Procedure: Your application
will be reviewed by the Graduate Studies Committee and the Director
of Graduate Studies, who will make recommendations to the Chair.
The Chair will make the final decision about appointments.
Assignments: The policy of
the Department of Theatre is to assign graduate students to
no more than 12 semester hours of teaching or its equivalent
for the academic year, unless there is a special need because
of enrollment pressure. If a student is considered for an extra
assignment, the Chair will confer with the student's adviser
to determine if such an assignment might be detrimental to the
student's progress toward a degree.
Eligibility: Applicants will
be considered according to the following priorities:
a. Current graduate students making satisfactory
progress toward the degree and whose teaching is deemed satisfactory
by the Course Director:
(1) Doctoral students who have held an assistantship
3 years or less; 4 years or less in the case of students who
were supported while earning an MA at MU and who have gone
on directly into the doctoral program.
(2) Master's students who have held an assistantship
2 years or less.
b. Incoming graduate students whose credentials
are satisfactory:
(1) New students entering the PhD program;
(2) Students who have held an assistantship
while working toward an MA in Theatre at MU and who are now
applying for admission to the doctoral program.
(3) New students entering the MA program.
c. Students requesting an extension:
(1) Doctoral students who have held an assistantship
for three years;
(2) Masters students who have held an assistantship
for two years.
Students should request an extension in
a letter setting forth the circumstances deserving consideration,
based on progress toward their degree. The letter should be
sent to the Chair, who will confer with the Graduate Studies
Committee before reaching a decision.
The teaching mission of the department is
important, and we want to provide high quality instruction across
the curriculum. We also believe that graduate teaching assistants
develop professionally through supervised teaching and through
observation of the work of teachers on the faculty.
The Graduate Faculty Senate has established
general job descriptions for funded graduate student job categories.
The Senate's description of "Graduate Teaching Assistant"
is:
Teaching responsibilities will generally
include any of the following:
teach one to three three-hour classes
teach one to two five-hour classes
lead one to five discussion or laboratory sections of a
course
proctor and grade large lecture exams
prepare and grade lab exams
A quarter-time appointment requires an average
of 10 hours per week.
A half-time appointment requires an average
of 20 hours per week.
Enrollment requirements are determined by
departments and generally stipulate an enrollment of 6 to 9
hours per semester and 1 to 4 hours during summer session. Post
comp doctoral students are required to maintain continuous enrollment
of 2 hours of Research each fall and winter semester and 1 hour
of Research each summer session.
Some Department of Theatre assistantships
involve assignment to tasks in areas of technical theatre, audience
development, front-of-house, and box office operations. For
these appointments, the department has established a minimum
of 10 clock-hours per week for a quarter-time assistantship
and a minimum of 20 clock-hours per week for a half-time assistantship.
Assistantships run from the first day of regular registration
until the last of examinations each term and may involve duties
that begin as early as July 1 and end as late as June 30 and
continue during the winter intercession
Since most of the courses to which assistants
are assigned are multi-sectioned, responsibility is vested in
course directors to see that all sections offer substantially
the same content and experiences to the student, that teaching
strategies are regulated and coordinated, and that grading is
standardized from section to section of a course.
All graduate teaching assistants are expected
to:
Devise a course syllabus or outline, have it approved by the
course director, distribute it to the students, file a copy
with the departmental office, and follow the course plan as
approved.
Attend all required staff meetings and training sessions.
Meet all scheduled classes including the scheduled final examination.
In case of illness or other emergency arrange with the course
director to see that the course plan is carried out in your
absence.
Begin and end class sessions on time.
Establish and keep regular office hours.
Meet deadlines for turning in grades.
Turn in grade books to the departmental secretary at the end
of the academic year or at the end of the semester if you
are on a one-semester appointment.
Administer a teacher evaluation questionnaire in each assigned
section of a class. MU has standard TEQ's which may be used.
Consult with your course director as to the type of TEQ to
be used. In any case, administer TEQ's in a fashion which
will ensure representative results while also protecting the
students' rights. Generally speaking TEQ's should be administered
by a third party and the results withheld until after final
grades are submitted. There should be a clear statement that
that students' responses have no relationship to student grades
in the course and anonymity must be guaranteed. While TEQ's
are frequently administered late in the semester, they should
never be done on the day of the final examination.
Graduate teaching assistants are observed
and evaluated by the course director or a designated faculty
member each semester. Advise the course director as to an appropriate
time for a visit.
The graduate teaching assistant is responsible
for typing syllabi, examinations and other supplementary materials
for class use. The department will duplicate syllabi, examinations,
and other vital class materials. Students should duplicate their
own scenes for acting class. The department cannot provide secretarial
service, materials, or copy service for individual class work
or research. The department will supply chalk, scratch paper,
and grade books.
Front office and faculty typewriters and word
processors may be used only by those persons assigned to use
them. The university maintains several well-equipped computer
labs for student use. Graduate teaching assistants who don't
own personal computers should use these labs.
The University provides cost-free access to
internet services and to email. Since much department business
is conducted via email, graduate teaching assistants must open
a university email account and check email regularly (one each
day is highly recommended).
