dated 10/8/97