If you are involved in the hiring of teaching assistants and student instructors in your unit, please be informed of recent revisions to the policy "Language Proficiency Requirements for Teaching Assistants" which, since 1984, has required spoken English testing for graduate student teaching assistants who are not native speakers of English.
The changes, summarized below, will likely require modifications to departmental websites, as well as to offer letters and assignments of teaching assistantships to students whose home language growing up was not English.
The main policy changes are:
1. Undergraduate students who are not native English speakers and wish to hold teaching assistantships will also be required to be tested for spoken English proficiency.
2. Initial eligibility for teaching assistantships will be determined by the speaking subscore of the ibTOEFL. (See attached flowchart.) Those without an ibTOEFL score will take the campus-based Spoken English Test for Teaching Assistants (SETTA). Please note that, as always, the English testing requirement for TA positions does pertain even to those who are not required to take the TOEFL for admission.
3. The SPEAK Test has been decommissioned and replaced by the Spoken English Test for Teaching Assistants (SETTA). Because the SETTA can only be taken once a year, please ensure that new students take this test upon arrival to campus. This will enable them to take required International TA Program courses if they don't pass the SETTA.
Current students with English Language Proficiency (ELP) ratings lower than "1" need to take GRAD 5102 or GRAD 5105 to receive TA positions. (See eligibility table <cid:part1.09000500.03040108@umn.edu>) Alternatively, they may take the SETTA 12 months after their last SPEAK test or completion of the GRAD 5102/5105 course.
For exceptions to the 12-month waiting period or more information, contact Jeff Lindgren at 612.625.3070 or send an email to lindg027@umn.edu <mailto:lindg027@umn.edu>.
U of M English Language Proficiency Policy:
http://policy.umn.edu/Policies/hr/Performance/LANGUAGE.html <cid:part2.08010000.04000809@umn.edu>
More about Spoken English Testing & TA Eligibility:
<cid:part1.09000500.03040108@umn.edu>http://www.umn.edu/ohr/teachlearn/graduate/itap/settaeligibility/index.html <cid:part1.09000500.03040108@umn.edu>
