Campus-Wide New TA Orientation

To complete the TA Orientation, you will Read the Getting Started as a TA Guides and Watch the New TA Orientation videos, before the semester starts. Attend 2 workshops before or during the semester. Submit your complete orientation form to receive a certificate of completion, by the end of the semester. You can continue to explore additional learning opportunities available through CATE and CIRTL at UIC throughout your time as at UIC.

 

This mandatory Campus-Wide New Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation is hosted by the Center for the Advancement of Teaching Excellence (CATE) in partnership with the Graduate College. This orientation consists of asynchronous videos and resources and workshops, which are held each fall beginning in August, and is designed to supplement departmental-based orientations and training for new graduate student teaching assistants.

2024 UIC Campus-Wide TA Orientation Heading link

  • Learn about being a graduate TA at UIC and the resources available to support you in your role
  • Increase your knowledge of pedagogy and develop practical teaching skills you can use as a TA
  • Meet with other new and experienced TAs at UIC

Submit Your Completed TA Orientation Form

Frequently Asked Questions Heading link

All graduate students who will be TAs at UIC for the first time during the upcoming Fall, Spring, or Summer semesters are required to participate.

The orientation consists of asynchronous videos and resources and workshops. Workshops will be held via Zoom on August 22 and in-person on August 16, 23, and throughout the semester. Registration for individual workshops will be available in early August.

 

In person workshops will be held in the Teaching Excellence Building, 924 S. Morgan St. Updated asynchronous resources and videos will be available by August 12.

Graduate students expecting to be first-time TAs in the fall, spring, or summer semester of the current academic year are encouraged to attend the TA Orientation.

Your department is the best source of information for details about your TA assignment.

In person workshops will be held in room 201 in the Teaching Excellence Building, located at  924 S. Morgan St. The TEB is wheelchair accessible with an elevator to the second floor space. The TEB space is equipped with fixed-height tables that are moveable and can be reconfigured. There are single-occupancy, all-gender, accessible bathrooms on the second and basement levels of TEB.

Online workshops will be delivered through Zoom, will have access to Zoom auto-captions, and may include breakout rooms and group discussion.

If you have any accessibility questions, requests, or to coordinate accommodations, please contact the CATE team at teaching@uic.edu. There will also be an opportunity to submit accessibility questions and requests as a part of the workshop registration process.

Use the TA orientation form to map out and keep track of your orientation progress and turn it in before the end of the semester to receive a digital certificate of completion.

To access the google doc version of the TA orientation form, make sure you create a UIC Google Workspace account.

You can also access a word doc version of the TA orientation form.

Learn more about options for getting to campus including information about campus parking from the UIC Visit & Directions page.

You are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet with you to in-person workshops, as many will have digital materials available or provide opportunities for you to engage in some hands-on practice.

Once you are on campus you can connect to UIC-Wifi. UIC-Wifi is available in most classroom spaces across campus as well as some outdoor locations.

Learn how to connect to UIC-Wifi using different types of devices through this Knowledge Base article.

During the orientation, many materials will be shared via Google Workspace or Box, which are file storage and collaboration tools used at UIC. Prior to the orientation you are encouraged to:

If you have questions or need help with accessing any of these services, please reach out to Technology Solutions.

If you are unable to attend two TA workshops before or during the semester, you are encouraged to check out other CATE and CIRTL Network workshops and events, or check out session recordings from past orientations that might be of interest to you or relevant to your TA duties.

Make sure you also still review the resources and guides on the New TA Orientation Resources Webpage.

For more information, please contact us.

No, there is not a separate required orientation for international TAs. However, there will be a workshop offered by the International Teaching Assistant Program.