The UTC Program is a two-quarter program offered through GradSuccess. It is designed to assist graduate students in developing university level teaching and lecturing strategies, designing a teaching philosophy, and becoming members of the professional teaching community. The goal of the UTC courses is to equip graduate students with the necessary skills to be both outstanding scholars and teachers in their continued work in academia. 

Yes. Students accepted into the program will receive 2 units of credit for each required course (GDIV 301 and GDIV 302), for a total of 4 units over Winter and Spring 2017 quarters. 

Yes. You are required to complete a series of assignments. You will receive a “satisfactory” on your transcript when all assignments are completed. In addition, you are required to complete mandatory readings during the program.

If you do not complete all requirements, you will receive a “no credit” on your transcript and you will not receive a University Teaching Certificate.

The meeting times for the twice-weekly class during Winter quarter 2017 (GDIV 301) will be Mondays & Wednesdays from 11:10 am – 12 pm. For GDIV 302, there will be at least two required meetings during Spring quarter, and these times will be decided based on when enrolled students are available to meet. 

The UTC Program is highly competitive. The topics it covers are designed to enhance participants’ understanding of teaching pedagogy. Moreover, the hands-on experience allows students to demonstrate mastery of key theory and concepts. Students will develop a Teaching Portfolio during the courses. Those who complete the program are awarded a certificate that is signed by the Dean of the Graduate Division. In addition to the certificate, students will receive a letter of recommendation from the Director of Graduate Student Professional Development. 

Graduate students in good academic standing from all colleges and departments are eligible to apply. Applicants must have three quarters of prior teaching experience, or they must have attended Teaching Development Day – TA Development track. If you have additional questions about these requirements, please contact the UTC Coordinator (utc@ucr.edu). 

Instead of submitting your teaching evaluations online, the application will prompt you to grant us access to your UCR teaching evaluations. If your three teaching evaluations come from institutions other than UCR you may submit any three sets of recent teaching evaluations. 

Yes. Formal teaching evaluations from other institutions are acceptable.

Yes. To preserve the confidentiality of your letter, please have your recommender send it directly to utc@ucr.edu. 

Yes. Master’s degree students are also encouraged to apply for the UTC program. 

Yes. Postdoctoral fellows are also encouraged to apply for the UTC program. Postdoctoral fellows are eligible for the certificate as well as a letter of recommendation, but are ineligible for the 4 credit units which only graduate students receive. 

The application must be completed online using the provided application form which is now available under the “Application” tab above. Applications are due by 11:59 pm on November 28, 2016. The completed application must include: 

1. An application form (including statement of interest) 

2. Letter of reference emailed directly to utc@ucr.edu 

3. One of the following: 

   • Approval of access to UCR teaching evaluations through iEval 

   • Confirmation of attendance at the Teaching Development Day – TA Development Track 

   • Three quarters of teaching evaluations from institutions other than UCR 

Since there are required readings, students must purchase books. 

No. Aspects of the UTC program may change from year to year, so certain seminars or other requirements may not be consistently available. A new application packet would be required for consideration for the UTC program for the following year. 

Yes. The UTC Program is offered every year. 

Students accepted into the UTC Program will be enrolled in GDIV 301 in Winter 2017 and GDIV 302 in Spring 2017. GDIV 301 will be structured like any graduate-level seminar. Students will be expected to arrive to class promptly, having completed all reading assignments ahead of time, and be prepared to participate actively. GDIV 302 will be structured like an independent study class with students designing their Teaching Portfolio. There will be at least two required meetings during Spring quarter, and these times will be decided based on when enrolled students are available to meet. 

No, a new application packet would need to be submitted.