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Graduate
Teaching Assistantships |
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All students are encouraged to serve as a teaching assistant (TA) for at
least one semester during their degree program. Each prospective TA is required
to participate (one time only) in the Graduate Assistants in Teaching Orientation
(GATO). International students must pass the SPEAK test (refer to Language
Skills section) before they can be assigned as a Teaching Assistant. All
other requirements stated in the Guidelines
for Graduate Assistants/Associates in Teaching must also be followed
explicitly. Your teaching experience may involve presentation of lectures,
extension educational programs, and/or laboratory sessions, consultation
with students, and participation in preparation of pedagogical materials.
At the completion of the course, the faculty supervisor will provide you
and your Major Advisor with a written evaluation of your teaching performance.
This will also be submitted to the Graduate College at the end of the semester
when final grades are due. Under no circumstances do graduate students assume
primary responsibility for the course being taught. The faculty member supervising
the course will be held accountable for all activities of the course. The
effort on the student's part will be at least 15 hours per week. The Department
of Plant Sciences considers the teaching assistantship (TA) requirement
to be an integral part of the degree requirements and completely analogous
to course work and examination requirements.
Graduate Assistants in Teaching have nine (9) month academic appointments.
Students with non University fellowships or traineeships should inform the
awarding agency of the existence of this requirement. Students satisfying
the teaching requirement will receive financial support from the Department
(including a Tuition and Fee Waiver). All students with Teaching Assistantships
are exempt from the non resident tuition charge but must pay registration
fees and insurance. They also must maintain a minimum grade point average
of 3.2 or higher and register for at least ten units of graduate credit
per semester. Additionally, all foreign students who are required to submit
a TOEFL score for University admittance must achieve both a TOEFL score
of 600 and a TSE score of 50 before they will be allowed to TA.
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Language
Skills/Speak (TSE) Test |
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One
of the most important factors affecting the success of students who are
not native English-speakers in graduate studies is their language ability.
Consequently, it is the obligation of students for whom English is a second
language to strive to improve their skills as soon as possible during their
stay in the Department. When students meet with their Provisional Advisory
Committee at the beginning of the first semester, this issue should be discussed.
The PAC will determine the necessary course of action, and may advise students
to take advantage of one of the course options listed below. International
Teaching Assistants are required to pass the SPEAK/TSE test with a score
of 50/60. Failure will require that they continue in conversational courses
until a passing score is obtained. If students truly wish to succeed, it
is imperative that they strive to improve their conversational and compositional
skills, both by participating in the types of courses listed below and by
emphasizing use of English in their daily activities. Many faculty members
consider success in meeting the University and Departmental language proficiency
requirements to be necessary criteria for acceptance into their research
programs, so new students should aggressively work to remedy any deficiencies
in this area within their first semester. Failure to do so may not only
impact their academic performance but also might mean that students are
unable to find a Major Advisor by the end of their first year. Candidates
who are prepared to take the SPEAK Test must register by obtaining the permission
form at http://utc.arizona.edu/speakpermission.html
to be filled out by the Graduate Student Advisor located in Forbes 319.
Students should then register for the SPEAK test online. A fee of $60.00
is charged to the student’s bursar account. Students then take the
permission slip, and photo ID to the Cottonwood Room in the student union
between 8:30 and 9:00 on the date for which they registered to take the
test. Results will be posted by the Center for English as a Second Language
(CESL) within five days from the date of the test. Students may contact
Marcia Coimbra at the University Teaching Center for advice on the different
options available to examinees receiving a score below 45. If students receive
a score below 40, they should refer to the following for assistance:
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- Three
evening courses are available from CESL. More information can be obtained
from the CESL Admissions Office in Building #24 or by calling 621-3637,
or by e-mail (cesl@u.arizona.edu).
- The
English Department also offers Advanced Composition for International
Students, ENGL 407A, fall and 407A, B, fall and spring semesters. The
courses are designed to improve writing skills. More information can
be obtained by calling 621-7412.
- Pima
Community College (West Campus) offers English as a Second Language
courses in the fall and spring semesters with different levels and emphases
(conversational, grammar, compositional, etc.). More information can
be obtained by calling 206-6974.
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