School of Public Health and Health Sciences Teaching Fellow

Are you a graduate student in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences? Are you planning on a career that involves teaching? Would you like the chance to have a meaningful teaching experience and design your own seminar course with plenty of support, while getting paid? Apply to be a School of Public Health and Health Sciences Teaching Fellow.

The SPHHS Academic Dean’s Office and Office of Academic Success is soliciting applications from SPHHS PhD students, Master’s students, or Post Docs who would like to teach one to three 1-credit seminars to incoming SPHHS first-year students during the Fall 2024 semester. The First-Year Seminar is an opportunity for instructors to teach a public health and health sciences topic they are passionate about while also helping students develop skills to thrive at UMass.

Please click here for details about the SPHHS FYS format.

Priority Deadline: April 4, 2024

Apply Now >>

As a SPHHS Teaching Fellow, you will:

  • Teach one to three sections of First-Year Seminar (a maximum of 19 first-year students per class) in a graded seminar that meets once per week in Fall 2024. Each section meets for 50 minutes.
  • Present weekly class material focused on student success (weeks 1-6 of the semester) and material focused on a topic of your choice (weeks 7-13 of the semester). Please click here for details about the SPHHS first year seminar format. We will help you work these into your class in effective ways.
  • Select the topic of the seminar yourself: teach what you love! The shared theme is “fun & informative.” Seminar topics should provide an opportunity for students to gain knowledge of and enthusiasm for public health and health sciences. The topic should be of interest and accessible to first-year students.
  • Please note that in a 50-min class that meets once per week, there’s not a lot of ground that you can cover, so this is not like the work devoted to a full course. In a typical class, you might give a 10 min lecture with two short activities. We encourage instructors to focus on active learning strategies, as one of the University’s goals with this program is to give the students a chance to interact with each other. We’ll help you plan!
  • You will be instructor of record and fully responsible for your own course, but with plenty of friendly support.
  • Create a syllabus and Canvas page for your course.

Benefits of Teaching a SPHHS FYS:

  • You will receive approximately $2,000 per section. Students who are fully matriculated in the UMass on-campus SPHHS program and are teaching 3 FYS sections will also qualify for a tuition waiver. Priority for multiple sections is given to doctoral students.
  • Gain teaching skills, learn and practice in a supportive environment.
  • The opportunity to develop course materials relevant to your future teaching plans.
  • Create a positive learning environment for first-year students.

Teaching support includes:

  • A required two-day workshop on understanding your students, designing your course, writing an attractive course description, selecting activities, etc. in mid-May (8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. each day, dates TBD). We understand that you may have an exam to take or proctor and you may be excused for the exam period.
  • A required two-day workshop on class management, leading discussion, understanding FERPA, finalizing your syllabus, etc., in late August (8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m., dates TBD, in-person).
  • Required one-to-one meeting with Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs over the summer to finalize SPHHS topic.
  • Optional summer help sessions for feedback on your course plan.
  • Centralized teaching resources, including access to Instructional Design, Engagement, and Support (IDEAS) and Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).
  • Required regular meetings with a group of Teaching Fellows and the Associate Dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, (date/frequency TBD).
  • A Teaching Fellows Canvas page with teaching resources gathered for you.
  • Help in crafting teaching statements suitable for job applications based on your experience.

Questions: Contact Gloria DiFulvio at acaddean [at] schoolph [dot] umass [dot] edu (acaddean[at]schoolph[dot]umass[dot]edu).

Priority deadline: April 4, 2024. Apply now.

Fall 2024 First-Year Seminars will be taught in-person on the UMass Amherst campus. The time of the FYS will be finalized once the instructors are selected but please plan to teach between the hours of 10:00AM-4:00PM.

As part of this application, you will be asked to upload the following documents. Please have your documents ready to upload before completing the form. The application form will not allow you to save and continue later.

1. A document listing the title of the proposed public health/health sciences topic and a brief (100 word) description of what you will cover in weeks 7-13 (the topic portion of the class).

  • Topic seminars should be distinct from core courses already taught in SPHHS
  • Topics should be of broad interest, and should not require prior knowledge of a field or discipline
  • You can submit several topic seminar ideas

2. A 3-minute video describing the topic seminar. It can be recorded on zoom, your phone, or another platform of your choice.

Questions: Contact Gloria DiFulvio at acaddean@schoolph.umass.edu.

UMass Amherst is a member of the Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL), a consortium of Research-1 institutions with a shared goal of improving the preparation of graduate students and postdocs for careers that include college and university teaching.

CIRTL participants can reach three different levels: CIRTL Associate, Practitioner, and Scholar. CIRTL Associates become familiar with various principles of good teaching and CIRTL’s three core ideas (teaching-as-research, learning communities, and learning-through-diversity). CIRTL Practitioners also complete an evidence-based teaching project—that is, they apply the skills of research to classroom teaching in order to assess the effectiveness of particular teaching strategies. CIRTL Scholars take their projects to a very high level; some have published their projects in disciplinary teaching journals or presented at national conferences.

SPHHS Teaching Fellows receive CIRTL Associate status. In addition, many Teaching Fellows take advantage of the control they have of their own First-Year Seminar Classroom to undertake a teaching project. Upon giving a short presentation on their project to the CIRTL community, they receive Practitioner status. A dedicated few go on to be CIRTL Scholars, conducting a more in-depth project and presenting their research off campus.

Teaching Fellows will be introduced in more depth to the CIRTL program at the May training. We encourage Teaching Fellows to take advantage of this program! Questions: Please contact Denise Pope, the CIRTL coordinator at UMass.

I’m a graduate student with a 20 hour per week TA/RA. Can I teach a FYS on top of a 20 hour per week TA or RA for extra money?

  • Yes, with support from your advisor and GPD. However, priority will be given to students who do not already have full support. Note: Due to VISA regulations, international students are not able to teach more than 20 hours per week.

I’m a postdoc. Can I do this on top of my 40-hour per week postdoc position?

  • No, but you can reduce the number of hours you are paid through your postdoc in exchange for the time for this. This is an excellent way to extend limited grant funds while getting valuable experience.

Are tuition credit and health benefits included?

  • Based on current GEO contract rules, tuition credit and health benefits are not included for graduate student instructors with positions less than 10-hours per week. Each FYS is counted toward a 3.4 hour appointment. However, students who are fully matriculated in the UMass on-campus SPHHS program and are teaching 3 FYS sections will qualify for a tuition waiver and health benefits. Priority for multiple sections is given to doctoral students.

I was a Teaching Fellow in a previous year. Can I apply again?

  • Yes. We are hoping for a mixture of old and new Teaching Fellows. Please reach out to Gloria DiFulvio at acaddean@schoolph.umass.edu if you taught in a previous year and are re-applying.

When does the contract begin?

  • The position is estimated to run from September 1, 2024 – January 11, 2025 (19 weeks), pending current GEO contract negotiations. Please note the May and August training are required and students will receive a training stipend to attend,

Who provides the training?

  • We are partnering with the graduate school to provide training. Teaching Fellows from College of Natural Science and Engineering will also participate in the mandatory training. The training is coordinated by Dean Beth Jakob (Biology Department, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, and campus co-leader of CIRTL), Dr. Denise Pope (Assistant Director for Student Success & Special Projects in the Graduate School), and Dr. Johanna Yunker (Associate Director of the Office of Professional Development).

How many Teaching Fellows will there be?

  • Approximately 7-12 from SPHHS depending on number of sections taught by each.

I’m an international student. Can I apply?

  • Yes, absolutely! We have had international Teaching Fellows. However, please remember that you are not allowed to work more than 20 hours per week at all your jobs combined.

Should I let my know faculty advisor/PI know that I am applying for the Teaching Fellows position?

  • Yes, all teaching fellows need to receive permission from their department to participate. If you are selected as a Teaching Fellow, we will reach out to your faculty advisor/PI and graduate program director. It is helpful for them to know ahead of time that you are applying for the teaching opportunity.

I am interested in teaching, but I would like to receive more structured guidance on teaching before applying to be a SPHHS Teaching Fellow. Are there any training opportunities?

  • Yes, SPHHS offers a 1 credit seminar for PhD students. The seminar is intended to provide Ph.D. students with instruction and support to develop their teaching skills, both as teaching assistants/associates in their doctoral programs and as preparation for future careers in academia. The course is titled SPHHS 790A Seminar for Graduate Teachers in SPHHS. Please check SPIRE for when it will be offered next. Additionally, the graduate school offers a Teaching Academy for all graduate students beginning in August and extending through early fall. The Office of Professional Development also offers regular workshops to help prepare graduate students and postdocs for careers as teachers in higher education.