Lynda Byrne volunteers to teach GT1000 because it provides her with an opportunity to interact with students — something she generally doesn’t get to do as the Southeastern Consortium for Minorities in Engineering national education program manager. 

“I have been an instructor for my entire professional career, until recently,” she said. “In my new position, I work with K-12 educators, university faculty, and corporate sponsors; however, I found more and more that I missed the interaction with students that can only come from being in the classroom. So, last year, I read about GT1000 in The Whistle and applied to be one of the volunteer instructors for fall 2013.”

If you’re interested in teaching a section of the GT1000 Freshman Seminar in fall 2014, now is your chance. The Center for Academic Enrichment is currently seeking faculty and staff members to teach.

The one-credit seminar helps new first-year students adjust to college life, learn about their majors and related careers, and introduces them to campus resources. Each section has between 20 and 25 students, and instructors are assisted by students known as “team leaders,” adds Nirmal Trivedi, director, Academic Transition Programs.

“We welcome people from any department at Georgia Tech, provided they have a minimum of a master’s degree in any field, have been employed at Tech for a year as of this summer, and have the support of their department,” he said. “If a staff member has a bachelor’s degree, he or she may serve as a co-instructor in a section, provided we can find a primary instructor who has a master’s degree.”

Stephanie Johnston, executive assistant to the Institute’s president, also taught her first GT1000 class this past fall.

“I volunteered because I wanted to connect with the student community, learn more about Georgia Tech, and feel involved with campus,” she said. “I think watching the students evolve from nervous freshmen to confident college students was the most satisfying part of my experience.”

The Center for Academic Enrichment provides the course curriculum, resources, and training, and the time commitment is usually a minimum of two to three hours per week — an hour of class and one to two hours of administrative work.

During the summer, the Center for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning and the Center for Academic Enrichment hosts a training program for all new and returning instructors.

“For me, I found being back in the classroom personally satisfying,” Byrne said. “Working with Dr. Trivedi and others associated with GT1000 was a pleasure. They work hard to make the instructor’s transition into the program as seamless as possible.”

The deadline to apply is April 18, but applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis. For more information, email Trivedi.