Institute for International Teaching Assistants

About the Institute

In keeping with its commitment to excellence in undergraduate education, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has established a minimum level of English language proficiency for all international graduate students with instructional assignments. International graduate students for whom English is not their native language and who expect to receive instructional assignments must successfully complete the Institute for International Teaching Assistants.

The Institute, established in the summer of 1988, is a multi-purpose program designed to prepare international graduate students from various university departments to teach American undergraduates. This goal includes developing an understanding of the teaching role in American university classrooms, providing intensive training in English pronunciation and intonation, practicing classroom communication skills and instructional strategies, and assisting students during their first semester teaching with follow-up observations.

The Institute requires a genuine commitment to participate and to be successful. Students are expected to be on time and attend all sessions. Students whose attendance, participation, or performance during the Institute is below standard may be dropped from the program.

For more information on the ITA Institute, contact Dr. Laurie Bellows.

Nearly 70 students from 20 countries participated in the 2012 Summer Institute for International TAs.

Eligibility and application

If the student is or was required to submit evidence of English proficiency to Graduate Studies as part of their admission to graduate study — i.e., English is not the student's native language and the student has not completed a degree from a US college or university — the student must complete the Institute and be certified as "ready to teach" by a final panel before the student can be appointed as a graduate teaching assistant.

Eligibility for employment as a teaching assistant is determined by Graduate Studies and the employing department after the international graduate student is certified "ready to teach" by the final panel.

Eligibility

To be eligible for the ITA Institute, applicants must:

• Have international student status
• Be admitted to UNL Graduate Studies
• Be recommended by their department chair/head, graduate chair, or TA supervisor
• Score at least 22 on the TOEFL iBT speaking section or 6.5 on the IELTS speaking section
  • Students with a TOEFL iBT speaking score of 18 to 21 may be granted eligibility on the basis of an oral interview. To schedule an oral interview, contact Hollie Swanson.
  • Students who score below 18 are not eligible and must seek further language training before they can attend the Institute.

Application

ITA Institute applications are completed and submitted online by a department representative. Applications are not accepted from students.

For application instructions contact Hollie Swanson.

Waivers

ITA Waiver Request Form

A waiver from attending the Institute can be granted if the student

1. Receives a 28 or higher on the speaking section of the TOEFL iBT (or 8.5 on the IELTS)
   AND
2. Receives a recommendation based on a final panel presentation
   AND
3. Either
   • Has successful teaching experience at a U.S. college or university, documented by a letter from their former supervisor
     OR
   • Is enrolled in a college teaching related course that is equivalent to the Institute

Requests for waivers must be submitted in writing by a student's academic department chair or graduate chair. Students who receive a waiver for the Institute must still complete a final panel and be certified as ready to teach.

Exemptions

International graduate teaching assistants who earned a bachelor's degree from a US college or university or whose official language of instruction was English (i.e. British, Canadian, Australian) are exempt from the Institute.

Completion and follow-up

Final panel

To be considered for a teaching assignment by their departments, ITA candidates must be considered "ready to teach" by a panel consisting of a faculty member from the candidate's department, an ESL rater, a faculty person from an unrelated department, a faculty person with teaching expertise, and an undergraduate student. Candidates present a 10-minute lesson on a topic assigned by their departments. Candidates who demonstrate spoken English proficiency and the ability to present their topic in a clear and organized fashion are judged ready for a teaching assignment.

• If not ready: 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. If the department chooses not to file an appeal, the student is encouraged to either seek further language training or get help with his or her teaching skills. The department should contact the ITA coordinator for more information.

• If ready: Departments determine the type of assignment an ITA receives. Common assignments include grader, tutor, laboratory assistant, and recitation leader. In some cases, ITAs are given full responsibility for a class. Each department exercises its own judgment about content readiness and sets its own standards for performance in the classroom. Although Institute graduates are not guaranteed a student contact assignment, approximately 80 percent of the students who are recommended receive assignments during the following year.

Follow-up

When requested by departments, the Office of Graduate Studies provides detailed follow-up for any Institute participant who receives a classroom-teaching assignment at the conclusion of the Institute (summer and fall).

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 ITA's strengths and areas for improvement, identifying areas needed attention, and when appropriate, alternative teaching strategies.

Departments interested in this follow-up should contact Graduate Studies to schedule visits and consultations. Follow-up visits are normally scheduled for approximately five weeks after the semester begins.

Frequently asked questions