The Teaching Assistant Project is a multitiered program designed to
promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate education at
Rutgers-New Brunswick/Piscataway through the professional development
of the teaching assistant staff. The four main components of this
project are a preterm orientation, ongoing training during the term,
discipline-specific training within each program, and written materials
designed for TAs. The two major publications of TAP are the Teaching
Assistant Handbook, a comprehensive introduction to the university and
teaching, and TAP Talk, a newsletter that focuses on topics of interest
to TAs. A dedicated telephone line, the TA HelpLine (932-11TA),
provides daily assistance to TAs who have questions about teaching. The
TAP web site, http://taproject.rutgers.edu, also
provides extensive information for TAs about teaching at Rutgers.
Videotaping equipment is available for TAs who wish to have a class
videotaped as a means of improving teaching performance. TAP recognizes
the dual role of TAs in the university and seeks to assist them in
teaching on the college level while balancing their responsibilities as
students engaged in graduate study. Questions about TAP should be
directed to the Office of the Dean, Graduate School-New Brunswick
(732/932-7747).