Laney Graduate School seeks to ensure that a scholar’s education includes thoughtful and thorough preparation in the art of teaching.
In chemistry, this educational experience has two components:
- Laney Graduate School TATTO (Teaching Assistant Training and Teaching Opportunity) Program — including the two-day TATT 600 workshop and micro-teaching during graduate orientation.
- Completion of a Teaching Assistant assignment (TA) for two semesters — once in the Fall and once in the Spring of the first year.
TA assignments are made by the DGS in consultation with the Graduate Committee. Class size and type are the primary driver of TA assignments.
- Faculty requests: Faculty may request specific students and/or skill sets for their assigned TA(s) via the DGS. These requests are given priority over scholar requests but are not guaranteed.
- Scholar requests: First year scholars may make requests for specific TA placements to the DGS, but these selections are not guaranteed and, in many cases, cannot be honored. Most first year scholars will TA in laboratory courses.
Scholars will be enrolled in TATT (CHEM) 605 to reflect their learning and achievement as a TA. TA effort should be guided by the syllabus for this course.
Scholars are required to receive an “S” grade in TATT (CHEM) 605 to progress in the chemistry PhD program.
- If a scholar does not receive an “S” grade, they will be placed on probation and must successfully return to good standing within one semester to continue in the PhD program. In order to return to good standing, the scholar must complete an additional semester of TATT (CHEM) 605 as instructed (either in the semester immediately following the first attempt or in a future semester if further training is required.)