Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Corps (UTAC)
What is UTAC?
The Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Corps (UTAC) is a program designed to assist the general population of first-year UNL students with an academic orientation and support mechanism through the guidance of Peer Mentors trained in Supplemental Instruction.
Coordinated and funded through the Office of Undergraduate Studies, participation in UTAC would offer faculty who are responsible for large enrollment courses (enrollment of 75 students or more) the opportunity to receive the assistance of a paid, trained student Peer Mentor who would meet with the students during the recitation sections of the course or in small group study sessions. The UTAC Peer Mentors receive training from a SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION graduate student Supervisor, meeting with the Supervisor on a regular basis. At least once during the semester, the UTAC students will meet as a group to discuss their experiences.
Supplemental Instruction (SI) is a program with a proven record of increasing undergraduate students' academic success. The SI program is led by a trained graduate student Supervisor and facilitated by undergraduate Peer Mentors who help students integrate course learning and improve reasoning and critical thinking skills. Since its inception at UNL in 1994, performance levels of students participating in SI ranged from > .5 to > 1.0 GPA points higher than students in the same courses who did not participate.
Faculty Responsibilities
The semester prior to teaching the course, the faculty member would nominate eligible students (who must have previously completed and received a grade of "A" in the course). The faculty member serves as a guide and regularly interacts with the Peer Mentor, sharing with the Peer Mentor the faculty member's instructional philosophies, pedagogies and course management techniques. The Peer Mentor, in turn, provides ongoing student feedback relating to students' progress, concerns or questions regarding course content.
Peer Mentor Responsibilities
The Peer Mentor would be required to attend all course lectures and meet regularly with the faculty member to discuss expectations, student progress and course issues. The Peer Mentor is also responsible for attending the Supplemental Instruction (SI) program training, periodic meetings with the UTAC Supervisor and leading the SI group study sessions for that course. At least once during the semester, the UTAC Peer Mentors will meet as a group with the UTAC Supervisor to discuss their experiences.
Benefits
Student Peer Mentors are paid up to $1280 per semester to assist the faculty member and participate in the course Supplemental Instruction program for up to 10 hours per week. This participation includes attendance in all class lectures, close liaison with the course instructor and at least three hours of group study sessions facilitated by the Peer Mentor. Thus, Peer Mentors have the opportunity to participate in the learning process as both observer and an active participant of the faculty's instructional team.
Faculty receive additional help with their courses as well as providing students with a trained SI mentor.
For the Peer Mentors, the UTAC program expands the concept of undergraduate inclusion in scholarly work; that is, emphasizing a climate in which to stimulate intellectual growth and curiosity for advanced inquiry. The program also provides academic support for all UNL students in large courses, thereby enhancing UNL's recruitment, retention and graduation rates.
For more information...
Please contact Dr. Donald Gregory, Director of the Division of General Studies, at (402) 472-3605 or dgregory1@unl.edu.
