Graduate/Undergraduate Instructor Academy

GUIA provides campus-wide professional development that equips student instructors and assistants with consistent training, resources, and support for student success.

Spring 2025 GUIA:

Save the Date: Friday, January 9th
Time: 8am - 5pm

Goals

The goals for the academy are to:

Provide student instructional employees (SIE) with quality, pertinent, and/or research based holistic development to promote career readiness, both personal and professional (e.g., TACS, SHSU Online, headshots, business cards) ^D1*
Provide SIE with quality, pertinent, and/or research based holistic development to prioritize student success and access (e.g., classroom management, Blackboard training, Tutoring/Mentoring101) ^{A1*, A6*}
Align processes and institutional resources to improve efficiency, training, and messaging (e.g., pool campus resources for purchasing participant food, bringing experts to one meeting for greater impact and consistency) ^B2*
Provide supportive and empowering workplace to make SIE aware of their legal/professional obligations (e.g., FERPA,Title IX) ^{B3*, B4*}
Make SIE aware of the various support services across campus to prioritize student success and access, provide excellent/timely service, and provide supportive, empowering, and culturally responsive workplace (e.g., Food Pantry, Counseling Center, etc.; because students are more likely to relay needs and hardships to instructors their own age) ^{A1*, A6*, B4*, B5*}
Provide SIE with greater awareness of culturally engaged practices (relevant and responsive) in the classroom AND training to improve sense of belonging in the Bearkat Community (e.g. Title IX) ^{B3*, D3*}

GUIA Information and History

The Graduate/Undergraduate Instructor Academy (GUIA) is designed to assist graduate adjunct instructors, instructional assistants, graduate assistants, lab instructors, teaching assistants, tutors, mentors, supplemental instructors, and more with instructional training and resources for the betterment of student success.

Click the link to register for this semester: Register here

The Graduate/Undergraduate Instructor Academy (GUIA) provides training and resources for student instructors—such as adjuncts, assistants, tutors, mentors, and lab staff—to help them strengthen their teaching and support student success.

Each fall and spring, GUIA offers a wide range of sessions that introduce student instructors to the legal, professional, and teaching responsibilities needed to do their jobs well. Below is a preview of the session types typically offered. Sessions vary each semester based on the needs of our student instructors.

If you have suggestions for future sessions, please email guia@shsu.edu.

Ferpa (Family Educatonal Rights and Privacy Act)
Title IX
College Reading & Learning Association (CRLA) Trainings
Blackboard Topics
Classroom Management Round-Table
Centered on Servingness

The Graduate/Undergraduate Instructor Academy (GUIA) began in spring 2019. It was inspired by professional development created in the Department of Biological Sciences by Mrs. Lori Rose, the Freshman Biology Laboratory Coordinator since 1990. Lori developed thoughtful and effective training for a growing group of graduate and undergraduate lab assistants. Her sessions became so valuable that faculty encouraged their student employees to attend. Working with a small budget, she often used her own resources to provide breakfast, snacks, and coffee. As an active member of the Association of Biology Laboratory Education, she focused on offering current and scientifically sound professional development.

In 2012, Lori was joined by Dr. Steven Koether, a former student and mentee with experience training teachers in K-12 settings. Together, they expanded the training by incorporating case studies, inviting experienced assistants to lead sessions, and adopting best practices. Attendance grew so much that they had to move to larger venues, seek department support, and welcome student employees from other departments. After Steven completed a doctoral course on faculty development with Dr. Christine Stanley at Texas A&M University, he encouraged expanding the effort across campus. The team collaborated with various centers and departments to bring in experts, avoid duplicated training, and strengthen community and learning. The academy was never intended to replace department training, but to provide student instructors with consistent, university supported preparation on shared instructional responsibilities.

Key supporters included Dr. Mary Catherine Breen from the Academic Success Center and Dr. Stephanie Bluth from The Graduate School, who contributed expertise and helped align the event with campus and national standards. Mrs. Heather Adair from Newton Gresham Library and Mr. Thomas Sosebee from SHSU Online also supported content and logistics. The academy now operates through a committee that includes GUIA Student Fellows.

In 2019, the GUIA committee partnered with Dr. Brian Loft and Dr. Chris Maynard to position GUIA as a student success initiative with support from Academic Affairs. Since then, GUIA has grown into a university wide program serving more than 400 participants each year.

Information

In an effort to include student representatives in the planning of the GUIA event, the GUIA committee offers 4 student committee positions, or GUIA Fellowships, each semester (ideally 2 undergraduate, 2 graduate). GUIA Fellows will help plan, lead, and evaluate the GUIA event. They will also aid in the selection of subsequent GUIA Fellows. GUIA Fellows are eligible for a $500 scholarship, contingent upon committee evaluation and approval.

GUIA Fellow duties can vary between students and may look very different from semester to semester. GUIA Fellows with campus connections may help in contacting those resources and planning the event. Those with computer and/or webmaster skills may help the committee develop a website. The possibilities are varied and endless.

If you are interested in being a GUIA Fellow, please complete the following application. Minimum requirements include:

students must be current SHSU students with a semester (or more) left in their studies
completion of the application
a resume or curriculum vitae (attached while completing the application)
1 letter of recommendation (max - 3 letters; attached while completing the application)
you may also include additional documents that support your application (ex: teaching philosophy, teaching portfolio, certificates)

Application Link

GUIA Fellow Application

Contact US

Email

guia@shsu.edu