LA Program Overview
The LA program in General
The LA program @ FGCU
What is a LA?
A Learning Assistant, or LA, is an undergraduate student who, through the guidance of course instructors and a special pedagogy course, facilitates discussions among groups of students in a variety of classroom settings that encourage student engagement and responsibility for learning.
What do LAs do?
Work with students in active-learning classrooms
Foster a mentoring relationship with faculty
Develop pedagogical skills
Reinforce their own prior learning
Build up their resumes for graduate school
Earn $ OR earn service learning hours
What happens during the prep meeting?
LAs collaborate with faculty to prepare for the upcoming week, such as by working through activities.
Faculty and LAs can ask for feedback and address student concerns.
Topics from the pedagogy course can be discussed in relation to the course.
You can learn more about the LA program in general from the Learning Assistant Alliance
The three main pillars of the LA experience (Learning Assistant Alliance 2016)
What is the time commitment to be an LA @ FGCU?
Approximate time per week during a full semester: 7 hours
3 hours in class that you are LA for
1 hour prep meeting with faculty
2 hours reviewing / office hours / other
1 hour for pedagogical training
Approximate time per week during a Summer A/B semester: 20 hours
What activities qualify for hours (pay or service learning)?
Class you are LA for meeting time (usually 3 hours per week)
Prep meeting time (1 hour per week)
Office hours (usually 2 hours per week)
Pedagogy seminar and assignments (1-2 hours per week)
How much do LAs @ FGCU earn?
New LAs earn $14 per hour. Returning LAs who have satisfactorily completed the first semester of pedagogical training will earn $16 per hour.
Do I need to take the pedagogy seminar?
Yes, all LAs are required to take the pedagogy seminar, which includes some assignments.
Do I need to pay for the pedagogy course?
The pedagogical training is no longer a course for credit (as of Fall 2023). It is a required weekly seminar.
How do I track my hours for pay?
Log in to Workday at the start of any activity that qualifies for pay and log out when done. It is easiest through the app.
How do I track my hours for service learning?
Just keep track yourself throughout the semester then submit them through the service learning portal at the end of the semester. List your faculty member as your supervisor.
Can I work as an LA and in another position on campus?
Maybe. Students can only work jobs with hourly pay or stipend. LAs are paid hourly, so if you currently have a stipend position that cannot be changed to hourly, then you can only work as an LA for service learning hours. Also, your total hours for all your positions with the university each week cannot exceed 29.
Can a full time SP employee be an LA?
Yes, but only for service learning hours (an SLA) because otherwise the hours for pay would be considered overtime.
Can LAs work in an online class?
Not currently. We've struggled to show the effectiveness of LAs in completely online classes, and it is also harder for everyone to track hours. If you have a novel way to incorporate an LA into an online course, please reach out to us to share your ideas.