In compliance with Appendix A of the 2017-2020 UM/GEO agreement (see pp. 106-109 of the UM/GEO agreement) and as part of the training, the College of LSA also requires that potential GSIs whose undergraduate medium of instruction is not English be evaluated for effective proficiency in classroom English. Effective proficiency includes fluent and intelligible speech, the ability to understand the English spoken by the undergraduate students, the ability to produce organized, coherent explanations, and the ability to contribute to the development of interactions with their students. Graduate students are exempt from ELI 994 and the Graduate Student Instructor Oral English Test (GSI-OET) if they hold an undergraduate degree from a U.S. college or university, or an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the exclusive medium of instruction. The Department Chair can also refer to the course potential GSIs who need additional language instruction and/or introduction and orientation to the American university classroom and community. If referred, attendance and satisfactory completion is required as a condition of employment as a GSI. Students who are exempt may take the training course on a space-permitting basis. As part of the training and testing, graduate students are required to demonstrate their effective proficiency by taking the GSI-OET conducted by independent evaluators from the Testing Division at the ELI and a faculty representative from the department in which the prospective GSI will be teaching. In the event that an examinee does not successfully complete the GSI-OET at the end of a course, it is incumbent on the department that made admission and support offers to identify alternative support resources that are not GSI positions and that do not require direct contact with undergraduate students. It is not required that these "backup" support systems offer conditions of support that are identical or comparable in level to that which would come from a regular GSI position, but they must be sufficient to meet Department of Homeland Security requirements that the international student be able to demonstrate the existence of financial support during the first year of study. Such alternative support is contingent on the student's concurrently fulfilling ELI course requirements identified in the GSI-OET. This Test is provided at no cost to the student, and the ELI courses are available from the College to enrolled students. Although there is no limit to the number of times one can retake the GSI-OET, a student must complete the post-OET requirements to be eligible for a retest. There are two options for the training course during the year. There will be a Winter semester course (ELI 994) and a Summer course (both 2 credits), the latter only for new, first-term prospective GSIs. For LSA graduate students who are not required to attend the ELI 994 course but who would like to, prior written approval from the appointing department is necessary.
Work Experience and Education: Social Science (e.g. Sociology, Political Science, Psychology, or Economics) or related professional school (e.g. Business, Policy, Social Work, Public Health, Information, Education) graduate student preferred. Applicants with experience in highly interactive team-based classes or similar professional experiences are preferred. Prior full-time work experience leading teams and/or projects is also preferred. Someone who enjoys teaching, who likes undergraduate students, and who has good interpersonal and communication skills.
A first-time LSA GSI is required to attend 20 hours of pedagogical classes offered by CRLT. They must attend the CRLT Winter 2023 GSI Teaching Orientation (GSITO), dates to be announced. Any remaining hours required beyond the CRLT GSI Orientation may be fulfilled by a series of planned pedagogical conversations with your faculty instructor of record and/or additional courses provided by CRLT or other UM units related to teaching. Possibilities include: ENGR 580, GERMAN 531, ROMLING 528, BA 830 & 831, PIBS 505, EEB/MCDB 494, ED 720, ED 7373, ED 834, HIST 812, PSYCH 958, MUICOL 509, or ELI 9941 (only sections focused on college level teaching), ED 790, ELI 994 or SWC/WRITING 993.