Additional Information for Teaching Fellows and Teaching Assistants

Supervision and Course Expectations

Students assigned as teaching fellows (TFs) and teaching assistants (TAs) in the composition division will report to the faculty supervisors listed below:

  • MUCP 1180-90, 3080-90 TAs: report to the freshman composition mentor (Dr. Klein)
  • MUCP 2080, 2180-90 TFs: report to the sophomore composition mentor (Dr. McTee)
  • MUCP 4080 TFs: report to the composition division chair (Dr. Klein)
  • MUCP 4310 TF: report to the orchestration instructor (Dr. McTee)
  • MUCP 4670-80 TF: report to the CEMI director (Dr. May)
  • CEMI TAs: report to the CEMI director (Dr. May)
  • All MUCP Course TAs: report to the instructor of record for the course

TAs and TFs will meet with the appropriate supervisor on a regular basis, typically once per week (see under Mentoring below). TAs/TFs assigned to more than one area will meet separately with each supervisor.

  1. MUCP 1180-90 and MUCP 3080-90: These courses meet as a class twice each week: once with the freshman composition mentor (lecture) and once with the teaching fellow (lab); TFs will attend MUCP 1180-90 lectures on the days they are not teaching the labs. Students in 3080 will meet with the 1180 class or and Students in 3090 will meet with the 1190 students; placement in 3080 or 3090 is based on the student’s level of experience, to be determined by the course instructor. Usually, one TF is assigned to MUCP 1180 and one is assigned to MUCP 1190; in the case that the 1180 class is particularly large and/or 1190 does not make, two TFs will be assigned to 1180.
  2. MUCP 2080, 2180-90, and MUCP 4080:
    1. The sophomore composition mentor will meet with all MUCP 2080, 2180-90, and selected MUCP 4080 students each week for composition seminar. TFs assigned to these courses are expected to attend the composition seminars as needed and assist with their coordination and instruction.
    2. TFs assigned to teach MUCP 2080 and 2180-90 will meet with students in groups of 2-3 for 60-90 minutes per week. TFs assigned to teach MUCP 4080 will meet with students individually for 50-60 minutes per week.
    3. All students enrolled in composition lessons must have a copy of the current Composition Student Handbook. All students enrolled in composition lessons are to read the information under the heading “Composition Lessons” in section I-C of the Handbook, which serves as the syllabus for all composition lessons. These policies apply to all students enrolled in composition lessons (majors and non-majors); individual instructors may add their own policies, but these printed policies are the absolute minimum expectations for composition lessons.
    4. Students enrolled in MUCP 2080, 2180-90 are expected to complete two or three new compositions each semester; students in MUCP 4080 are expected to compose one or two new compositions per semester. The number of compositions is to be determined by the TF in consultation with the student at the beginning of the semester, and is determined by the scope of the work(s) and the ability of the student. This will be the student’s contract for the semester’s work.
    5. In addition to the semester composition project(s), TFs are expected to give regular listening, score study, and/or reading assignments, which should supplement the composition project(s) in some way. These assignments may be selected by the student as appropriate and should be discussed during the lessons in conjunction with the composition projects.


Mentoring of Teaching Fellows

  1. Teaching fellows for MUCP 1180-1190 (Beginning Composition I-II) labs and MUCP 3080 (Class Composition) will meet with the lecture instructor on a regular basis to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class.
  2. Teaching fellows for MUCP 2080 (Secondary Composition I) and 2180-2190 (Intermediate Composition I-II) will meet with the sophomore composition mentor on a regular basis to discuss student progress, assess material presented in lessons, and coordinate weekly sophomore
  3. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4080 (Secondary Composition II) will meet with the division chair on a regular basis to discuss individual student progress and assigned projects.
  4. Teaching assistants for all composition courses will meet regularly (typically once per week) with the instructor of record for the given course to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class.
  5. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4310 (Instrumentation) will meet regularly with the faculty supervisor to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class. Additionally, the faculty supervisor will observe classroom instruction by the TF at least once each semester and will meet with the TF to discuss the observations (see item 9 below).
  6. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4670 (Introduction to Electroacoustic Music) will meet regularly with the director of the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class. Additionally, the CEMI director will observe classroom instruction by the TF at least once each semester and will meet with the TF to discuss the observations.
  7. Prior to the beginning of each semester, the appropriate faculty supervisor will review the syllabi for all courses taught by a teaching fellow (MUCP 4310, 4670-80). Once approved, the syllabi may be distributed to the students enrolled in these courses.


Teaching Evaluations

All teaching fellows and teaching assistants will be evaluated by the appropriate faculty supervisor on a regular basis:

  1. TFs will be evaluated by the faculty supervisor at least once each semester. The supervisor will observe classroom/lesson teaching and provide the TFs with verbal and written comments. Additionally, TFs will administer course evaluations to all students at the end of each semester.
  2. Each CEMI TA will meet individually with the CEMI director at the end of each semester to evaluate his/her performance during the semester.
  3. In addition to the evaluations detailed above, all composition TAs and TFs will meet individually with the division chair at the beginning of each semester to discuss the previous semester's evaluations by the faculty supervisors and student course evaluations.
  4. TA/TF reappointments will be determined by the results of these evaluations.