First-Year Experience teaching assistants provide an invaluable opportunity to teach and train LAS 101 and LAS 102 undergraduate interns to help them connect and support first-year and transfer students beginning their college experience in the College of LAS.
Alongside mentoring accomplished LAS undergraduate students, FYE TAs gain strong interpersonal and public speaking techniques, valuable teaching experience, and develop relationships with fellow TAs and instructors.
About the teaching assistantship
TA responsibilities
The role of an FYE teaching assistant includes:
- Serve as a role model for new students entering the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
- Help promote and develop positive relationships between new students, and staff.
- Educate new students about social, academic, and personal skills to increase their chances for academic and personal success at the University of Illinois.
- Develop and lead programming/workshop events for students.
- Contribute to the planning and facilitation of course materials for the Leadership and Professional Development; Design Your First-Year Experience, and Transfer Advantage courses.
- Create a plan for student contact outside of class (email, office hours, etc.).
Overview of courses
LAS 399- Leadership and Professional Development
Leadership and professional development seminar for student interns. Interns will learn teaching, mentoring, leadership and professional skills that will enable them to lead a section of an LAS transition course or experience and share their successful academic experiences with undergraduate students who are new to the University. Interns will help their students develop the skills necessary to succeed at the U of I.
LAS 101- Design Your First-Year Experience
Design Your First Year Experience orients students to the academic environment at Illinois and establishes a useful framework for engaging in learning both inside and outside the classroom and articulating a purpose for their education. Using design-thinking, students explore campus resources, set goals for their academic, personal and professional development during their first year and make multiple (engagement) maps for reaching those goals.
LAS 102- Transfer Advantage
Introduction for first-term transfer students to the college and campus. Familiarizes transfer student with the resources available to them and helps them connect with other students and form a bond with the college.
Application procedure
Applications for the next academic year are accepted throughout the spring semester. Check this page in the future for a link to the application.
You will be expected to submit the following materials:
- A cover letter that highlights your interest in the position and your strengths as a candidate
- A current resume, highlighting any teaching, mentoring, coaching, tutoring and/or leadership experience you may have
- Names and contact information (including e-mail) for three faculty members/work supervisors familiar with your academic, teaching and professional qualifications
- A 300-500 word essay on the following topic: What is the most important thing a new undergraduate student needs to learn to be successful at college and how would you teach others to teach that skill?