“Thinking” isn’t knowing |
Do you know college students? Ask them their school and who taught their freshman year classes. You think it’s better if they are upper level major classes? Not understanding your point. |
Student just finished junior year at Wake (mix of business and humanities classes). Has not had a single TA-taught class in three years, every day of every course professor-taught. He said that there are TA's but they are rarely even in a classroom and are more used for out of class extra-help sessions if you want. For example, in Accounting, the professor taught all the sections at their usual times, then a TA would be available for extra help on a Sunday night or by appointment.
Can't speak to the other schools, but for the price we are paying (not full pay), Wake has been great academically. Every class 35 or less and many 20 or less students per section. Socially a little heavy on the greek side, but our student is happy. Good luck. |
Are people on this thread really discovering that public universities are TA-led classes for intro courses? This is a very common practice, which is why liberal arts colleges break their backs exclaiming their classes are 100% professor taught. Privates tend to be better about having professors teach, not some poor grad student trying to get through their degree. |
The point is you have no evidence other than an article ten years old, anecdotes and assumptions. |
Don’t know what to tell you, hon. Believe what you want. This is how large universities work….i’d ask the schools you are applying to their policies. |
It’s amazing that this is news to anyone. Ask anyone from your state flagship. Lots of private schools too, but the one’s that don’t do it will tell you outright. |
My kid's friends at UMD and VT that just finished Freshman year didn't have any classes taught by a TA (yes for recitations). I hate anecdotes, but you asked for them. |
Not PP. It's more that the probability skyrockets overall as you get through a degree. I had a few upper level courses and my grad course was taught by a grad student at Berkeley. Though, if you're in a smaller major, you may never experience it. |
It's true. Many PhD students get funding for teaching lower level undergraduate classes. I thought this was well-known. As PP mentioned, if it wasn't the case, why would privates advertise their high numbers of courses being taught by professors? |
Misogynist. |
There a fair number of schools that hire adjuncts that are very accomplished in the professional world but don’t have terminal degrees. So there is a group of professors that aren’t TAs that fall under this umbrella. |
I don't understand how this applies to what I wrote about graduate students getting tuition and stipends for teaching undergrads. Adjunct professors are professors. PhD students are not adjunct professors. |
Someone wrote that privates advertise classes taught by professors…that means professors with a PhD, hence a terminal degree. Adjuncts are not considered in this “advertisement” since many don’t have terminal degrees. That’s all. |
DC is at UGA, in a popular major, and has not had a single class yet taught by TA. I graduated from mid-sized prestigious private (ivy) and had quite a few classes taught by TAs. Have to admit they were all excellent and were some of my favorite teachers, so it wasn't a big deal. I'm sure all of them went on to great careers as professors. |