ITA Institute: Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ITA Institute mandatory?How is an ITA’s eligibility for the Institute determined?
What if an ITA does not meet the required score on the SPEAK Test?
How often is the ITA Institute offered?
How are the panel recommendations made?
What if an ITA is not recommended by the final panel?
When does a waiver apply?
Does an ITA who is granted a waiver still have to make a final panel presentation?
What developmental support is available to new ITAs in their classroom assignments?
Who determines an ITA's eligibility for employment?
Who staffs the ITA Institute?
Who sponsors the ITA Institute?
What is the ITA Advisory Committee?
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Is the ITA Institute mandatory?
Yes. International graduate students, for whom
English is not their native language, must successfully complete the ITA
Institute and demonstrate before a panel of faculty and undergraduate
students their ability to comprehend and convey the information necessary
for them to be an effective teacher at UNL.
How is an ITA's eligibility for the Institute determined?The SPEAK test score is used to determine whether or not an individual
is eligible to enroll in the Institute for International Teaching Assistants.
Eligibility for the Institute is determined by a score of 45 or higher
on the SPEAK (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit) test and a department recommendation.
What if an ITA does not meet the required score on the SPEAK Test?Students who don't score a 45 or higher on the SPEAK Test must seek
further language training and wait at least six months before they retake
the exam.
How often is the ITA Institute offered?The summer Institute is offered during the last week of July and the first two weeks of August.
How are the panel recommendations made?To be considered for a teaching assignment by his/her department, an ITA
candidate must be rated “ready to teach” by a panel consisting
of three faculty members (one from the candidate’s department), an
ESL rater, and an undergraduate student. Candidates who demonstrate spoken
English proficiency and the ability to present a ten-minute “lesson”
in a clear and organized fashion are judged ready for teaching assignment.
A general rating system is used to determine whether the student is “ready”
or “not ready.”
What if an ITA is not recommended by the final panel?If a student is not recommended as “ready to teach” by the final
panel, a department may file an appeal with the ITA coordinator and request
an opportunity for the student to make a second panel presentation. However,
if the department chooses not to file an appeal, the student must either
seek further language training or get help with his or her teaching skills.
The department should contact the ITA coordinator for more information.
When does a waiver apply?Waivers (PDF) from attending the Institute can be granted by the Senior Vice
Chancellor for Academic Affairs if a student receives a 60 on the SPEAK
Test and (a) has successful teaching experience at a U.S. college
or university; (b) is enrolled in a college teaching-related, department-sponsored
course that is equivalent to the Institute; OR (c) is a graduate of a
U.S. high school and a U.S. university. A request for a waiver must be
submitted in writing by the student’s academic department chair or
graduate chair to the Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs.
Does
an ITA who is granted a waiver still have to make a final panel presentation?Yes. The department should contact the ITA coordinator to make arrangements.
Final panels are typically scheduled the second week of August.
What
developmental support is available to new ITAs in their classroom assignments?At the request of the department, an instructional consultant follows-up
with new ITAs approximately five weeks after the semester begins. Classroom
observations are conducted and student surveys used to provide the new
ITA feedback on his or her language, teaching, and intercultural skills.
One-on-one consultation focuses on the ITAs strengths and areas for improvement,
identifying areas needed attention, and when appropriate, alternative
teaching strategies.
Who determines an ITA's eligibility for employment?Eligibility for employment as a teaching assistant is determined by Graduate
Studies and the employing department after the international graduate
student: (a) scores a 45 or higher on the SPEAK Test; (b) completes the
ITA Institute or processes a Waiver; and (c) is recommended by a review
panel of faculty and undergraduate students.
Who staffs the ITA Institute?The ITA program, which generally enrolls 35-60 participants, is
staffed by two full-time teaching skills instructors and two ESL instructors.
Student assistants, one graduate and one undergraduate, help facilitate
microteaching sessions and give feedback. Additional undergraduate students
are recruited to serve as “classroom consultants” who give feedback
to the ITA candidates.
Who sponsors the ITA Institute?The summer ITA Institute is funded and administered by
the Office of Graduate Studies.
What is the ITA Advisory Committee?An advisory group established in 1991 oversees the policies and programs
for international graduate students who wish to qualify for teaching assignments
at UNL. This group includes representatives from Graduate Studies, Programs
in English as a Second Language (PIESL), the departments of Chemistry,
Computer Science and Engineering, and Mathematics and Statistics. Since
1995, the ITA Advisory Committee has revised the Institute waiver policy,
restructured final evaluation panels, and set new scoring standards for
the SPEAK Test.
