Graduate Handbook

V. TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIP AWARDS, ASSIGNMENT, AND DUTIES

Criteria for Teaching Assistant Awards
The awarding of teaching assistantships is a very competitive process. There are two types of T.A.s: support and independent section T.A.s. Support T.A. positions assist a faculty member teaching a large course, usually over 40. Independent section T.A.s teach their own class. These T.A.s must have at least an M.A. and significant professional experience. See the next section for more on the specific expectations for both types of T.A.s. The following criteria (not necessarily in order of rank) are used in awarding T.A.s:

1. Grades—This typically includes overall GPA, but may also focus on grades in more recent years (especially for students whose education covers more years than usual or for students whose grades show substantial change over time) and on grades in the degree area (political science and/or criminal justice).
2. GRE Scores.
3. Letters of Recommendation for Students Applying to our Program—New students who are interested in receiving a T.A. should encourage their referees to speak to their potential class room strengths.
4. Faculty Evaluations of Current Students—Each Ph.D. student will be evaluated in writing by the Chair of her/his committee in terms of their performance in the program. Faculty evaluations of T.A.s will also be used.
5. Relevant Course Background—Students who have had a substantial amount of course work in the field of their graduate degree (criminal justice or political science) are more likely to receive funding, other things being equal, than are students with little or no relevant course work.
6. Field Distribution Concerns—We try to maintain some degree of balance in the overall distribution of T.A. slots to the distribution of T.A. support needs for courses and to provide some spread of support across Ph.D. fields. We need grading help in a number of fields and if we are particularly shorthanded in a field, a graduate student with some background in that field will have an advantage in competing for funding relative to a student with little or no background in that field.
7. Work Performance—Current T.A.s who have performed well on the job are more likely to be continued than are T.A.s who do not perform well.
8. Special Concerns—Some of the T.A. slots include instructional duties, including teaching independent sections and leading sections of large Pol S 101, 102 or 103 and Crm J 101 and 150 classes. For these slots, previous T.A. or teaching experience is important (particularly for independent sections). In addition, a record of excellent performance in relevant courses is also important, especially for the independent sections. Some effort is also made to assess potential for effective performance in the classroom.

Procedures for Application

The deadline for application for departmental teaching assistantships is February 1st each year for the following academic year. Current students need to submit a memo to the Graduate Coordinator to indicate their interest. This letter should include: a narrative of progress, a description of academic achievement in courses at WSU (with grades), a summary of research (conference papers, collaborative work with faculty, research grants, etc.), and a concise statement of goals for the next year in the program. Applicants should also include an updated curriculum vitae. During March, faculty in each Course field--AJAPS, American, and CIP--will examine each student's record and will rank all of the students according to the above criteria. The Criminal Justice Faculty will do the same for Criminal Justice M.A.'s. The Department Chair will use these rankings as a guide to award teaching assistantships and to a certain degree other departmental aid. It is important to note, that these rankings are fluid and changing and are only an instrument for better decision making. Because of this, these rankings are confidential. Both the Criminal Justice Director and the Graduate Coordinator will be consulted on the final T.A. allocations, but it will be the Chair who makes the final decision.

Assignment of T.A.s to Courses

1. The Graduate Coordinator (GC) and the Director of Criminal Justice (DCJ) will be responsible for preparing initial T.A. teaching assignments. The GC and the DCJ will meet with both faculty and students in the semester prior to the work semester. Independent section assignments for the SPRING semester will be discussed in December; assignments for the FALL semester will be discussed in May. Instructional support T.A. assignments cannot be made until final enrollments come-in, the Friday before the first day of classes for each semester.
2. Teaching assignments for each semester will be determined by the first departmental meeting of that semester. The preliminary list of T.A. assignments compiled by the GC and the DCJ and approved by the chair will constitute a motion to the meeting.
3. Appeals of T.A. assignments, should be directed to the Department Chair who shall have final determination of the matter.
4. Both support and independent section T.A.s are expected to work 20 hours per week, 10 hours for a 1/4 time appointment. If students are working more than this, the Graduate Coordinator should be contacted.
5. WSU Political Science/Criminal Justice graduate students should not evaluate other graduate students in this program, under normal circumstances.
6. A one-day orientation will be given each Fall for all T.A.s. Attendance is mandatory.

Evaluation of T.A. Performance

1. All Political Science and Criminal Justice students who are performing T.A. work for the department, either as assistants in classes or having independent responsibilities, will be entitled to systematic feedback from advisory and supervising faculty, both during, and at the end, of any given term. The evaluation of T.A. work will be based on the completion of agreed upon T.A. responsibilities. Evaluation criteria will be specified in an agreement and should include expectations concerning: a) grading; b) attending lectures; c) office hours; and d) guest lecturing. Any changes in T.A. responsibilities will require consultation and agreement between faculty advisor and T.A.
2. Each T.A. will have a faculty supervisor. In the case where the student is assisting in a course, the faculty supervisors will be the course instructor. During the first week of a given term, both the advisor and the assigned T.A. will meet to discuss T.A. responsibilities. At this time, the T.A. and the advisor will agree, in writing, (on the Advisor/T.A. Agreement Form) to these duties. Any changes in T.A. responsibilities will require consultation and agreement between faculty and T.A.
3. For T.A.s teaching independent sections, prior to the first departmental meeting of the semester, the department Chair will nominate individual faculty members for advisory duties for T.A.s teaching independent sections. The faculty supervisor and the graduate instructor will sign a T.A Agreement Form. The graduate student will see to it that all educational materials relating to their teaching responsibilities are made available to the advisor. The advisor and the student will discuss the minimum teaching expectations and the criteria for evaluation of teaching performance.
        The advisor will review the student's teaching materials and will arrange times when he/she can observe the student's classroom/discussion group and/or advising performances. When the T.A. is involved primarily in grading, these opportunities are recognized to be limited. In these cases, faculty are encouraged to have their grading T.A. present at least one lecture and/or have primary responsibility for conducting review/study sessions. At the mid-point of the semester, the student and his/her advisor will meet for an informal session where course progress and teacher development skills should be discussed. This meeting is to be viewed as an informal, "mid-course correction" and not one which results in any official report.
        Based on whatever form of feedback the advisor has developed for the assessment of the student's performance, the advisor should give the student a good sense of her/his performance of responsibilities. Suggestions for change or alteration of performance should be a feature of this discussion as well. Students are encouraged to ask faculty for additional help in improving their performance.
4. After the semester is over, the advisor will issue a report on the student's performance of her/his duties and a general evaluation of their potential as classroom instructors. This report will be shared with the student, the student will sign the report to acknowledge having read it and it shall be placed in her/his graduate file.
5. The student has the right, and will be given the opportunity, to comment on the semester report if he/she wishes. These rejoinder comments will be shared with the advisor and placed in the student's file as well.
6. Unsatisfactory performance of T.A. responsibilities could result in a discontinuation of funding as determined by Departmental Chair in consultation with the Graduate Coordinator and other relevant faculty.

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