Description of Teaching Initiative (TI) (adopted October 28, 1994)
Purpose
A Teaching Initiative (TI) is an opportunity for qualified graduate students to teach their own class with the supervision of a qualified faculty member The TIs were created in recognition of the large potential pool of talented teachers who are not selected for TAs due to our limited resources, and of the need for those seeking academic jobs to acquire teaching experience.
Eligibility
All graduate students enrolled in the Political Science Department are eligible to apply. Preference will be given to those with little or no teaching experience, and to those who have not held a TI in the past. Those with past experience in teaching or past TIs will be considered if positions are available.
Duties
Each TI will offer one section of Pol Sci 110, and will meet regularly with the supervising faculty member to discuss their teaching.
Rewards
The TIs will receive Tuition Waivers when such are available. They will also receive three academic credits.
Criteria for Selection
1. Meritorious academic achievement.
2. Ability to teach and interact with undergraduates effectively.
3. Affirmative action (the committee encourages women and minorities to
apply).
Process of selection
Four TIs will be selected each semester by the Grants and Awards Committee for the following semester. Selection should be done in a timely fashion so that the TIs have time to order their books without charging the Department for expensive air mail charges.
Application process
Each application should include the following materials:
1. A current report of progress toward completion of the degree,
endorsed by the applicant's advisor.
2. Three current letters of recommendation.
3. Evidence of undergraduate teaching ability or its promise.
4. A syllabus for Poli Sci 110.
5. Copies of recent unpublished or published research.