GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS IN COMPOSITION
2008-2009
You are invited to consider applying for a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) for the fall and spring semesters of 2008-2009.
Guidelines for Eligibility
An applicant must:
· Be a matriculated graduate student in Southern's English program during the 2008-2009 academic year; students must be full-time during the Fall 2008 semester.
· Have at least a 3.5 GPA if you are a current student who has completed six or more credits in graduate English courses.
· Have at least a 3.5 GPA in undergraduate English courses if you are a current graduate student with fewer than six credits or a newly admitted student.
Note: Preference will go to those with a fuller record of academic achievement. When academic achievement is similar, preference will go to applicants with teaching experience (e.g., tutoring, undergraduate teaching, composition internship, student teaching).
Purpose of Graduate Teaching Assistantship
Through a combination of theory, experience, and reflection, graduate teaching assistants learn about teaching expository writing in a context of critical thinking and reading. Teaching assistants from previous years have found the assistantship valuable for:
· Preparing for further work at the Ph.D. and MFA levels.
· Gaining professional experience teaching writing that is applicable to university-level part-time teaching positions.
· Gaining professional enrichment in a highly supportive atmosphere.
Description of Graduate Teaching Assistantship
In the fall 2008 semester, graduate teaching assistants:
· Complete English 597: Graduate Internship in Teaching Writing, and intern (observe and assist) in a mutually agreeable daytime or evening section of a first-year English composition course;
· Meet once a week with their faculty mentor for 1-3 hours to plan and discuss composition class sessions;
· Meet regularly with other GTAs and mentors;
· Complete English 519: Teaching College Writing with a grade of B or better.
In the spring 2009 semester, graduate teaching assistants
· Teach one section of first-year composition.
· Meet regularly with their designated faculty mentor and be observed at least twice.
Stipend
Graduate teaching assistants receive a stipend of approximately $2,400 for the fall 2008 semester, to be paid in several installments. Upon successful completion of English 519 and 597, and depending upon English department staffing needs, GTAs will also be eligible for assignment as adjunct instructors in the English department in the spring 2009 semester for a stipend of approximately $2,500.
Application Procedure
GTA guidelines and application forms are available from Ms. Xan Walker, the department secretary (Engleman D-265A), or by following this link.
Graduate students who meet the eligibility guidelines and wish to apply must complete each of the following steps:
· Submit a completed application form to Dr. Scott Ellis (address below).
· Write a 2-3 page essay outlining why you are a good candidate for a teaching assistantship, including some discussion of what strengths you can bring to the program and of how an assistantship will benefit you professionally.
· Include a current curriculum vitae (resume)
· Arrange for your official transcripts, undergraduate and graduate, to be forwarded from Dr. Florey to Dr. Scott Ellis (address below).
· Include a clean copy of a recent analytical paper that is at least five pages in length. You may include more than one writing sample. Choose paper(s) that, in your estimation, represents your best writing.
· Include confidential recommendation letters from two faculty members, preferably at least one of whom is a member of Southern's English faculty. Each letter must be in a sealed envelope signed by the recommender across the flap.
· Submit all your materials in a single envelope, addressed to the GTA Selection Committee, Attn: Dr. Scott Ellis, English Department, Engleman D-265C, Southern Connecticut State University, 501 Crescent Street, New Haven, CT 06515-1355. Materials may also be hand-delivered to Dr. Ellis's mailbox in the English Department Office in Engleman D-265C.
Application Deadline
All application materials must be received by 4:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25, 2008.
Notification
Interviews with the Graduate Teaching Assistantship Committee will be conducted in May. Based on the interview and application materials, up to four students will be selected for assistantships, contingent on funding and schedule availability for mentors and teaching assistants.
For more information, contact:
Dr. Scott Ellis, GTA Coordinator (203) 392-6742, elliss3@southernct.edu
or
Dr. Robert McEachern, Chair, English Dept. (203)-392-5526, mceachernr1@southernct.edu
For a copy of the application form, please click application form.
