Campus-Wide New TA Orientation
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.
2025 UIC Campus-Wide TA Orientation
Workshops will be held in person and via Zoom beginning the week of August 18 and throughout the beginning of the semester, including a number of in-person workshop opportunities on the afternoon of Thursday, August 21. Registration for individual workshops will be available in late July and updated asynchronous resources and videos will be available by mid-August.
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- Learn about being a graduate TA at UIC and the resources available to support you in your role
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- Increase your knowledge of pedagogy and develop practical teaching skills you can use as a TA
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- Meet with other new and experienced TAs at UIC
Registration N Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Who should participate?
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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.
When and where is TA Orientation held?
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The orientation consists of asynchronous videos and resources and workshops. Workshops will be held in person and via Zoom beginning the week of August 18 and throughout the beginning of the semester, including a number of in-person workshop opportunities on the afternoon of Thursday, August 21. Registration for individual workshops will be available in late July.
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In person workshops will be held in a variety of locations on east campus. Updated asynchronous resources and videos will be available by August 13.
What if I don’t know my TA assignment?
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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.
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Your department is the best source of information for details about your TA assignment.
What if I have an access question?
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In person workshops will be held in various UIC classroom spaces and in room 201 in the Teaching Excellence Building, located at 924 S. Morgan St.
Additional access details will be shared via individual workshop event pages and registrations.
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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.
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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.
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The form will be available in August, prior to the start of TA workshops.
How can I get to the orientation (via mass transit, driving, or bike)?
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Learn more about options for getting to campus including information about campus parking from the UIC Visit & Directions page.
How can I access digital workshop materials during the orientation?
UIC-Wifi
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.
Google Workspace and Box
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:
- Create a UIC Google Workspace account.
- Create a UIC Box account (netID login required).
If you have questions or need help with accessing any of these services, please reach out to Technology Solutions.
What If I am unable to attend the TA Orientation?
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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.
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Make sure you also still review the resources and guides on the New TA Orientation Resources Webpage.
Who should I contact if I have questions or need more information about TA Orientation?
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For more information, please contact us.
Is there a separate orientation for International TAs?
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No, there is not a separate required orientation for international TAs. However, there will be a workshop offered by the International Teaching Assistant Program.