TAGSA is a special interest group of STLHE that seeks to raise the profile of TA and graduate student development in Canada and to provide leadership in highlighting initiatives to develop teaching skills and other professional skills in graduate students. In particular, this group intends to build a strong network of like-minded professionals and students who will work together to:

• Expose graduate students, faculty members, administrators and employers to the benefits of developing a wide range of skills in students undertaking a graduate degree;

• Help graduate students identify and practice the skills they will need in order to work effectively as academics, as public or private sector researchers, or as other educational professionals;

• Expose graduate students to the field of educational development.

Goals

• To create a community of professionals dedicated to the betterment of training and support of TAs and to the development of professional skills in graduate students

• To develop a network of communication between TA training programs and graduate skills development programs

• To provide a forum for the sharing of resources between TA and graduate student developers

• To advocate, through the sharing of ideas and resources, for improved TA support and training and improved skills development in graduate students across Canada

• To identify funding for TA training initiatives and graduate student professional skills development initiatives across Canada

• To offer professional development opportunities to those working to train TAs or provide professional skills development and support to graduate students across Canada

• To serve as a resource on TA training or graduate professional skills development for other STLHE members, through publications, workshops, concurrent sessions, roundtables, and posters at STLHE and regional conferences

• To serve as a resource on TA training or graduate professional skills development for the broader academic community, including government organizations, Faculties of Graduate Studies and other bodies

• To provide funding for graduate students interested in presenting at the annual STLHE conference, in order to defray registration and/or travel costs

Membership

The TAGSA membership is open to members-in-good-standing of STLHE who have current, former or imminent responsibility for the planning, organization or delivery of TA training or graduate student professional development activities within a post-secondary institution and who support the aims of the SIG. Membership is also open to faculty members and staff who work with TAs and graduate students, and students who are TAs.

Contact

For information about TAGSA, please visit https://tagsacanada.wordpress.com/.

If you would like to join TAGSA and the list serv, contact tagsa@stlhe.ca.