Graduate Certificate in College Teaching

Program Coordinator
Marc Pizzimenti, Ph.D.
marc-pizzimenti@uiowa.edu

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The Graduate Teaching Certificate is intended to provide overarching administration and structure wherein students would meet certain educational requirements, but in a complementary fashion to discipline-oriented graduate teaching experiences. The program is intended to be an additional line of study for graduate students, to be carried out in parallel to established graduate training in the Department. This program is specifically designed for graduate students interested in gathering more university/college teaching experience in the Anatomical Sciences.

Graduate Student Eligibility to Participate

Eligibility for participation in the program is outlined by the Graduate College . Students must be enrolled in a graduate degree-seeking program. The student will have completed all other departmental requirements for coursework and comprehensive exams, and be in good academic standing (GPA >3.0).

Faculty Mentors

Graduate students participating in the program will work closely with a Faculty Teaching Mentor. The mentor should be a faculty member other than the students' primary research mentor. Mentors will supervise the students' teaching practicum and guide students through the creation of their teaching portfolio (650:386). Students will work with the Program Coordinator to select their Faculty Mentor at the outset of the program.

Program Design and Curriculum Content

To fulfill the requirements established by the Graduate College , students enrolled in the Certificate Program must complete a three-part program: 1) 12 semester-hours of coursework; 2) participate in a mentored teaching experience for at least three semesters; 3) develop a teaching portfolio. The coursework may use existing courses offered by other departments but should include courses designed specifically for Anatomy and Cell Biology graduate students.

Coursework:

Evaluation

Completing the necessary coursework is only one of the criteria for fulfilling the requirements of the program. The final evaluation will be made by a committee of at least three faculty members: the graduate student's primary research advisor, the faculty teaching mentor(s), and a faculty member outside the department. The outside member should be affiliated with, or at least familiar with, the Graduate Teaching Certificate program in his or her own department or program. The committee, after meeting with the student to discuss the contents of the Teaching Portfolio, will ensure that each of the following have been accomplished:

•  at least four examples of original work (e.g., lesson plans, questions set with student responses, teaching aids, audiovisual project, etc.);

•  written feedback reports from Faculty members based on direct observation of teaching performance;

•  A written account by the graduate student outlining reflections on two teaching moments experienced during their teaching;

•  student evaluation forms/summary;

•  teaching philosophy statement

Budgetary Considerations

In order to encourage student participation in the certificate program without creating a financial burden on students and/or departments, tuition scholarships will be made available through the Graduate College . Each student enrolled in the program may receive one $1,000 scholarship while engaged in either the introductory course or the Teaching Portfolio development course. Recipients of these scholarships will be determined by the certificate program Advisory Committee and awarded by the Graduate College . Depending on the interest in the program campus-wide, competition for these scholarships may be intense. Funds may need to be made available at the Departmental or College of Medicine level.

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