International Teaching Assistant Program Department Packet  
 
ITA English Certification Checklist for Graduate Advisors and TA Coordinators
Notify prospective ITAs of English Certification requirements and procedures well before the semester of their potential appointment. A Student Packet containing detailed information regarding the certification process for ITAs can be found on the ITA Program web site
Register students for English Certification (including non-automatic exemptions from Certification) on the ITA Program web site: http://www.utexas.edu/student/esl/ita/registration.html
Give ITAs a description of what duties and responsibilities a TA appointment in your department entails.

Avoid putting newly arrived ITAs in freshman sections (rookies with rookies)

When possible, give conditionally certified ITAs a semester to work on communication skills, adjust to the culture and observe undergraduate classes before appointing them to positions with student contact.

If conditionally certified ITAs are given student contact positions, assign them a more experienced TA as a mentor or provide an upper-division undergraduate as a consultant.
Any graduate student who may eventually teach should be encouraged to take the Oral English Proficiency Assessment and finish the ITA Communication Workshop at the first available opportunity.

Please let your faculty and students know that English Certification is not just for those with pending appointments.

Have a pool of certified ITAs to make last-minute staffing easier.

You may wish to print the Student Packet and distribute it to potential ITAs in your department.


ITA Program website Updated March 26, 2009
Email: itaprog@www.utexas.edu Telephone: (512) 471-2482