GRADUATE COUNCIL POLICY ON APPOINTMENTS AND MENTORING OF GRADUATE STUDENT INSTRUCTORS

Revised March 7, 2005

Summary of Provisions
Regarding GSI Preparation, Oversight, and Assessment
and Policy Dissemination

Summarized August 2005

For the full text of the Graduate Council’s revised policy, please see http://evcp.chance.berkeley.edu/GSIMentoringPolicy.pdf

GSI Preparation and Oversight for Teaching

1. Every first-time GSI must attend the Teaching Conference sponsored by the GSI Teaching and Resource Center . The Teaching Conference for GSIs is offered by the GSI Teaching and Resource Center each semester before classes begin. First-time international GSIs (IGSIs) must also attend the Teaching Conference for International GSIs, scheduled before classes begin in the fall semester.

2. First-time GSIs must either have completed or be enrolled in a 300-level semester-long pedagogy seminar on teaching in the discipline offered by the department. In those departments in which a low number of GSIs makes it infeasible to offer such a course, the pedagogy seminar should be taken in another department, with the advice and approval of the GSI’s department and with the consent of the course instructor. First-time GSIs who fail to pass the 300-level course must retake and pass the course before they are eligible to teach again.

The course would normally:

• be taught by a faculty member;
• address the practical and theoretical knowledge needed by new GSIs in the specific discipline;
• • have a syllabus that specifies topics week by week, identifies readings, and describes the basis for evaluation
• have a meaningful number of units and student contact hours (2-4 units);
• have a course reader or textbooks;
• have specific assignments for which GSIs are accountable and on which GSIs will be graded.

The 300-level course requirement must be stated in letters of appointment for first-time GSIs.

3. As part of their classroom preparation, every first-time GSI must successfully complete, no later than the end of the third week of classes, instruction in the professional responsibilities involved in teaching. Developed and administered by the GSI Teaching and Resource Center , instruction will include information on academic freedom, political speech, confidentiality, plagiarism, sexual harassment, Title VI, Title IX, and other issues delineated in the Academic Code of Conduct.

4. At the beginning of the semester, the faculty member responsible for the course is required to meet with GSIs (types a and b) to go over the course syllabus, to clarify GSI responsibilities in the course, and, in the case of discussion sections and labs, describe the relationship of sections to lecture.

5. Departments are obliged to provide new and continuing GSIs (types a, b, and c; see policy for description of types) regular meetings with faculty who are responsible for the course to discuss the logistics of curriculum, selection of topics, assignments, tests, grades, and pedagogic matters related to their teaching of the course or sections of the course.

6. In keeping with the needs and standards of the University, a Senate faculty member or members must oversee and approve all course descriptions and reading lists for those GSIs (type c; see policy) who have primary responsibility for curriculum, textbook selection, and student evaluation.

7. GSIs with the title of Acting Instructor-Graduate Student (type d; see policy) serve as the Instructor of Record and have full course responsibility. However, all course descriptions and representative reading lists must be overseen and approved by a Senate faculty member or members within the relevant department before submission of a graduate student’s appointment to the Graduate Division and the Committee on Courses of Instruction for approval.

8. Departments are obliged to provide GSIs holding the title Acting Instructor-Graduate Student (type d), who have primary responsibility for course content, regular meetings with a faculty member designated by the Chair to discuss course logistics and pedagogical issues.

GSI Assessment

1. First-time GSIs should be observed in the classroom by departmentally designated faculty and receive feedback on their teaching.

2. End-of-semester evaluations of GSIs should be reviewed. A departmentally designated faculty member should meet individually with GSIs whose reviews are below average to set up a plan for improvement of teaching skills. This may involve repeating the department pedagogy seminar, or other appropriate remedial action.

Policy Dissemination

1. Departmental Chairs should provide faculty members a copy of these policies along with specific department guidelines at the beginning of each semester that they teach courses with GSIs

2. A copy of these policies or the URL where they can be located, along with specific department guidelines, should be included in each GSI letter of appointment.

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http://evcp.chance.berkeley.edu/GSIMentoringPolicy.pdf