Many graduate students pursue a doctoral degree to go into academia. In academia, most academics divide their time between research and teaching, a workload which may differ depending on their institution. Although many academic jobs require a significant teaching load, it is common for academic job applicants to have little to no teaching experience. This is why the Center of Teaching Excellence (CTE) at Rice was created in 2012 by a group of faculty fellows.
The goal of the CTE at Rice University is “[to foster] outstanding teaching through evidence-based practices, strong community building, and research in pedagogical sciences.” Currently, the CTE hosts many different programs, with many of these open to, or focused on, graduate student teaching:
- Reading Groups: Each semester, the CTE leads a Reading Group on an important book in the field of teaching and learning. The Reading Group is open to all faculty, staff, and graduate students at Rice and is a terrific chance to discuss research on teaching with colleagues from many disciplines. Copies of the selected book and meeting lunches are provided for all participants
- Brown Bag Lunches: Preparing for the Academic Job Market: Every semester, CTE faculty facilitate brown bag lunches with discussion and activities designed to help graduate students and postdoctoral scholars prepare for the academic job market
- SST@R: Social Support for Teaching at Rice: A series of informal gatherings to strengthen interpersonal connections in Rice's teaching community and enhance collaboration among faculty, staff, and graduate students.
- Graduate Workshops: The CTE hosts workshops for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. CTE Graduate Fellows host these. CTE Graduate Fellows are current graduate students who are tightly connected to the CTE and have relevant teaching experience.
Pictured: One of the CTE graduate fellows facilitated the graduate workshop hosted at the CTE.
- Graduate Teaching Awards: The Graduate Teaching Awards recognize graduate students who excelled at supporting undergraduate teaching at Rice as instructors of record or as teaching assistants. Each year, four winners are selected by committees composed of CTE graduate liaisons, CTE graduate fellows, and CTE faculty fellows in the following categories: independent instruction, course support, and student support. The winners are selected based on their teaching philosophy, use of research-based methods, and contribution to student learning.
- Graduate Fellowships: These fellowships are open to all current graduate students. Graduate fellows develop and facilitate teaching workshops, engage deeply with various educational development programs, and mentor fellow graduate students in best practices in teaching. All graduate fellows are selected through an application process and receive a stipend for their involvement with the CTE. I had the opportunity to be a Graduate Fellow in the AY23-24. As part of my participation in this program, I hosted a pedagogical workshop geared towards graduate students and helped select winners for teaching awards. I highly recommend this experience. You can read more about the different types of fellowships and their requirements here.
- CTE Resources: Additionally, the CTE offers several online resources, including syllabi resources, consultations with CTE faculty, a coursework load estimator, and the CTE Library, a curated collection of reference books related to teaching and learning. These resources have proven extremely useful in my teaching experiences at Rice, and I highly recommend them to anyone starting their teaching journey.
- Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning
In my opinion, the best programming for graduate students offered by the CTE is the Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning (GCTL). This program intends to provide participants with a combination of formal pedagogical training, practical experience, and mentoring that will prepare them to be effective college teachers and instructors. The program is open to any Rice graduate student or postdoctoral scholar. To earn the GCTL, students must complete four courses:
- UNIV 500: Principles of Effective College Teaching (offered every Fall)
- UNIV 501: Research in Teaching and Learning (offered every Spring)
- UNIV 502: Practicum in College Teaching (offered in both Fall and Spring)
(Prerequisites: UNIV 500 and 501)
- UNIV 599: Teaching Portfolio (offered in both Fall and Spring)
(Prerequisites: UNIV 500 and 501)
These courses can be taken anytime during your graduate experience at Rice. While it is possible to complete only some of these courses, if all four are completed, the GCTL will be awarded. The GCTL is an accredited certificate program that appears on your transcripts when graduating. Completing this certificate can bring multiple benefits in the job market, as it demonstrates commitment and experience in teaching and best-teaching practices.
I have completed the four courses in GCTL, attended graduate workshops and academic job market brown bags, been involved as a graduate fellow, and attended SST@R events while a doctoral student at Rice. The Center for Teaching Excellence has proven to be an invaluable and helpful resource during my Ph.D.; it has opened the door to teaching opportunities and helped me create significant connections with people outside of my area of expertise who are interested in teaching. You can learn more and get involved with the CTE by visiting their website here or following them on social media: X or LinkedIn
About the author:
Fernanda Morales-Calva is a current Ph.D. student in Psychological Sciences. She completed her bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Universidad Iberoamericana Mexico City. Read more.
Further Reading:
Embracing Growth: My journey in the 2023-2024 Women in Leadership cohort
Unleashing Productivity: Essential Technology and Tools for Grad Students
Preparing for and Giving a Presentation at My First BIG Conference (BMES)