Graduate Teaching Fellowships in Mathematics

Graduate Teaching Fellowships in Mathematics

The majority of Graduate Students in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon are supported by Graduate Teaching Fellowships (GTFs). The purpose of this page is to give you some idea of the nature of such an appointment.

A GTF should expect an average workload of about 12 hours per week (on top of the workload from taking graduate classes of your own). The maximum workload is 197 hours per term as prescribed in the GTF Federation Agreement.

In the first term after your appointment, you are expected in addition to take a one credit GTF training course to help you adjust to being a teacher in charge of your own classes. The GTF training class meets once a week, and aims to cover the various different aspects of teaching in a relaxed atmosphere. The majority of new GTFs are assigned to teach Math 111 (College Algebra) in their first term; there are approximately 35 undergraduates in each section of Math 111 taught. The GTF training class provides an opportunity to get together throughout the term and share experiences with other GTFs who are also teaching Math 111 for the first time.

There is no doubt that it can be a stressful first term, as you learn to cope not only with your own graduate level classes but also with teaching your own class at the same time. Our experience is that after the first couple of terms, most GTFs feel quite comfortable - and do an excellent job - in this new role. The Department is committed to making your adjustment from student to teacher as smooth as possible. Thanks largely to our GTF program, our Department has an extremely good reputation for producing PhDs who are excellent teachers. This counts strongly in your favor when you start to look for a job when you are finished!

After the first term, a GTF will be assigned duties of one of three basic types: teaching an elementary course, assisting in recitation sections, or assisting in one or more advanced courses. General descriptions of these three types of assignments are:

1) Teaching an elementary course.

Conducting the class (usually 4 contact hours)
Preparing lectures and exams. This may include submitting midterm exams to course coordinators well in advance of exam date.
Holding office hours. A combined total of 4 hours per week in scheduled office hours and organized help sessions.
Grading quizzes, midterms and final exams.
Supervising a grader who grades all the assigned homeworks.
Maintaining and submitting grading records in accordance with Departmental regulations.
Assisting with preparation and proctoring of the final exam.
Administering student evaluations.
Assisting with placement testing, or other duties (up to one half day per year).
Possibly attending meetings of course instructors.

2) Assisting in recitation sections.

Conducting discussion sections (usually 4 contact hours).
Possibly teaching in instructor's absence.
Preparing for discussion sections.
Possibly preparing quizzes.
Holding office hours.
A combined total of 4 hours per week in scheduled office hours and organized help sessions.
Grading quizzes and exams.
Supervising a homework grader.
Proctoring midterm and final exams.
Administering student evaluations.
Assisting with placement testing, or other duties (up to one half day per year).

3. Assisting in advanced classes.

Holding office hours.
Reading homework papers.
Assisting with placement testing, or other duties (up to one half day per year).
Working with course instructor.

As mentioned above, most new GTFs start off in their first term by teaching a small section of Math 111 (College Algebra). As you progress through our program, you should be given the opportunity to teach a wide variety of other courses, including Calculus, Statistics, Discrete Math, Differential Equations, Elementary Linear Algebra and Math for Elementary Teachers, as well as assisting in other large-lecture courses like Business Calculus. This means that by the time you complete your PhD, you have a strong and varied teaching record.