Part 1: Minor in Teaching
We are considering offering a Minor in Teaching. It would consist
of the following requirements, which would satisfy both your
outside minor and your TA requirement:
2 semesters of a 20-hour-per-week TA position
teaching to be accompanied by a sequence of CS301-style
seminar classes
one "theory" type class ("how to teach computer science subjects")
cross-listed with the Education Dept.
Classes to be selected from a subset of EE/CS offerings (mostly the
larger classes with a higher percentage of undergraduates, as
opposed to the small graduate-seminar classes)
Certificate from Education Department to indicate your higher
proficiency in teaching
If all other graduate student requirements stayed the same, would you be
interested in this option (assuming you hadn't already chosen an
outside minor)? NOTE: Students who didn't select the minor would still be
have to meet the existing TA requirement.
Choose one below
Strong Yes
Yes
Maybe (see comments)
No
Strong No
If you said "Maybe", "No" or "Strong No", please briefly explain your answer.
Part 2: Early Incentive for TA Requirement
Independently of the Teaching Minor, we are trying to alleviate the
problem of having a constant shortage of TA's, especially for certain
classes. Most people are best able to TA during their first year,
before they start spending serious time on research; however, almost
everyone who receives a fellowship or GSR chooses to accept it
immediately rather than TA'ing, even if the fellowship or GSR is
deferrable.
Our goal is to convince more first-year students to fulfill their TA
requirement during their first year.
How important would each of the following options be in terms of convincing you
to satisfy your TA requirement during your first year? NOTE: Assume
that you'd have to take a 20-hour GSI position to qualify for any
of these "pot sweeteners".
Choose one below
Very important
Somewhat important
Not important
Ability to defer prelims breadth requirement (not
orals) up to one year
Choose one below
Very important
Somewhat important
Not important
Part 3: TA Requirement Increase . The Department is
considering increasing the TA requirement from 10 hours to 20 hours
(which could be satisfied as either two 10-hour positions or one
20-hour position). Of course, current students would be
appropriately grandfathered from any retroactive changes; but in a
nutshell, (and assuming no other requirements would change) how do you feel about this proposed change?
Choose one below
Support
Indifferent
Don't Support
If you said "Don't Support", would you support the increase if some
other requirement were relaxed? If so, which one(s)?
Part 4: Your Graduate student status . We will use this to correlate answers from different groups of students. What are you?
Choose one below
First-year Grad Student
Second or Third-year Grad Student
Senior Grad Student