Graduate Student TORs

Graduate students throughout programs at Baylor University, both at the master's and doctoral level, have the opportunity to teach undergraduate classes as "Teachers Of Record." A "Teacher of Record" (TOR) is listed by the registrar as the course section instructor, creates the syllabus, and is responsible for assigning student grades. Evidence shows that this is beneficial to graduate students, preparing them for future jobs in the academy—possibly even speeding their time to degree while reducing their waiting time on the job market. The Baylor University Graduate School works to support graduate student TORs.

To Meet SACSCOC Accreditation Requirements

• For classroom instruction, must have a master's degree in the teaching discipline or completed 18 graduate-level  credit hours in the discipline they are teaching
  • Approved Exemptions:
    • Co-requisite Lab section(s) (designated by a letter),
    • 1-hour HHPR activity course,
    • 1 hour Music Instruction course,
    • PUBH 1145
    • For details on approved exemptions, see here.  
• Only teach undergraduate-level courses
• Must be mentored by a faculty member, including planned and periodic evaluations.
• If audited, we must be able to supply records of qualification, thus the online form.

All Teachers of Record are required to have a Faculty Certification of Credentials Form that is approved by the Provost’s Office, ensuring that we have documented appropriate qualifications to meet SACSCOC accreditation guidelines and so that the Graduate School can properly connect TORs to training. Filling out the FCCF form also alerts Human Resources who will complete a background check and the Equity, Civil Rights, and Title IX Office who will send appropriate training.  

A reminder to fill out the FCCF form for will be sent through the Graduate School Update emails near the end of each semester.  The form only needs to be completed for a graduate student working as the Teacher of Record for their first time, or for a graduate student teaching in a new area for the first time (for example, a Philosophy PhD student teaching a Business ethics course).

Onboarding Steps for First-time Graduate Student TORs

1. Enter the student's information in the Faculty Certification of Credentials Form, selecting GTA under "primary University appointment of the instructor." Once the FCCF has been submitted and is entered into the workflow, you’ll receive an email. If the FCCF is ultimately approved or rejected at any step, you will receive another email
2. Teacher of Record Training (TORT):  This required training is focused on policy, procedures, and university resources. Filling out the Faculty Certification of Credentials Form alerts the Graduate School of first-time TORs so that we can enroll them in the Canvas course TOR Training (TORT). All TORs must complete this course; the Graduate School will monitor student participation and alert GPDs of non-compliant students. The content covers:
   1. The concept of academic freedom, including its significance in higher education, and instances of academic freedom policy violations.
   2. The role of the Office of Access and Learning Accommodation (OALA), and instructors' responsibilities in relation to the OALA office.
   3. The basic concepts of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), and FERPA violations.
   4. Resources for students including the Counseling Center, the Academic Success Center, and the Spiritual Life Center.
   5. Classroom administration procedures, including attendance policies, grading, drop deadlines, and record-keeping policies.
   6. Common examples of violations of the Baylor honor code and their potential consequences.
   7. Baylor's interpersonal conduct policies and appropriate dos and don'ts in relation to those policies.
   8. Title IX and instructors' responsibilities and reporting procedures.
   9. Contact information for the Department of Public Safety to ensure the safety of students and the Baylor community in the event of an emergency.
   10. Fire evacuation routes and bad weather shelter locations in the building they are assigned to teach in.
   11. The procedures to be taken in the event of an active shooter situation.
3. Title IX training:  All graduate students who work as a Teacher of Record at Baylor University must complete Civil Rights and Title IX Training from the perspective of a Required Responsible employee. Filling out the Faculty Certification of Credentials Form alerts the Equity Office that your student will be working in this role. Students will need to self-enroll in the Canvas version of the course using the following link: https://baylor.instructure.com/enroll/KH9WEP. (Please note that it is possible a graduate student TOR will have to complete both the Responsible Employee Title IX training and the student Title IX training, which are separate courses. This is only a small subgroup;  if this is the case, The Equity Office will assign the student Title IX training and notify the individual by email.)
4. Background Check.  All first-time Teachers of Record must clear a background check. Filling out the Faculty Certification of Credentials Form alerts Human Resources, and HR will email each first-time TOR in regard to completing a background check through the HireRight company. Please let your students know this email is legitimate and they should follow the instructions that will come from Human Resources and HireRight. The background check is mandatory.   
5. Payroll for graduate student TORs must be set up separately.  See our Graduate Student Payroll page for instructions.
6. For first-time TORs, someone in the department with access in ChairSIS will need to add the graduate student as an instructor, which will then populate into CLSS.  The Registrar’s office is working with IT to automate this process, but for now this is a required step.  Contact Michelle_Galvan@baylor.edu with any questions.
7. Please direct your graduate student TORs to the webpage:Teacher of Record Training (TORT) for details from a grad student perspective.
8. Please encourage your graduate student TORs to take advantage of the many workshops and resources of the Academy for Teaching and Learning (ATL).  The Graduate School partners with the ATL to offer the Teaching Capstone in Higher Education (TeaCHE). This capstone, which is listed on transcripts, is intended to enhance readiness to teach in a higher education environment and provide distinction on the job market.  
9. Departments should provide pedagogical training specific to their discipline, as well as arrange for assigned mentoring and evaluation processes.