The University attracts talented international graduate students with diverse background from around the world that are often selected as teaching and research assistants. To ensure effective collaboration in this diverse intellectual community, the University expects that all international graduate teaching assistants (ITAs) have the necessary English proficiency to communicate effectively in their instructional duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
All international graduate teaching assistants employed in classroom or laboratory settings\u2013whether as teaching assistants, instructors, or lecturers\u2013are responsible for certifying that they have the necessary English proficiency required for their teaching assignments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The certification requirement can be met in several ways:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n International Graduate Teaching Assistants who do not meet the above requirement must enroll in a course offered by the English Language Studies (ELS) Program. ITAs who score below a 65 on the Versant Test may be assigned teaching tasks, however, they must successfully complete one semester of ELS coursework\u2013ELS 512 (fall) or ELS 612 (spring)\u2013and pass a teaching assessment before their English proficiency can be certified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Graduate Assistants (GAs) or Research Assistants (RAs) do not need to take the English proficiency test, but will be expected to take the test at a later date if given a TA position. All graduate students are eligible to enroll in English courses whether or not you have an assistantship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n