Current Students

Information for Current Undergraduate Teaching Fellows

Course Credit

Under no circumstances can students be registered for the class in which they work as a UTF. Some colleges/units offer a UTF seminar for credit. Credit seminars usually involve weekly meetings and assignments. Contact your unit liaison to find out if your unit offers a credit seminar.

Orientation & Training

Attendance is strongly recommended at the UTF Orientation, Canvas training session, and Student of Concern Workshop held at the beginning of each semester. Orientation participants learn about the UTF program, their responsibilities, and resources available to support their experience. The Canvas course contains important program information (e.g. documents and handouts) and tools (e.g. internal email system) to facilitate communication and help UTFs track completion of online assignments like FERPA and Title IX training. The Canvas course is open to program participants during fall and spring semesters.

UTFs receive information about when and how to complete mandatory FERPA and Title IX training at the orientation and via a Canvas-generated email announcement.

Responsibilities

Although specific responsibilities vary with each class, UTFs assist faculty mentors with day-to-day classroom management and teaching tasks and help their fellow students by providing assistance with their coursework. Grading responsibilities also vary. For example, beginning UTFs may correct objective assignments and exams using a template, while advanced UTFs may receive extra training and supervision that permit greater involvement in group facilitation and feedback. UTFs do not grade subjective questions or assignments and are never responsible for ultimate assignment of grades.

The average time commitment to work as a UTF is 5 hours per week. UTFs should meet with their faculty mentors as early as possible—ideally before the term starts—to clarify their role and responsibilities and schedule presentations. Answers to the following questions will help clarify roles and responsibilities:

  1. If required to attend class, when should you arrive and leave, where should you sit, and what should you wear?
  2. How will you and your faculty mentor address one another?
  3. How should you and enrolled students address one another in class?
  4. If given an opportunity to present to the class, when will you present, how long should your presentation take, and what subject will you present on?
  5. What, if any, grading responsibilities will you have?
  6. What is the minimum turnaround time for responding to students and units?
  7. If you are required to hold office hours, where and when?
  8. What are your goals for the semester?
  9. What is your plan in case of a Code Blue event?

Beginning of Semester Checklist for UTFs and Mentors

Compensation

Minimum compensation for working as a UTF is $750 per semester, but some colleges/units pay more. UTFs may not work more than 100 hours during a semester. To comply with government regulations, UTFs track their work hours through Aggietime. Contact your unit liaison for more information related to compensation.

UTF Experience

At the end of the semester in which they work with a faculty mentor for the first time, UTFs must provide feedback about their experience. When a student continues his/her role as a UTF with the same faculty mentor for a second semester, completion of the UTF Experience Evaluation is optional. Responses help faculty mentors and administrators identify and implement needed class and program improvements.

UTFs and faculty mentors must complete the UTF Experience Evaluation by the last day of classes each semester. This survey can be found through the Canvas page.

Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Fellow

Each year one UTF from each of the eight colleges, the Honors Program, and University Libraries is selected as the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for his/her unit. The application, nomination, and selection process varies by unit, and interested UTFs should ask their faculty mentor or unit liaison for more information. Students selected as the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Fellow for their unit are recognized at a luncheon at the end of each spring semester.

View Past Awards

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