In the first program of its kind offered on a University of California campus, all grad students offered Teaching Associate appointments for the 2012 Summer Teaching Institute for Associates (STIA) program will have the opportunity to partner with an experienced faculty mentor and a peer group.
UCSB Executive Vice Chancellor Gene Lucas requested the expansion of the faculty mentoring component, which will allow participants to share experiences, insights and knowledge related to successful teaching at the university level. The program will be facilitated by Summer Sessions and Instructional Development.
Upon finishing the mentoring program, the grad student associates will receive a certificate of completion suitable for inclusion on a CV; and a credit toward UCSB’s Certificate in College and University Teaching (CCUT), as well as the STIA program (Summer Teaching Institute for Associates).
Summer Sessions points out that in this competitive job market, the mentoring program experience both enhances a student’s professional development as a university instructor and serves as an attractive asset to potential employers.
The teaching associates will meet with their mentors and peer group (up to seven other associates) once before the start of the session and three times during the session. Before the term begins, the mentor will work with the associate to refine and polish the associate’s course syllabus. During the term, the mentor will lead discussions on teaching strategies and pedagogies, and participants will be able to address issues as they arise in the classroom.
Why participate? Read what a few recent summer associates said about their mentoring experience in STIA:
“No matter how much experience you have, being able to get personal feedback on your teaching and your class from a world-renowned faculty member who has been teaching for decades is priceless.”
“Meeting with the mentor and other associates was useful for getting feedback and advice on specific situations that came up in the course of teaching the class. Often, solutions or approaches were suggested that I wouldn't have come up with by myself or by talking with other people in my department. It was also a good way to let off a little steam.”
“It was great to have a place to discuss ideas about teaching and logistics with other people going through the same things . . . the mentor and other associates had new insight into difficulties I had this summer. Some advice I took and some I will take next time. (Because not heeding it turned out to be a mistake!) Overall, it is an experience that helped me last summer and will continue to help me in my future courses.”
For more information, grad students should contact the graduate staff advisor for their department or Cindy Bumgarner at c.bumgarner@summersessions.ucsb.edu.