Graduate students must complete the New Teaching Assistant (TA) Orientation before or during their first academic-year quarter as a TA, or they will not be eligible to TA in subsequent quarters. Once the UCR Graduate Division New TA Orientation has been completed, the student will not need to take it again. 

All New TA Orientation components for Academic Year 2023-2024 will be online via eLearn. The orientation will be asynchronous; however, we expect each TA to complete the required training between the beginning of the quarter and the conclusion of Week 3. Per the terms of the collective bargaining agreement currently in place with the union representing graduate student workers, the required elements of the training (as mandated by the Academic Senate) should take approximately four hours to complete.

New TA Orientation will cover mandatory sessions on basic pedagogy, TA rights and responsibilities, FERPA rules and regulations for TAs, a UAW presentation, teaching in a diverse classroom environment, and building rapport with students. Resources for classroom and online teaching technologies, relevant campus partners, and best practices in pedagogy will be provided in additional, non-mandatory sessions.

Graduate students working as TAs for the first time in Winter 2024 (who have not previously completed UCR’s New TA Orientation) must complete orientation during the Winter Quarter, while those working for the first time in Winter or Spring Quarters should register for the Winter 2024 Orientation (which will also be held online asynchronously).

The Teaching Assistant Development Program (TADP) has limited staff and resources so, if graduate students fail to complete the required training by the deadlines outlined, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be certified.

New TA Orientation is NOT offered over the Summer.

Spring 2024 Orientation

Please register for TA Orientation by the end of Week 1 (Friday, April 5th). Here is the link to register.