Undergraduate Teaching Assistants:
Modeling Student Engagement and
Enhancing Success
Jessica Gordon and Peter Henry
Virginia Commonwealth University
A Talk in 3 Acts
I. Understanding VCU
II. Understanding the Curriculum of Focused Inquiry
III. Understanding the Undergraduate Teaching
Assistant Program
Act I: Understanding Virginia Commonwealth
University
—  Urban university founded in 1968 to serve the
Richmond metropolitan region; that focus has
shifted
—  32,000 students
—  Peer institutions: Wayne State University, University
of Illinois-Chicago, UNC-Charlotte
—  Highly decentralized with significant economic,
racial, ethnic, regional and educational diversity
—  19 different schools
Act II: Understanding the University College
Founded in 2006 as part of VCU’s initiative for a
learner-centered university with higher student
retention, greater student success, increased
graduation rates.
Four Branches of University College
Writing center
Advising
Campus learning center
(supplemental instruction and tutoring)
Focused Inquiry
Focused Inquiry: The Academic Component of
the University College
—  Takes the place of English 101
—  Two-semester sequence with same instructor
andclassmates
—  Classes capped at 22
—  Taught by full-time faculty whoseprimary job isto teach
—  Faculty come from multidisciplinary backgrounds
Curriculum: Competencies not Content
—  Critical thinking
—  Written and oral communication
—  Collaboration
—  Information fluency
—  Quantitative reasoning
—  Ethical and civic reasoning
Act III: The Undergraduate Teaching Assistant
(UTA) Program
Purpose of Program: To increase student
engagement and success
Proposed by students at the end of academic year
2007-8
In academic year 2008-9, it began as apilot program
with a single instructor and 6UTAs
By academic year 2011-12, the program has grown to
include32 faculty and 129UTAs
Some vocabulary to keep in mind
—  UTA Coordinators
—  Faculty Mentors
—  UTA Mentors
—  UTAs
Requirements of the UTA Program
—  Attendance at all class sessions
—  Attendance at monthly UTA mentor-led practicums
—  At least one active contribution per unit
—  Attendance at weeklystaff meetings with faculty
mentor
—  Reflective product
—  Submission of a UTA workplan
UTAsearn one academic credit per semester
So what do UTAs do?
In the classroom:
Model student engagement
¡  Assist with collaborative work
¡  Help explain assignments and activities
¡  Lead lessons
¡  Create assignments
¡  Offer perspectives on how lessons will impact future academic
and professional work
¡
So what do UTAs do?
Outside the classroom:
Meet with students to answer questions and provide feedback
on work
¡  Hold office hours
¡  Lead study sessions
¡  Assist students who have been absent
¡  Help students make the adjustment to college in informal ways
¡
So what do UTAs do?
In their weekly staff meetings:
Offer student perspectives on assignments
¡  Help tweak and design lesson plans
¡  Provide feedback about classroom dynamics
¡  Help identify at-risk students
¡  Help us understand shortcomings in our classrooms from an
sophomore student’s perspective
¡
Benefits to all Stakeholders: Students
What our students say:
“The UTAs helped me by giving me helpful & positive feedback with my
papers. They were reliable and knowledgeable.”
“The sessions were very helpful. They made the class more fun and related
well to students.”
“They have insight on what is expected of us as students and
how assignments should be completed…”
“They really helped me understand what my professor wanted/expected.”
“They help clarifying assignments by providing detailed feedback and
examples.”
From my class:
Question: The UTA participation in FI has helped me to improve
my performance in this class.
18 responses
—  Strongly Agree = 6
—  Agree = 11
—  Disagree = 1
Question: The UTAs helped me better understand assignments.
20 responses
—  Strongly Agree = 15
—  Somewhat Agree = 5
Benefits to all stakeholders: UTAs
What the UTAs gain:
—  One academic credit and excellent resume content
—  An understanding of teaching and learning
—  Experience from the other side of the classroom
—  An understanding of themselves as stewards of firstyear students
—  Build a relationship with faculty
Benefits to all stakeholders: Faculty
What the faculty gain:
¡  Student feedback on classroom practice and
pedagogical strategies
¡  Insight into effectiveness of assignments and
activities
¡  Models of successful students
¡  Extra hands in the classroom
Assessment?
Research Question: How do undergraduate
teaching assistant impact student engagement in a
first-year experience course at a large public
university?
Instruments: Student attendance; student grades
and DFW rates; survey of student engagement
Findings: To be discussed