Graduate Programs

Campus-Wide GTA Orientation (for all graduate teaching assistants)
Just before the start of each new semester, CTE and Research and Graduate Studies jointly sponsor an orientation for new and returning graduate teaching assistants from across the disciplines. Fall Orientation is usually an all-day event, where GTAs are introduced to important members of the Administration, are given a comprehensive guide to campus resources, are provided a host of teaching and learning tips from experienced faculty, and are invited to participate in smaller workshops on a range of teaching topics such as facilitating productive discussions, dealing with problem students, and overcoming first-day jitters. Spring Orientation is usually a half-day event, exclusive facilitated by CTE staff.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Program - University Teaching and Learning Program (UTLP)
The Center for Teaching Excellence, along with support from the Office of the Dean for Undergraduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School, developed the University Teaching and Learning Program (UTLP) to assist in the professional development of graduate teaching assistants as college teachers. At the heart of the UTLP is the philosophy that teaching, like research, is a scholarly activity, one which requires intellectual engagement and public conversation.

To complete the Center for Teaching Excellence’s program in University Teaching and Learning, GTAs must fulfill requirements which reflect this philosophy. When GTAs complete the program they will be recognized at an annual reception to celebrate graduate teaching assistants and they will receive both transcript notation and a certificate acknowledging their participation in the program, tangible evidence of their thoughtful engagement with issues central to college teaching. This program is self-paced. GTAs with at least one semester of college teaching experience (at the University of Maryland or elsewhere) are welcome to apply. For more information, please contact the UTLP coordinator or call (301) 314-1283. For applications for the UTLP, see:

Related Links:

	Submit application online
	Download application form
	UTLP Schedule (protected resource. Available to UTLP participants only.)

TA Development Grants
The Center for Teaching Excellence and the Graduate School award a number of small grants each year to departments and colleges working to improve the professional development, support, and recognition of graduate teaching assistants. Application deadline: November 30.

Lilly East Conference Grants
The Lilly Conferences combine interactive workshop sessions, discussions, and feature presentations, with opportunities for informal discussion about excellence in college and university teaching and learning. They bring together faculty and graduate students from across disciplines and types of academic institutions. CTE staff, along with University of Maryland faculty and graduate teaching assistants, have attended this conference for a number of years. It is an outstanding opportunity to meet others from the Mid-Atlantic interested in the scholarship of teaching and learning and to discuss effective strategies for undergraduate education. The 2008 Lilly East Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, April 16 through Friday, April 18, 2008 and will be hosted at the University of Delaware. Graduate Students – to apply for one of twenty-five 2008 Lilly-East Conference Grants click here. For further information on the conference, visit http://www.udel.edu/lillyeast/. For further information on CTE’s Lilly-East Conference Grants, contact the Graduate Coordinator at x 4-1283.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Resource Guide
The Graduate Teaching Assistant Resource Guide provides an overview of campus policies and resources of interest to all GTAs. It includes sections on GTA responsibilities, syllabus and assignment preparation, assessment, student needs, and campus resources available on the web. This is the only campus-wide print resource on teaching and learning for GTAs.

The Graduate School