3.1.3 Submitting Requests for Acting Instructor-Graduate Student Approval

(last updated 08/21/15)

Acting Instructor-Graduate Student variance requests must be submitted to Graduate Division, which will forward the requests to COCI.

Requests for COCI approval of an AI-GS appointment should always include the following items:

  1. The graduate student’s most recent curriculum vitae;

  2. A letter from the department chair (or dean) that explains why the department needs to have a graduate student teach the course (see Circumstances above) as well as the student’s particular qualifications to teach the course (see Condition 2 above);

  3. Current documentation (such as a summary of teaching evaluations or letters of recommendation) that speaks to the student’s experience and ability as a college-level instructor; and

  4. Documentation that an appropriate faculty member (from the department making the request) has reviewed and approved the syllabus that the student intends to use for the course. Whenever possible, a current copy of the syllabus should be included.

Requests are to be submitted to the Associate Dean of the Graduate Division for endorsement before being forwarded to COCI for final review and approval. Please contact the Graduate Appointments Office for more information at gradappt@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail).

For the fall and spring terms, COCI must receive AI-GS requests no later than two weeks prior to the first day of instruction in the term for which approval is being requested. Except in highly unusual circumstances, submissions received after the start of instruction will not be accepted. AI-GS requests for summer terms must be submitted for COCI review by April 24.

Please note that COCI must receive requests from the Graduate Division before these deadlines. Therefore, requests should be submitted to the Graduate Appointments Office well in advance in order to allow time for processing and review by the Associate Dean.