Policy For Appointment Of Graduate Students To Teaching Positions In Sociology
Introductory Statement
1. The department is committed to providing highly qualified teachers for its undergraduate courses.
2. The department is committed to providing teaching experience for graduate students when it does not conflict with the goal of providing highly qualified teachers for its undergraduate courses.
3. The Staff Development Committee will make all appointments of graduate student teachers. Appointments made during the quarter preceding a teaching appointment due to a withdrawal of the assigned teacher will be made by the Department Head during the summer and the Associate Head during the regular school year in consultation with the chair of the Staff Development Committee.
Criteria for Selection
A = A completed file that includes a letter of application (describing why you are particularly qualified to teach the course, a summary of “C” exam content where relevant, evidence of preparation for and/or experience in teaching, and student evaluations of previous teaching performance), transcript, vita and two letters of reference.
B = Successful completion of the Master’s Paper requirement.
C = Fulfill the Master’s Degree requirement in sociology, including required coursework at the University of Oregon.
D = College teaching experience in sociology, i.e., full responsibility for teaching one or more college level courses.
E = Fulfilling the minimum requirements is a necessary condition for appointment, but is not enough evidence to indicate a highly qualified candidate. The second condition is a favorable evaluation of the file contents. For this, the Staff Development Committee and the department are required to use their best judgments.
F = To teach, students must be making satisfactory progress, according to the department’s rules regarding minimum levels of academic progress. When students are not qualified when appointed, the Staff Development Committee will set a reasonable time limit by which the student must meet the satisfactory progress requirement.
Minimum Requirements to Teach
204 or 207 A + (B or C) + D* + E + F
300-400 level courses A + (B or C) + E + F
*except for summer session teaching assignments
Having completed a C-exam in a closely related area will be a factor considered by the Staff Development Committee, but is not a requirement for appointment.
When two or more graduate students who meet the basic qualifications apply for a single teaching position, first consideration should be given to a student who has taught two or fewer courses in the department and has no departmental funding available. Second consideration should be given to those who have taught more than two courses, but have no departmental funding available. For those applicants without departmental funding available, if no qualified applicant has taught two or fewer courses, the committee should seek to balance the concerns of providing highly qualified teachers for our courses, and providing an equitable distribution of teaching opportunities for our graduate students. Third consideration would be for those who have departmental funding available, but have taught two or fewer courses. Fourth priority would be for those who have departmental funding available and have taught more than two courses.