Oklahoma State University


International Teaching Assistant Program


Any new international teaching assistant (ITA) is required to participate in the international teaching assistant orientation and evaluation workshop. New ITA's must attend the three sessions of the Orientation (whether they have taught in a classroom somewhere else or not). Then, those ITA's who pass SPEAK and the ITA Test will be eligible to teach in the classroom. The ITA Test is a 10-minute evaluation procedure in which the ITA presents 5 minutes of information for an undergraduate lab, recitation, or lecture. Each ITA Test (the 5-minute mini-lesson plus the q/a period) will be evaluated by two faculty members from the English Department, a faculty member from the ITA's department, and a small group of undergraduate students. International graduate students who wish to take the ITA Test should:

  • have a passing score of at least 220 on the SPEAK, or 50 on TSE

  • prepare a 5-minute presentation on a topic that they might be asked to teach, i.e. a topic appropriate for an undergraduate course in their field,

  • be prepared to respond to questions in a five minute question/answer period following the presentation.

    The ITA program is offered at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. The program is currently only offered in Stillwater and is given from 3:00- 5:30 in room 313 Classroom Building on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday the week prior to school starting. Students must attend all three sessions. Further information about the ITA can be found at this web address: http://english.okstate.edu/ita/

  • International teaching assistants must participate in the international teaching assistant orientation and evaluation workshop offered at the beginning of fall and spring semesters. Students must receive an evaluation of Pass or Provisional Pass prior to teaching in the classroom.

  • All international students must obtain a work clearance BEFORE the payroll process can be completed. It is the international student's responsibility to see that his/her work clearance is renewed before it expires to avoid loss of pay. This can be done at International Students and Scholars Department.

    Prior to your first day of employment, all international students must complete Section One of the Employment Eligibility Form (I-9) and provide Departmental personnel with original documents pertaining to their identity and eligibility to work within the United States. Students will be required to submit weekly status reports of their application process and will be expected to provide their social security number as soon as they have been issued one. University policy requires that all non-citizens of the United States hold appropriate visas in order to be employed as graduate assistants. If the student is not a US citizen or Permanent Resident card holder, they must appear in the Office of International Students and Scholars in 076 Student Union prior to starting work as an assistant in order to obtain an on-campus work permit. Students must also complete form I-9 ( see http://www.uscis.gov/files/form/I-9.pdf for complete details).


    • Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources