2009-2010 FSU Graduate Bulletin
Information Sessions
The Graduate School hosts a New Graduate Student Orientation at the beginning of each fall and spring semester. The goals of Orientation are to provide students with an understanding of what to expect academically and financially as graduate students; describe the professional ethics associated with graduate research and creative endeavors; highlight award-winning faculty and graduate students; and showcase campus services and extracurricular opportunities for graduate students. Graduate students attending this campus-wide Orientation can interact with representatives of graduate student organizations and campus offices, and enjoy refreshments provided by the Congress of Graduate Students. In addition to the information and networking opportunities afforded by the fall and spring Orientation events, professional development workshops are offered collaboratively by the FSU Graduate School, the University Libraries and the Career Center throughout the academic year.
At the information session, the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) will be reviewed. The PIE program offers workshops that cover the general aspects of teaching: the ethics, the potential problems, and the characteristics of quality teaching. Additional workshops may be offered by the individual departments that prepare graduate students for teaching their particular field. Students will be notified through their individual academic departments of the date, time, and location of the Information Session.
Departments often 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.
International Student Orientation
All new international students must report to the International Center and present their immigration documents during this check-in. In addition, new international students must attend an International Center orientation session before they will be allowed to register for classes. The International Center orientation provides information and materials about immigration, insurance and health issues, community resources, and support services available to international students and their families. Notice of the dates for the required orientation session, held prior to the Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters, is included in the pre-arrival packet that is sent to admitted students, along with the appropriate immigration form (I-20 or DS-2019). Note that the mandatory International Center orientation is not the same as the orientation session offered by the student's academic graduate department or by the Graduate School. For more information, visit http://ic.fsu.edu or email IC_NewStudents@admin.fsu.edu.
Professional Development
Professional development, improving and increasing one's skill sets, is important at every stage of graduate education and beyond. For example, improving one's oral and written communication skills and developing an understanding of research and creative ethical behavior are types of professional development. At FSU, numerous professional development opportunities are offered by academic departments/programs, the Center for Learning and Teaching, the Career Center, and the Graduate School. One professional development program administered by the Graduate School is Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) which provides a range of faculty experiences for graduate students, (e.g., campus visits to a community college, a four-year college and with faculty at FSU).
Another approach to professional development is the series of workshops offered during the academic year for FSU graduate and postdoctoral students. Working closely with outstanding research faculty, administrators and the Career Center, the FSU Graduate School offers a wide range of workshops designed to equip students to achieve their educational and career goals. Descriptions of the academic year professional development workshops are located at http://gradstudies.fsu.edu/workshops.html.
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program
The Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) program assists doctoral students in getting ready for faculty work. Through participation in course work, workshops, mentoring, and partner institution site visits, PFF Fellows increase awareness of expectations for faculty performance and of resources available to aid in scholarly careers, and build their readiness to address teaching, research, and related demands of faculty life.
PFF program activities are organized around the keystones of: Knowledge about Higher Education, Teaching Preparation, Research Preparation, Technology for Scholarship, Mentoring, Miscellaneous Professional Development, and Portfolio. Events are either discipline-specific or campus wide. All FSU doctoral students are eligible to participate, as are FSU post-doctoral fellows and adjunct/visiting faculty. Fellows who meet specified requirements, often involving participation over a two-year period, are awarded a completion certificate, but PFF events are open to doctoral students/post-docs/visiting faculty regardless of whether they intend to earn a completion certificate.
FSU's PFF program coordinates with the national Preparing Future Faculty initiative of the Council of Graduate Schools and the Association of American Colleges and Universities, involving 45 doctoral degree-granting institutions and more than 300 partner institutions.
To learn more about FSU's PFF program, check with your academic department, visit http://gradstudies.fsu.edu/pff.html, or call the Graduate School at (850) 644-3500.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Support
Center for Teaching and Learning
Two programs that support graduate student teaching include the Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) and Preparing Future Faculty (PFF).
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. C3500 University Center, 8:00–5:00, Monday through Friday, (850) 644-8004.
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) Program
See above.
University-Wide Teaching Conferences
Each year, during the week preceding the Fall semester, a two-day conference is held for new and experienced teaching assistants. University administrators, organizations, faculty, and experienced teaching assistants take part in this program, offering advice and conducting sessions on all aspects of undergraduate teaching, including university policies at Florida State University. Experienced instructors who feel the need for a refresher course are invited to participate in any part of the conference they feel might be useful.
Workshop Series
Workshops and panel discussions that deal with issues specifically relevant to instructors who teach in University classrooms are held throughout the fall and spring semesters. Some of the many topics include lecturing, strategies for active learning, and leading an effective discussion, along with many others. Visit http://apps.fsu.edu/ctl for a comprehensive listing of workshops offered, and to register onlne for the workshops.
Individual Consultation
A consultant from the Center for Teaching and Learning is 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.
Videotaped Observation
Video observation involves videotaping a segment of an actual or simulated teaching situation for the purpose of offering performance feedback to instructors. The main advantage 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 video observation 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. Please allow one to two weeks for scheduling.
Resource Book
Instruction at FSU, 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. This document is available for download at http://apps.fsu.edu/ctl.
Resources
Many teaching resources are available from the program. Handouts on lecturing, testing, and a guide to better grading and what undergraduates expect of Instructors are available without charge. Our lending library, located in UCC 3529, is available for browsing.
Web Resources
Center for Teaching and Learning Web site. One of the many resources available to instructors at The Florida State University, the site includes descriptions and schedules of the various programs offered at the University. Please visit http://apps.fsu.edu/ctl.
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF). This site gives links to the national PFF program as well as resources that assist graduate students in planning for a career in post-secondary education. For more information, contact the Graduate School, (850) 644-3500.
Campus.fsu.edu. The Florida State University provides this electronic course management system to all instructors. Visit https://campus.fsu.edu for information on what is offered, available support, and how to request a course.
Outstanding Teaching Assistant Awards
The Program for Instructional Excellence facilitates the University's Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award program. Fifteen outstanding teaching assistants receive cash awards and are acknowledged at an awards presentation and reception each April.
Teaching Associate Program
The Program for Instructional Excellence (PIE) 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 PIE. 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. Teaching associates will receive a stipend for an academic year appointment (Fall and Spring semesters). Applications are accepted in the spring for the following academic year. Appointments are made each year at the beginning of the Fall semester.