Professionalization Requirements

Development Assistantships

Gaining experience in various domains of academic leadership can be an invaluable part of the graduate training experience. Soft skills like project management, program design and execution, change management and academic administration are all valuable forms of professional training for PhD students who aspire to drive the progress of science, academic practice and culture. To recognize the importance of such training for any career path and the benefits of mentorship, either by professionals in the field or by faculty, as well as the intrinsic value of student leadership and development efforts we provide a route for students to earn academic credit for extra-curricular projects that speak to the core values of the BSD. The student Development Assistantship program provides structured mentorship, guidance and support for student driven independent projects. The student Development Assistantship program was created to account for the leadership interests and tendency for UChicago BSD graduate students to take initiative and solve the pressing problems they see in front of them. We deeply value this commitment to activism and advocacy among our students and this program is designed to support and recognize those outstanding individuals.

The DA-ship program, similar to the TA-ship program, is a mentored and evaluated experience for academic credit.  Effort is expected to be equivalent to a TA-ship (~100 hours total), although unlike a TA-ship the 100 hours may in some instances be completed over more than a single quarter.  Registration should be for the quarter in which the experience concludes.

Please note that, to meet their degree requirements, all BSD students must complete two terms of professional preparation, at least one of which must involve serving as a Teaching Assistant to a UChicago course. The second requirement may be met with a second TA-ship, a DA-ship, or by participating in the TA training course.

DA-ships may take a variety of forms, with the key attributes being:

  1. A valuable professional development opportunity in academic leadership and program development that prepares the student for a spectrum of career opportunities.
  2. Mentorship by an individual or small team experienced in the field of work you plan to engage in. Mentors might be staff members in relevant University offices, faculty members with relevant expertise, or external professionals who are approved for this role by DA program administrators.
  3. Evaluation will be completed by the mentors and through self-evaluation, paralleling the TA-ship program. The evaluation package will be reviewed by the Dean for graduate affairs or their designate, who will serve as the instructor of record for the DAship program.  

FAQs for Development Assistantships

Students who have not yet served as a TA, or who have only completed one TA-ship, are eligible to apply for an evaluated DA-ship. However, all BSD students are expected to serve as a TA at least once. Thus, if a student has completed the TA training course, or has been granted an exemption for a prior teaching experience, they must complete their professionalization requirement with a TA-ship.

There are three overarching types of development-assistantship projects: pre-designed, student-proposed, and pedagogical.  All three types of DA-ships must be mentored, evaluated, unpaid experiences in order to be eligible for the professionalization requirement.  The DA-ship administrators must preapprove DA-ships before students register for credit. A DAship should be designed to speak to one or more of the six divisional values.

Pre-designed projects will be developed by mentors and approved by the DA-ship administration before opening up for applications. There will be flexibility in the details of these projects, such that the DA will work with their mentor(s) to fully develop and define the details of the project at the start of their experience.  See the Call for Applications for Aut Qtr DA-ships for examples of pre-designed projects.

Student-proposed projects are developed by students, either based exclusively on their own independent ideas, or by building on broad-based concepts put forward by approved mentors.  In either instance, it will be necessary to identify an appropriate mentor(s).  Calls for short proposals will be used to allow the DA-ship administration to select appropriate concepts for further development. See the Call for Applications for more details.  

Pedagogical DA-ships are experiences with a significant teaching component that occur outside our standard UChicago courses and enhance access to STEM.  These may include teaching on campus in summer courses for high school students or their teachers, teaching in local K12 schools that serve disadvantaged students, or teaching in other programs that have the goal of enhancing access to STEM.  Such experiences have previously been approved by the standing TA committee, but similar proposals will be evaluated by the DA-ship administration going forward. Note that paid experiences of this kind cannot meet the divisional professionalization requirement. Please contact Scott Myers (scottmyers@uchicago.edu) if you have a pedagogical DA-ship in mind.

Opportunities to participate in pre-designed projects will be announced at least 4 weeks ahead of the quarter.  Eligible students should follow the application guidance provided.  The relevant DA-ship mentor(s) will select candidates for interview and make a final selection ahead of the start of the quarter.

If you have an idea for a Development Assistantship project, please complete the form at this link. Applications will be reviewed on a monthly basis by the DA-ship administration.
  • Meet with your DA-mentors to begin putting together your DA-ship compact (hot link).  This document will detail the goals and deliverable of the experience and the expectations for both mentor and mentees
  • Attend a quarterly DA meeting, to be held in the first weeks of the quarter
  • Register for the DA-ship in the quarter in which it will conclude: BSDG 50800

 

 

You will need to complete your DA-ship self-evaluation, and your lead mentor will also need to evaluate you.  For DA-ships that extend over more than one quarter, formal evaluations will be completed at the end of the experience.  However, we will also reach out to you for an informal check in during the progress of your DA-ship.

For DA-ships with a pedagogical component, you or your mentor may also wish to seek student feedback to enhance your development as an instructor.

All evaluations will be reviewed by the Dean for Graduate Affairs before grades are posted. Mentor (and any student) evaluations will be made available to all DA’s.