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 2022-2023 will be held online via eLearn. The orientation will be asynchronous; however, our expectation is that each TA will complete the required training between the beginning of the quarter and the conclusion of Week 3. In accordance with 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, and 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 Fall 2022 (who have not previously completed UCR’s New TA Orientation) must complete orientation during the Fall Quarter, while those working for the first time in Winter or Spring Quarters should register for the Winter 2023 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 trainings by the deadlines outlined, we cannot guarantee that everyone will be certified.

New TA Orientation is NOT offered over Summer.

Spring 2023 Orientation

Spring 2023 New TA Orientation is only open to students who will TA for the first time in spring. If you need to register, please contact tadp@ucr.edu with your NetID and the information for your Spring 2023 course (e.g. ENGL 001B Section 001). 

Fall 2023 Orientation

Registration for Fall 2023 New TA Orientation will open in May 2023. Check back for the registration link.