Assistantships and Teaching Resources
To help students prepare for their teaching role in higher education, we have developed the following list of resources. To inquire about or to apply for departmental support, contact your department or your academic graduate advisor. You can also learn more about the benefits offered to students employed in an assistantship position, on our Assistantship Benefits page.
Teaching Excellence Seminar
The Teaching Excellence Seminar is offered as an orientation for new Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows. The Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment and Redesign (CLEAR), along with the Office of the Provost, offers this mandatory seminar to provide new instructors at UNT with access to best practices in teaching and supportive resources.
Contact your department for more information on required attendance for the Teaching Excellence Seminar once selected for a position. Most departments hold additional orientations prior to the start of the semester.
Graduate Student Teaching Excellence Program (GSTEP)
GSTEP is provided by the Center for Learning Enhancement, Assessment, and Redesign (CLEAR) with support from the Office of the Provost. It is a free program for graduate students at the University of North Texas. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students for teaching roles in higher education by equipping them with teaching skills, knowledge about teaching strategies and peer support. Activities include classroom teaching experiences, online training modules, and peer mentoring. Upon completion of the program, students will receive a letter of recommendation for future faculty interviews. Find more details about GSTEP on the CLEAR website.
Additional Teaching Resources
- TA/TF/RA/GSA Benefits
- CLEAR Teaching Support resources
- Teaching Excellence Handbook
- Professional Development Workshops
- First Day of Class
- Blackboard Learn
- UNT International
- Office of Disability Accommodation
- Interactive UNT Campus Map
- Counseling and Testing Information (PDF, courtesy of John Hipple)
- Academic Integrity
- Glossary of Emotional and Academic Support Services
- Writing Resources
- Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships
- Funding your Graduate Education
Course Load Requirements
The institutional requirement for a minimal load of academic work for graduate assistantships in any long semester is 9 semester credit hours (SCHs) of graduate courses. Upon written recommendation of the college/school dean or her designee and approval of the dean of the graduate school, the minimum registration limit may be reduced to three semester hours for the long term for students who have filed an approved degree plan, hae completed all course work, and are either ready to take the qualifying examinations and/or registered for thesis or dissertation. Students who qualify for a reduced course load may submit a Course Load Exception form to the Toulouse Graduate School.
The total combined load of course enrollment and teaching or research assignment may not exceed the equivalent of 18 semester credit hours in any long semester. Each appointment of 10 hours per week is considered the equivalent of 3 semester credit hours.
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