Writing instructors in the English department teach a number of courses (see ENGL Courses). Teaching Assistantships are awarded on a competitive basis. Please inquire with the Director of Graduate Studies for more information.
Please Note: This information applies only to writing faculty (English lecturers, SAGES lecturers, English graduate TAs, and other graduate instructors in the University). Those interested in becoming SAGES or Presidential Fellows should contact the SAGES office directly.
Writing faculty in SAGES work in two primary roles: providing supplemental and one-on-one support in the Writing Resource Center (WRC), and assisting in SAGES First and University Seminars. SAGES writing faculty are typically assigned 1-4 teaching units per semester (comprising a variety of Writing Instrucion roles), based on the following assumptions for each unit:
Writing Resource Center Instructor – 1 Teaching Unit
- Provide 10 hours of scheduled tutoring time per week in the Writing Resource Center (providing one-on-one writing instruction, consulting with SAGES students and instructors, developing writing support materials for the Writing@Case website, etc.).
Classroom Writing Instructor: Collaborative Teaching Model – 1 Teaching Unit
Classroom Writing Instructor: Consultation Teaching Model – 0.5 Teaching Unit Faculty seminar leader would like sustained writing consultation throughout the semester, including a Writing Instructor who attends and participates in approximately half of her/his class meetings and provides additional workshops and student feedback.
This model includes:
- 6 instructional hours/6 in-class workshops led by the Writing Instructor;
- Writing Instructor's attendance during the first week of the semester and once per week for the duration;
- Required individual meetings with students once per semester;
- Expectation of Writing Instructor consultation and input on all writing assignments;
- Review of sets of papers for stylistic and rhetorical features in preparation for workshops;
- Limited collaboration on assessment of writing (For example, Writing Instructor: Responds to initial paragraphs for all papers; or Shares fully in up to 50% of responses to one set of papers; or Leads peer review and assessment workshops for three sets of papers; or Shares fully in up to 50% of responses to a small subset of challenging student papers).
Classroom Writing Instructor: Workshop Teaching Model – 0.25 Teaching Unit
Faculty seminar leader is comfortable supporting her/his students' writing, but she/he would like the WRC to provide a few writing workshops and to assign a single Writing Instructor to her/his course so that she/he may give students that person's contact information.
This model includes:
- 3 in-class workshops, including one Writing Instructor-led peer review;
- Writing Instructor attendance at first week of classes (to introduce him/herself to the students);
- Expectation that the Writing Instructor will serve as the consistent go-to person for students in the Writing Resource Center.
Teaching in SAGES is an opportunity to work closely with faculty members from a variety of disciplines. The experience of working with students on their writing is one that is both rewarding and transferable to other teaching situations.
To be eligible to teach in SAGES, writing instructors must complete ENGL 400 or its equivalent at another university or have had comparable pedagogical experience. (See also Training.)
To be eligible to teach in SAGES, instructors must:
> Successfully complete ENGL 400 or its equivalent at another university or have had comparable pedagogical experience;
> Participate in a weekly Pedagogy Seminar Series offered by the English department before or during their first fall of teaching for SAGES; and,
> If they are graduate students, complete UNIV 400 within the first year of instructional work with Case undergraduates.
Specific Requirements:
English 400: Rhetoric & the Teaching of Writing – ENGL 400 (3 credits) is offered every year in the fall semester. (Fall 2008: ENGL 400, W 9:30-Noon, 100-LEC [3470]).English 400 provides intensive training in the teaching of composition at the college level. The course focuses on fostering an understanding of major themes in composition theory in order to develop a set of best pedagogical practices. Please note: tuition reimbursement for non-English graduate students may be available through the SAGES office.
Pedagogy Seminar Series – In their first year of teaching at Case, all writing faculty must participate in the Pedagogy Seminar Series offered by the English department each fall semester. These sessions offer practical teaching experiences, provide advice geared specifically to teaching at Case, and distribute important program policies and procedures. The series will be held on Tuesdays from 11:30-12:45 throughout the fall semester.
UNIV 400 – All graduate student instructors must also complete UNIV 400, a series of seminars offered through the Educational Services for Students office, to continue working with students in an instructional role. UNIV 400 may be taken concurrently with a WRC or SAGES writing appointment, but it should be completed within the first year of teaching as a graduate student. For more information, see: http://studentaffairs.case.edu/education/tatraining/ .
Determining the eligibility of applicants for writing faculty positions in SAGES is the responsibility of the English department. In general,
English Grad Students - will be eligible for SAGES after completing the training program established by the English department (including ENGL 400, Pedagogy Seminar Series, faculty mentoring, and additional composition teaching experiences)
Other Grad Students - will be eligible after successfully completing ENGL 400 (offered every fall semester) and the English Pedagogy Seminar Series. Tuition waivers for ENGL 400 may be available for non-English department graduate students. Please inquire through the SAGES office.
Graduate students and Case staff who have not taken ENGL 400 but have potentially relevant teaching experience, including an equivalent of ENGL 400, and all other applicants will be evaluated for SAGES on a case-by-case basis after submitting a letter of application and CV to the Chair of the English department (Mary Grimm, mary.grimm@case.edu). Those accepted to teach will be expected to complete the English Pedagogy Seminar Series concurrently with their first teaching assignment. NB: SAGES and English Lecturers are selected in response to posted ads in local and national publications.
