Undergraduate Teaching Assistants
in Service-Learning Program
The Undergraduate Teaching Assistants in Service-Learning
(UTA-SL) Program is a joint venture of the Center
for Teaching Excellence and Community
Service-Learning to increase the number and enhance the
quality of service-learning courses across campus. Service-learning
is a pedagogical tool that enables disciplinary knowledge
to be applied in the context of meeting community needs. Often
this process entails additional knowledge, time, and resources
that are not readily available. This iteration of the UTA
program is designed to support faculty’s successful
integration of service-learning in the undergraduate curriculum.
STUDENT
UTA-SL APPLICATION
FACULTY
UTA-SL MENTOR APPLICATION
Purpose of UTA-SL Program
1. Provide assistance to faculty who integrate service-learning
into their teaching.
2. Help students explore the art of teaching, especially using
service-learning pedagogy.
3. Support students and faculty as partners in connecting
service-learning theory and practice.
Benefits to Faculty Mentors
Through the UTA-SL program, UTAs provide 8-10 hours per week
of support to a faculty mentor. UTAs can assist in the design
of new service-learning courses, help transform existing courses
to include service-learning, and be critical partners in managing
the implementation of service-learning components in current
course offerings. The UTA may be asked to:
- coordinate site selection and relationship-building with
host agencies
- provide individual help to students
- facilitate reflection and discussion
- identify readings germane to the community application
of course content
- design assignments that integrate the service activities
with course content
- assist in grading and evaluation of students
- locate discipline-specific service-learning resources
- meet regularly with faculty mentor
- maintain office hours
Faculty seeking service-learning UTAs need not have prior
service-learning experience. The faculty mentors will have
the opportunity to meet during the semester to discuss successes,
challenges and strategies for implementing service-learning.
Additional support to faculty integrating service-learning
into coursework is available from Community Service Learning,
which offers a faculty handbook for service-learning, sample
syllabi, assistance in identifying community agencies, a resource
library, faculty development workshops and other services.
Benefits to Students
Through their work as a UTA and the weekly seminar, UTAs
explore the art of teaching, service-learning pedagogy, and
the meaning and purposes of undergraduate education. Depending
on the UTAs’ placement, they are able to lead discussions,
shape curriculum, participate in intellectual conversations
with faculty, and/or manage the details of service-learning
experiences (as described above). Working closely with a faculty
member to enhance teaching and learning is a great experience
that can be useful for future career and graduate school aspirations.
Students earn four credits for the UTA experience.
Students need not be education majors to participate in this
program. Students earn credits through EDUC 388 - Special
Topics in Education: Guided Experiences in College Teaching
(3 credits) and EDCI 498 - Special Problems in Teaching (1
credit). The UTA splits time between working with the faculty
member he or she is assisting (about 8-10 hours per week)
and the seminar meetings for EDUC 388. The seminar, which
meets once each week, focuses on teaching and service-learning
theory and is preceded by a special workshop held to orient
the UTAs to their new role at the beginning of the semester.
(Details will be individually communicated to students who
are selected for the program). Unless otherwise negotiated,
the UTA attends all of the class meetings of the course for
which they are a UTA. You can review the course syllabus by
clicking
here.
The main difference between serving as a traditional UTA
and serving as a UTA in service-learning is that the latter
works with a faculty member who integrates community service
into the course being taught. The UTA in service-learning
will help faculty communicate with agencies about course objectives
and students' service performance, identify community service
sites, and lead reflection sessions which connect course concepts
and service experience.
To be selected as a UTA in service-learning is both an honor
and an opportunity for significant growth. To qualify, students
must meet the following criteria:
1. Have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0
2. Have had significant community service experience
3. Have sophomore standing by the beginning of the semester
course.
In-person or phone interviews will be required. Students
accepted into this UTA program will be expected to attend
a three-hour orientation the week before classes start.
UTA and Faculty Partnerships
Faculty from across the University and from a variety of
experience levels have participated in the UTA-SL program.
Some have combined their utilization of a UTA with an Instructional
Improvement Grant under the service-learning category. Listed
below are a few departments and programs that have utilized
a service-learning UTA.
* Advocates for Children (College Park Scholars)
* CIVICUS
* Communications
* Education
* Engineering
* Health Education
* Honors 100
* Kinesiology
* Psychology
* Spanish
* Team Maryland (Academy of Leadership)
How To Get Started
Faculty seeking service-learning UTAs need not have prior
experience in service-learning. It is recommended, however,
that students who desire to be a UTA have experience in community
service whether in a curricular or co-curricular context.
The UTA program is currently offered each semester with applications
from faculty and students accepted during the prior semester
( apply in Fall for Spring Semester, apply in Spring for Fall
semester). Click the appropriate link below for an application:
Faculty
seeking a UTA-SL
Students
interested in becoming a UTA-SL
For further information, contact:
Community Service Learning
301-314-2273 or terpservice@umd.edu
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