MELISSA HALTERMAN/Arizona Daily Wildcat NATS 101 preceptor Jan Paul De Dios moistens a plot of soil as class TA Luisa Ikner and preceptor David Rutherford prepare to take the temperature during a lab session Feb. 19. Many instructors want to know if the preceptor programs are on the agenda of the new Vice Provost for Instruction Jerry Hogle.

Profs curious as to what thoughts new vice provost has for program

When Hal Larson first started teaching a Tier One NATS class, he was overwhelmed by the class size and workload.

"I quickly realized I couldn't teach a science class without help," said Larson, a planetary sciences professor who teaches NATS 101 "Planet Earth: Evolution of the Habitable World."

For several years, Larson has used preceptors, or undergraduate students, to help teach his courses. In 1998, he was a key founder of the Teaching Team Program, the largest preceptor program on campus.

Although preceptor programs have been self-sufficient since their inception because of budget constraints, professors who use preceptors want to know if Jerry Hogle, the English professor who took over the new vice provost for instruction position in January, has the preceptor programs on his agenda.

While the Teaching Team Program, like all the preceptor programs, was born and raised without help from the administration thanks to more than $1 million in grants, faculty members such as Larson want to pick Hogle's mind.

"No administrator has ever asked, ÎHow can we help you?''' said Larson. "We are curious whether Dr. Hogle sees (the Teaching Team Program) as a piece of his agenda."

When asked about his role in the preceptor programs, Hogle gave a brief response via e-mail.

"This program engages students in their own learning and in the learning of their peers with usual focus and consistency," Hogle said. "Like professor Larson, I hope we can find ways to expand this program's use into as many courses as are suitable for it."

Jim Knight, the agriculture education department head who has mentored preceptors, said preceptor programs have helped the UA become the premiere student-centered research university in the nation.

I hope we can find ways to expand this program's use into as many courses as are suitable for it. ÷ Jerry Hogle, vice provost for instruction

Pete Kresan, a geosciences professor, is credited with forming the first preceptor program on campus in the 1980s.

"Back in the 1980s, there were a group of geology undergrads who expressed an interest to me they wanted to get involved with teaching," Kresan said. "There is no better training for future teachers than to get into the trenches and get some good mentoring from faculty."

If an undergraduate student scores high in a geosciences class, that student is eligible for signing up as a preceptor for the class in the future. In addition to helping the professor and TAs, the preceptor participates in weekly workshops to improve their teaching and professional skills.

The success of Kresan's program inspired faculty to organize their own preceptor programs across campus.

Media arts, life sciences, mining and geological engineering, classics and humanities are some of the departments that have tapped into the preceptor concept.

Jim Riley, a soil, water and environmental sciences professor, also based his preceptor program on Kresan's model. He uses preceptors in his NATS 101 "Introduction to Environmental Science" class.

"For non-science majors, this will be one of the two science courses they take. We want them to have a good feeling about science and math when they leave," Riley said.

Preceptors help prepare class materials, hold study sessions and help students with class work, Riley said.

"It is important to have students helping students because it is more likely the preceptor will put things into words that the students understand," Riley said.

For TAs who are already balancing school and research, teaching a discussion or lab class is often stressful.

"During a busy lab activity the preceptors are able to assist those students that I cannot immediately help," said Luisa Ikner, a soil, water and environmental sciences graduate student who manages a NATS 101 lab.

Lauren Lund, a journalism sophomore, is one of Larson's NATS 101 preceptors. Unlike the geoscience preceptors who help teach course material, Lund holds a weekly discussion session that helps classmates become better students by offering study and time management skills.

"Preceptors help freshmen who have never had a big lecture before," Lund said. "It makes them feel more comfortable."

Despite the benefits, not all students utilize their preceptors.

"I didn't feel like I needed (the preceptor program.) They help teachers more than students," said Bailey Quist, a music theatre freshman. "If I had a problem, I would ask the teacher directly."

The Teaching Teams Program has 31 classes with preceptors this semester. Over the last five years, the program has seen approximately 1,800 preceptors, aiding more than 100 faculty members. Extending through 46 academic departments, these undergraduate teachers have taught more than 40,000 students.

The Teaching Team Program would not have been possible without outside funding, said Karen Lutrick, a UA alumna who now oversees the Teaching Team Program.

"The administration knows what we want, but they can't give it to us, so they don't ask," Lutrick said. "The answer is we need more money and space."

The program was created with the help of a three-year Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education. Additional grants from the Kellogg Foundation and Hewlett Foundation have boosted the total amount of grant funding to more than $1 million since 1998.

In addition to seeking departmental and outside funding, Career Services, the University Teaching Center and the Learning Technology Center have all extended their resources to all the preceptor programs.

Because the preceptor programs are not institutionalized, some worry that programs could be in jeopardy if a key faculty member retires or leaves the UA.

"Yes, the programs could disappear if a key person leaves," Larson said. "There are a lot of people on campus who care about students who would not want to see these programs go away."

Some departments, such as geosciences, already have a game plan for the future.

"We will definitely continue (the preceptor program)," said Susan Beck, geosciences department head. "The department is very committed to the program."

Beck recognized Larson, Knight, Riley and Kresan as important figures in the history of UA preceptor programs.

"They have shown us all that these are valuable programs. Each year more faculty get involved," Beck said.