Do I Have to TA if I Have a Fellowship?

I received an NRSA predoctoral fellowship. My understanding is that the fellowship is to cover my graduate school tuition so that I can devote full-time efforts to research (as required by NIH policy). However, my department has requested that I TA in the Spring quarter (concurrently with my fellowship) to cover the tuition shortfall. Is this typical? Are there options for tuition waivers so that I may focus solely on research? Are there limits to the number or amount of tuition waivers for NRSA recipients?

(This week’s answer is courtesy of Helene Obradovich, Director of Fellowships and Awards, Graduate School.)

The Graduate School often provides tuition waivers for students who receive prestigious, individually-awarded, nationally-competitive fellowships from external organizations that don’t cover the full cost of tuition. We want to ensure that graduate students know that they can and should apply for these prestigious awards without concern for how they will cover the cost of tuition. Examples of types of funders/awards include the Ford Foundation Pre-doctoral and Dissertation fellowships, NSF Graduate Research fellowships, fellowships from the AAUW, ACLS fellowships, etc. NIH NRSA individual fellowships also fall into that category. Have your department contact our Fellowships & Awards office to discuss how this might work. The request for tuition coverage must come from your department. Our staff can be reached at gradappt@uw.edu or 3-7152. Any graduate student considering applying for an award that doesn’t cover the full cost of tuition should also contact our Fellowships & Awards office before applying for confirmation on whether we can assist with tuition coverage.

Ask the Grad School Guru is an advice column for all y’all graduate and professional students. Real questions from real students, answered by real people. If the guru doesn’t know the answer, the guru will seek out experts all across campus to address the issue. (Please note: The guru is not a medical doctor, therapist, lawyer or academic advisor, and all advice offered here is for informational purposes only.) Submit a question for the column →

Preparing for Teaching Careers at Community Colleges

If teaching is your passion, it is well worth exploring a career working at a community college. Although community colleges can vary from one another, excellence in teaching and student-centered learning are always top priorities. Community colleges also offer an array of degrees and certificates, serving student populations that enrich and diversify the classroom. Because teaching is such a priority, it takes the right approach to be successful in getting a faculty position at a community college. It is also worth learning about, and applying to, different campuses to find the best organizational fit for you. In the meantime, below are a few tips to consider when applying:

Preparing and Applying

Every community college has a unique mission statement and set of core values. Visit the college’s website to learn more about its institutional culture and courses offered. Contact faculty and set up informational interviews at the campus. Gain a sense of student experiences on campus by engaging students in conversation. Your goal is to learn as much as you can about the institution so you can tailor your application. More tips:

Read the faculty job posting carefully to know what is expected
Tailor your cover letter and highlight your enthusiasm for the college’s mission and student population stating why you want to work at that specific institution, your awareness of the college’s student learning needs, and your interest and experience in teaching
Submit a concise resume that showcases your teaching experience and de-emphasizes your research
Submit a well-crafted statement that describes your teaching philosophy

The Interview

Community college interview panels will have a standard set of questions. Set up a mock interview with a friend or peer and practice your responses to the following sample questions. You’re aiming for well-thought out responses that speak to your specific experiences with teaching and why you’re a great fit for the college. It also doesn’t hurt to contact the department and ask what you can expect during the interview. Sample interview questions:

Why do you want to teach at our college?
Give an example of a successful teaching experience you had in the classroom.
Talk about your greatest frustration in teaching and what you learned from this.
Tell us about your experience working or volunteering in diverse settings.
How do you assess student learning?
What departmental activities were you involved in during grad school or while you taught at another college?

Teaching Demo

During the interview, you will most likely be required to do a teaching demo for the hiring committee. Here are some suggestions to help you prepare:

Do an online search and look at course syllabi from the department you are applying to
Design a lesson with the college’s student population in mind and treat the demo as if you were teaching a real class
Start your lesson by describing the goals for the day and ask everyone to introduce themselves
Include activities that get committee members talking with each other
Use handouts as a teaching tool
Avoid lecturing and be relatable
Make sure your lesson highlights your teaching philosophy

Core Programs thanks our partners in the Seattle Colleges District for providing feedback on this newsletter:

Marty Logan, Human Resources Director, North Seattle College
Kate Krieg, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences Division, Seattle Central College

Additional Resources

Applying to Community Colleges, Inside Higher Ed
Writing a Cover Letter for a Community College Job, Inside Higher Ed
Interviews at Community Colleges, Inside Higher Ed
Giving A Teaching Demo, Inside Higher Ed

Finding and Developing Your Teaching Experience

Many of you want to gain teaching skills but are unable to find TA positions. This doesn’t mean there are no options. If you’re considering a teaching-focused career or a future academic position, develop a portfolio by engaging yourself in a variety of hands-on and observational experiences. Seeking out multiple, even incremental, ways to gain and learn teaching experience will give you clarity on whether or not it is the right career path for you.

We acknowledge that you are busy, that is always a given. Yet we also know that making time for your professional development, even if only for a few hours a month or quarter, is critical to your continued success before earning your graduate degree. Having teaching experiences in your back pocket will give you a leg up in the job market if you eventually decide to apply for academic positions.

Here are a few strategies:

Let faculty and departmental administrators know you are interested in teaching. Getting on their radar is important as they can connect you with a range of opportunities when they come up (often on short notice—for example, when an instructor is out sick and needs coverage).
Volunteer to give guest presentations in a course taught by your advisor, mentor or colleague.
Apply for a teaching fellowship through the Program for Interdisciplinary Pedagogy (PIP).
Volunteer at UW programs like the Genome Sciences Education Outreach program or a local non-profit to gain experience in teaching and tutoring.
Inquire about the possibility of Teaching Assistantships outside of your graduate program of study. Utilize your networks and ask for TA job referrals from thesis advisors or dissertation committee members.
Attend a Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) workshop or event. Also check out their extensive repository of teaching resources.
Attend a Community College Careers and Networking reception organized by Core Programs.
Learn about teaching opportunities at local community colleges by contacting departmental deans and faculty directly to set up informational interviews and campus visits.

Adapted from the UW Center for Teaching & Learning’s “Ways to Continue Developing Your Teaching Strategies for Graduate Students & Post-doctoral Fellows” resource sheet.