2025 AIChE Annual Meeting

(208f) Building & Reimagining Departmental Graduate Student Instructor Training

Authors

Adam Melvin, Louisiana State University
Elizabeth Melvin, Clemson University
Graduate student instructors (GSIs, a.k.a teaching assistants) serve many different teaching roles at different institutions, and the ways in which these instructional duties intersect with the training requirements of the graduate program also differ based on departmental context. Despite these differences across institutions, there are similarities we collectively face–from how we can better support learning in chemical engineering, to updating the curriculum, and changing institutional context such as unionization.

Since there is not a one-size fits all approach to how we ought to prepare our GSIs for their teaching duties in chemical engineering, this presentation aims to share a few vignettes of building and reimagining departmental graduate student instructional training, and how these are responding to a variety of different contextual factors. We will address questions such as how to coordinate with school or university-wide GSI training efforts; how to integrate these GSI training within the academic program for doctoral students; how to assess and provide feedback on graduate student teaching; and how to gain buy-in from faculty for program changes. We will share specific lessons learned in building and running training and assessment programs for GSIs. Reflections from faculty running these programs will also be included to help others considering (or being tasked with) running GSI training programs on potential pitfalls. By sharing these cases, and lessons learned, we hope to seed discussion about departmental GSI training programs and work towards better practices in GSI training that are particular to chemical engineering.

Examples in this presentation will include:

  • Faculty-led and senior graduate student-supported departmental GSI training and assessment program, developed in collaboration between the department and university teaching center and integrated into the doctoral program at School A.
  • Faculty-led standalone departmental GSI training at School B
  • Peer- (i.e., graduate student-) led departmental teaching workshop to complement school-wide GSI training at School C