Graduate Student Teaching Graduate Council

Current Policy Graduate Student Teaching Students working toward graduate certificates or advanced degrees are not permitted to teach graduate courses. Issues with current policy Multiple definitions of “teach graduate courses” If a GTA grades the work of a peer, is that “teaching”?

Proposed Change Focus on removing all potential conflicts of interest Graduate students A and B are peers Student A is TA for course X Student B is TA for course Y Student A is enrolled in course Y, student B is enrolled in course X There is a potential conflict of interest.

Scenario 1 – Instructor of Record For a graduate student to be appointed as the Instructor of Record for a graduate course (including the 500-level component of a slash course): The unit/program of employment must be separate and distinct from the unit/program of enrollment. The instructor must be appointed to the graduate faculty based on their academic/professional qualification by the unit/program of employment. OAR specifies that one may not simultaneously be an OUS faculty member and an OUS graduate student OAR In the event that graduate students from the instructor’s unit/program of enrollment are enrolled in the course, alternative arrangements must be made for evaluating the work of those graduate students.

Scenario 2: TA for Graduate Course For a graduate student to be appointed as the Teaching Assistant for a graduate course (including the 500-level component of a slash course), the Director of the Graduate Program must ensure that potential conflicts of interest are avoided to the maximum extent possible. This may include: Making alternative arrangements to evaluate the work of graduate students from the same unit/program as the Teaching Assistant, OR Ensuring that the Teaching Assistant has advanced to candidacy status (after prelims) and all graduate students in the class have not advanced to candidacy If neither of these criteria are met, the program must have a conflict of interest plan approved by the Graduate School.

Why? Intent is to provide guidelines to programs Many programs will be able to operate within the guidelines If special situations exist with a program: Request exception from the Graduate School

Action Need approval to change policy