Students admitted with financial assistance usually hold teaching assistantships during the first four years. In spite of the name, the duties of these assistantships include research and computer laboratory supervision as well as teaching. In some semesters, the student may be supported by a faculty member’s research grant rather than by the university’s teaching budget.
Students who are already experienced teachers may be asked to teach in the first semester. Those who are not usually begin in teacher training, designed to put the student in a position to teach on their own by the end of the first year if possible and by the end of the second year in all cases. Each student should serve as a research assistant at some point. The timing of assignments, however, depends on the university’s needs and sources of funding as well as on the student’s needs.
The department where an assistant works is expected to provide the assistant with a written evaluation at the beginning of each spring semester. Decisions on renewal of teaching assistantships for the following year are made by the Program Director, in consultation with the faculty, before March 31. Students with incompletes from the preceding fall semester are not eligible for renewal, and all renewals are contingent on any incompletes from the spring semester being corrected by July 1.