Additional Information for Teaching Fellows, Teaching Assistants, and Graduate Assistants

Supervision and Course Expectations

Students assigned as teaching fellows (TFs), teaching assistants (TAs), and graduate assistants (GAs) in the composition division will report to the faculty supervisors listed below:

  • • MUCP 2080, 2180-90 TFs: report to the sophomore composition mentor
  • • MUCP 4080 TFs: report to the composition division chair
  • • MUCP 4310 TF: report to the Orchestration course instructor
  • • MUCP 4670 TF: report to the CEMI director
  • • CEMI GAs: report to the CEMI director
  • • All MUCP Course TAs: report to the instructor of record for the course

TAs, TFs, and GAs will meet with the appropriate supervisor on a regular basis, typically once per week (see under Mentoring below). TAs/TFs/GAs assigned to more than one area will meet separately with each supervisor.

  1. MUCP 1180-90 and MUCP 3080-90: These courses meet as a class twice each week: once with the faculty instructor (lecture) and once with the teaching assistant (lab); TAs will attend MUCP 1180-90 lectures on the days they are not teaching the labs. Students in 1180 and 3080 will meet together as a class and students in 1190 and 3090 will meet together as a class; placement in 3080 or 3090 is based on the student’s level of experience, to be determined by the course instructor. Usually, two TAs are assigned to MUCP 1180/3080 and one is assigned to MUCP 1190/3090.
  2. MUCP 2080, 2180-90, and MUCP 4080:
    1. The sophomore composition mentor will meet with all MUCP 2080, 2180-90, and selected MUCP 4080 students each week for composition seminar. TFs assigned to these courses are expected to attend the composition seminars as needed and assist with their coordination and instruction.
    2. TFs assigned to teach MUCP 2080 and 2180-90 will meet with students individually for 30 minutes per week; TFs assigned to teach MUCP 4080 will meet with students individually for 50-60 minutes per week.
    3. All students enrolled in composition lessons must be familiar with the policies and procedures of the composition division. Current syllabi for composition lessons are posted at http://music.unt.edu/comp/students/forms_documents and are to be downloaded and distributed to students during the first lesson. Individual instructors may add their own policies to those in the printed syllabi, but these printed policies are the absolute minimum expectations for composition lessons and are to be followed by all students enrolled in composition lessons (majors and non-majors).
    4. Students enrolled in MUCP 2080, 2180, 2190, and 4080 are expected to complete one or two new compositions each semester. The number of compositions is to be determined by the TF in consultation with the student at the beginning of the semester, and is determined by the scope of the work(s) and the ability of the student. This will be the student’s contract for the semester’s work.
    5. In addition to the semester composition project(s), TFs are expected to give regular listening, score study, and/or reading assignments, which should supplement the composition project(s) in some way. These assignments may be selected by the student as appropriate and should be discussed during the lessons in conjunction with the composition projects.


Other Responsibilities

TF/TA/GA responsibilities may include teaching and/or assisting in the instruction of composition courses and lessons and assisting with administrative, production, and technical duties associated with CEMI. In addition to these assigned duties, TAs/TFs/GAs are expected to assist with the following:

  1. Composition TFs/TAs:
    • Assistance with sophomore composition seminars
    • Coordination of composition reading workshops (including recording)
    • Coordination of Beginning/Class Composition reading sessions (including recording)
    • Non-technical assistance with weekly Music Now meetings (setting up chairs, piano, stands, etc.)
    • Maintaining attendance records for composition division events and preparation of final attendance report
    • Preparing MUCP 2190 students for composition jury
    • Assistance with orchestra readings
    • Non-technical assistance with division events (including CEMI and Nova programs)
    • General assistance with guest composers/artists
    • Distributing flyers for composition division events
  2. CEMI GAs:
    • Regular maintenance of CEMI facilities
    • Maintenance of composition division and CEMI websites
    • Instructor assistance with computer music courses
    • Recording of selected composition division events (CEMI concerts, orchestra readings, etc.)
    • Technical assistance for Music Now, Nova, and Spectrum events
    • Coordinating performers for division events (including CEMI and Nova programs)
    • Designing flyers for composition division events

    Regardless of the apparent separation of responsibilities, composition TFs/TAs and CEMI GAs will be expected to work together in all composition division activities. The success of the composition program depends upon collaboration between these areas within the division.


Mentoring

  1. Teaching assistants for MUCP 1180-1190 (Beginning Composition I-II) labs and MUCP 3080 (Class Composition) will meet with the lecture instructor on a regular basis to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class.
  2. Teaching fellows for MUCP 2080 (Secondary Composition I) and 2180-2190 (Intermediate Composition I-II) will meet with the sophomore composition mentor on a regular basis to discuss student progress, assess material presented in lessons, and coordinate weekly sophomore seminar.
  3. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4080 (Secondary Composition II) will meet with the division chair on a regular basis to discuss individual student progress and assigned projects.
  4. Teaching assistants for all composition courses will meet regularly (typically once per week) with the instructor of record for the given course to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class.
  5. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4310 (Instrumentation) will meet regularly with the faculty supervisor to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class. Additionally, the faculty supervisor will observe classroom instruction by the TF at least once each semester and will meet with the TF to discuss the observations (see item 9 below).
  6. Teaching fellows for MUCP 4670 (Introduction to Electroacoustic Music) will meet regularly with the director of the Center for Experimental Music and Intermedia to discuss student progress and assess material presented in class. Additionally, the CEMI director will observe classroom instruction by the TF at least once each semester and will meet with the TF to discuss the observations.
  7. Prior to the beginning of each semester, the appropriate faculty supervisor and the composition division chair will review syllabi for those courses taught by a teaching fellow (MUCP 4310, 4670). Once approved, the syllabi may be distributed to the students enrolled in these courses.


Teaching Evaluations

All teaching fellows, teaching assistants, and graduate assistants will be evaluated by the appropriate faculty supervisor on a regular basis:

  1. TFs/TAs/GAs will be evaluated by the faculty supervisor at least once each semester. The supervisor will observe classroom/lesson teaching and provide the TF/TA with verbal and written comments. Additionally, TFs will administer course evaluations to all students at the end of each semester.
  2. Each CEMI GA will meet individually with the CEMI director at the end of each semester to evaluate his/her performance during the semester.
  3. In addition to the evaluations detailed above, all composition TFs and TAs will meet individually with the division chair at the beginning of each semester to discuss the previous semester's evaluations by the faculty supervisors and student course evaluations.
  4. TF/TA reappointments will be determined in part by the results of these evaluations.