Requirements

Admission to the Ph.D. program in Religion carries with it a commitment of full financial support for up to five years, subject to the condition that the student is making satisfactory progress toward the doctoral degree. This position carries a fixed stipend (the same for all students) for nine months plus tuition and fees. In fulfillment of the requirements for the M.Phil. degree, all students must gain teaching experience as part of their graduate training. Thus, all graduate students serve as Teaching Fellows for three years as a form a teaching apprenticeship.

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Objectives and Philosophy

1. The Teaching Apprenticeship
   
   The three-year Teaching Apprenticeship is an integral part of academic training in the Religion Department. For all Ph.D. students Teaching Fellowships begin in the 2nd year and continue until 3 years have been completed. Exceptions to this general rule are those students who win external financial awards, such as FLAS or the Javits Fellowship, which exempt students from teaching responsibilities. Except during examination weeks and in other extraordinary circumstances, the workload for teaching fellows should not exceed 10 hours per week. No teaching is allowed in the first year so that students will be able concentrate on their studies.


2. Preparation for Job Placement
   
   Job placements in Religious Studies are becoming increasingly competitive. It is imperative that students complete their Ph.D. with rich teaching experience. The Graduate Apprenticeship provides students with diverse first-hand teaching experiences: lectures, individual consultation, guiding class discussions, and grading exams and papers. Learning and participating in new technologies and teaching methods is fundamental to teaching in the academy, and students should be prepared to assist faculty in adopting new materials.
   
   At least once during the 3 year Apprenticeship, every student will be assigned to a course outside her/his specilization. Since our graduate programs are designed to produce specialists in selected fields, Teaching Fellow responsibilities provide important opportunities for students to develop insight into the study of religion from a comparative perspective. Having knowledge of traditions, ritual systems, or doctrines outside one's own specialization will be a powerful intellectual tool for students in developing their academic career.
   
   For those students who seek to develop their teaching skills further, preceptorships in Columbia College's Core Curriculum and lectureships for summer school courses are also a possibility after the Apprenticeship is complete.

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The Selection and Assignment Process

Several criteria are considered when making Teaching Fellow assignments. In the spring and fall of each year a list of courses eligible for Teashing Fellows will be emailed to every Teaching Fellow. Teaching Fellows will be asked to submit a "wish list" of courses to which they would like to be assigned in the following semester. Please note that seminars and graduate courses do not have Teaching Fellows assigned to them. Assignments are technically made to courses and not to faculty.

The process works as follows:

1. Students submit 2 lists of three courses to which they would like to be assigned, one for the fall, one for the spring (6 courses). To make the process fair, students should not submit a list with fewer than three choices per semester. Students are then matched, whenever possible, with their listed courses.


2. Students are assigned to classes based on the following criteria:
   
   
   1. Seniority. Students in their third year of teaching will have their preferences considered first, those in their second year second and those in their first year last. Every attempt will be made, however, to match each student with at least one of her/his first or second choices each year.
   
   
   2. Field of study. A student's academic interests will be considered when assignments are made. Every student, however, will be expected to teach in at least one course outside her/his field during the three-year apprenticeship. Each semester several students will be assigned to courses that do not appear on their lists, particularly if no one names those courses as one of their preferences.
   
   
   3. The needs of the department. Some classes require more Teaching Fellow assistance than others and the teaching schedule can shift from year to year, depending on who is on leave and other staffing issues. Though we will make every effort to minimize disruptions, students should be prepared to shift their assignments should unexpected schedule changes occur.


3. Teaching Fellow assignments are made and tracked by the Department Administrator to ensure that every student is given appointments in as fair and equitable a manner as possible. All assignments are subject to the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. All questions and concerns about assignments should be addressed to the DGS.

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Responsibilities and Faculty Guidance

Teaching responsibilities vary from course to course and instructor to instructor. The following are standards which the faculty as a whole supports:

1. General Responsibilities
   
   Generally Teaching Fellows are responsible for sitting in on classes and taking notes, doing the readings with the class, and grading exams and papers. More specifically, the responsibilities of Teaching Fellows will vary depending on the size of the class, the kind of class and the expectations of the professor teaching the class. Faculty may also expect Teaching Fellows to perform practical tasks, such as ordering books and photocopying. Faculty cannot ask Teaching Fellows to perform personal duties or research for them.


2. Responsibilities Specific to Large Lecture Courses
   
   Large lecture courses, usually a general introduction, will have more than one Teaching Fellow. The students will be divided into sections, with the professor (or professors) and the Teaching Fellows each being responsible for one or more section/s. There will often be meetings between the professors and the Teaching Fellows to discuss exams, review sessions, assignments, etc. These classes will have small discussion sections that Teaching Fellows will lead. Teaching Fellows might also hold office hours, meet with students on an individual basis, and lead general review sessions between exams. They are often expected to proctor exams.


3. Responsibilities Specific to Medium Lecture Classes
   
   Medium lecture courses, which cover more specific material than large lecture courses, have one Teaching Fellow assigned to them. The responsibilities of Teaching Fellows in these classes are similar to those in large lecture courses except that grading is split between the Teaching Fellow and faculty member.


4. Meetings
   
   Meetings are crucial to the successful functioning of a team of instructors. A meeting is the place to forge a consensus about the goals of individual lectures and the class as a whole, to devise strategies for teaching discussion sections and to develop criteria for grading exams and papers. Consensus and coherence are important in presenting the course material to students, and making clear what is expected of them. Meetings are also a good forum for discussing Teaching Fellow concerns about students who may be struggling.