Graduate Teaching Fellow (GTF) Policy

Introduction

An exceptional graduate student who has an interest in teaching may be offered the opportunity to serve as a Graduate Teaching Fellow (GTF) in the Department of Criminal Justice.  For full information about GTF roles and responsibilities, please refer to the most recent Graduate Catalog.  GTF’s in the Department of Criminal Justice are classified as a “GTF Professor of Record,” meaning that they “have primary responsibility for teaching a course for credit and/or for assigning final grades for such a course” (p. 33, 2007-2008 Graduate Catalog).  Per Radford University and Criminal Justice Department policy, GTF’s may only teach freshman and sophomore-level classes (numerically, these are 100- and 200-level classes).  Most typically, the GTF teaches one section of CRJU-100, "Introduction to Criminal Justice." 

Expectations

Appointments to this position will be for one academic year (fall and spring).  The criminal justice GTF spends the fall semester in preparation for teaching and then teaches one section of CRJU-100 in the spring semester. 

GTF’s spend the fall semester completing in-service training, under the direction of the Criminal Justice Department’s GTF supervisor (currently, Dr. Stephen Owen).  The training process takes the duration of the fall semester, in the form of weekly meetings, readings, discussions, and activities.  Before any criminal justice GTF is assigned to teach a class, they are carefully evaluated by the GTF supervisor, who reports to the Graduate Committee on the GTF’s progress and aptitude.  In the fall semester, the GTF is generally required to guest lecture in one or more classes, where his or her performance will be informally and/or formally assessed.  Only if the GTF supervisor and Graduate Committee are satisfied with the GTF’s progress and ability will she or he be assigned to teach a class in the spring semester.   

Assuming satisfactory completion of the above process, the GTF will teach one section of CRJU-100 in the spring semester.  The GTF is supervised and evaluated by the GTF supervisor.  The GTF and GTF supervisor continue the weekly meetings, to discuss progress in the course, as well as any questions or problems that arise.  Additional training and mentoring is provided on an as-needed basis.  In addition, the GTF supervisor conducts classroom observations of the GTF’s performance.  At the end of the semester, the GTF administers the standard Radford University course evaluation, for his or her students to complete.  Also at the end of the semester, the GTF supervisor debriefs the GTF on his or her experiences. 

Eligibility and Application

Candidates for the GTF position must have completed at least 18 hours of graduate criminal justice courses (with a CRJU prefix) prior to the spring in which they would teach the CRJU-100 course.  Students with an interest in the GTF position should submit an application in the spring semester prior to the appointment.  Pending funding availability, the Criminal Justice Graduate Committee will recommend to the chair no more than one student per semester to serve as a GTF.

**To Apply, Please Complete This Form and submit all required materials to Dr. Lori Elis. 

**Deadline for 2008-2009 GTF applications:  March 31, 2008