Student Taught Courses

• This program originated from the desire of students to take and teach classes in a variety of non-traditional disciplines (e.g. chess, machine shop, Linux system usage, poker, uncommon languages, and ham radio) that are not currently offered by the Institute.
• Much of the inspiration of this program comes from UC Berkeley's “DECAL” system in which students at that University create, teach, and take classes in practically any subject they choose.  UCB offers more than 100 courses through the DECAL system each semester.

Aims:

• To provide a structure for undergraduates to both take and teach classes in a variety of non-traditional disciplines.  (Future expansion of the program may include graduate students, both in the teaching and enrollment aspects.)
• To provide students with experience at preparing course materials, schedules, lectures, and assignments, and also at conducting and organizing a class and the associated learning environment.

Administrative Structure

• Between 5 and 10 courses can offered every term, depending on student interest in teaching.
• Courses are offered pass-fail for 3 units of credit.

• Total academic credit earned from such courses is limited to 9 units.
• Credit can only be applied to general units required for graduation.
• Courses are labeled PA 70 with different subjects corresponding to different sections.  (PA stands for Performance and Activities in the catalog.)

• Each course requires a faculty sponsor. Currently, the sponsor is required to be professorial faculty, which means a faculty member with a title of Professor, Associate Professor or Assistant Professor (but not Visiting Professor). 
• The role of the faculty sponsor is to consult with the student instructor on the course syllabus to ensure that the subject material is appropirate for three units of Caltech credit, to assess that the student instructor is qualified to teach the course, and to consult with the student instructor on grading.  Course grades are actually submitted by the sponsor.
• Student instructors are limited to teaching a total of 3 classes each during their time at Caltech.
• The suggested enrollment of each course is 6 to 15 students (with enrollment limited by lottery if necessary).
• Course descriptions will be posted each term on the Deans Office website, and announced by email to the undergraduates.
• Individual courses will be approved on a case by case basis the term prior to their offering.  The Deans Office collects proposals and selects a set of course offerings, subject to approval by the Curriculum Committee and Faculty Board.
• Student instructors are required to undergo CPET TA training as well as a training session organized by the Dean of Students.
• Students taking courses will be asked to submit biweekly TQFR style reports and feedback to the instructors (to help them better their teaching).
• A student instructor will be paid $2500 per course per term.  A limited amount of funding is available for course supplies.

Information Required for Proposal

• Course description (syllabus)
• Statement of qualifications of student instructor
• Statement from the faculty sponsor saying he/she (1) agrees to be the sponsor, (2) has been consulted on and approves the syllabus (as being appropriate of three units of Caltech credit), (3)vouches for the student instructor's qualifications, and (4) is willing to submit the final grades for the course