Faculty Resources

Faculty who mentor UTFs receive assistance with day-to-day classroom management and teaching tasks. UTFs support faculty by providing timely feedback about how well students understand assignments and early warnings about distressed and disruptive students. Each year all UTFs and faculty mentors have the opportunity to participate in two collaborative sessions to help them prepare for challenging situations and encounters with students.

UTF Funding & Requests

UTF positions are funded by the Provosts Office at $1,200 per semester (for a maximum 100 hours of work) and some colleges/units supplement this pay. Funding and the process for requesting a UTF varies by college/unit. Contact your unit liaison for information about funding and how to request a UTF. Students must keep track of their hours using AggieTime.

UTF Experience

At the end of any semester in which they mentor a UTF for the first time, faculty must complete a UTF Experience Evaluation. Faculty are also encouraged to reflect on their UTF experience in their Digital Measures profile.

UTFs and faculty mentors must complete the UTF Experience Evaluation by the last day of class each semester. This can be found on the Canvas page.

UTFs in the Classroom

Undergraduate Teaching Fellows (UTFs) are upper-division students who have already taken the class and assist the professor with classroom management and teaching tasks. Professors that have a UTF usually introduce him/her early in the term and include the UTF’s contact information in their class syllabi. Check your course syllabus to learn if there is a class UTF, how to contact him/her, and if/when the UTF holds office hours.

UTF Support

UTFs support students enrolled in the course by:

  • Acting as a bridge between students and the professor by getting answers to questions
  • Offering their perspective on the syllabus and assignments
  • Providing suggestions on where to find assignment resources and how to interpret grading rubrics
  • Clarifying instructions and offering constructive feedback on group presentations
  • Facilitating Canvas group discussions/assignments
  • Conducting study and review sessions
  • Holding office hours
  • Referring students to available campus services and resources
  • Protecting student privacy (FERPA)

Work with your UTF

UTFs are part of the class teaching team. Interactions with them should be professional and useful. They will not always know the answers, but they will help find them. Ask them for help.

Start of Semester Checklist

Faculty meet with their UTFs at the beginning of the semester and should cover the following:

  1. If the UTF is attending class:
    1. What should the UTF wear?
    2. Where should the UTF sit?
    3. When should the UTF plan to leave class?
  2. Will the UTF meet office hours? If so, where and when?
  3. If the UTF is making a class presentation, when, how long, and what subject?
  4. What are the UTF's own goals this term?
  5. How should the UTF and faculty mentor address one another?
  6. Should your UT plan to attend any trainings? Which?
  7. What is your plan in the event of a Code Blue?