Any UMD staff or faculty member who holds a master's degree and wants to help new students make a successful transition to academic and student life on our campus is encouraged to teach the UST 1000 course. Courses are either one or two credits and are scheduled around the instructor's other work and teaching responsibilities. The courses are often considered an overload to an employee's contract and, if so, are compensated accordingly.
"I teach seminar because I really love students!" Stacy Crawford, UST 1000 Instructor
Resources for Teaching First-year Students
All those selected to teach the UST 1000 course attend orientation sessions late in the spring semester that provides an overview of the goals of the course as well as the principles on which it is built. Sessions on active learning, inclusive pedagogy, and community building are just some of the topics typically covered during training.
High-quality teaching and content consistency among the various sections of UST 1000 are top priorities of the program, so instructors are provided access to a Canvas site that includes an outlined syllabus, materials for teaching, and other resources to make the course successful. Instructors use this site to create and design their own courses, based on the four pillars of UST 1000: 1) introduction to liberal education, 2) communicating across difference, 3) self-reflection as a life skill and 4) support services and opportunities at UMD.
Application Process
If you are interested in teaching the UST 1000 course, please contact Sam Shanks ([email protected]) for information about the application process.