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Graduate TA Handbook and Resources

A Handbook for Graduate Teaching Assistants and Teaching Fellows at W&M

About This Handbook

By students, for students.

This resource is a "living" document created and maintained by graduate students. It was initially created by students enrolled in the Graduate Teaching Project (GTP), a zero-credit course designed to help students develop teaching skills.

At William & Mary, a TA (teaching assistant) is a graduate student who assists an instructor by teaching sections of laboratories, grading papers, or in some other capacity. They are not instructors of record responsible for assigning final grades. A TF (teaching fellow) is a graduate student who is the instructor of record and responsible for assigning final grades. Only students who have passed their comprehensive exams and have met their program's definition of ABD (all but dissertation) and who are trained and supervised by the program responsible for the course or courses involved may be TFs.

The Handbook's Creators

The initial concept for this guide was developed by the first-ever cohort of GTP students in consultation with Sarah Glosson, Director of the Graduate Center; Sara Belmont, W&M Libraries Web Developer; and Jessica Ramey, Instruction and Research Librarian. Additional input was provided by faculty members Gene Roche, Danielle Dallaire, and Jennifer Rahn. The Handbook is now maintained and updated by graduate students working closely with the Graduate Center.

Pilot GTP Cohort, Spring 2019:

  • August Butler (History); Holly Gruntner (History); Nicki Gustafson (Biology); Caroline Schlutius (Biology); Rachel Scrivano (Psych); Kasey Sease (History).

GTP Cohort, Spring 2020:

  • Adrienne Resha (American Studies); Amanda Watson (Computer Science); Shuangquan Wang (Computer Science).

GTP Cohort, Fall 2021:

  • Michael Academia (Biology); Laura Beltran-Rubio (American Studies); Chandler Fitzsimons (Anthropology); Allie Mead (Anthropology); Shaun Richards (American Studies); Emma Wedell (Psychological Sciences).

Want to sign up to contribute? Contact Sarah Glosson, Director, Graduate Center.