TA HANDBOOK 1
TEACHING ASSISTANT’S
HANDBOOK
MTSU ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
TA HANDBOOK 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome Letter
4
Program and University Contacts
5
How do we approach teaching writing at MTSU?
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What is the philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU?
Is there a single syllabus?
Do we teach formulas such as the five a paragraph theme or “modes” of discourse?
What is the difference between 1010 and 1020?
What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 1010 and 1020?
When are TAs typically assigned to teach 1010, 1020, and 2030?
Course Policies & What Should Be in My Syllabus?
Department course guidelines
Course Syllabus Guidelines
Syllabus Checklist
Office Hours/Teacher Availability
Cancelling/Moving Classes and Student Conferences
Communication with Students and Administration
Academic Alert System
Disclosing Personal Information
Placement
Attendance Policy
Grading Criteria
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Nuts and Bolts: What Do I Need To Know To Get Through The Semester? 23
Conversing with Students
Accessing Rosters and Filing Grades
Book Orders
Schedules
Office Space
Photocopying and Scanning
Desire to Learn (D2L)
Lightening the Paperload
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Teacher Resources: How Can I Be a More Effective Teacher?
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GTA Coordinator’s Office (PH 310)
TA Website
University Writing Center
James E. Walker Library
Learning Resources Center
Information Technology
Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center (LT & ITC)
Counseling Services
TA HANDBOOK 3
Disabled Student Services
Online Writing Resources to Use with Students
Online Resources for Teaching Writing
Online Professional Development Resources
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FAQ: What Else Might I Need to Know?
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Where do I get office supplies?
33
Where do I get classroom/TA office cabinet keys?
33
Whom do I contact about A/V equipment?
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Where should I store work that my students do not collect?
33
What is the TA substitute policy?
33
What do I tell students who want to add/drop a class after the deadline?
33
What happens when a student expresses a complaint about my class?
33
What do I do if a student requests special accommodations for an undocumented disability? 34
How do I adapt my teaching practices to best meet the needs of ESL students?
34
What should I do if a student brings a friend/family member to class?
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What do I do if I have a disruptive student in my class?
34
What is the process for addressing plagiarism?
35
What kinds of records should I keep?
36
What is my responsibility regarding sexual/racial harassment?
36
Making the Most of Professional Opportunities and
Contributing to the Teaching Community
Professionalism
Mid-Semester Meetings and End-of-Semester Reflective Essays
Observations
Professional Development within the TA Program
Leadership Positions within the TA Program
Resources for Conference and Research
Online Training Modules
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Appendix A: FERPA Regulations
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Appendix B: Emergency Procedures
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Welcome to the Program
Teaching, like writing, is context-specific. Just as writers recognizing the myriad strategies
available to them must choose between them based on what they wish to accomplish, so must teachers
when contemplating the choices that shape the text that is their teaching. Graduate teaching assistants
TA HANDBOOK 4
in the program here at MTSU will often find their inquires about appropriate responses to teaching
challenges met with the response, “It depends.” What constitutes an appropriate response depends on
the context: on the students’ needs, on the kind of relationship the teacher hopes to cultivate with
students, on what will best meet course goals and lead to improved student writing.
Though there will be times when the questions of a teacher in the program are met with a more
definitive response than “it depends,” we always encourage teachers to consider how a particular
practice or policy represents writing and learning to students. As members of this teaching community,
we must adhere to certain conventions and accepted practices, as do members of any discourse
community. This is not a program that relies on a common syllabus or text, but it is one that encourages
consistency among different course sections through shared course objectives, approved texts, a
syllabus review, and classroom observations. There are many ways to teach writing well, but some
approaches will be more effective than others in meeting specific course goals along with the needs of
this student population. We encourage teachers in the program to embrace a spirit of exploration, to
experiment in their teaching, to try something new and then seek feedback from students and
colleagues about the new venture.
We also hope for our teachers the opportunity to engage in reflective practice, to identify the
strengths in their teaching as well as areas for improvement and then to revise accordingly. We hope
that teachers in the program will locate their agency, will become comfortable asserting the authority
afforded them as teachers and representatives of this university and of the profession, and will
recognize their contributions to the collective knowledge of this community. And lastly, we hope that
teachers in the program will feel supported by others in the teaching community and will know that our
conversations, our classroom visits, our mid-semester conferences and informal chats in the hallways
are all intended to aid them in their development as teachers and professionals.
We are so pleased you have joined this teaching community. Welcome.
Dr. Myatt
Program Contacts
Dr. Julie Myatt Barger
GTA Coordinator
julmyatt@mtsu.edu
Peck Hall (PH) 310
898-2563
TA HANDBOOK 5
Dr. Kevin Donovan
Director of Graduate Studies
kdonovan@mtsu.edu
PH 316
898-5898
Dr. Rhonda McDaniel
Graduate Adviser
rlmcdani@mtsu.edu
PH 373
898-5285
Dr. Laura Dubek
Director, Lower Division English
ldubek@mtsu.edu
PH 324
904-8156
Dr. Tom Strawman
Chair, English Department
strawman@mtsu.edu
PH 302A
898-5644
Dr. Wes Houp
Writing Center Director (UWC)
whoup@mtsu.edu
PH 386
494-7673
Caty Chapman
Assistant Director, UWC
cbchapma@mtsu.edu
LIB 362A
494-8930
Patricia Baines
Writing Programs Liaison and Assistant
pbaines@mtsu.edu
PH 228C
494-8843
Jenny Rowan
Assistant Coordinator, GTAs & UWC
jrowan@mtsu.edu
LIB 362C
494-8932
Debbie Flanigan
English Graduate Studies
dflaniga@mtsu.edu
PH 316
898-2665
*Graduate student inquiries, classroom keys
Darlene Fults
Main English Office (Chair)
dfults@mtsu.edu
PH 302
898-5644
*Scheduling issues
Rachel LaForte
Support Secretary
rlaforte@mtsu.edu
PH 309
898-2573
*A/V equipment needs, including reserving
the two master classroom carts, and
scheduling meeting and/or classroom spaces
Kelly Hays
Upper Division, English
khays@mtsu.edu
PH 323
898-2576
*Supplies (gradebooks, white board markers,
pens, etc.) and collector of syllabi @
beginning of semester
Cindy Maguffee
Lower Division, English
maguffee@mtsu.edu
PH 324
898-257
*Textbooks
University Contacts
Disabled Student Services
(615) 898-2783
KUC 120
http://www.mtsu.edu/dssemail/index.shtml
Adaptive Technology
TA HANDBOOK 6
(615) 904-8550
LIB 174
http://www.mtsu.edu/dssemail/adatech.sht
ml
Counseling Services
(615) 898-2670
KUC 329
http://www.mtsu.edu/countest/counseling_c
ountest.shtml
Judicial Affairs
http://www.mtsu.edu/judaff/
Student Support Services
(615) 898-5443
MGB 101
http://mtsu.edu/ssupport/
Information Technology Division (ITD)
(615) 898-5345 (Helpdesk)
CAB basement
http://www.mtsu.edu/itd/index.shtml
Library Instruction
(615) 904-8530
http://library.mtsu.edu/reference/instructio
n.php
General Education Faculty Resources
http://www.mtsu.edu/english/forfaculty/ge
nedfacresources.shtml
College of Graduate Studies
(615) 898-2840
Sam Ingram Building
http://www.mtsu.edu/graduate/
International Student Support
(615) 898-2238
KUC 124
http://www.mtsu.edu/idac/contact.shtml
NUMBERS TO PROGRAM INTO YOUR PHONE (or keep on you)
1) Campus Security & Raider Escort (will walk you to your car when it’s dark): 898-2424
2) GTA Coordinator: 898-2563
3) Peer Mentor: Varies, please ask.
4) Assistant GTA Coordinator and Liaison to English Dept. and Writing Program: 898-2241
5) IT Help Desk: 898-5345
6) Secretary attached to room where you teach: Varies, please see webviewer
www.mtsu.edu/webviewer for more information and then locate the department
administrative aide in the Campus Directory: http://www.mtsu.edu/rootpage_files/200910_MTSUPhoneDirectory.pdf.
7) TA office: 904-8262
Please also sign up for MTSU Alert4U to receive text messages about campus emergencies and
inclement weather situations: http://www.mtsu.edu/alert4u/index.shtml.
How do we approach teaching writing at MTSU?
All students at MTSU must pass through the English department. English 1010 and English 1020
fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General Education Program. The long-range
goal of the Communication requirement is “to enhance the effective use of the English language
essential to students’ success in school and in the world by way of learning to read and listen
critically and to write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently, and persuasively.”
What is the philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU?
There is no one philosophy for teaching writing at MTSU. Teaching assistants, as well as professors,
are encouraged to use and develop their own pedagogies in order to effectively teach Composition.
Instructors of English 1010 and 1020, the two freshman writing courses, are encouraged to write
innovative syllabi and assignments that work with the teachers’ own strengths.
Is there a single syllabus?
No. There is no department or TA program general syllabus. While the TA program will provide you
with sample syllabi, individuals are encouraged to draft their own syllabi. Syllabi will be reviewed
by the TA program and the Lower Division Committee, and the department will keep a copy of your
syllabus on file. TAs are encouraged to revise their syllabi each semester based on classroom
experiences and insights gleaned from professional development opportunities.
Do we teach formulas such as the five a paragraph theme or “modes” of discourse?
While the five-paragraph essay and the common rhetorical “modes” of writing (narration,
description, cause and effect, comparison/contrast) may appear in textbooks and may be familiar to
students, instructors are encouraged to move through and beyond these traditional methods for
teaching writing. The five-paragraph essay may be a good starting point, but instructors are
encouraged to teach a variety of organizational techniques. Also, you should probably teach these
traditional rhetorical modes as strategies that may be combined and tweaked based on each
individual writing task and its audience and purpose.
What is the difference between 1010 and 1020?
English 1010 and English 1020 fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General
Education Program.
English 1010, Expository Writing, helps students achieve this goal by providing an introduction to
critical thinking and writing. Students are introduced to strategies for writing purposeful, coherent,
and adequately developed essays. Generally, instructors seek to assign reflective and responsive
writing assignments, where students develop critical thinking skills and craft essays based on a
combination of their own experiences and responses to texts. Instructors of 1010 will facilitate the
development of skills associated with expository writing, including assessing, reporting, explaining,
and clarifying. Students should leave English 1010 better and more critical readers. Instructors may
use a variety of texts and genres as models or prompts for reflections and response, though literary
analysis should not be taught in either 1010 or 1020. Assignments should include primary source
reading and research and encourage students to write about and in response to what they are
reading. Additionally, when students leave English 1010, they should be able to cite primary source
material and include a works cited entry with essays. Students will write at least four essays of
1000 words each.
English 1020, Research and Argumentative Writing, is a continuation of the work begun in English
1010. Students should note that many of the course objectives remain the same. However, students
will be expected to gain greater competency in those areas. Students will draw writing content
from primary and secondary sources. Students will write four research-based essays totaling at
least 5,000 words; some instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and
in conjunction with the fourth. Though the teaching of a literary text and a literary analysis paper
used to be included in the requirements for this course, instructors should note that this
requirement is no longer in the objectives for this course. Instructors are also required to conduct
at least one library visit with their class.
What kinds of writing assignments do people typically use in English 1010, 1020, and
2030?
Since syllabi, texts, and teachers vary, so do writing assignments. Sometimes instructors choose a
theme, an appropriate sequence, or other method of tying writing assignments together. While the
department requirements do ask instructors to work with a specific number of papers and words
(English 1010: at least four essays of 1000 words each; English 1020: four research-based essays
totaling at least 5,000 words; English 2030: minimum of 3 essays about specific works of literature
and a minimum of 2 essay examinations), instructors may tweak the number of assignments while
still fulfilling the overall word count according to their own course design. Instructors are
encouraged to vary types and lengths of assignments and to rely on scaffolding to allow students to
build on the skills they develop over the course of the semester. You might want to think about
offering a variety of options in each assignment, too. Not only will assignments with multiple
options encourage students to write to their interests and strengths, it also means you won’t be
reading the same paper over and over again.
When are TAs typically assigned to teach 1010, 1020, and 2030?
Most GAs in the English Department begin their graduate assistantship assignment tutoring in the
University Writing Center. When a GA has accumulated 18 hours of graduate English credit, he/she
is eligible to teach English 1010, the first required Composition course in the freshman writing
sequence. After successfully teaching 1010 for 2 semesters, the TA is then eligible to teach English
1020.
Recently, we implemented a pilot program to introduce TAs to teaching English 2030: Experience
of Literature. In order to be eligible to teach 2020/2030, a TA must:
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show evidence of effective teaching (as reflected in official class observations).
have a 4.0 overall score on student evaluations.
have a score of average or above in all categories on the College of Graduate Studies
Performance evaluation.
earn a grade of B or above in the Teaching Literature class or successfully complete a
semester shadowing an English 2020 or 2030 class.
earn a passing score on both preliminary exams at least one semester prior to teaching
2020/2030.
have taught English 1020 successfully at least twice.
TAs chosen for this program who choose the shadowing option will shadow an experienced faculty
member for a semester as he/she teaches English 2030, and then the TA will teach a section of
2030 the following semester with the faculty member serving as a teaching mentor. Although the
exact requirements of the shadow program are determined by the faculty member and the TA, it is
suggested that the TA teach at least one class in each major section of 2030, participate in the
grading process for two or three students over the course of the semester, and compose a syllabus
and several lesson plan outlines for the faculty member to review. Please remember that all course
assignments are subject to departmental needs.
Course Policies & What Should Be in My Syllabus?
The first step when designing your 1010, 1020, or 2030 course should be to familiarize yourself
with the departmental course descriptions for each course. It is imperative that you meet the
departmental objectives for writing courses when creating your syllabus and schedule.
Fundamentally, the 1010 course is an expository writing course which focuses on teaching students
the tasks of “reflection and response”; this means students should reflect on their understanding of
materials, issues, or texts, and then write responses. 1010 should not focus heavily on research or
argumentation, as these are the central course goals for 1020. However, the last essay assignment
of 1010 is open to some research and argumentative techniques, as this essay should serve as a
bridge assignment for students moving on to 1020. The full departmental course descriptions are
listed below for your convenience. They can also be found on the English Department website
under “General Education Faculty Resources.”
Freshman Writing Courses
English 1010 and English 1020 fulfill part of the Communication requirement of the General
Education Program. The long-range goal of the Communication requirement is “to enhance the
effective use of the English language essential to students’ success in school and in the world by
way of learning to read and listen critically and to write and speak thoughtfully, clearly, coherently,
and persuasively.”
English 1010
1. Students will be introduced to strategies for reading and analyzing different types of text—
print, visual, and digital.
2. Students will draw writing content primarily from readings/viewings but also from
experience and field research (interviews, observation, surveys).
3. Students will improve their ability to generate a writing plan with informed writing
objectives.
4. Students will learn to adapt their writing to audience and purpose.
5. Students will improve their ability to develop a thesis clearly with a variety of supporting
evidence (e.g., definition, illustration, description, comparison and contrast, casual analysis).
6. Students will learn to integrate and document primary sources accurately.
7. Students will write out-of-class essays that illustrate their knowledge of the writing process
and at least one in-class essay that illustrates their on-demand writing ability. In total,
students will write at least four essays of 1000 words each.
8. Students will gain a greater sense of the process of writing: prewriting, drafting, rewriting,
and editing.
9. Students will identify their writing strengths and weaknesses
10. Students will learn to write with grammatical competence and use conventional
punctuation and spelling.
English 1020
Argumentative writing is intended to influence the reader’s attitudes and actions. Writing is
usually called argumentative if it clearly supports a specific position. Students in 1020 write 4
essays. (Some instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and in
conjunction with the fourth.) Content comes from across the disciplines as students explore issues
related to various fields of study. Students do not write about literature in 1020. English 1020 has a
substantial reading component: students learn how to read rhetorically, building their own
repertoire of rhetorical strategies. Instructors use the workshop method to teach the writing
process. All 1020 students receive at least one hour of scheduled library instruction. Students’
competencies will be measured by the following objectives:
1. Students will gain a greater sense of the process of writing: prewriting, drafting, rewriting,
and editing.
2. Students will improve their ability to generate a writing plan with informed writing
objectives.
3. Students will improve their strategies for synthesizing and analyzing different types of text
and material.
4. Students will write at least four research-based essays of 1250 words each. Some
instructors assign an annotated bibliography in lieu of the third essay and in conjunction
with the fourth.
5. Students will receive library instruction.
6. Students will improve their ability to develop a thesis clearly with a variety of supporting
evidence drawn from research (e.g., definition, illustration, description, comparison and
contrast, causal analysis).
7. Students will integrate and document primary and secondary sources accurately.
8. Students will adapt their writing to audience and purpose.
9. Students will vary the structure and length of sentences and paragraphs.
10. Students will write with grammatical competence and use conventional punctuation and
spelling.
11. Students will be able to analyze their writing strengths and weaknesses.
English 2020/2030
The General Education Literature requirement (part of the Humanities/Fine Arts requirement) may
be fulfilled with one of the following courses offered by the English Department. ENGL 2030,
Experience of Literature, provides a broad overview of literature primarily in the Western tradition,
but with selections from other cultures. Students will become familiar with the work of
accomplished contemporary writers in addition to reading some of the classic works of Western
literature. ENGL 2020, Themes in Literature and Culture, provides students the opportunity to
trace a specific theme or idea through a number of literary texts that reflect different historical and
cultural contexts. Both courses have the same course objectives:
1. Students will improve their ability to read, think, and write critically and analytically
about a wide variety of texts.
2. Students will be able to identify basic structural and/or technical elements and strategies and
will be able to discuss how those elements contribute to the overall effect of a literary work.
3. Students will gain a greater sense of the range and sorts of texts that are available to them as
readers and, hopefully, of the sorts of texts that they most enjoy and wish to continue reading.
4. Students will gain a greater sense of the “conversations” between texts; that is they will have a
sense of the ways in which texts respond to earlier texts, develop ongoing cultural
conversations about key issues, develop genres and style, etc.
5. Students will gain a greater sense of the ways in which texts function within culture(s), of the
ways in which texts can be used to understand and gain insight into cultures/historical
movements, and of the ways in which cultural context shapes both the production and reading
of texts.
6. Students will develop a sense of themselves as readers; they will gain greater independence in
their interpretations and become more aware of their own approaches, assumptions, and
interpretive strategies. Conversely, they will become aware of the range of possible reading
strategies, encounter and test out new ways of working with texts, and increase their
interpretive repertoire.
Reading is a constant, daily requirement in English 2020 and 2030. Students will read stories,
poems, and dramas in the required course text. In addition, an instructor may also assign the class
to read a novel or view a film. Students will write a minimum of three essays about specific works
of literature. Students will also write a minimum of two essay examinations. The instructor may
also expect students to write daily on the assigned reading. Grades in English 2020 and 2030 will
derive largely from the essays and examinations that students write. The instructor will grade the
essays according to the Standards for Evaluating Written Work in Literature Courses.
Course Syllabus Guidelines
In our program you are given significant freedom when designing your course—this freedom also
extends to the design of your course documents, such as syllabi and schedules. However, there are
certain requirements that your course documents should address. Some of these requirements are
created by TBR, some by the university, and some by the department. These requirements serve
your students by providing necessary information about how to succeed in the course. Also, these
syllabus components help protect and guide you as the instructor, as they lay out your course
policies in advance and assist you in thinking of different possible outcomes when structuring your
course. Printed here is the syllabus checklist, which you will be asked to use at the beginning of
each semester when preparing and assesssing your own syllabi. Be advised that required course
policies (for example, the Lottery Statements or disability statement) will be changed periodically,
and all professors in our department will be required to make the necessary revisions to reflect
these changes.
Syllabus Checklist
The following information should be included in your syllabus. Items located in the REQUIRED
VERBATIM section, such as the Lottery Statement, need to have that text included verbatim. Other
items including lengthy descriptions are provided to introduce you to departmental or university
policy, but you may design your own specific policies for these items, so long as your policies are in
keeping with the outlined guidelines.
To ensure that your syllabus contains all of the necessary information, complete the checklist below
prior to submitting it for copying.
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Name of instructor _____
(Please note that your title should be listed as “Instructor,” “GTA,” or your name with “Ms.”
or “Mr.” rather than “Professor.”)
Term and year _____
Official course name _____
 English 1010: Expository Writing
 English 1020: Research and Argumentative Writing
 English 2030: Experience of Literature
Course section number _____
Class location _____
Office room number _____
Office hours _____
Phone number and MTSU email address _____
(FERPA regulations require all faculty and staff must use their MTSU email account when
communicating to a student. Faculty and staff must send the email to a student’s MTSU
assigned email address instead of a personal account such as Gmail or Hotmail. Educational
data must never be sent to or from a non-institutional assigned email account. You should
therefore only provide your students with your MTSU email address. For more information,
visit: http://www.mtsu.edu/records/docs/Best_Practices.pdf.)
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Prerequisites _____
 English 1010: ACT English score of 18-31 or SAT score of 460-710 (or the
equivalent)
 English 1020: A grade of C- or better in English 1010 (or the equivalent)
 English 2030: A grade of C- or better in English 1010 and 1020 (or the
equivalent)
Course goals/course description _____
Provide an overview of the design of your course. Explain the relationships of writing
and reading assignments and other activities to overall course goals. If using a theme,
explain its significance.
Required/recommended texts and materials _____
Include a statement about students keeping their handbook: Our handbook, ______, will
be a valuable writing reference for future courses, and I recommend that you keep this
text even after completing English 1010 and 1020.
General overview of required work _____
Provide a brief description of the formal writing assignments, informal writing,
participation, and any other work. Please label each essay very specifically with a title
that indicates the genre of that assignment. Indicate the weight of each task/the
percentage each contributes to the final grade.
Grading policy _____
 In addition to your policy, also inform students that in order to receive credit for English
1010 and 1020, students must pass the course with at least a C-. If you do not use minus
grades in your grading scale, inform students that they must pass with at least a C. Also
explain to students how the N grade works and who is eligible to receive it. An “N” is
appropriate when a student completes all the necessary work of the class and meets
your attendance requirements but fails to meet the standards for passing. This grade
requires the student to repeat the course but does not affect the student's GPA.
 Plus/minus grading for undergraduate courses became effective Fall 2000. Please note
that students cannot earn a final grade of D for a 1010 or 1020 course. Grades which
may be assigned for individual essays:
A
B+, B, BC+, C, CD+, D, DF
Grades which may be assigned for the course are:
A
B+, B, BC+, C, CF
 If using a numerical system to calculate grades, we recommend that you use the
traditional scale found below, though one could add further distinctions when using a
plus/minus scale:
A = 90-100
B = 89-80
C = 79-70
F = 69 and below
Attendance and Tardiness statement _____
 Provide students with information about how attendance will affect their grades.
Departmental guideline: students may be allowed to miss a maximum of 10% of classes
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with no penalty apart from process work missed during absence; after this allotment of
absences, a certain number of points will be deducted from final grade. Many
instructors identify a maximum number of absences a student may accumulate before
failing the course.
 A student is expected to attend each class for which he/she is registered except in cases
of unavoidable circumstances. Class attendance will be monitored during the term.
Students who are reported for nonattendance will be assigned a grade of F to appear on
their transcripts, and nonattendance will be reported to appropriate agencies.
Distribution of future financial aid will be suspended if applicable.
 Exceptions are made for University-sanctioned activities. Students shall not be
penalized for such absences. Students anticipating participation in University functions
which will take them out of classes should discuss these events prior to the absence
with their instructors at the earliest convenient time. Additionally, students
participating in University-sanctioned functions must provide documentation of the
event on official letterhead or stationary.
 The fact that a student may be absent from a class does not in any way relieve that
student of the responsibility for the work covered or assigned during the absence. It is
the responsibility of faculty members to excuse or refuse to excuse absences of students
who miss their classes. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain excuses for
absences and to arrange with the faculty member in question to make up the work
missed. Absences begin with the first date the student is enrolled in class.
Late work policy _____
Explain how handing work in late will affect a student’s grade. Many instructors refuse
to accept late process work but allow students to turn in formal writings late for
reduced grades. Provide students with clear instructions about how many points will be
deducted per late period, and define how you will measure the time when determining
how late a paper is (by 24-hour period, by class meeting, etc.).
Civility Statement _____
Disruptive behavior includes, but is not limited to the following: intentionally
antagonizing the instructor, receiving beeper or phone messages or text-messaging in
class, leaving class early or coming to class habitually late, eating in class, talking out of
turn, doing assignments for other classes, and engaging in other activities that detract
from the classroom learning experience. All electronic devices should be turned off
during the class period unless prior arrangements are made with the instructor. Work
missed by the student (in the rare case that s/he is removed from the class) will not be
allowed to be made up, and the student will be considered absent for the day(s)
removed from the class.
Plagiarism Statement _____
 How you choose to penalize students for plagiarism is your choice, but your policy
statement should be clear on what the penalties are and should outline the various
actions you could choose to take if you suspect academic misconduct. It may be that not
all instances of plagiarism require failure for the assignment or course; rather, you
might choose to have the student revise and resubmit the assignment for a reduced
grade.
 Faculty members in the English department take very seriously any incidents of
academic dishonesty. Students found guilty of academic dishonesty may face a range of
sanctions including a zero for the assignment or failure in the course, as well as
additional sanctions imposed by the Office of Judicial Affairs. The Department, in
agreement with the University, defines academic dishonesty as follows:
Academic Misconduct: Plagiarism, cheating, fabrication, or facilitating any such act.
For purposes of this section, the following definitions apply:
(1) Plagiarism. The adoption or reproduction of ideas, words, statements, images, or
works of another person as one’s own without proper acknowledgment.
(2) Cheating. Using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study
aids in any academic exercise. The term academic exercise includes all forms of work
submitted for credit or hours.
(3) Fabrication. Unauthorized falsification or invention of any information or
citation in an academic exercise.
(4) Facilitation. Helping or attempting to help another to violate a provision of the
institutional code of academic misconduct. (Rights and Responsibilities, p. 6)
All suspected and/or confirmed incidents of cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of
academic dishonesty will be reported to the Office of Judicial Affairs, as required by
University policy. For a detailed description of the procedures involved in an
academic misconduct hearing, refer to Rights and Responsibilities, p. 7, available at
http://www.mtsu.edu/~stuaff.
 UWC Statement
The University Writing Center is located in the James E. Walker Library, room 362, and on
the web at www.mtsu.edu/uwc for students to receive valuable one-on-one assistance with
their writing. Conferences are available by appointment (904-8237) or for walk-ins (as
available); don’t wait until the last minute to seek their help! Online writing assistance is
also available. Please visit the website for hours and more information.
 Schedule, including major due dates _____
TAs who have taught English at MTSU previously must provide a completed 15-week
schedule, but first-time TAs must initially provide only completed 5-week schedule at the
beginning of the semester if they wish. Those pursuing this option must provide the GTA
Coordination Office and the Lower Division Office with their completed semester schedule 5
weeks into the semester or before.

These dates are available on MTSU’s academic calendar, which can be accessed at:
http://www.mtsu.edu/calendar_academic.shtml.
 Holidays:
Fall Semester—Labor Day, Fall Break, Thanksgiving
Spring Semester—Martin Luther King Holiday, Spring Break
 Last day to drop or withdraw without a grade
 Last day to drop classes with a grade of “W”
 Library Day Scheduled
 Dates when class will be cancelled in lieu of required conferences (no more than 1 week
of class time)
 Last Day of Classes
 Study Day
 Final exam day and time:
(Exam schedule available at: http://www.mtsu.edu/records/sfexam.shtml.)
Inclement weather policy _____
MTSU does not usually close because of inclement weather, but students will be allowed to
use their own discretion when snow and icy conditions exist; they will be given the
opportunity to make up the missed classes should they decide not to attend. To determine if
classes are cancelled, students should listen to area radio and television stations; access the
News and Public Affairs home page at www.mtsu.edu/~proffice (or click on “Events and
News” from the MTSU home page at www.mtsu.edu); or call the news line at 904-8215.

Right to Make Changes Statement _____
The instructor reserves the right to make changes to the course schedule if necessary.
REQUIRED VERBATIM


Lottery Statement _____
Lottery Scholarship Requirements: Do you have a lottery scholarship? To retain Tennessee
Education Lottery Scholarship eligibility, you must earn a cumulative TELS GPA of 2.75 after
24 and 48 attempted hours and a cumulative TELS GPA of 3.0 thereafter. You may qualify
with a 2.75 cumulative GPA after 72 attempted hours (and subsequent semesters), if you
are enrolled full-time and maintain a semester GPA of at least 3.0. A grade of C, D, F, or I in
this class may negatively impact TELS eligibility. Dropping a class after 14 days may also
impact eligibility; if you withdraw from this class and it results in an enrollment status of
less than full time, you may lose eligibility for your lottery scholarship. Lottery recipients
are eligible to receive the scholarship for a maximum of five years from the date of initial
enrollment, or until a bachelor degree is earned. For additional Lottery rules, please refer
to your Lottery Statement of Understanding form, review lottery requirements on the web
at http://scholarships.web.mtsu.edu/telsconteligibility.htm, or contact the Financial Aid
Office at 898-2830.
Statement on behalf of students with disabilities ______
Reasonable Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: ADA accommodation requests
(temporary or permanent) are determined only by Disabled Student Services. Students are
responsible for contacting the Disabled Student Services Office at 615-898-2783 to obtain
ADA accommodations and for providing the instructor with the Accommodation Letter from
Disabled Student Services.
Note to TA: in order to receive accommodation because of a mental or physical disability, a
student must provide documentation from the Office of Disabled Students Services. If you wish,
you may add to the above statement a comment to this effect. Although disabled students may
complete course requirements under conditions that are made in consideration of their
disability, they are still held accountable to the same standards and overall course
requirements.
An additional note to TAs on syllabus design: While there are guidelines for what must be
included in your syllabus, and we offer a variety of syllabus/schedule examples to get you started
thinking about your own course, we encourage you to make your syllabus, schedule, and overall
course design unique to you and your teaching style. Use these guidelines and suggestions as
starting points, then consider how you yourself might best help your students meet departmental
and personal writing goals.
Office Hours/Teacher Availability
It is essential that you meet your obligations to your students, which include not only teaching
classes, but holding office hours. In our program you are required to hold three office hours per
week, per section you are teaching. In other words, if you are teaching two sections of a course (the
usual schedule) then you are required to hold six office hours for your students (total) per week.
These office hours must be listed on your syllabus for your students’ information, should be posted
on the TA office door, and generally must be kept in the TA Office (PH 105). These hours are
necessary for your students, particularly those who may need to conference with you or need
additional help.
You shouldn’t make it a habit to cancel or move office hours. This is not only stressful for your
students but prevents you from meeting your obligations as a TA. However, sometimes life
intercedes in the form of illness or emergencies, or conferences/professional development
opportunities. In these cases, it is ok to cancel/move office hours; just be sure to email your
students to let them know and place a sign on the office door. It is not appropriate to cancel your
office hours for a variety of reasons, including: having an assignment to finish for one of your
graduate courses, not sleeping enough the night before, going on vacation early, etc. Just as we
expect our students not to miss class for these reasons, we should not miss our teaching obligations
for these reasons, either.
Canceling/Moving Classes and Student Conferences
You are expected to hold class as scheduled, with few exceptions. The reasons to cancel class, like
canceling office hours, include: illness or emergencies, conferences, professional development
opportunities, or significant life events. If a time arises that you need to cancel a class, try instead to
find a substitute for the day (well in advance, if possible). For example, if you know that you will be
presenting at a conference in two months, create your schedule accordingly in advance, by either
canceling the class or, better yet, finding another TA to substitute. If a serious emergency has come
up, the best course of action, if you are unable to find an 11th hour sub, is to cancel the class. When
you cancel your class, email your students and post/have signs posted on the classroom door and
the TA office door letting people know you have canceled class. (We recommend that you find a
colleague who teaches at the same time/near the same location as you do, who can post signs on
your classroom door for you). Additionally, email the GTA Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator,
Liaison, and your Peer Mentor, and make sure that all cancelled classes are logged in the Class
Location Change Notification binder located in PH 310. In last-minute/emergency situations, ask
your colleague who is posting signs to your classroom door to record the cancellation. If this is not
possible, request that your Peer Mentor or one of the GTA Coordination Staff log the cancelled class
for you. Canceling classes should be a rare occurrence.
What if you want to introduce your students to the library and resources for research (and/or you
need to fulfill the library day requirement of 1020 and you don’t have it on your course schedule)?
You can move your class to a different location on campus occasionally, as long as you fill out the
Class Location Change Notification Binder beforehand so that GTA Coordinator administration and
departmental secretaries know where you are. In case of emergencies, the department needs to
know where you and your students are on campus at a given moment.
We encourage you to hold student conferences once a semester. You can hold these in the TA office
if there’s room, but often TAs will choose to move to a more neutral location, such as the library or
Starbucks on campus. You should cancel no more than one week of class per semester for
conferences. Additional conference should be held briefly in class or during your office hours. When
you are holding student conference in lieu of class, please also record this in the Class Change
Notification Binder, noting the meeting times and location. Once again, this is to ensure the safety
and security of you and your students.
Communication with Students and Administration
As a teacher, you should communicate regularly with your students. To this end, if you need to
cancel class or office hours, you should notify students as soon as possible.
FERPA regulations require that all faculty and staff use their MTSU email account when
communicating to a student. Faculty and staff must send the email to a student’s MTSU assigned
email address instead of a personal account such as Gmail or Hotmail. Educational data must never
be sent to or from a non-institutional assigned email account. You should therefore only provide
your students with your MTSU email address. For more information, visit:
http://www.mtsu.edu/records/docs/Best_Practices.pdf.
You are also advised that due to FERPA federal law, you cannot communicate with anyone other
than the student about a student’s progress in your class (with some exceptions as discussed
below). In fact, you can’t even confirm to an outside party that said student is actually enrolled in
your course, or that you may have had a student enrolled in one of your courses in past semesters.
This includes parents, fraternity/sorority leaders, coaches, military recruiters, or anyone else. If a
parent emails or telephones you about a student, you are not under any obligation to respond. If
you do respond, you can only say something to the effect of “Due to FERPA regulations, I cannot
speak to you about this student, and I cannot even confirm that the student is in my course.” If the
outside party insists, becomes troublesome or threatening, you are to immediately contact the GTA
Coordinator, who will take it from there. This is to protect your students, all of whom are usually
legally considered adults.
There are some exceptions to these FERPA rules, such as the Academic Alert System (described
below). There are cases where a student may be underage, or may sign a waiver allowing his/her
parents to receive information, but these are rare, and will always be cleared through the university
administration. If ever in doubt, consult with your Peer Mentor or the GTA Coordinator before you
release sensitive student information. For more information about FERPA regulations, please see
Appendix A.
Academic Alert System
The University now offers a new tool for faculty that will not only support our student retention
efforts, but will also simplify the reporting process. Rather than getting separate notices from areas
such as Student Athlete Enhancement Center (SAEC) and the TRiO Student Support Services (SSS),
you will now be able to report on all students at the same time using the same method. The Student
Athlete Enhancement Center monitors MTSU student athletes as required by the NCAA and
University policy. TRiO SSS students are monitored as required by the federal TRiO SSS regulations
for reporting purposes. These students are listed as monitored at the beginning of your class roster.
The University requires that this report be completed by all faculty and staff by a certain deadline in
the first half of the semester, with a follow-up after mid-term when more assignments have been
completed and more grades are available.
In addition, you may also request follow up for students NOT designated for monitoring. If you have
a student about whom you are concerned for any reason, ranging from attendance problems to
poor performance on class work, you may report progress on that student through this same
system. Students reported as optional will be contacted by advisors in the University College
Advising Center (UCAC) for follow-up.
To access your rosters and complete your required monitoring reports, begin by signing into
PipelineMT. Select RaiderNet, then Faculty Services, and then the Academic Alert Roster link which
will prompt you to select the term and CRN. To report progress for either monitored students, who
will be labeled as monitored, or for optional students, who will not be labeled, simply enter the
estimated grade and select the green icon (+) to report issues/concerns as well as make any
recommendations. After entering the appropriate data, select Submit. You can then use the CRN
Selection link at the bottom to select your next CRN. An Academic Alert tutorial is available for your
reference at www.mtsu.edu/records/docs/AcademicAlert.pdf. Please read the detailed text
provided in the roster as you begin this new process.
While we encourage you to have an open dialogue with students throughout the semester about
their progress in your course, we especially emphasize mid-term progress reports (in addition to
participation in the Academic Alert System) which detail each student’s grades (essays,
participation, process work, absences, etc.) up to that point in the semester. By providing this
report before the last date to drop with a W, students are better able to make informed decisions
about whether or not to stay in the class.
Disclosing Personal Information
You should decide in advance how you will handle student contact outside of class and office hours.
You are not required or expected to be on call for your students at any time, nor is it the wisest
course of action to release your personal information (such as your personal phone numbers and
addresses) to your students. This is for your safety, and it keeps all of the interactions with your
students professional. If you use social networking sites (such as Facebook or Twitter), it is not
recommended that you allow your current students to see your pages or interact with them on
these sites, unless your course is using these sites as part of the course requirements. As always, be
aware of what you post on these sites, and what else might be floating around the internet about
you. You and your students deserve privacy.
Placement
Students are pre-screened for placement in your class, including meeting the required course
prerequisites. However, sometimes students are placed incorrectly or enroll themselves in your
class even though they do not meet the prerequisites. (This is why we list the prerequisites on our
syllabi). If you suspect, from reading a student’s in-class writing (diagnostic/proficiency essay) or
other writing, that a student may have been placed incorrectly, your first course of action is to
contact your Peer Mentor or the GTA Coordinator, who will help you assess the students’ writing. If
the GTA Coordinator feels that the student may need to be in another class, she will contact Lower
Division and proceed from there. We deal with a diverse student population in our program,
particularly since the three courses we teach are required General Education courses. You may
encounter dialects or idiolects that don’t match standard edited English, or you may have English as
a Foreign Language/English as a Second Language (EFL/ESL) students in your class who exhibit
uncommon writing patterns. These students aren’t necessarily in the wrong course, and you may
have to work with these students more (and guide them to other places for additional assistance) to
help them succeed in your course.
Attendance Policy
You as the instructor set the attendance policy for your courses, and you should provide students
with information about how attendance will affect their grades. A student is expected to attend each
class for which he/she is registered except in cases of unavoidable circumstances. Class attendance
will be monitored during the term (by you, the teacher). Students who are reported for
nonattendance will be assigned a grade of F to appear on their transcripts, and nonattendance will
be reported to appropriate agencies. Distribution of future financial aid will be suspended if
applicable.
There are several ways to access the course rosters for whatever course you may be teaching (see
“Nuts and Bolts” section). The primary way is via Pipeline on MTSU’s website. We recommend that
you use the RaiderNet roster to check class attendance regularly during the first two weeks of the
semester to ensure that no squatters (students not enrolled in your class) are present. We
recommend that you also check the roster after the official university drop date.
Exceptions to attendance policies are made for absences related to University-sanctioned activities.
Students shall not be penalized for such absences. Students anticipating participation in University
functions which will take them out of classes should discuss these absences with their instructors at
the earliest convenient time. We require a letter on university letterhead/stationary which explains
what the university activity is and how long it will last. This should be provided by the student in
advance of the absence so that you may make special accommodations beforehand. Without proof
in the form of this type of documentation, you should count the student absent.
Exceptions for attendance are also made for inclement weather. MTSU does not usually close
because of inclement weather, but MTSU policy advises that students will be allowed to use their
own discretion when snow and icy conditions exist; they will be given the opportunity to make up
the missed classes should they decide not to attend. Advise students to listen to area radio and
television stations, visit MTSU’s website, or call the news line (904-8215) to determine if the
University is closed.
According to the University, the fact that a student may be absent from a class does not in any way
relieve that student of the responsibility for the work covered or assigned during the absence. It is
the responsibility of faculty members to excuse or refuse to excuse absences of students who miss
their classes. It is the responsibility of the student to obtain excuses for absences and to arrange
with the faculty member in question to make up the work missed. Absences begin with the first
date the student is enrolled in class.
Most of the instructors in our department will allow students to miss up to 2 weeks of total class
meetings (with no penalty apart from deductions for missed process work), but after that point,
students receive deductions from their final grades. (If you teach a once a week class, then usually 2
absences maximum are allowed). Most TAs do not allow “excused” absences, except under extreme
situations (such as a student being hospitalized or an immediate family member’s death). Your Peer
Mentors have seen a variety of absence/excuse situations, and can provide guidance if you ever
have questions about whether or not to accept an absence.
Grading Criteria
You are given some freedom in how you design your grading scale and criteria for different
assignments and for overall course grades. However, you should be able to translate your grades
into the departmental requirements, ensure that your grading system is valid and numerically
correct, and give your students accurate information about the grading criteria. Students cannot
receive a “D” grade as a final course grade in 1010 or 1020, and as a TA you cannot give the grade of
“I” (without the prior approval of the GTA Coordinator and Lower Division Director), although you
are required to give the “N” grade when it applies. An “N” is appropriate when a student completes
all the necessary work of the class and meets your attendance requirements but fails to meet the
standards for passing. This grade requires the student to repeat the course but does not affect the
student's GPA. The passing final course grade for 1010 or 1020 is a C or C-, whatever the equivalent
of the numeric grade of 70 on a 100 point scale is on your course’s grading scale. It is
recommended, for your sanity as well as to ensure your students’ understanding, that you do you
not use very complex or difficult grading systems. Be advised that you will be required to give your
students midterm grades before the final drop date, and that your first grade sets and final course
grades will be reviewed by your Peer Mentors. This process is in place to ensure that TAs can talk
through grading questions, troubleshoot potential assessment problems, gauge personal evaluation
criteria against departmental evaluation criteria, and understand all grades available and grading
options
TA HANDBOOK 23
Nuts and Bolts: What Do I Need To Know To Get
Through The Semester?
Conversing with Students
It is important to keep students apprised of their progress in your class throughout the semester.
TAs are expected to give students a “midterm” report before the final date to drop classes with a W;
this report should include any major grades earned (essays or other projects), daily
work/participation grades, and an attendance report. We encourage you to use the Academic Alert
System for this purpose. Additionally, we encourage you to be transparent with your students
about all grades they earn in your class—use conversations about grades as a form of constructive
and informative feedback, not as a justification of your evaluation of their performance.
Accessing Rosters and Filing Grades
All class rosters and final grade worksheets are available to TAs exclusively through the MTSU
Pipeline website. TAs should check, in the weeks and days before classes begin, and also regularly
after classes have started, for updates to their class rosters, which are located under the “Class List
Summary” heading under the “Faculty” tab in Pipeline. We recommend that you use the RaiderNet
roster to check class attendance regularly during the first two weeks of the semester to ensure that
no squatters (students not enrolled in your class) are present. Squatters should not be allowed to
remain in class; instead, they should be asked to leave class and should not be permitted to return
until their scheduling issue is resolved. Please direct students to the Lower Division Office to
resolve scheduling issues. We recommend that you also check the roster after the official university
drop date. TAs are advised to print out their class rosters and/or record them in their grade books
so as to have a record of any such changes. TAs are required, at least once during the semester, to
report attendance for their classes. This official reporting is to let the university know the specific
date that students have stopped coming to class. Notification will be made via MTSU email as to
when this official Pipeline attendance should be reported; however, TAs are advised to keep their
own regular attendance records at all times to back up this service.
Final Grades are also posted on Pipeline through online worksheets specially devised for that
purpose, which can be found under the heading “Final Grades.” Final grades are posted only in
letter format, so TAs should have their students’ grades recorded in such a manner as to
accommodate this system. Prior to submitting final grades on Pipeline, you will meet with your
Peer Mentor (and, if necessary, Dr. Myatt) to discuss final grades. Also, TAs are advised to print out
and keep a copy of their final grade worksheets for each class, in addition to their regular grade
books, just in case they are needed for future reference. TAs completing their final semester of
assistance should turn in a copy of their grade spreadsheet/gradebook to the GTA Coordinator
office as part of their exit interview.
There are several ways to access the course rosters for whatever course you may be teaching. The
primary way is via Pipeline on MTSU’s website:
1. Go to www.mtsu.edu. The second selection on the very top navbar on the page is the Pipeline MT
button. Click it to enter Pipeline. You will need your MTSU username and password to enter
Pipeline. You may also enter Pipeline via this address: pipelinemt.mtsu.edu/.
2. Once you’re on Pipeline, you will see several frames to choose from. Click the second tab from the
left, labeled RaiderNet:
TA HANDBOOK 24
3. RaiderNet will pop up another frame with more tabs. Click the third tab from the left, titled
Faculty Services. A selection list will pop up in the frame. You then can see a variety of possible
course roster types to choose from. The one you’ll need most often is the Class List Summary.
4. You will be asked to select the appropriate term and course number, after which you will be able
to see the student roster.
5. You can also access a less formal and less frequently updated class roster while in Desire2Learn.
Go to elearn.mtsu.edu and sign in with your Pipeline user name and password. From the front
page, click to enter the course you’re teaching by the course title hyperlink.
6. The front page of your course should have a bar near the top of the frame with options for your
course. Click on Classlist to view your D2L course roster.
Book Orders
Book orders for classes will usually be made at least a couple of months prior to the beginning of
each semester. The English department provides book order forms for TAs to fill out and turn back
in to the department, which are then forwarded to the campus bookstore so that they may order
the texts. Although the bookstore is generally very efficient in ordering class texts, it is a good idea
to stop by the bookstore at least once during the days and/or weeks before class begins, just to
make sure all textbooks are available for students to purchase.
TA HANDBOOK 25
Currently, all TAs are required to have their students purchase two books each for English 1010
and English 1020. Those books are:
1. Handbook (Research Matters for English 1020, and Easy Writer, 4th edition, for English
1010)
2. Textbook (from a list approved by the Lower Division Director)
New TAs usually have a choice between two different textbooks that have been specially selected
by the committee for clarity and ease of implementation in the classroom. Returning TAs, who have
taught at least one semester, may choose from a wider variety of texts approved by the committee
to represent a myriad of different teaching styles.
Schedules
Schedules of classes to teach for the upcoming semester are made before the first class day of that
semester. TAs are asked to turn in a Teaching Request form to the GTA Coordinator with the times
that they will be available to teach listed on it. TAs should block off time for classes that they are
taking pursuant to their degrees, as well as time for any regularly scheduled scholastic meetings or
other persistent commitments; they should also indicate several days and times that they would
prefer to teach. Although the GTA Coordinator and her assistants will do the best they can to
accommodate the schedules of as many TAs as possible, all TAs should keep in mind that class days
and times are limited and that preferences of TAs who are more advanced in the program are given
priority. Thus, it is best to remain flexible and cooperative during the scheduling process.
Normally, TAs are assigned two courses per semester. For new TAs, these courses will both be
sections of English 1010. After a TA has taught English 1010 successfully for two semesters, he or
she may be allowed to teach English 1020 for one or both of the two sections.
Occasionally, due to departmental need, a TA will receive a split assignment giving him or her one
class to teach and ten hours of tutoring time in the Writing Center or ten hours of research assistant
work. Such assignments are determined by the GTA Coordinator in consultation with the University
Writing Center Director and the Director of Graduate Studies.
Office Space
Located in Peck Hall Room 105, the TA Office is an open floor plan environment shared by all TAs.
All computers and desks are shared by TAs. Thus, TAs should be courteous to one another in
sharing computer and desk time. Each TA is assigned a locking cabinet in which to store personal
books and supplies. TAs should be careful not to overburden these cabinets because they are
suspended from hooks on the wall. Since the TA office is open, TAs should be mindful of their noise
level and also of the fact that sound carries. Thus, conversations that might not be fit for student
ears (complaints, gossip, foul language, etc.) should be kept to a minimum.
The TA Office also has an enclosed conference area, the “T.A.C.O.,” or Teaching Assistants
Conferencing Office, in which TAs may meet individually with students for conferences. Conference
times are reserved in advance on the white board on the door. Again, because this is a shared space,
TAs should be respectful of one another in regard to scheduling.
TA HANDBOOK 26
One or more Peer Mentors also have the use of an enclosed space within the TA office, which comes
with an additional computer for Peer Mentor use only. This computer is reserved so that Peer
Mentors can work on the additional responsibilities that come with their position. If anything goes
wrong in the TA office (unruly students, accidents, etc.), the Peer Mentor who is in office hours at
the time should be notified immediately, so that he or she can inform the GTA Coordinator. If a Peer
Mentor is not present, the GTA Coordinator should be informed directly.
Also, the TA office has a printer and various office supplies and equipment available for the TAs to
use. When supplies need to be replenished, TAs can find extra printing paper in the mailroom and
other office supplies in the Upper Division English office. Since the TA budget for replacement of
supplies is limited, printing and use of office supplies should be kept to a minimum. No printing is
allowed for articles pertaining to class work or individual research interests on the TA Office
printer, nor are TAs allowed to print multiple copies of any documents for classroom use. Only
individual documents directly related to teaching are allowed to be printed on the TA Office printer.
For all other printing needs, TAs should use either their free printing privileges in the Library, or
the English department copy room upstairs.
Cleaning of the TA Office is a joint responsibility of all TAs. Supplies for cleaning are available in the
TA office. Therefore, if you have any spare time during office hours and see that the tables are in
need of wiping down, or the floors are in need of sweeping, please do your best to help your coworkers by keeping the office clean.
Last, the TA office is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave, and coffee maker. Usually, paper
towels and other small kitchen sundries are provided; however, TAs should use them sparingly due
to budgetary limitations. Although eating and drinking is permitted in the TA Office, it is imperative
that all TAs clean up after any food or drink they consume in the TA office. This clean-up includes
disposing of all food trash outside the TA Office, because the TA Office does not have garbage pickup service.
Photocopying and Scanning
The English department has a copy room located in PH 303 and a scanner located in PH 310. Copies
and scans are typically made by student workers. In an effort to conserve both financial and
environmental resources, TAs are encouraged to keep copies to a minimum and to request scans be
uploaded to a flash drive or cd provided by the TA.
Orders for copies and scans should be submitted at least 24 hours in advance. Scanning requests,
especially for lengthy texts, may take longer than 24 hours. The form for these services is located on
the student workers’ desk in the copy room. The TA placing an order should leave the original
document with the form attached via paperclip or rubber band. The form should specify the details
as to service (scan or copy), quantity, and format. Finished work is left in the TA’s mailbox or on the
table in the copy room if the order is too large to fit in the mailbox. TAs should be polite and
respectful of student workers regarding these requests.
All regular copyright laws of the United States and the State of Tennessee apply. Thus, TAs should
be aware of the current extent of all educational fair use laws and related MTSU policies for
photocopy usage and publication.
TA HANDBOOK 27
Desire to Learn (D2L)
MTSU provides all TAs with a D2L (Desire to Learn) account for each class they teach. This account
is accessible via the TA’s individual MTSU Pipeline account or directly through
https://elearn.mtsu.edu/. Creating a D2L page for a class is not difficult, and peer mentors or fellow
TAs will gladly help you set up your D2L page. Additionally, the Learning, Teaching and Innovative
Technologies Center (LT & ITC http://www.mtsu.edu/ltanditc/index.shtml) often holds D2L
workshops. Any TA may use D2L to post materials for his or her class, to provide an additional
forum for class discussion, and to offer a drop box for digital submissions of student work.
TAs are encouraged to use D2L as much as possible to help create an efficient, economical, and
environmentally friendly classroom. However, as with any internet-based resource, TAs should
take precautions to back up all materials placed on D2L in their own preferred method of
information storage and to have an alternate plan should D2L be unavailable. Accordingly, TAs
should be aware and understanding of their students’ occasional technical problems related to the
operation of D2L.
D2L should be considered as another method of conserving resources. By requiring students to
turn papers and other assignments in electronically to the D2L dropbox, TAs can reduce the
number of physical hard copies of papers of which they have to keep track. D2L can also be used to
facilitate in- and out-of-class discussions via the discussion feature. TAs are encouraged to consider
ways to use D2L in the classroom environment.
TAs are responsible for creating and implementing policies in their classes as to how D2L will be
used. As with photocopies, materials posted on D2L should be in compliance with all regular
copyright laws of the United States and the State of Tennessee.
Lightening the Paper Load
In addition to D2L, there are many strategies that TAs can use to lighten the paper load. First, TAs
can schedule many activities in class, such as peer review of rough drafts while the TA walks
around the room to monitor class activity of work.
Next, TAs might consider having students come in pairs or trios to conference time outside of class,
in a sort of mini-workshop setting, so that students get the benefit of individual attention while TAs
save scheduling time.
Another strategy is to look for opportunities to scaffold each assignment into the next assignment
in beneficial ways. For example, in a 1020 class, students might be asked to produce an annotated
bibliography for one assignment and then to write a paper based on that bibliography for the next.
Such scaffolding saves research time for the student and grading time for the TA, since much of the
detail checking on quality of sources and MLA citation style will be completed on the first
assignment.
Daily assignments, such as journals and short responses, may be reviewed in class and/or at
incremental times during the semester, so that small assignments do not accumulate to an
unmanageable level over the course of the semester.
TA HANDBOOK 28
Although TAs are required to have students produce a set number of words and/or papers per
semester, TAs may schedule the due dates for these papers at any time. Thus, it is in the best
interest of TAs to stagger due dates for papers so that they have ample time to finish grading one
set of papers before the next wave comes in. This circumstance is especially true at the end of the
semester, and TAs should avoid having papers due on the day of final exams for the class if at all
possible. Instead, the final exam session could be used to return graded work to students and to
provide them with a semester grade report so that their semester grade does not come as a
surprise.
Teacher Resources: How Can I Be
a More Effective Teacher?
GTA Coordinator’s Office (PH 310)
The GTA Coordinator’s office contains many resources for TAs. In the outer office you’ll find
multiple copies of all the approved textbooks for teaching 1010 and 1020. In the inner office, you’ll
find the GTA Coordinator’s library, which includes single and multiple copies of composition theory
texts, pedagogy resources, writing activity workbooks, other special interest texts, and select DVDs
of films and TV series popular in TA classrooms. Come by and take stock of what’s available here. If
you wish to borrow a book, journal issue, or DVD, check it out on the form in the outer office, and
return it in a timely manner. If, after confirming that one of the campus libraries doesn’t have a text
you want to use in class, you find that we don’t have it either, you may check with the GTA
Coordinator about the possibility of ordering a copy through the TA account.
TA Website
Though we don’t have official program syllabi and assignments you must teach, we do provide our
TAs with samples. Raid the sample syllabi, assignments, activities, lesson plans, etc. Be sure to adapt
assignments to fit your own style and courses, though. Borrow with discretion and thought. Other
teaching resources, including Composition articles and bibliographies, important forms, and links
are available on this site. Web address: www.mtsu.edu/englta (username: english, password:
teaching).
University Writing Center
Our own UWC can prove a helpful resource for texts, exercises, and activities on teaching writing.
Stop by and talk to one of the tutors or administrators or go to the website for access to handouts
and other helpful information: www.mtsu.edu/uwc/.
James E. Walker Library
The librarians at the Walker Library are a great resource for you and your students. You not only
have the book stacks and search engines, but a variety of tools and research tutorials are also
available. The research coach, when available, is not just a good resource for your students, but for
your own research. The library also offers library instruction sessions with a reference librarian.
These sessions can be scheduled online; from the library’s website, http://library.mtsu.edu, choose
“Reference and Instruction” under the “Library Services” tab and fill out the electronic instruction
request form. During these sessions, your class meets in one of the library’s classrooms and a
reference librarian introduces students to the resources available in the library, various research
techniques, and other library services. To make the most of these sessions, provide the librarian
TA HANDBOOK 29
with your assignment sheet and a detailed description of what you consider the session’s
objectives.
Learning Resources Center
This is the primary facility for teacher education programs and provides instructional technology
support to faculty and programs at MTSU. You or your students can use the computers here for
special projects, and you can also place materials on reserve for your students to view/listen to
outside of class time (for example, a CD or DVD—this is a good alternative to showing a full-length
film in class). To place a media item on reserve, you must fill out the IMR Temporary Media Reserve
Form (available at http://frank.mtsu.edu/~imr/forms.html) and submit it and the CD/DVD to the
front desk of the IMR Media Library at the LRC.
Information Technology
Contact these folks if you need any assistance with tech equipment, particularly with tech issues in
your classroom space. Also, you can contact IT if you have any problems with MTSU email, software
or websites, such as Pipeline or Desire2Learn. The IT Help Desk is available by phone (898-5345)
and on the web (http://www.mtsu.edu/itd/).
Learning, Teaching, and Innovative Technologies Center (LT & ITC)
This is a collaborative center for instructors cross campus, offering many resources and
development opportunities for teachers. Their workshops on teaching with technology and other
pedagogical issues help you become a better teacher, adding to your overall professional
development. Be sure to check their workshop schedule at the beginning of the semester and
register for sessions that are of interest to you. LT and ITC can be found online at
http://www.mtsu.edu/ltanditc/index.shtml.
Counseling Services
Located in the KUC, room 329, this center offers counseling services for students, faculty, and staff.
They have licensed counselors available by appointment (898-2670), and they welcome inquiries
from faculty about students of concern.
Disabled Student Services
Located in the KUC, room 120, this office provides necessary assistance for students with
disabilities. They are responsible for coordinating classroom accommodations for students and
providing guidance to instructors about how best to meet these needs. DSS staff can be contacted at
898-2783. The Adaptive Technology Center (904-8550), located in Walker library 174, works with
DSS to provide enhanced media support for students with disabilities.
Online Resources
Though this list is by no means all-inclusive, here are a few external websites that MTSU TAs have
found helpful. If you find more sites that could benefit TAs, please let your Peer Mentor know so
that we can share them with everyone.
TA HANDBOOK 30
Resources to use with students:
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/)
This website contains many useful teacher and student resources for writing and teaching writing,
research, grammar and mechanics, style guides, ESL instruction, job searches, and professional
writing.
Resources for teaching writing:
Council of Writing Program Administrators (http://www.wpacouncil.org/)
CWPA is a national organization of writers and writing program administrators with an interest in
sharing ideas about effective writing program development. In addition to the resources available
on the website, CWPA offers a listserv to promote conversations about writing programs and the
WPA journal.
National Council of Teachers of English (http://www.ncte.org/)
The National Council of Teachers of English is devoted to improving the teaching and learning of
English and the language arts at all levels of education. NCTE promotes the development of literacy,
the use of language to construct personal and public worlds and to achieve full participation in
society, through the learning and teaching of English and the related arts and sciences of language.
Conference on College Composition and Communication (http://www.ncte.org/cccc)
The world's largest professional organization for researching and teaching composition, this
organization publishes a peer-reviewed scholarly journal and hosts an annual conference.
WAC Clearinghouse (http://wac.colostate.edu/)
The WAC Clearinghouse site offers a window into ongoing Writing Across the Curriculum
conversations, as well as a variety of resources (articles, an introduction to WAC, a bibliography,
news and events within the field, and calls for papers among other items). Becoming a member of
this site is a great way to learn about and stay up-to-date on what is happening in other
Composition programs with a focus on WAC.
ReadWriteThink (http://www.readwritethink.org/)
A division of the NCTE website, the mission of RWT is to provide educators, parents, and
afterschool professionals with access to the highest quality practices in reading and language arts
instruction by offering the very best in free materials.
ProfHacker (http://www.profhacker.com/)
ProfHacker delivers tips, tutorials, and commentary on pedagogy, productivity, and technology in
higher education, Monday through Friday.
TA HANDBOOK 31
Professional development resources:
The Chronicle of Higher Education (http://chronicle.com/)
Our industry publication can keep you up-to-date on issues in the profession. See this site for
professional development advice, job search information, and much more about teaching at the
college level.
WPA-Graduate student Organization (http://wpacouncil.org/wpa-go)
WPA-GO seeks to strengthen connections between graduate students and professional WPAs
through social networking and educational development opportunities.
WPA CFP Page (http://www.wpacouncil.org/cfp-central)
The Council of Writing Program Administrator’s call for papers page announces publication
opportunities in the field of Composition Administration and writing program development.
WPA Job Board (http://www.wpacouncil.org/wpa-job-board)
Through the WPA job board, individuals in the profession can search for jobs and get an idea of
trends in hiring in writing programs across the country.
Penn State CFP Page (http://call-for-papers.sas.upenn.edu/)
The Penn State call for papers page is a frequently updated site documenting conference and
publication CFPs from around the country in Literature and Composition studies.
International Writing Centers Association (http://writingcenters.org/)
Affiliated with NCTE, IWCA offers an abundance of writing center resources and scholarship for WC
administrators and tutors. Additionally, the WCenter listserv, available through IWCA’s website, is a
great way to continue conversing about tutoring writing and writing center issues even after you
make the transition from the UWC to the classroom.
TA HANDBOOK 32
FAQ: What Else Might I Need to Know?
Where do I get office supplies?
Office supplies like dry erase markers and gradebooks are available in the Upper Division office: PH
323. Printer paper is available in the PH 303 mailroom. Use it to replenish the supply in the TA
office.
Where do I get classroom/TA office cabinet keys?
For classroom keys, see Debbie Flanigan in PH 316. Return keys at the end of each semester and try
to obtain new keys at least one week before classes begin.
For office cabinet keys, see the Teaching Program Assistant(s). Return your key at the end of the
Spring semester.
Whom do I contact about A/V equipment?
Contact Rachel LaForte, in PH 309, at least 10 working days prior to using any equipment in your
classroom. You can contact Rachel by phone (898.2573) or email rlaforte@mtsu.edu. She’ll need the
following information from you: equipment needed, location, course, dates requested, and time of
class. All requests for a/v equipment must go through Rachel’s office.
Where should I store work that my students do not collect?
TAs must keep any uncollected student work in the TA office for at least one year (all the more
reason to return all graded work before semester’s end).
What is the TA substitute policy?
We have an official policy for finding a substitute: at the beginning of the semester, you should
identify a TA partner who does not teach or take a class at the same time you teach, and you should
have this person's phone number and be able to contact him/her in an emergency. If this person is
unavailable, you should find another TA to sub for you or to post a cancellation message for your
class. Only a TA should sub for your class. TAs juggle multiple responsibilities, and so it is
recommended that you respect your colleagues’ time by providing some compensation, however
small, to a colleague who subs for your class. You may buy the person lunch, a Starbucks gift card,
or even promise to return the favor.
In an emergency, please call or email Dr. Myatt or the Program Assistant(s). If you are cancelling
your class, you should record the cancellation in the Class Change Notification Binder and email the
GTA Coordinator, Assistant Coordinator, and Liaison.
TA HANDBOOK 33
What do I tell students who want to add/drop a class after the deadline?
Students who wish to add/drop a class after the deadline must see Dr. Dubek, the Director of Lower
Division English, in PH 324. (Do not sign any forms until the student has spoken with her.)
What happens when a student expresses a complaint about my class?
According to the English Department, student complaints about 1000 or 2000 level
classes are directed to the Director of Lower Division English. Under rare circumstances the Chair
may hear student complaints. Students are provided a form and an explanation of the procedure for
filing a complaint about an instructor. The form asks the student to provide contact information, to
document attempts to resolve the conflict with the instructor, and to articulate in writing the nature
of the complaint. The written document is returned to the Lower Division Office and forwarded by
the Director to the instructor for response. The Director of Lower Division then attempts to mediate
the conflict based on the written responses of both parties. The documents remain on file in the
Office of Lower Division.
All requests by students to read or evaluate work by the Lower Division Office are refused. It is not
their policy to become involved in complaints about grading because the University procedure for
grade appeals adequately provides for review of grading practices. The Lower Division Office also
makes every attempt to avoid bothering faculty with frivolous or unsubstantiated complaints.
However, we have found that generally courteous and professional relationships with students
minimizes the likelihood of complaints.
What do I do if a student requests special accommodations for an undocumented
disability?
In this event, direct the student to the Office of Disabled Student Services. As we cannot make any
special accommodations without proper documentation, you should urge the student to obtain that
paperwork in a timely manner. Also, if you suspect a student has a disability, know that you cannot
ask the student directly if that is the case. Instead, you could refer to a piece of student writing and
ask the student if they have struggled with the identified issue in the past. This may prompt the
student to reveal a diagnosed disability, in which case you could encourage the student to file
paperwork with DSS to receive learning accommodations.
How do I adapt my teaching practices to best meet the needs of ESL students?
You must strive to meet the needs of all your students by creating assignments and lessons that will
help everyone to meet the objectives of the class you are teaching, and you should request that
those struggling with the work stop by during your office hours. You could also incorporate mini
conferences into your teaching practice: this entails that you meet with each student for five
minutes during class, which allows you to address specific student needs. In addition, you can
recommend that students set up regular appointments at the University Writing Center. And, just as
we instruct our students to find answers to their questions, you should use the resources available
to you to better educate yourself about ESL and Teaching Writing.
What should I do if a student brings a friend/family member to class?
While it isn’t a good practice to routinely allow friends or family members to sit in on your class,
there are occasions when this may be acceptable. Students should discuss the situation with you
before class, at which time you should establish acceptable conditions for their attendance.
What do I do if I have a disruptive student in my class?
Oftentimes, a disruptive student (e.g. one who dominates classroom discussions) just
TA HANDBOOK 34
wants to be heard, so you should validate his/her contribution to the class and urge other students
to participate as well.
If a student continues to disrupt your class, stay calm and address the issue right away, falling back
on your syllabus policies (e.g. “Keep in mind that one of my pet peeves is when students have
private conversations during class”). Ignoring the student will not make him/her magically
disappear. You could also follow up by emailing the student: use a friendly but firm tone to
communicate that he/she should follow the guidelines outlined in the syllabus. For more
information on the various levels of student disruption and advice on how to handle these
situations, visit the Counseling Center’s webpage: http://www.mtsu.edu/countest/tutorial/.
According to MTSU’s Students’ Rights and Responsibilities Handbook, an offense worth disciplinary
action is “conduct which adversely affects the institution’s pursuit of its educational objectives,
which violates or shows a disregard for the rights of other members of the academic community, or
which endangers property or persons on institution or institution-controlled property.” You as the
instructor are responsible for insuring other students’ right to a safe classroom—and if a student
has received fair warning and is still acting in a manner which prevents you from conducting class,
you are in your rights to request that student leave for the day. In extreme cases, you may contact
campus police. You are advised to read this handbook
(http://frank.mtsu.edu/~handbook/rights.pdf) for specifics regarding each type of disruption that
may occur in a classroom and what measures should be taken if you encounter such a disruption.
What is the process for addressing plagiarism?
If you suspect that a student has plagiarized his/her essay, talk to Dr. Myatt before speaking with
the student. Once you and Dr. Myatt have decided upon a course of action, you may conduct a
conference with the student prior to notifying the office of Judicial Affairs to address the following
procedures:
1. The student will be provided notice that he/she is believed to
have committed an act or acts of academic misconduct in violation of University rules.
2. The student will be presented with all evidence in the knowledge or possession of the
instructor which tends to support the allegation(s) of academic misconduct.
3. The student will be given an opportunity to present information on his/her behalf.
You will need to submit the following paperwork, first to Dr. Myatt and then to Judicial Affairs
(provide only the memo to the student, in hardcopy if possible; then email it to the Lower Division
Director and the Chair of the department):
1. Academic Misconduct/Disruptive Student Faculty Referral From
2. Brief Description of plagiarism case
3. Memo to student (a link to the template for this memo can be found on the Judicial Affairs
website: http://www.mtsu.edu/judaff/integrity.shtml)
4. Printouts of plagiarized source material, with uncredited passages highlighted
Based upon TBR Policy 3:02:00:01 regarding academic misconduct, the instructor will assign an
appropriate grade. This information, along with all supporting documentation of the violation, will
be forwarded to the Assistant Dean of Student Life. Consistent with the Student Code of Conduct
(MTSU Rights and Responsibilities of Students, pp. 6-13) and, if applicable, following the instructor’s
conference with the student, the Assistant Dean for Judicial Affairs will meet with the student to
TA HANDBOOK 35
determine if implementation of disciplinary sanctions is appropriate. In the event a student
believes he/she has been erroneously accused of academic misconduct, and at the discretion of the
Assistant Dean of Student Life, a hearing before the University Discipline Committee may be
arranged. If the student is found responsible for the allegation(s) of academic misconduct, the grade
as assigned by the instructor will stand. Should the Discipline Committee absolve the student of the
allegations of academic misconduct, the faculty member will reassess the student’s grade based on
the Discipline Committee’s finding. Consistent with other disciplinary cases, the Discipline
Committee will forward their recommendation for sanctions to the vice president for Student
Affairs and Vice Provost for Enrollment Management.
What kinds of records should I keep?
You should record student attendance at every class session, also making note of participation
grades. In addition, record student paper grades, keeping note of who turns in assignments late (or
not at all). Ideally, you should keep both hard and digital copies of your records (or back up digital
versions).
What is my responsibility regarding sexual/racial harassment?
Judicial Affairs defines harassment “as verbal or physical conduct by a person or group of persons
which interferes with a student’s academic performance or causes discomfort in the work setting or
classroom. More specific definitions of the various forms of harassment may be found in MTSU
Policy 1:01:22” (“Harassment: Sexual & Racial”).
MTSU faculty are required to take and pass the Sexual Harassment Training Module. Please see the
“Online Training Modules” section in “Professionalizing” for more information on sexual and racial
harassment.
TA HANDBOOK 36
Making the Most of Professional Opportunities and
Contributing to the Teaching Community
Professionalism
Being a TA involves balancing different roles within the department—while you are still a student,
working closely with graduate faculty in classes and on theses or dissertations, you are also an
instructor, which means that you are a professional colleague of the English faculty as well. Because
of these dual roles that you play within the department, it is important to be mindful of the level of
professionalism you are presenting to students and fellow instructors alike. Remember that you
share close spaces with students and colleagues—the TA office, for example, where students and
fellow teaching assistants are constantly coming and going. While venting frustrations to your peers
and supervisors is often necessary and healthy, be mindful of comments and where they are made
(this includes in Internet spaces and through email). As with any professional environment,
choosing your words carefully and keeping your voice down are important practices to maintaining
good working relationships.
Another aspect of professionalism that is addressed during your initial Graduate Studies
orientation is the issue of having jobs outside of your 20-hour assistantship. Teaching two sections
of Composition in addition to your own courses and research projects is demanding and timeconsuming; attempting to take on work responsibilities outside of your assistantship often creates
scheduling conflicts, causes TAs to struggle to meet minimum expectations both within the classes
they are teaching and the classes they are taking, and leads to burn out. If you have questions about
the appropriateness of an outside job, please speak to one of the GTA coordination staff or your
Peer Mentor.
Mid-Semester Meetings and End-of-Semester Reflective Essays
We encourage TAs to look thoughtfully and critically at their teaching philosophy and practices
throughout their time in the program through both conversations with other instructors and
individual reflection. Each semester, TAs meet in small groups to workshop current assignment
sequences and discuss any issues that have come up thus far in their courses. The groups typically
include 3-5 TAs, Dr. Myatt, and either a Peer Mentor or another member of the GTA coordination
staff. These meetings allow TAs to share assignments and current class designs, get feedback from
other instructors, and glean ideas for assignments and activities from peers. Additionally, each
semester TAs are asked to write a self-assessment, identifying efforts to meet objectives for the
courses taught and changes they plan to implement in future semesters. Not only is this assignment
a great way to purposefully reflect on your past practices and plans for future courses, writing a
TA HANDBOOK 37
reflective essay like this often helps TAs create or reevaluate statements of teaching philosophies
and other important teaching documents that will be required of members of our profession in the
future.
Observations
Each academic year you will be observed by members of the department 2 to 3 times on average. In
the fall, you can expect an informal observation from the GTA Coordinator (pending no scheduling
conflicts). This observation is a time for Dr. Myatt to visit your classroom, observe your teaching
practices, and have a constructive conversation with you about strengths and weaknesses in your
teaching. Additionally in the fall you will be observed by either the TA Assistant Coordinator or the
Liaison to the English Department and Writing Program. You can expect this observation to be of a
more formal and evaluative nature. To prepare, you should write a detailed lesson plan with class
activities, goals, and objectives; send this document, along with any other materials (class schedule
or syllabus, current assignment sheets, etc.) that you feel might be helpful in giving your observer a
more in-depth understanding of both the goals for that class and your long-term goals, at least 24
hours before the observation is conducted. Your observer will write a letter detailing his or her
observations of the class period, any strengths or weaknesses that were apparent, and suggestions
for developing and enhancing current teaching practices. In the spring, a member of the Writing
Committee will conduct a similarly formal and evaluative observation; the results of this
observation will be sent to Graduate Studies and be filed in your records.
We also strongly encourage TAs to visit each others’ and other faculty members’ classrooms to
observe teaching practices that differ from their own. By informally observing colleagues,
instructors are often able to generate new ideas for their own course designs, “steal” activities and
assignments that they think will work well with their own goals, gain new perspectives on teaching
personas and ways of interacting with students, and engage in constructive conversations with
other teachers. Although observations can be intimidating, keep in mind that these activities and
the resulting conversations help us understand our teaching in ways that other activities cannot
replicate.
Professional Development within the TA Program
Throughout your time in the program, we encourage you to continue growing as a TA, learning
about new pedagogical techniques and theories, and conversing with other teachers. Attending
and/or leading professional development sessions can lead to better teaching practices, more
confidence as a teacher, and more lines on the CV. New to the TA program is the addition of
informal pedagogy workshops. Currently these sessions are developed and led by your GTA
Coordinator and Peer Mentors. Since this is a new and expanding addition to the TA program, all
TAs are asked to submit ideas for workshops they’d like to see. Also, if you’d like to lead a workshop
yourself (if you’re an expert in a certain area of teaching, have a cool assignment you’d like to share,
or are using a new technology in the classroom), please let your Peer Mentor or the GTA
Coordinator know. In the fall semester we also host an in-house Composition conference called
CompExpo. This conference is a chance for TAs, WAs, adjuncts, and FTTs to present innovative
ideas pertaining to teaching and tutoring.
Another opportunity for professional development and involvement within the program is MTSU’s
English Graduate Student Organization (EGSO). Comprised of MTSU English graduate students and
advised by an experienced member of the graduate faculty, this organization meets monthly or
TA HANDBOOK 38
bimonthly to discuss issues pertinent to graduate students such as professionalizing and job
searching. Additionally, EGSO holds an annual graduate student conference which attracts MA and
PhD students from all over Tennessee and the surrounding states. Participating in activities like this
conference and CompExpo are a great way to gain presentation experience in a friendly
environment.
Leadership Positions within the TA Program
Each fall, new candidates for Peer Mentor positions are chosen for the following academic year. To
apply, TAs are asked to submit a letter of interest, a CV, and a current statement of teaching
philosophy; TAs are then interviewed by the GTA Coordinator and current Peer Mentors. Once the
committee makes a selection, the newest member(s) of the GTA administrative team are placed in
“Peer Mentor-in-Training” roles, shadowing current Peer Mentors for half of his/her 20 hour
assistantship. This schedule continues when new Peer Mentors take on the full duties of this
position—normally, Peer Mentors teach 1 class a semester and use the remaining 10 hours a week
to hold Peer Mentor group meetings, meet with TAs as needed, meet with other members of the
GTA coordination team, and handle a range of administrative responsibilities. We encourage
motivated candidates with an enthusiasm for teaching and talking about teaching, a desire to serve
in a leadership role, and good organizational and planning practices to apply for this position.
Resources for Conferences and Research
As a graduate student and instructor in the English department, you are eligible for different
sources of funding, including travel money from Graduate Studies (up to $500 per academic year)
and other campus resources, such as money from the Student Activity Fee committee.
Online Training Modules
As a teacher at MTSU, you will be expected to complete four online training modules each fall
semester:
 Preventing Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited
by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as amended and Title IX of the Education
Amendments of 1972. Other types of harassment (religious, disabled, or other protected
status) are prohibited by applicable law. Generally, harassment may be defined as verbal or
physical conduct by a person or group of persons which interferes with a student’s academic
performance or causes discomfort in the work setting or classroom. More specific definitions
of the various forms of harassment may be found in MTSU Policy 1:01:22. Students who feel
that they may be victims of some form of harassment as a result of the actions of another
student should contact the dean of Student Life to lodge a complaint. These cases will be
resolved in accordance with student disciplinary procedures. Students who believe they have
been harassed or otherwise discriminated against by a University employee should contact the
affirmative action officer who will investigate and attempt resolution of the complaint
according to the procedure outlined in MTSU Policy 1:01:22. Copies of this policy will be made
available in the Dean of Student Life Office, the Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Office,
and other administrative offices on campus.
 Preventing Employee Discrimination: Title VII is a major federal law prohibiting
employment discrimination in any personnel transactions because of race, color, national
origin, religion, or sex. The law protects applicants and employees of most private
TA HANDBOOK 39
employers, state and local governments, educational institutions, employment agencies
and labor organizations. Protected employees include hourly or salaried, supervisors,
professional, faculty, and executives.
 Title VI Compliance Training: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is the federal law that
protects individuals from discrimination on the basis of their race, color, or national origin in
programs that receive federal financial assistance. If you feel that you have been discriminated
against in any Tennessee Board of Regents’ sponsored program, please contact the coordinator
for your campus. For more information, contact Barbara Patton, Title VI campus coordinator,
CAB 220, 898-2185.
 Human Subjects Training (IRB): The MTSU Institutional Review Board is a committee
designed to approve, monitor, and review any research involving humans. The aim of the IRB
is to protect the rights and welfare of the research subjects. All human research authorized and
conducted under the jurisdiction of Middle Tennessee State University is subject to review by
the IRB for risk, benefit, and informed consent without regard to the source of financial,
physical (facilities), or logistical support. This review must be conducted before a project is
started. For the purposes of the TA program, IRB approval is required for use of student work
in situations other than use for educational purposes (which include grade norming, in-class
examples, etc.); you must obtain IRB approval before using student writing for personal
research, conference presentations, or publications.
Once you complete these trainings, a certificate of completion for the Preventing Sexual
Harassment module and your IRB training must be turned in to the office of Graduate Studies to be
kept in your student file. The main English department office keeps on file your certificates for all
four trainings.
Appendix A: FERPA for MTSU Faculty
What is FERPA?
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of
student educational records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable
program of the U.S. Department of Education. Under FERPA, student educational records are
considered confidential and may not be released without the written consent of the student.
An institution’s failure to comply with FERPA may result in the Department of Education
withdrawal of federal funds.
Educational records include but are not limited to: class schedule, grades, GPA, academic standing,
test scores, academic transcripts, student employment, class lists, email between the student and
MTSU, etc. Educational records may be in paper, electronic files, or other medium.
What is directory information at MTSU?
Directory information is information that can be released without the student's written consent,
unless the student opts out of disclosure. It includes the student’s name, address (including e-mail),
telephone listing, year and place of birth, major field of study, enrolled hours, student level
(freshman, sophomore, etc.) participation in officially recognized activities and sports, weight and
height of members of athletic teams, dates of attendance, degrees and dates conferred, awards and
dates received, and previous educational agency or institution attended by the student.
Students have the right to suppress the disclosure of directory information to outside agencies and
third parties. A student may request that such directory information not be released to anyone
other than those persons defined as school officials. To do so, a Request for Non-release of
Directory Information must be filed in the Registrar’s Office, Cope Administration 106. A student
may request the non-release be honored until the end of the semester, until graduation or ceased
enrollment, or indefinitely. A student must notify the Registrar’s Office in writing to resume the
release of directory information.
If a student has opted out of releasing directory information, then directory information is
also confidential. In such a case, the student’s record is flagged as confidential in RaiderNet
and Banner.
What is PII (personally identifiable information)?
PII is that information which allows someone to know an individual’s personal business, or by use
of the PII allows them to gain access to an individual’s private information for mischievous
purposes, such as identity theft.
Specifically, Tennessee state law defines a person’s PII as the Social Security Number, driver’s
license number, account number, and credit or debit card number in association with the person’s
name (first name or first initial and last name) or access code.
Best Practices for Faculty
Class List:
 Do not link the student’s name to the student’s social security number in any public manner.
 Do not circulate electronically or in print, a class list with the student name and social
security number/M# or any part of the social security number as an attendance roster.

Do not provide anyone with a list of students enrolled in your classes for commercial
purposes.
Disclosing Student Information:
 When in doubt, don’t give out student information. Always err on the side of caution.
Contact the Registrar (898-5814) or University Counsel (898-2025) for guidance.
 The Registrar’s office is custodian for the student record. A student may request
transcript(s) free of charge by completing the Transcript Release form at this link:
http://www.mtsu.edu/records/docs/tranreq.pdf
The student’s signature is required on the Transcript Release form. Students may mail the
form to the Registrar’s office, fax the form, or bring it in person to Cope Administration
Building, 106 (transcript window) across from the Business Office.
Disposal of Student Information:
 Records containing student names, identification numbers, etc. should always be shredded
not just thrown in the garbage.
 Electronic documents containing PII and/or Educational records must never be stored on
unencrypted devices including laptop computers, smartphones, tablet computers, flash
drives, etc.
 Paper and other non-electronic media containing PII and/or Educational Records must be
securely stored in order to prevent disclosure of protected information to unauthorized
individuals.
Email:
 All Faculty and staff must use their MTSU email account when communicating to a student.
Faculty and staff must send the email to a student’s MTSU assigned email address instead of
a personal account such as Gmail or Hotmail. Educational data must never be sent to or
from a non-institutional assigned email account.
 When replying to a student’s email request for information and before selecting the Reply
button, check the student’s email to ensure it is their MTSU email address. If there is doubt
about the student’s email address, use the university’s online directory to search for the
student’s official university email address. When emailing a student, take a minute to
consider the type of information to be communicated. Ask yourself these questions: Is this
directory information? Is the information personally identified information such as a social
security number? What are the consequences if information is disclosed inadvertently to
someone other than intended recipient?
 Never include a social security number in an email. You may include the M# (MTSU
identification number) in an email.
Grades:
 Do not post students’ grades in any form or listing in public.
 Do not leave graded tests (electronically or in print) for students to sort through, review or
pick up.
 While it is not recommended that grades be routinely sent via email, there may be times
when this is necessary due to the student’s circumstances. The grade must be sent via the
institutional email account (MTSU email address) to the student’s MTSU email address and
only contain grade information for that individual student.
 Students may access RaiderNet for their end of term grades. Grades are no longer mailed.
Letters of Recommendation:
 Do not disclose personally identifiable information obtained from a student’s educational
record in a letter of recommendation without written permission from the student. For
example, do not include in a letter of recommendation a student’s grade or GPA unless the
student provides a signed release.
 The signed release must specify the educational records that may be disclosed, include to
whom the information is to be disclosed and the purpose for the request. This may be a
paper request, an email with an attached scanned paper copy with signature or a FAX copy
with signature.
 A statement made by a faculty member based on personal observation does not require a
written release from the student.
 Sample permission letter to write a letter of recommendation:
I give permission to Professor ____ to write a letter of recommendation to: name/address.
Professor ____has my permission to include ______.
I waive/do not waive my right to review a copy of this letter at anytime in the future.
Faculty should retain letters of recommendation in a secure medium.
Partners in Education Program (PIE):
 The Partners In Education program is designed to strengthen the three-way partnership
among the student, the family, and the University so as to maximize support of the academic
success of the student. By completing and signing a Student Release of Confidential
Information form, students may allow designated persons access to specific academic
information otherwise protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
(FERPA).
 These designated persons will have access to grades and progress reports of their student
members, letters concerning certain types of disciplinary dispensations, and may telephone
or e-mail the University College Advising Center (UCAC) for other information related to
their students’ academic progress, financial aid, and account information as long as the
membership is active. The UCAC staff will contact faculty on behalf of the PIE partner, rather
than the PIE partner contacting faculty.
 Students may withdraw permission to release information at any time and should call the
University College at 898-2339 for instructions. Students are encouraged to enroll in
Partners In Education, and may do so by submitting the P.I.E. form to the University College
in the McFarland building.
Phone Calls:
 When a student calls to request information about their own record, require two pieces of
information to authenticate the identity of the student, in addition to the student’s name.
This information can include: Student ID number (M number), major, current or previous
class schedule, or other information that is not widely available but the university can
reasonably expect the student to know. Do not use social security number or date of birth to
authenticate identity.
 Do not communicate grades via telephone.
 Never leave confidential information on a student’s voicemail which may be accessible by
others in the household.
School Official
 School officials with a legitimate educational interest may access student educational
records within the scope of performing their job duties (need to know). Simply being an
employee does not convey a “legitimate educational interest.” School officials with a
legitimate “need to know” may include faculty, administration, professional, clerical, student
employees or graduate assistants.
 Faculty must require graduate assistants and student workers to complete the FERPA
tutorial. http://www.mtsu.edu/records/ferpa/ferpa.shtml
Sole Possession documents:
 Notes or memory joggers (not grade or GPA related) maintained by a faculty member in
private are not subject to FERPA. If these notes are shared with another person, these notes
no longer are considered “sole source” and become part of the student’s educational record
and are subject to disclosure under FERPA.
 Keep personal notes relating to a student separate from the educational record.
Student Identity:
 When working with a student in person, request the student to provide photo identification.
You are required to make a “reasonable” effort to confirm the student’s identity.
Student Progress:
 Do not discuss a student’s progress with anyone (including parents) other than the student.
 You may discuss a student’s progress with a university (school) official with a legitimate
educational interest (need to know) such as an advisor.
 Staff from the Student Athletic Enhancement Center and the Student Support Services
programs may contact faculty regarding student participants. These students sign waivers
giving staff permission to access their educational records through the faculty.
 Do not release information to parents (like all other third parties) except for directory
information. If a student has opted out of releasing directory information, then directory
information is also confidential and should not be released. In such a case, the student’s
record is flagged as confidential in RaiderNet and Banner.
 Refer parents who are PIE participants to the University College Advising Center if
questions regarding their student’s progress.
Student Schedules:
 Do not provide anyone with a student’s schedule. If someone needs to find a student on
campus, these inquiries should be directed to Public Safety.
Appendix B: TA Emergency Procedures
In the event of an emergency, follow these emergency procedures. If you teach in a building other
than Peck Hall, please familiarize yourself with emergency procedures for your particular building
(designated tornado “safe places,” fire exits, etc.) so that you can direct your students, calmly and
accurately, to safety. Also, please be aware of special accommodations that may need to be made for
students with disabilities:

Fire: Evacuate the building using the nearest exit and remain outside until safety personnel
give the all clear to return to your classroom or office. In the event that we must evacuate
Peck Hall due to a fire, TAs and GTA Coordination Staff should meet at the blue horseshoe in
Walnut Grove on the south side of Peck Hall.

Tornado: The University offers these general directions for tornado safety: get to the
lowest possible floor available; stay away from windows and other loose or breakable
objects that could become flying debris; stay near interior walls; keep one or more
flashlights in your office and make sure they work; in the event of a tornado, do not pull a
fire alarm. If you are in Peck Hall during a tornado emergency, please proceed quickly and
calmly to the second floor and take shelter in a hallway or bathroom. To find a list of
tornado shelter locations/ “safest places” in other buildings across campus, please visit
http://www.mtsu.edu/alert4u/tornado_shelter.shtml.

Threat of Violence: If there is a reported threat of violence on or around MTSU’s campus,
all faculty, staff, and students signed up for the Emergency Messaging Service (see below for
subscription information) will be notified with instructions about how to proceed. If
university officials implement a lockdown, you should stay in your current location
(classroom, office, etc.) and encourage others to do the same. Occasionally, students in your
class may express a desire to leave; while you cannot physically force students to remain in
their current location, advise them that they will be risking not only their own safety, but
the safety of those around them if they choose to disregard the lockdown. When safety
officials determine the campus is safe to return to normal activities, another message will be
sent out via the Emergency Messaging Service.
If the threat of violence is obviously close to your classroom or office and you feel you and
others are in imminent danger, urge students/officemates to stay calm and quiet. Lock the
door, turn off the lights, silence all phones, and move as far from windows as possible. If
you’re in an active shooter situation, instruct students to spread out rather than gather
together in large groups. If you teach in a classroom with a door that does not lock and you
feel you have time to take additional action, move a heavy piece of furniture in front of the
door to obstruct entry.
If you are concerned that a student might pose a threat to her/himself or others, remember
that there are resources available for you and your student. Trust your instincts and bring
your concerns to a peer mentor, the GTA Coordinator, or another member of the
coordination staff. Always arrange to meet in a public place when holding conferences with
students outside of the TA office, and make sure there is another TA present/scheduled to
hold office hours during your office hours in Peck Hall 105.

Earthquake: Move away from windows and book stacks. Move to a corner interior or a
solid wall. Get under a desk or heavy furniture if possible.

Bomb or Biohazard Threat: Remain Calm. If the threat is made by phone, listen carefully
and transfer call to campus police (2424 or hit transfer #0). If you discover a suspicious
object or package, contact campus police. Do not announce threat.
Be aware of your fellow TAs’ schedules—note who holds office hours at the same time as you and
who teaches in close proximity to you—so that you can make each other alert to any safety issues
that might arise. At the beginning of each semester, the Assistant Coordinator or the Peer Mentors
will compile office hours and teaching schedules for TAs and Coordination Staff, along with updated
contact information, to be kept in the TA office and Peck 310 for quick reference during emergency
situations.
In the event that you must report an emergency, please contact campus police at 898-2424. Calls
that are made from campus to 911 must be rerouted to campus police, thus wasting valuable time
in an emergency. MTSU’s Emergency Text Messaging Service is a free service that will notify all
subscribers of campus emergencies (i.e., tornados, cancellations, threats, etc.) by text message and
voicemail. Please enroll in this service by registering at www.mtsu.edu/alert4u. This website also
offers a detailed list of campus-wide emergency procedures.