INFORMATION SESSIONS

An information session will be given for newly enrolled graduate students at the beginning of each fall semester-generally, one afternoon in late August. Coordinated by the Office of Graduate Studies, the Division of Student Affairs, and the individual academic departments, the session is designed to welcome graduate students to The Florida State University and introduce them to its facilities, services, and events of public interest.

During the general portion of the session, graduate students will be given information by the Dean of Graduate Studies that is essential to successful academic work. A featured speaker, a distinguished professor from the University faculty, will comment on the graduate experience, and the Vice President for Student Affairs will describe the student services available at the University.

Orientation of graduate and graduate-professional students will include an emphasis on ethical standards the University has articulated in its statement on values and moral standards and on the standards found in the canons of professional responsibility in the fields students expect to enter.

At the information session, the Program for Instructional Excellence will be reviewed. The program offers classes that cover the general aspects of teaching: the ethics, the potential problems, and the characteristics of quality teaching. Additional classes may be offered by the individual departments that prepare graduate students for teaching their particular field. Students will be notified by mail and through their individual academic departments of the date, time, and location of the Information Session.

Departments offer their own formal or informal orientation sessions; queries regarding these meetings should be made directly to the chair of the student's department.

Special orientation sessions for minority graduate students are given three weeks prior to the fall semester by the Program in African-American Studies. Interested students should contact the office located in A5200 University Center.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Support

Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE)

In addition to departmental support programs, the Program for Instructional Excellence aids graduate teaching assistants in improving their instructional skills and classroom knowledge. The program offers a wide variety of services, which are described below. C4200 University Center, 8:00-5:00, Monday through Friday, (850) 644-8844.

University-Wide Orientations

Twice each year, during the week preceding the fall and spring semester, three-day and two-day orientations are held for new and experienced teaching assistants. University administrators, faculty, and experienced teaching assistants take part in this program, offering advice and conducting sessions on all aspects of undergraduate teaching at The Florida State University. Experienced instructors who feel the need for a refresher course are invited to participate in any part of the orientation they feel might be useful. The International Center offers a required one-day orientation for all new international students. During this orientation students are offered information and materials concerning academic advising, registration, fee payment, living in Tallahassee, health concerns, and the services and programs of the International Center. Notice of this orientation is sent to admitted international students.

Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program

The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program is a national network of academic leaders exploring ways to better equip doctoral students for faculty work. The PFF program is sponsored by the Association of American Colleges and Universities and the Council of Graduate Schools and funded by The Pew Charitable Trusts.

Through the efforts of faculty from The Florida State University and the partner institutions, PFF is exposing graduate students to a variety of teaching roles and experiences. The PFF departmental programs take many shapes depending on the discipline and the institutions involved, but several principles are constant. The most enduring principle is that graduate students should enter the academic profession as competent professionals who have already begun a process of growth as teachers and scholars in the academic community.

Ten academic departments at The Florida State University have developed new activities for Phase II of PFF. There are several ways to become involved with the PFF project: 1) Check with your department, 2) Call PIE at 644-8844, or 3) Visit the PFF web-site at http://www.fsu.edu/~pie/PFF/pff.html.

Workshop Series

Workshops and panel discussions which deal with issues specifically relevant to instructors who teach in University classrooms are held weekly during the fall and spring semesters. Possible topics might include lecturing, strategies for active learning, and leading an effective discussion, along with many others. Registration information may be obtained from the program or from the student's academic department.

Individual Consultation

A member of the Program for Instructional Excellence is usually available to discuss, on an individual basis, any aspect of an instructor's teaching assignment. Not only can an instructor receive assistance and consultation with "problem areas," but also with the proposed course design, teaching techniques, and a variety of other areas. Consultations are available on an appointment or walk-in basis.

Microteaching

Microteaching involves videotaping a segment of an actual or simulated teaching situation for the purpose of offering performance feedback to instructors. The main advantage of microteaching is that it allows instructors to view themselves from an outside perspective. Typically, a staff member will videotape part or all of an instructor's class and then meet with the teaching assistant to discuss the tape and offer feedback. Since microteaching is applicable to lectures, labs, and discussion sections, many teaching assistants find the experience rewarding as it offers a chance to view one's teaching from a student's perspective. A staff member can also observe actual classes without the aid of videotape and report back to the instructor.

Resource Book

Teaching at FSU, 2nd edition, a resource book for instructors, conveys information on policies, procedures, and teaching techniques. Its primary function is to help instructors understand what is expected of them and to acquaint them with necessary skills to be effective in the classroom. For information on how to obtain a handbook, contact the program at (850) 644-8844.

Newsletter

A newsletter, Teaching at FSU, is sent to all faculty and teaching assistants. It is published three times each year: fall, spring, and summer. It offers teaching-related information of all kinds: articles on individual instructors and department programs, teaching improvement ideas, and news on innovative strategies and campus happenings. For information on how to subscribe, call the Program for Instructional Excellence at (850) 644-8844.

Resources

Many resources on teaching are available from the program. Handouts on lecturing, testing, guide to better grading, and what undergraduates expect of you, along with many others, are available without charge. Teaching handbooks with specific and helpful hints to improve classroom instruction prove to be especially useful to teaching assistants who are looking for new teaching resources.

Web Resources

PIE Web-site. One of the many resources available to teaching assistants at The Florida State University is the PIE web-site. An introduction to PIE, including descriptions and schedules of the many programs offered is available at http://www.fsu.edu/~pie.

Web-board. The web-board is an Internet-based conferencing system that serves as a combination listserv and web-site. The web-board is an excellent tool for exchanging information on teaching and professional development issues and building learning communities. The web-board can be accessed at: http://idl.fsu.edu:8080/~forum.

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards

The Program for Instructional Excellence has initiated an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award program. Fifteen outstanding teaching assistants will receive cash awards and will be acknowledged at an awards presentation and reception in the spring.

Teaching Associate Program

The Program for Instructional Excellence provides departments with a teaching associate to assist with departmental teaching assistant training and to serve as small group leaders and mentors during the campus-wide orientations and workshops organized by the program. This associate is an experienced teaching assistant nominated by the department and interviewed and selected by a University-wide committee of faculty. The teaching associate is the liaison between the Program for Instructional Excellence and individual departments. The appointment, therefore, carries obligations to both the administrative program and the department. Funding for the Teaching Associate Program is provided by the Program for Instructional Excellence. Teaching associates will receive a stipend for an academic year appointment (fall and spring semesters). Appointments are made each year at the beginning of the fall semester.