Teaching Associates

AS-2556-02/FA - March 7-8, 2002

ATTACHMENT TO AS-2556-02/FA

RESOLVED: That, in light of the newly revised Classification and Qualification Standards for Teaching Associates (TAs), issued by the California State University, February 19, 2002 (attached), the Academic Senate of the California State University urge all campuses to review the standard and develop or revise campus policy on the hiring, supervision, and evaluation of Teaching Associates.

RATIONALE: The newly revised Classification and Qualification Standards for Teaching Associates refer to CSU graduate students who are hired as instructors of record on their campus; the Teaching Associate classification, which many campuses refer to as Graduate Teaching Associates (GTA) is different from the Graduate Assistant and Student Assistant classifications.

Review of campus policy at this time is particularly relevant since budgetary constraints may tempt campuses to increase the use of TAs. On the one hand, a knowledgeable and skillful TA--and there are many--can provide very high-quality instruction. Those intending to teach in their professional careers are especially well-served by the opportunity to teach courses for which they are qualified. Both they and their programs benefit when they teach those classes. Some, however, are thrust into teaching roles in which their enthusiasm and desire to teach may not be matched by knowledge or teaching ability. CSU campuses can and should make every effort to meet the needs of graduate students and the students they teach, and to preserve the quality of instruction in academic programs by developing clear language governing the use of graduate students as classroom instructors.

APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY - March 7-8, 2002