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Engage Program: Undergraduate Teaching Support

TA Applications for Fall 2024 are NOW OPEN through Friday, April 19.

  • TAs must be current undergraduate students at VT, be in good standing with the Honor System, and have completed the course with a grade of B or higher.
  • Each TA position requires an average of 6 hours/week over the 16 weeks of the semester.  (Students can work up to 2 TA positions, for a total of 12 hours of work per week.)
  • New TAs receive 12 hours of paid, online training during the week before classes start.  (Some synchronous meetings, some asynchronous content.)
  • Tasks include holding office hours, grading, assisting with class activities, running Zoom sessions, managing Canvas sites, and more.
  • Spring 2024 pay rate is $12/hour.
  • TA positions look great on a resume! They enhance leadership and communication skills.  Plus, they are a great way to get to know your faculty members and fellow students.
TA Applications: Deadline Friday, April 19

By the numbers - Pamplin Engage Undergraduate TA Spring 2024 cohort

  • 229 TA positions (up from 111 in fall 2020)
    • Supporting 107 faculty
    • Teaching 90 courses
    • Across all Pamplin majors
    • With support from 4 corporate sponsors

PAMPLIN ENGAGE UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANT PROGRAM RETURNS FOR 2024-25 ACADEMIC YEAR

Building on yearly successes since Fall 2020, the Pamplin Engage Undergraduate TA Program will return for the 2024-25 academic year.

The program’s undergraduate teaching assistants (UTAs) partner with over 100 Pamplin faculty to deliver a range of academic support functions, including hosting office hours, assisting with Canvas course management, grading, creating and updating assignments, implementing accommodations for students with disabilities, and facilitating group discussions.

Moreover, the UTAs offer pathways for their fellow undergraduate students to become more engaged in subject material and in academic life. As demonstrated throughout the last four years, this unique peer-to-peer dynamic has been a key factor in boosting office hours utilization and spurring more productive classroom and online discussions. It is also helping enhance the effectiveness of course materials and instruction by offering another conduit for capturing student feedback throughout the semester.

Concurrently, the UTAs are deepening their lifelong skills around mentoring, communication, problem solving, and critical thinking throughout the program. Their professional and personal growth is also boosted through the program’s ongoing training workshops and specialized networking opportunities with industry-leading program sponsors.

This program would not be possible without the generosity of our sponsors: RSM and Cohn Reznick. Pamplin is accepting sponsorships again as this program is continuing for both in person and online classes. 

Pamplin Engage Fall 2022 Cohort September kickoff event.

ENGAGING STUDENTS IN LEARNING

Pamplin recognizes the value of its undergraduate students in supporting teaching, learning, and engagement inside and outside the classroom. In the Pamplin Engage Program, UTAs work alongside faculty to support instruction, discussion, and grading, offering more “hands on deck” through their mentorship and leadership. While other departments across campus have undergraduate graders, the Pamplin Engage Program is unique in its specialized training program and centralized management of UTAs among all Pamplin departments.

ADDITIONAL PROGRAM DETAILS, CONTACTS, SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Engage UTAs receive four days of dedicated training at the start of the semester. Guests from the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS), and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity facilitate sessions about a range of technology, teaching, and equity issues, from mentoring students to setting up virtual office hours to making classrooms more accessible to a diverse student body.

New TA Training Workshop

(first week before each semester)

 

Morning Session

Afternoon Session

Day 1

Program Procedures and University Policies

Communication Strategies, LinkedIn Profiles

Day 2

Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)

CETL Engagement and Teaching Strategies

Day 3

Technology-enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS)

Canvas Course Management and Zoom Virtual Classrooms

Day 4

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB);

Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD)

FERPA Student Privacy, TitleIX Equality

Fall 2022 TA Check-Ins

Date

  

Time (Location)

  

Meeting Topic

  

Sponsor Guests

  

 Oct 3

  

7:00-8:00 PM (GLC*)

  

TLOS and SSD: Canvas, Zoom, Classroom AV

  
  • BDO

 

  

Nov 7

  

7:00-8:00 PM (GLC*)

  

CETL and Diversity: Engagement, Conflict resolution

  
  • CohnReznick

 

  

Dec 5

  

TBD

  

Program Reflections and Celebration

  

 

  

*GLC Multipurpose Room

Ongoing assessments provide convincing evidence that Pamplin Engage is delivering high value for faculty and students. Faculty are overwhelmingly grateful for the additional support, and highly complementary of the roles these students play:

 “My UTA is AMAZING! I am a complete convert to this program, it's a game changer.”

“This program has allowed me to experiment with delivery and provide more student feedback generally, and more extensive feedback on the ‘big’ assignments.”

Pamplin Engage UTAs also find the program to be incredibly valuable:

“The best thing about this position is talking to students and helping them understand a topic that they didn't before. It is great to build relationships with the professor and see what’s on the other end of a course!”

Finally, these UTAs are making unique contributions to learning effectiveness, identifying improvements in teaching strategies to be implemented in future semesters.

Meet the Pamplin Engage sponsors

The Pamplin Engage Program includes unique opportunities for corporate sponsorship and branding. Learn more about sponsorship opportunities.