2011 NSF GRFP and TAing

[Diego M]

Hello,

I was recently accepted as a PhD candidate at UCSD with the NSF GRFP. I'm not exactly sure I'm reading everything properly, but UCSD sent out the following email to all incoming grad students

For Ph.D. students, teaching experience is an academic requirement. The requirement is a minimum of four quarters of teaching experience at 25% per quarter (equivalent to approximately 10 hours per week). One quarter of teaching must be completed during the first year, normally during the Winter or Spring Quarter.

Other NSF recipients I've spoken to says that doesn't apply to them, while others says it does. Can anyone provide any insight into whether or not I have TA, and if I do, do I have to do it to the amount required of everyone else? I assume it has something to do with 1. repaying the funding the department usually gives all PhD candidates and 2. getting teaching experience. But since I wont need departmental funding (for three years at least) I'm just confused about #1.

Thanks!

[Agradatudent]

I would say you should ask your department!

[eco_env]

You can probably push off the TAing or the NSF for a year while you TA and get paid for that- but you'd have to check with your dept.

[Eigen]

You'd really need to check with your department. It's not uncommon for programs to have a TAing requirement purely for the experience, but that varies from place to place.

I assume you already declared tenure on your NSF grant for this coming year? In that case, you couldn't push off the NSF grant and get paid for TAing your first year, but your department might be amenable to you taking a gap year next year, and getting all of your TA requirements out of the way then, while being paid for it- something like 20 hours per semester for two semesters, or a full time TA appointment.

[UnlikelyGrad]

You'd really need to check with your department. It's not uncommon for programs to have a TAing requirement purely for the experience, but that varies from place to place.

Purely for the experience?? From a cyncial point of view: your department may just need TAs!! I know in my department we are perpetually short of people who can TA. (There are something like 60 sections to teach, and we only have ~50 grad students, of whom a fair number are on RA. So sometimes people get "drafted"...)

I know it's possible for NSF awardees to TA...My youngest sis TAed at least 2 years while still getting NSF funds. I think her department worked out some deal with NSF to spread the same amount of money over more years...

[Eigen]

Oh, it's definitely possible for them to TA- they had changed the rules this year, and then clarified that TAing was allowed after a large outcry from departments.

From a cynical point of view: you're probably right.

I know my department doesn't require TAing if you have external fellowships, internal fellowships or RAships, we have no overarching requirements of some TAing prior to graduation. I know several other universities I interviewed at did have TA requirements regardless of the funding source.