To all new Graduate Employees in Romance Languages: WELCOME!
Congratulations on your acceptance to our graduate programs in Romance Languages at U Oregon. We are very excited to have you join our academic community and look forward to working with you in your dual roles as GEs: graduate student and teacher.
RL is an incredibly vibrant and complex unit, and we have a long history of excellence in research and teaching. This is exciting, but it means that there is a lot of information and “departmental culture” that you must accustom yourself to in a very short time. Our Director of Graduate Studies and the professorial faculty will push you to great heights in your training as scholars, and we have a highly professional supervisory staff who will provide you with top-notch pedagogical training. You will soon find out that we work and play hard in RL!
This on-line guide is designe to help you familiarize yourself with the people and practices of the department. We hope that you will get in touch with any questions you may have; we want your transition to your new role to be as successful as possible.
Again, congratulations! À bientôt! A presto! Até mais! ¡Hasta la vista!
Robert L Davis
Professor of Spanish, Director of Language Instruction
Contents
Before-you-arrive checklist
Supervision and problem solving
Peer mentors
Fall Orientation
Selected reading
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Contact List
Before-you-arrive checklist
1. Remember important documents: RL Graduate coordinator Brita Ellis has sent you all the info you need regarding documents. Please consult her emails for complete information.
2. Familiarize yourself with the RL website: http://rl.uoregon.edu. Make sure you can find the information relevant to your graduate program. Once you have your UO Duck ID (U. Oregon email address), you can log into the RL intranet and access even more information.
Supervision and problem solving
You will work as GE in multi-sectioned programs that are closely coordinated so that undergraduate students will have a consistent, quality experience across sections. Each language program and level has a supervisor who reports to Robert L Davis (DLI) and to David Wacks (RL Head):
The supervisors are your first point of contact for questions and solving problems that may arise with your students. They will consult with the DLI and RL Head as needed.
PEER MENTORS
The department will endeavor to match you up with a peer mentor to assist you during the first few (or 4) weeks of the term. You can also check the Student Directory or the RL Graduate Student Association to get in touch with our faculty and our GE’s.
RL Graduate Student Directory: http://rl.uoregon.edu
RL Graduate Student Association: https://rlgsa.home.blog
Fall Orientation
You should have received an orientation schedule through email from Brita Ellis. Contact her if you need her to resend it (bellis5@uoregon.edu)
Food for thought
Most new GEs teach 100-level language classes that are filled almost exclusively with 18- and 19-year-old students with distinct characteristics as a generation. These readings might give you a jumpstart on your role as GE in RL:
1. The First Year Out: Understanding American Teens after High School (review)
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/cjs/summary/v032/32.4.lehmann.html
This review gives a summary of this interesting book. While the book is now a little dated, it’s worth reading in its entirety.
2. NBC poll on characteristics of the freshman class of 2021:
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/92-college-freshmen-are-optimistic-lives-poll-finds-rcna1857
Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
When will I get my first GE paycheck?
Payday is always the last business day of each month.
Can my paycheck be deposited directly to my bank?
Yes; however, you will need to provide a bank deposit slip or voided check. Check with Brita Ellis for details.
When will my health insurance coverage go into effect?
Health insurance for GEs is offered through the GTFF (Graduate Teaching Fellows Federation). Please consult their website for up-to-date information.
When will I know my teaching assignment?
Teaching assignments will be finalized during Orientation Week before fall term starts. RL Assistant Head Alex Zunterstein manages class assignments.
How can I buy a UO parking permit?
Students may buy parking permits online from the Office of Safety and Transportation at transportation.uoregon.edu
Am I going to have an office?
You will be assigned an office or desk space during orientation week.
Who is my faculty advisor?
You will be assigned to an Academic Advisor prior to Orientation Week. Contact Director of Graduate Studies Lanie Millar (lmillar@uoregon.edu) if you are unsure of your assignment.
What classes should I take?
All new GE are required to sign up for RL 608 “Teaching Methodologies” in fall term. All other recommendations for class sign-up will be discussed with your Academic Advisor.New GEs should also plan to attend a demonstration class, your supervisor’s section of the same class that you will teach, during the first few weeks of fall term. You’ll get more information on this during Orientation.
Contact list
Lanie Millar, Director of Graduate Studies, lmillar@uoregon.edu
Robert L Davis, Director of Language Instruction, rldavis@uoregon.edu
Alex Zunterstein, Assistant Head, Romance Languages, azunters@uoregon.edu
Julia Graham, Undergraduate Coordinator, jgraham3@uoregon.edu
Brita Ellis, Graduate Coordinator, bellis5@uoregon.edu
Perri Schodor, Office Manager, School of Global Studies and Languages, pschodor@uoregon.edu
Got more questions? Use the contact list above:
… for administrative matters, direct your questions to Brita Ellis.
… for teaching matters, contact Robert L Davis.
… for class scheduling, contact Alex Zunterstein.
… for questions about the graduate program, contact Lanie Millar.
rlgsa.home.blog 