How to Apply
Applicants must include with this application the following materials:
1) a cover letter addressing interest and qualifications for the position
2) a resume or curriculum vita
3) teaching history (list course and department)
4) any available teaching evaluations
Course Description
ORGSTUDY 295. Building Belonging: How Orgs Shape Inclusion and Thriving (Dr. Tiffany Brannon)
Organizations such as universities and corporations have immense power to shape inclusion, and in turn thriving (e.g., achievement, well-being). Such thriving can advance institutional, individual, intergroup, and even societal goals. This course harnesses insights from social psychology and cultural psychology to identify best practices that organizations can leverage to cultivate inclusion. It will focus on intervention strategies, as well as intergroup dynamics including ways to foster non-zero-sum (e.g., win-win versus win-lose) outcomes among social groups that vary in power and status. The course will engage discussions of real-world applied social issues and cutting-edge, theory-based, experimental and big data interventions. The course will examine a myriad of cultures tied to nationality, social class, race/ethnicity, and gender. It will explore psychological processes that involve self and identity including motivation, belonging, and meaning. The course will empower students to actively apply course insights and takeaways in their daily lives, current student organization interactions, and future professional careers.
Anticipated Class Schedule: T/Th 11:30 am to 1:00 pm
Estimated effort for the position: 1 GSI position (.5 FTE)
Benefits: Tuition waiver and stipend as provided in UM/GEO Agreement
Responsibilities*
- Attend all class lectures and read all course material
- Meet with the instructor for the course on a regular basis
- Hold weekly office hours
- Hold additional meetings with students before major course assignments
- Grade and offer extensive comments on course assignments within the timeframe specified by the professor
Required Qualifications*
Candidate must be in a U-M graduate program for at least one year prior to Winter 2025. Graduate student in good standing with a background in psychology or other social sciences field.
In compliance with Appendix A of the 2017-2020 UM/GEO agreement (see pp. 106-109 of the UM/GEO agreement) and as part of the training, the College of LSA also requires that potential GSIs whose undergraduate medium of instruction is not English be evaluated for effective proficiency in classroom English. Effective proficiency includes fluent and intelligible speech, the ability to understand the English spoken by the undergraduate students, the ability to produce organized, coherent explanations, and the ability to contribute to the development of interactions with their students. Graduate students are exempt from ELI 994 and the Graduate Student Instructor Oral English Test (GSI-OET) if they hold an undergraduate degree from a U.S. college or university, or an undergraduate degree from a college or university where English is the exclusive medium of instruction. The Department Chair can also refer to the course potential GSIs who need additional language instruction and/or introduction and orientation to the American university classroom and community. If referred, attendance and satisfactory completion is required as a condition of employment as a GSI. Students who are exempt may take the training course on a space-permitting basis. As part of the training and testing, graduate students are required to demonstrate their effective proficiency by taking the GSI-OET conducted by independent evaluators from the Testing Division at the ELI and a faculty representative from the department in which the prospective GSI will be teaching. In the event that an examinee does not successfully complete the GSI-OET at the end of a course, it is incumbent on the department that made admission and support offers to identify alternative support resources that are not GSI positions and that do not require direct contact with undergraduate students. It is not required that these "backup" support systems offer conditions of support that are identical or comparable in level to that which would come from a regular GSI position, but they must be sufficient to meet Department of Homeland Security requirements that the international student be able to demonstrate the existence of financial support during the first year of study. Such alternative support is contingent on the student's concurrently fulfilling ELI course requirements identified in the GSI-OET. This Test is provided at no cost to the student, and the ELI courses are available from the College to enrolled students. Although there is no limit to the number of times one can retake the GSI-OET, a student must complete the post-OET requirements to be eligible for a retest. There are two options for the training course during the year. There will be a Winter semester course (ELI 994) and a Summer course (both 2 credits), the latter only for new, first-term prospective GSIs. For LSA graduate students who are not required to attend the ELI 994 course but who would like to, prior written approval from the appointing department is necessary.
A first-time LSA GSI is required to attend 20 hours of pedagogical classes offered by CRLT. They must attend the CRLT Winter 2023 GSI Teaching Orientation (GSITO), dates to be announced. Any remaining hours required beyond the CRLT GSI Orientation may be fulfilled by a series of planned pedagogical conversations with your faculty instructor of record and/or additional courses provided by CRLT or other UM units related to teaching. Possibilities include: ENGR 580, GERMAN 531, ROMLING 528, BA 830 & 831, PIBS 505, EEB/MCDB 494, ED 720, ED 7373, ED 834, HIST 812, PSYCH 958, MUICOL 509, or ELI 9941 (only sections focused on college level teaching), ED 790, ELI 994 or SWC/WRITING 993.
Desired Qualifications*
Social Science (e.g., Psychology, Sociology, Anthropology or Women's and Gender Studies) or related professional school (e.g., Education, Policy, Law) graduate student preferred. PhD student preferred, but not required. Applicants with teaching or grading experience preferred, but such experience is not necessary. LSA graduate students are preferred.
Modes of Work
Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.
Contact Information
Tanya Randhawa, Executive Assistant, [email protected]
Application Deadline
All applications for this position must be received by December 15, 2025.
Decision Making Process
All applications will be submitted for review to the faculty member teaching the course. After review of applications and possible interviews, the decisions will be made by the professor of the course.
Target Openings: 1
Selection Process
Selection criteria include strong interest in the subject matter, merit, experience, other training or experience which may be required and explicit to the teaching goals/requirements of a specific course, applicant's previous receipt of financial aid, availability of funding, and relevance to graduate training. Applicants may request the status of their application from the program at any 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 Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.