NR 15 Undergraduate Teaching Assistant Positions – Fall 2017
Request for Applications
The Sustainability Learning Community/GreenHouse is now recruiting exceptional students to work as Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTA) for NR 15 (Ecology of Place) for the upcoming Fall 2017 semester. Ecology of Place is a required 1-credit course for first-year students who are part of the GreenHouse/Sustainability Learning Community. The 360 students in Ecology of Place will choose from 1 of 6 topic areas (listed below) in sections of 20 students, each led by an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant.
We are hoping to attract 10 outstanding rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors to lead students in building sustainable living skills and practices and creating community on multiple scales.
The Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) position will be a paid job, as well as a credit-bearing experience. Successful applicants will earn $11/hour (for an average of 8 hours/week), as well as one to two academic credits through enrollment in NR 197B (Teaching Practicum).
The duties for the position include:
· Instruct and facilitate 75 minute seminars every other week in one or two of the topic areas below:
o Harvest, Cook, Eat: Food systems:
o Mountains, Rivers, Lakes: Exploring the outdoors:
o Bedrock to Birds: Natural History
o Journey Within: Mindfulness & sustainability
o Identity, Solidarity, Equity: Social Justice
o Reduce, Reuse, Rethink: Matter and energy:

· Grade bi-weekly reflection papers and offer feedback as necessary
· Plan and Facilitate larger events for the Sustainability/GreenHouse Community
· Meet with a faculty/staff mentor on a weekly basis
· Participate in a 2-day training session the week prior to the start of the fall semester – Wednesday evening August -23 – Friday August 25
· Complete reading and assignments as part of the NR197 Teaching Assistantship companion class

UTAs will also enroll in a one to two-credit teaching practicum (NR 197-currently scheduled for every other Thursday 4:15-5:45) that will feature lessons in instruction, discussion facilitation, leadership, and educational design. Teaching assistants will be paired with a faculty or staff mentor who will help them hone their teaching skills.

Qualifications:
· Rising Sophomore, Junior or Senior
· Must have taken NR 15 or 16 or be familiar with the GreenHouse Residential Learning Community programs
· Previous teaching experience recommended but not required
· A demonstrated interest in content relevant to one or two topic areas below:
· Availability for at least one section below

Fall 2017 NR15 Sections

Harvest, Cook, Eat: Food systems:
Monday 6:15-7:30 PM – NR15A
Tuesday 6:00-7:15 PM – NR15B
Thursday 6:00-7:15 PM – NR15C

Mountains, Rivers, Lakes: Exploring the outdoors:
Monday 11:35-12:50 – NR15D
Tuesday 4:25-5:40 – NR15E
Wednesday 4:40-5:55 – NR15F

Bedrock to birds: Natural History
Monday 11:35-12:50 – NR15G
Thursday 8:30-9:45 AM – NR15H
Thursday 6:00-7:15 PM – NR15I

Journey Within: Mindfulness & sustainability
Tuesday 8:30-9:45 AM – NR15J
Wednesday 6:15-7:30 PM – NR15K
Friday 4:40-5:55 PM – NR-15L

Identity, solidarity, equity: Social Justice
Monday 4:40-5:55 PM – NR15M
Tuesday 4:25-5:40 PM – NR15O
Wednesday 11:35-12:50 – NR15N

Reduce, Reuse, Rethink: Matter and energy:
Wednesday 6:15-7:30 PM – NR15P
Thursday 8:30-9:45 AM – NR15Q
Friday 11:35-12:50 – NR15R

To Apply:
Send an email with attached cover letter and resume to Leah Mital lmitalsk@uvm.edu no later than April 7th at Noon. Put “NR 15 UTA Application” in the subject heading.
In your cover letter, please include:
· 1-2 paragraphs about why you want to be a teaching assistant
· Your preferred section of NR15 (look at the 6 topic areas above)
· A description of the skills you possess in that area
· The sections that you would be both skilled and available to instruct (please look at schedule above and list – i.e. NR15D, NR15M
· How best to contact you via phone and email
· The name of one UVM faculty person as a reference with their email address

We will hold interviews during the period of April 10-19, and make decisions by April 21.
We look forward to receiving your applications!