Teaching assistants are a highly valued part of Academic Programs in our department. Classroom and on-line teaching in entomology and in forensic and investigative sciences courses carry high expectations for defining and communicating learning outcomes, lesson relevance, demonstrations and assessment, as well as providing mentorship and guidance for undergraduate student discovery.
Graduate students are encouraged to discuss their interests in service as a teaching assistant with their major advisor and with the faculty-of-record for the respective ENTO or FIVS courses well in advance of the call for teaching assistantship applications.
Instructor requests for teaching assistants will be communicated by email to the associate head for academic programs.
Participation in the department teaching program can be fulfilled in two ways:
- Paid Graduate Teaching Assistantship
- Half-time assistantship = 20 hours per week (depending on size of assignment)
- Quarter-time assistantship = 10 hours per week (depending on size of assignment)
- Graduate Student enrolled in ENTO 685: Directed Studies under faculty direction
- For this option, students are supervised by a faculty member and assist in developing and/or implementing a new course, new teaching techniques or other teaching related activities of merit.
The associate department head for academic programs is responsible for coordinating and supervising this program, for conducting departmental teaching assistant training before the beginning of each regular long semester, and for reporting data and trend analyses to the department, education committee and faculty.
Steps Associated with Application, Compliance, Evaluation and Selection
Call for Applications and Application Deadlines
A call for applications will be sent out twice each academic year by email to faculty and graduate students:
April: Call for applications for fall semester
November: Call for applications for spring semester
The application link will be sent in the email and is to be completed online. Application submission deadlines are set in coordination with semester registration schedules.
Compliance and Eligibility
Compliance and eligibility will be evaluated for each applicant’s status as a student good-standing and as an assessment of degree progress. Degree progress includes and assessment of degree plan, proposal, prelims, time to degree and annual committee meeting.
- Program progress: Assessed with respect to date of matriculation
- GPA standing: Assessed upon posting of grades at the end of the semester
- Overall GPA > 3.0
- Degree Plan Filed
- Proposal Submitted on Time
- Prelim exams completed (Ph.D. only)
- Documentation of annual committee meeting
- Verification of Hazard Communication Training
- Verification of ELP examination scores (International students)
- Verification of curriculum vitae (CV)
Evaluation of Criteria for Consideration
The following criteria noted below will be used to score the content provided in the online application and curriculum vitae.
Scores of 0-3 (3, high) will be assigned:
- Career interest in teaching
- Knowledge of subject or prior coursework
- Experience and training in teaching
- Evidence of public presentation skills
- Score from instructor during prior semester as a teaching assistant*
*Assessment of prior service as a teaching assistant in our department will be based upon the instructor-of-record evaluation conducted at the end of the semester, using a scoring rubric for assessment of preparedness, resourcefulness, timeliness, professional demeanor and student engagement.
Prior teaching assessment is used to give a score of 0-5, (0, low and 5, high)
If there is no prior experience as a teaching assistant, the student will receive a neutral score of 3.
Other Considerations
Other considerations for a teaching assignment include:
- Availability of courses where teaching is needed
- Availability of funding for paid teaching assistantship positions
- Request and approval of major advisor
- Request and approval of instructor
- ENTO or interdisciplinary student designation
- Number of prior semesters candidate served as a teaching assistant*
*Scored with 1 point deduction for each semester beyond 6.
Selection and assignment of teaching assistants
Selection and assignment of teaching assistants will be based on:
- Eligibility and Criteria
- Departmental Teaching Needs: Driven by courses, sections, number of students to be served as posted in the schedule of classes found in Howdy.
- Best Match of Enrollment Demand with Applicant: Includes applicant’s interest and skills, academic schedules and faculty requests.
Every effort will be made to make teaching assignments as quickly and efficiently as possible. However, some element of the process are subject to delay and out of departmental control. We appreciate your patience.
Resolution of Teaching Budget
This resolution is subject to budget allocations and delays due to timing of legislative budget cycles and changes in internal budget processes.
Final Review of Assignments
Before formal offers are made, the department head will review and approve the assignments.
Memoranda of Offers
Memoranda of offers are made to applicants through their official Texas A&M University email with deadlines for signature acceptance and contingencies set for forfeiture of assistantship pending:
Completion of training with the Teaching Assistant’s Institute
This university mandated training through the Center of Teaching Excellence will be assigned for applicants who have not been a teaching assistant before, or for those who cannot verify prior training. It must be completed prior to the beginning of the semester of service.
Attendance at Department of Entomology’s Teaching Assistant Orientation
This mandated department-event is an orientation and workshop, held at the beginning of each regular semester.
Those not selected will be notified by email or phone.
Verification of Signed Memoranda
Verification of signed memoranda of offers will be posted for coordination with payroll processing.
Changes to Assignment
Resolution of any late changes that require rebalancing assignments prior to first date of classes.
Program Notes and Additional Consideration
- As part of university outcome assessment, each teaching assistantship will be evaluated by the instructor of record for the course(s) they are assigned. Results of this assessment will be reported through the associate department head for academic programs, to the graduate operations committee and the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences on an annual basis, as requested.
- Assessment of teaching assistant performance will be scored for preparedness, resourcefulness, timeliness, professional demeanor and student engagement (scale 0-5, with 0 low, 5 high, and score of 3 being neutral). This rubric will be reviewed each semester during the department’s teaching assistant orientation and workshop.
- A report of each application cycle data set will be made to the education committee for tracking and trend analysis. A report of findings will be made at the department faculty meeting.