The Faculty Center for Teaching & Learning offers several programs for the professional development of Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) at UCF. For questions about becoming a GTA, please contact Graduate Studies.
Requirements for Becoming at Graduate Teaching Assistant
- GTA Training—Required. Modality: W (Web-Based)
- GTA Associate Meeting—Required. Modality: P (In Person)
- GTA Performance Assessment—Required. Modality: Contact Department
- Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty Program—Optional. Modality: P (In Person)
GTA Training—Required
Modality: W (Web-based)
Graduate Studies and the University’s accrediting body require training before graduate students are permitted to work as Associates (instructors of record), Assistants, or Graders. All three levels of employment require online training. Graduate Studies will contact you about enrolling in training after they receive information from your department that you have been hired as a GTA or grader.
GTA Associates Meeting—Required
Modality: P (In Person)
If you are going to be a Graduate Teaching Associate (i.e., Instructor of Record), you need to take the one-day face-to-face training.
The only reasons you would NOT need to take the training are if you:
- will NOT be a GTA Associate / Instructor of Record for the next semester OR
- have already successfully completed the face-to-face training during the previous semester.
There are no exceptions to this training.
To enroll in the training, you must separately register at the Grad Studies website. If you have any questions, please email Grad Assistantship.
GTA Performance Assessment—Required
Modality: Contact Department
UCF requires that the teaching-related performances of all Graduate Teaching Associates (Position Code 9183), Graduate Teaching Assistants (Position Code 9184), and Graduate Teaching Assistant-Graders (Position Code 9187) be assessed at the end of each term that the student serves as a GTA.
Departments and colleges may use any assessment tool available and gather information from any source that they determine to be relevant in order to conduct assessments of GTAs and to supplement the UCF GTA Performance Assessment Form. For example, departments may rely upon classroom visits, other informational observations, student ratings of instruction, other input from students, interviews and discussions with the GTA, and other evidences of performance that are available to the department.
The Assessment Form can be accessed on the Graduate Studies website.
Preparing Tomorrow's Faculty Program (Optional)
Modality: P (In Person)
Every semester we offer this program as a voluntary face-to-face course on teaching at the college level that is open to all UCF Graduate Students and postdocs. This course can serve as a replacement to the GTA Associate Training if completed the semester prior to your appointment.
Participants in the Preparing Tomorrow’s Faculty (PTF) course meet weekly and engage in a learning community facilitated by Faculty Center staff. Texts will be provided, and the course is free. By the end of the semester you will have assembled a first draft of your teaching portfolio.
Course modules:
- Student learning and motivation
- Integrated course design
- Teaching pedagogies
- Assessment and feedback
- Course climate
- Career development
PTF Registration Information
The Spring 2025 program will be held on Mondays from 1:00-4:00 PM on the main campus (CB1-Room 205). Registration: https://ucf.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_cGzvcVWhn7htfj8
Contact fctl@ucf.edu with any questions.