Like most units on campus, the Program in the Environment hires qualified graduate students to assist professors with class laboratory, discussion and lecture sessions. Consistent with the Program's interdisciplinary focus, these graduate student instructors (GSIs) are from a variety of academic disciplines across campus.

Graduate students interested in applying for a GSI position in the Program in the Environment should read about our application procedure, selection process and frequently asked questions.
GSI Application Procedure

Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for an instructor position, a graduate student must commit to registering for at least 6 hours of coursework, and be qualified to do the teaching that is outlined in the position description. In addition, students must be making satisfactory progress toward the degree, as determined by their home unit. Ph.D. students will be limited to ten terms of teaching and masters students to four terms of teaching. Teaching while enrolled in a masters program counts toward the ten-term limit for students who go on for a Ph.D.

Each applicant should take care to outline his/her specific qualifications for each position s/he applies for. The selection of PitE GSIs is a competitive process. In 2007, 141 candidates submitted more than 300 applications for 12 open fall term positions.

The frequently asked questions section addresses other eligibility issues.

Compensation
Each GSI appointment of .25 or greater provides a stipend, tuition waiver and health benefits during the term of appointment. If a student has a GSI appointment in the Winter Term, and again the following Fall, s/he is also eligible for carryover benefits during the Spring/Summer Term. Each GSI appointment is for one term only.

Application
A complete application includes:

  • one application cover sheet [PDF] regardless of how many positions you are applying for .
  • a separate electronic PDF file (all items in a single file) for each position you are applying for:
    (a) cover letter,
    (b) resume or CV,
    (c) U-M transcript or undergraduate transcript if new U-M student,
    (d) previous teaching evaluations, if available.

e.g. If you are applying to GSI Environ 201 and Environ 360, you will submit 3 PDFs: the application cover sheet, a PDF file with items (a)-(d) above for Environ 201 and another PDF file with items (a)-(d) above for Environ 360.

Application Process
A GSI Application Workshop is held twice each year in September and January. Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to attend this workshop.

  • The next application workshops will be Monday, September 22, 2008 from 2-3 p.m. and Friday, September 26, 2008 from 1-2 p.m.  Both workshops are in room 2024 Dana Building.

Notices of open positions are tentatively scheduled to be posted on the Program's website September 29, 2008 for winter term and in February for fall 2009 term.