Option 1: Recruit former students
Step 1: Know the eligibility requirements
Eligible students will have earned the following:
- 30 credits by the semester of the internship
- an A in the course in which they will work*
- a 3.0 GPA overall
*students who did not take ENGL 101 at UMD are eligible to be a UTA in ENGL101 classes
Step 2: Reach out to former students
For best results, start this process early, right around when Testudo publishes the schedule for the following semester (October for the Spring semester and February for the Fall semester).
Ideally, the student you recruit will be a former student, not a current one. I understand that this isn’t always possible, especially for PWP instructors, but it simplifies the process for everyone when there’s a clean break between one’s identity as your student and as your UTA.
AWP instructors, please note that students need to have completed at least 30 credits to be eligible for the UTA Program.
Step 3: Direct your recruit to the UTA Program application
When you’ve found a potential UTA, please ask them to complete and submit this application:
Please understand that recruiting a student to be your UTA does not guarantee their admittance to the program. In the rare cases that your recruits do not meet the minimum requirements, I will work closely with you to find an equitable solution.
Option 2: Work with an unmatched UTA
Students are encouraged to apply to the UTA Program on their own volition, that is, without having been asked to do so by an instructor. In these cases, I match accepted UTAs with instructors who are looking for UTAs. Instructors contact me as early as March (for the fall) and October (for the spring) to tell me that they are looking for UTAs for the following semester.
While I am always able to match accepted UTAs with instructors, I am not always able to find UTAs for all instructors who want to work with them. This is most common for upper-level courses, as one of the program’s eligibility requirements is that UTAs have previously taken the course to which they are assigned. Please let me know as early as possible that you’re looking for UTAs for the upcoming semester!
Image byAlistair Dent