Building Faculty Buy-In Through a Virtual GTA Practicum

Margaret Weaver and Leslie Seawright

GA Practicum Timeline
GTA Practicum Timeline February 2020, English Department takes the practicum out of the course rotation for 2020-21. Prior to this it was offered every Fall and Spring. March 2020, Margaret agrees to step into the role of Director of Composition effective June 1. Leslie accepts the newly created Assistant Director role. May 2020, Focus groups and listening sessions are held with GTAs and faculty members about the composition program and practicum. Also May 2020, The new directors develop learning objectives for the GTA program. July 2020, Margaret designs the Writing I course to be taught online or as hybrid due to uncertainty related to the pandemic. August 3-14 2020, GTA training for hybrid environment and general first-year writing pedagogy. English Department agrees to pay for additional week of training. August 21, 2020, Required GTA <q>staff meetings</q> (non-credit bearing) begin as a replacement to the practicum course. All meeting are held via ZOOM. January 2021, Revamped GTA <q>staff meetings</q> resume for the Spring semester. February 2021, Registration opens for Fall 2021 with the Practicum, once again, as a credit bearing course. August 9-20, 2021, GTA first-year writing training becomes a credit-bearing part of the GTA Practicum. August 27, 2021, Weekly meetings (credit-bearing) of the GTA Practicum are reinstated. Meetings are hybrid, held in-person with some attendees attending via ZOOM. Today, The GTA Practicum is a hybrid meeting. Attendees can attend in-person or via ZOOM.