How to Apply
The Department of Political Science seeks Graduate Student Instructors (GSI) for the Winter 2024 semester. These positions may range from 0.35 to 0.5 appointments (with the majority being 0.5 appointments), and as posted, are subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees? Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
1. Interested applicants must apply for GSI through the UM Jobs portal at careers.umich.edu
2. Applicants who have never taught in Michigan?s Dept. of Political Science, must also submit a cover letter and their CV as a single document. Please address your cover letter to the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science.
3. Interested applicants must submit their application by December 4, 2023.
Course Description
POLSCI course descriptions and schedules for the Winter 2024 semester (including sections) can be found on the LSA Course Guide.
GSI positions may be open in the following Winter 24 classes.
PS 101
PS 111
PS 140
PS 302
PS 307
PS 310
PS 315
PS 339
PS 381
PS 389.010
PS 401
PS 407
PS 432
PS 489.001
PS 489.007
Responsibilities*
GSI Positions for Sectioned Courses
GSIs selected for the classes are expected to provide general pedagogical support for the course, which may include, but is not limited to: attending lecture, teaching discussion sections, grading and commenting on papers and exams, and meeting with enrolled students during office hours. The number of sections a GSI with a full appointment (a 0.5 position) will be asked to teach depends on the structure of a course. Most appointments for undergraduate courses include two or three hour-long sections of 20-25 students per week in a full 0.5 appointment.
*GSI Positions for Upper-Level Writing Requirement Courses
Some courses in the department meet as lectures, without discussion sections, but have a GSI in place to support the course?s role in fulfilling the College of LSA?s Upper-Level Writing Requirement (ULWR). ULWR courses require a significant amount of writing and revision, classroom instruction on writing in the discipline, and careful attendance to writing issues when discussing course assignments and in grading and commenting on papers. Duties for GSIs in ULWR courses may include, but are not limited to: attending lecture, grading and commenting extensively on papers and exams, and holding office hours to support students in developing their writing skills. First-time GSIs in ULWR courses must also enroll in the Sweetland Center for Writing?s WRITING 993: Teaching Writing in the Disciplines, a one credit seminar, for Winter. GSIs are expected to be on campus and available to work no later than Wednesday, January 10, 2024, the first day of classes.
Additional Requirements
First-time GSIs teaching an LSA course are required to attend CRLT GSI Teaching Orientation.
Students who are holding a GSI position for the first time in Political Science are required to concurrently enroll in POLSCI 993 GSI training course, which will meet on selected Fridays throughout the Fall semester.
*Students who will be a GSI in a ULWR course for the first time in any department must also enroll in WRITING 993. Additionally, if the language of instruction at a student's undergraduate institution was not English, the student must be evaluated by the English Language Institute (ELI) for English proficiency and either pass the GSI-OET or have this test waived by the ELI before they can be eligible for a GSI appointment in Political Science.
Required Qualifications*
All applicants must be graduate students enrolled at the University of Michigan in good academic standing.
Desired Qualifications*
The most successful applicants will have completed a graduate course in political science, have previous experience as a GSI with favorable student evaluations, and/or previous experience teaching in political science.
Contact Information
All applicants are welcome to request the status of their application at any time by contacting the Political Science Office at polisci@umich.edu or (734)764-6313.
Decision Making Process
All employment decisions will be made by the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Political Science. Doctoral students in Political Science within their funding commitment from the department will be given first priority for available positions. In the event that positions remain open after all eligible and qualified Political Science doctoral students have been hired, then the Department will move to any existing pool of external applicants. GSIs from outside the department will be selected based on the quality of their past teaching experience, the strength of their references, and also on how well their past coursework and teaching experiences have prepared them to teach the course topic of any open positions.
Selection Process
External applicants can expect to hear about initial decisions on or around December 8, 2023 . While we do our best to maintain original placements, sometimes the need arises to move GSIs from one assigned course to another. Assignments may change up to the first day of classes.
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an Employee does not receive his or her preferred assignment, he or she can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agent(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
GEO Contract Information
The University will not discriminate against any applicant for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, genetic information, marital status, familial status, parental status or pregnancy status, sex, gender identity or expression (whether actual or perceived), sexual orientation, age, height, weight, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, HIV antibody status, political belief, membership in any social or political organization, participation in a grievance or complaint whether formal or informal, medical conditions including those related to pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding, arrest record, or any other factor where the item in question will not interfere with job performance and where the employee is otherwise qualified. The University of Michigan agrees to abide by the protections afforded employees with disabilities as outlined in the rules and regulations which implement Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Information for the Office for Institutional Equity may be found at https://oie.umich.edu/ and for the University Ombuds at https://ombuds.umich.edu/
Unsuccessful applications will be retained for consideration in the event that there are last minute openings for available positions. In the event that an employee does not receive their preferred assignment, they can request a written explanation or an in-person interview with the hiring agents(s) to be scheduled at a mutually agreed upon time.
This position, as posted, is subject to a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of Michigan and the Graduate Employees' Organization, American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO 3550.
Standard Practice Guide 601.38, Required Disclosure of Felony Charges and/or Felony Convictions applies to all Graduate Student Assistants (GSAs). SPG 601.38 may be accessed online at https://spg.umich.edu/policy/601.38 , and its relation to your employment can be found in MOU 10 of your employment contract.
U-M EEO/AA Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.