As approved September 5, 2000, Office of the Provost

Graduate teaching assistants who have passed the oral/aural English language certification requirements but who have not yet passed the written requirements may receive provisional appointment to instruct when the following conditions are satisfied.  

(1)        Conditions for appointment:

(a)        Duties shall not involve more than brief written communication with students, and a faculty member proficient in written English shall be responsible for assuring the quality of such communication.

(b)        Duties shall not involve any correspondence with parties outside the university, e.g. letters of recommendation and the like, without prior review of such correspondence by a faculty member proficient in written English. 

(2)        Provisional appointments shall be renewable as follows:

(a)        Indefinitely.  When the appointment involves teaching a laboratory section, discussion section, or other course that is ancillary to a lecture course, the appointment may be renewed indefinitely provided that the instructor of record in the lecture course is certified as proficient in both spoken and written English, and provided that the lecture course instructor assumes responsibility for reviewing all written communications as required above.

(b)        One semester only.  When the appointment involves teaching a course that stands alone, i.e. is not ancillary to a lecture course, provisional appointment shall be for one semester only, and a faculty member proficient in written English shall be responsible for reviewing written communications as required above.

(3)        Procedures for approving a provisional appointment.

(a)        The Department Chair or Director (only) will send a written request to the Director of the English Assessment Program requesting a provisional appointment and specifying the faculty member who shall be responsible for assuring the quality of the TA's written communications. 

(b)        The EAP Director will approve the appointment if the TA has the appropriate certification.  The English Assessment Program will also notify the TA and the central course instructor (if there is one) of the provisions of the TA’s appointment. 

(c)        Once the appointment has been approved by the EAP Director, the personnel action form may be processed.  The EAP Director and the appointing department will be jointly responsible for maintaining records of the specific conditions of the provisional appointment and assuring compliance.