Running Your Program
Overview
While the LA Model has three essential elements, characteristic of all LA Programs (Pedagogy Course, Weekly Preparation, and Practice), individual LA Programs will vary from institution to institution based on specific strengths, needs and resources.
LA Campus (LAC)
LA Campus provides a tool that your institution can use to manage course proposals, reviewers for hiring, Learning Assistant assignments, communication and much more.
The implementation guide provides detail on the various components of the LA Model and has examples of how the LA Model is implemented at diverse institutions such as Two Year Colleges, Private Liberal Arts Colleges, Minority Serving Institutions, Large Public Research Institutions, and much more.
Resources and Questions to Consider
The following components are necessary for running an LA Program (with questions that you might consider):
Hiring and Supporting LAs
[Student Recruitment Considerations, Logistics for Hiring, Sample Orientation]
What is the application process? Who makes the hiring decisions? How will you pair LAs with faculty and courses? Will you interview LAs? Will there be an orientation for new LAs?
What are the requirements for LAs? Minimum GPA? Experience and good knowledge of course? Good interpersonal skills?
Involving Faculty
What is the application process for faculty? How active does a course need to be to be provided with an LA?
How will you support new faculty to your LA Model?
How does participating in the LA Program support faculty development?
Sustaining your Program
[Sample Semester Timeline, Establishing Leadership]
Consider your timeline: When will you accept LA Applications? Faculty Applications? When will you hire LAs and make assignments? How much time does your institution need to process paperwork?
Who will be the leaders in your LA Program? ( ... the folks who make sure things happen.) Are there coordinators in each of the disciplines involved? Will you involve the College of Education to support your work in the pedagogy course? Will you leverage experienced LAs as LA Mentors?
Managing Growth and Scaling your Program
The program management cases provide descriptions of LA program management structures and growth timelines.
Will the administrative structure change as the program grows? Will you need to add department coordinators or course coordinators in addition to program coordinators?
As your program grows, how will you ensure you have adequate resources to run the program? Will you need administrative support? How do you identify an ally that support your requests? Will you work with Chairs? Deans? Office of Student Support?
Will you expand to other STEM disciplines? Disciplines outside of STEM? How will you ensure the fidelity of the Model as you grow?