In LLL, participation in the FPP is open to any graduate student, regardless of that student’s status as a teaching assistant. Most students enroll in the FPP their first year. A student may enroll and participate in the FPP with or without intention to pursue the CUT (Certificate in University Teaching). Active participation in the FPP (and progress toward completing LLL requirements for the CUT) are reflected, in part, by attendance at FPP seminars. To be eligible for an FPP stipend, students will complete an FPP Participation Summary each Spring that outlines the events that have attended, including a brief reflection on these experiences.

Pursuing the CUT

LLL students who choose to pursue the CUT must select a Teaching Mentor and a Research Mentor. These faculty will oversee progress toward completing the CUT requirements, including an Independent Mentored Teaching experience (Teaching Mentor), revision of two research papers (Research Mentor), and completion and defense of a CUT porfolio (both Teaching Mentor and Research Mentor). A mentored teaching experience is implicit for LLL teaching assistants and students in some programs/concentrations. For those students who are not in these groups, students will work with their Teaching Mentor to ensure that the requirement is satisfied.
Students who are TAs often, but are not required, to choose their supervisor as Teaching Mentor. The Research Mentor should be a member of the research faculty.

For successful completion of the CUT, LLL requires that students attend at least 4 FPP seminars, as well as two additional professionalization events chosen in consultation with their Teaching Mentor. These two additional events can be other FPP seminars, or other on- or off-campus events. Guidelines for completion of the CUT portfolio, the items to be included, and sample portfolios will be made available to enrolled FPP students by the LLL FPP/CUT Liaison.

While most LLL students will complete the CUT requirements and defend their CUT portfolio in the Spring semester before Spring graduation, accommodations will be made for students on an alternative schedule so that they may defend in a Fall semester in advance of a Fall graduation. Students to whom this might apply should bring this to the attention of the LLL FPP/CUT Liaison at the beginning of the Fall semester in which the defense will occur.