TA Resources

Libraries

Bryn Mawr College has three libraries: Canaday, Carpenter, and Collier, and shares collections with the Haverford and Swarthmore college libraries. 

• Canaday Library is the College’s main humanities and social sciences library. It houses the humanities and social sciences collections, Special Collections, the College Archives, computer labs, the Writing Center, the Lusty Cup Cafe, and many library staff offices. 

• Carpenter Library collections support programs in History of Art; Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology; Greek, Latin, Classical Studies; and Growth and Structure of Cities. Carpenter also houses five classrooms and the Digital Media and Collaboration Lab. The library houses the Visual Resources Center, which supports instruction by providing access to visual media and by facilitating the use of digital tools. 

• Collier Science Library is located on the 3rd floor of the Park Science building and brings together the collections for Mathematics and the sciences. Collier is being rebuilt as part of the Park Science renovations in 2021-22 and is operating out of temporary quarters. 

Tripod the online public access catalog, provides information about the more than three million books, journals, videos, sound recordings, and other materials in the Bryn Mawr, Haverford, and Swarthmore College collections. Bryn Mawr maintains extensive relationships with other major academic libraries both in the region and worldwide through the EZ-Borrow system. You may also request items in almost any language from libraries across North America through interlibrary loan. 

Reserving Space

As a member of the Bryn Mawr community, you may reserve space in most buildings on campus through an online reservation system, the EMS Web App.

All space requests are confirmed on a first-come, first-serve basis and you need to use a brynmawr.edu address. Contact the Conferences and Events office (roomres@brynmawr.edu) directly to schedule a same day event. Beginning fall 2020, virtual public events now require EMS reservations. 

Computing

• The Help Desk is located on the main floor of Canaday Library and is available during building hours for walk-in help, email, and telephone assistance. 

• The Canaday Media Lab, located on Canaday’s A Floor just beyond the Lusty Cup, is equipped with advanced software for digitizing and editing text, images, audio and video for the creation of interactive presentations and courseware. 

• Public computing labs can be found in all three campus libraries and the Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research. 

• Laptops and multimedia equipment can be borrowed from the Help Desk based on availability. Contact the Help Desk with questions. The email address is help@brynmawr.edu. 

Educational Technology

Moodle: 

Moodle is Bryn Mawr’s Learning Management System (LMS). It can be used to share materials, give quizzes, surveys, and communicate with any closed-membership group. Sites are available for all academic courses and for student, faculty and staff committees and organizations. Built-in features such as Choice (a sign-up/polling feature), Assignment, Scheduler, and Gradebook can automate some aspects of course management, and teachers or TAs can set up discussion forums, blogs, and chats to foster communication and collaboration. LITS staff help Bryn Mawr faculty, students and staff use Moodle. If you cannot edit the moodle page for the course you can email the professor to request access. 

Recording Lectures, Talks or Instructional Video: 

LITS offers a range of options for recording lectures, talks, and instructional videos: 

• Panopto lecture capture system: Bryn Mawr subscribes to a cloud-based lecture capture and video streaming system that makes it easier for faculty, students, and staff to record lectures, talks and course-related instructional video. Panopto records audio of the speaker, a screencast of whatever is presented on screen or overhead, and (if desired) video, and streams them simultaneously on playback. Access to Panopto is currently through Moodle or through a direct link. 

• Self-service recording and editing: Bryn Mawr faculty, students and staff can also check out video cameras and can use video-editing software available on all campus machines to record and edit their own videos. 

Streaming Video: 

Bryn Mawr College subscribes to a wide variety of streaming video services and provides help with their use. For help with streaming video, contact Arleen Zimmerle, Media Librarian (azimmerl@brynmawr.edu) or email library@brynmawr.edu. 

Dean's Certificate in Pedagogy

The Dean’s Certificate in Pedagogy is offered by the two Graduate Schools of Bryn Mawr College and administered by the Dean of Graduate Studies. The program is available to all graduate and post-doctoral students who would like to develop and improve their teaching abilities and experiences. You can visit the Certificate in Pedagogy to find more information about this program. Upon successful completion of all requirements, students will receive the Certificate and a record on their transcripts. If you wish to learn more about the program, you can attend an information session on the Dean’s Certificate in Pedagogy hosted by the Dean and the TLI Faculty every fall semester. 

Online Teaching Institute (OTI)

The Online Teaching Institute (OTI) for Graduate Student Instructors was a fully online opportunity offered in July, 2021 in which graduate student instructors worked together to support the design of an online course. Throughout the Institute, graduate students new to teaching online had the opportunity to devise, create, and reflect on the different components of an online course. 

At the same time, participants with online teaching experience had a chance to work through the modules of the Institute to further reflect on their existing or previously taught online courses. Additionally, participants were able to attend collaborative synchronous sessions on Zoom. By the end of this Institute, participants were able to: 

• Build and support a community of inquiry in an online course. 

• Anticipate ways to efficiently manage student and instructor workload. 

• Articulate learner-centered outcomes and objectives for an online course. 

• Design effective online assessments aligned with course objectives. 

• Plan, organize, and create at least one online lesson plan on Moodle. 

• Identify which learning technology approach best fits a course’s learning objectives. 

Although the Institute is not currently being taught, you can still request access to the Moodle site to explore content and resources provided during the Institute. To request access to the Institute’s Moodle site, please contact Maria Ocando Finol at mocandofin@brynmawr.edu. 

Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI)

The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI) embraces a partnership model of faculty and student academic development and is supported jointly by Bryn Mawr and Haverford Colleges. TLI was created in 2006 as a part of a larger initiative to achieve the following commitments and processes: 

• To create new campus spaces and structures within which all members interact as teachers, learners, and colleagues. 

• To collaborate and create relationships that move beyond the limitations of traditional roles available in higher education. 

• To link everyone within the College community to educational opportunity and the opportunity to foster it for others. 

For more information, please visit the expanded TLI website which includes more information about pedagogical partnerships, TLI programming, and resources for teaching and learning in the Bi-Co and at other institutions. 

Pedagogy Circles for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Pedagogy Circles are open to faculty, administrators, staff, and students at Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges. They are facilitated by TLI Student Consultants, aim to support cross-constituency dialogue, and offer a space for members of the community to explore how they are acting on and working toward anti-racism, diversity, inclusivity, and equity within and beyond classrooms. Contact Alison Cook-Sather, Mary Katharine Woodworth Professor of Education and Director of the Teaching and Learning Institute, at acooksat@brynmawr.edu for more information about the Pedagogy Circles. 

The Undergraduate Dean's Office

Unlike many other schools which have two different offices of the academic and student life deans, Bryn Mawr maintains a single Dean’s Office, located on the “courtyard level” of Guild Hall. In most cases, each dean promotes the academic and personal growth of undergraduates at the College through advising and programming. Overall, the Dean’s Office serves as a hub for most campus 

resources. As a TA, you should encourage your students to seek out their dean for any questions they might have. More information in terms of advice to students can be found at the Dean’s office website.

Additionally, if you have any questions about the College’s undergraduate regulations, requirements, courses, policies, procedures, and resources, feel free to contact one of the undergraduate deans directly (deansoffice@brynmawr.edu). 

Undergraduate Student Resources

If you find that students in the course are struggling academically, you should encourage them to meet with the instructor during office hours, come to your TA and review sessions, and meet with their dean. Your instructor and/or you might also direct them to the following student resources: 

The Writing Center offers free, individual consultations on writing assignments of any kind. It also provides consultations on public speaking and professional tutoring for multilingual (ESL) writers. Visit the Writing Center Web site for more information: The Office of Academic Support assists students in identifying and implementing strategies for effective learning by collaborating with each student to adopt methods that utilize their unique strengths. Rachel Heiser, The Director of Academic Support Services, coordinates the Peer Mentoring Program and the Peer Tutoring Program. Mentors are strong students who have been trained to help others improve their study skills and manage their time. Visit the Academic Support siteage to find more information about academic support and learning resources for undergraduate students. 

Access Services provides accommodations for learning-disabled students. If students speak to you about disability-related concerns, notify the faculty instructor for the course, so the faculty instructor can refer them to the Director of Access Services, Deb Alder (dalder@brynmawr.edu). When a student is at risk of not completing a course successfully, please express your concerns directly to the student and encourage them to make full use of the abovementioned resources. You should also notify the faculty instructor for the course who can communicate with the Deans if necessary. 

References and Useful Readings

Baum, S., McPherson M. S. (2019). Improving teaching: strengthening the college learning experience. Journal of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, 

148(4). https://www.amacad.org/daedalus/improving-teaching-strengthen- ing-college-learning-experience 

Boyland, C., Moss, T., Ocando Finol, M., Pfundt, A., Siesing, G. (2021). Online Teaching Institute for Graduate Student Instructors. Moodle. Bryn Mawr College. https://moodle.brynmawr.edu/enrol/index.php?id=2413 

Bryn Mawr College. (2020). Bryn Mawr College Sexual Misconduct Policy. https://www.brynmawr.edu/sites/default/files/migrated-files/Bryn-Mawr-Col- lege-Sexual-Misconduct-Policy_2020-2021.pdf 

Bryn Mawr College. Undergraduate catalog. 

Cook-Sather, A. Pedagogy Circles for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. 

The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI). Bryn Mawr College. 

https://tli-resources.digital.brynmawr.edu/programs-and-opportunities/ pedagogy-circles-for-diversity-equity-and-inclusion/ 

Cook-Sather, A. Resources for faculty, staff, and students. 

The Teaching and Learning Institute (TLI). Bryn Mawr College. http://tli-resources.digital.brynmawr.edu/resources-and-scholarship/ resources-for-faculty-and-staff/#a/i 

Glassman E. (1980). Teacher as leader. New Directions for Teaching & Learning, 1980. https://doi.org/10.1002/tl.37219800106 

Graduate School of Arts and Sciences of Bryn Mawr College. (2023). 

GSAS catalog and handbook 2023-2024. https://www.brynmawr.edu/gsas/about-school/policies-forms 

GSAS Student Resources. Moodle. Bryn Mawr College. https://moodle.brynmawr.edu/course/view.php?id=2467 

Gullette, M. M. (1984). The art and craft of teaching. Harvard University Press. 

McKeachie, W. J., Svinicki, M. D. (2014). McKeachie’s teaching tips: strategies, research, and theory for college and university teachers (14th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. 

Rotenberg, R. (2016). The art and craft of college teaching: a guide for new professors and graduate students (2nd ed.). New York. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315419015