Dear GSAS Students,
As Harvard continues to evaluate the changes to our academic mission brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, many graduate students have raised concerns about the scheduling of fall 2020 undergraduate courses and the availability of teaching. GSAS has been working with the Office of Undergraduate Education to support students with teaching guarantees and those in the outer years who would typically have taught in the FAS this fall.
Yesterday, I joined with Dean of Undergraduate Education Amanda Claybaugh in sending a message to FAS faculty about providing additional teaching support through the appointment of GSAS students as teaching fellows and research assistants. You can read the message below, which outlines guidance on teaching appointments for the fall and how faculty can appoint research assistants for help in redesigning courses over the summer.
GSAS has reached out to graduate program administrators for help in identifying students who fit the criteria and plan to teach in the FAS this fall. This process will ensure that students with appointments will receive their teaching stipend at the usual time.
Both GSAS and OUE are delighted to be able to confirm that teaching or comparable appointments will be available to students. I encourage you to check in with your graduate program coordinator for more information.
With all best wishes,
Emma Dench
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History and of the Classics
Dear Colleagues,
As we look to the possibility of teaching remotely in the fall, the FAS is considering ways to support departments as they adapt their curricula to ensure that Harvard College undergraduates continue to receive a high-quality education. To aid with this process, the FAS will provide additional instructional support by appointing GSAS student TFs, who will gain additional teaching experience and assist faculty with the transition to remote teaching.
PhD students who are invoking the teaching offered to them as part of their financial support package, and who typically teach in the FAS, will be allocated at least the minimum teaching allotment (or equivalent work) expected for their program. Outer year students not on a fellowship (DCF, Merit or other), and who are in programs where students typically teach within the FAS, will be allocated at least the minimum teaching allotment typical for students in these programs. Final teaching assignments or equivalent academic roles will be determined once information about fall teaching is finalized.
In general, graduate students will be assigned to lead sections of departmental and Gen Ed courses (with a target section size of 12), work as Head TFs or remote support TFs, lead tutorials for concentrators or DCE course sections, or serve as writing TFs or support TFs within departments. Training for these roles will be provided in August, and the OUE will continue to approve TF appointments so that students will receive teaching payments in August.
In addition, the OUE will repurpose its Course Innovation Funds to pay research assistants to help faculty redesign courses over the summer. Because these funds are limited, the OUE will first support courses prioritized by departments. More information about these positions and the hiring process are forthcoming.
We hope that these additional teaching appointments will help you to re-envision your courses and adapt them for the remote teaching environment.
With all best wishes,
Emma Dench
Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
McLean Professor of Ancient and Modern History and of the Classics
Amanda Claybaugh
Dean of Undergraduate Education
Samuel Zemurray, Jr. and Doris Zemurray Stone Radcliffe Professor of English
