Teaching in the College

Becoming an associate instructor

At Indiana University Bloomington, associate instructors are student academic appointees who engage in teaching. Associate instructors have direct contact with students and are responsible for assigning grades for at least a portion of a course. The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs handles matters related to student academic appointments, including duties and responsibilities of associate instructors.

When you apply for admission to a graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences, you are automatically considered for student academic appointments, including associate instructorships, in the department or program in which you will pursue your degree.

Special requirements for international students

If you are an international student, you must meet special requirements to be certified to serve as an associate instructor at IU Bloomington. Certification is a two-step process.

Step 1: Meet minimum TOEFL requirements or pass the Indiana English Proficiency Exam
The first step in the certification process is to meet the minimum TOEFL requirements or pass the Indiana Academic English Test (IAET), a three-part exam that covers listening, reading, and writing. If you do not pass one or more parts of the exam, you are required to take the appropriate remedial courses before you can proceed to the next step of the process.

Step 2: Pass the Test of English Proficiency for Associate Instructor Candidates
Once you have met the TOEFL requirements, passed the IEPE, or completed appropriate remedial courses, you may take the Test of English Proficiency for Associate Instructor Candidates (TEPAIC). The exam consists of a 15-minute interview with two faculty members from the IU English Language Improvement Program. When you pass the TEPAIC, you are certified to serve as an associate instructor at IU.

If you score a borderline fail on the TEPAIC exam, you may appeal the decision and take the TEPAIC APPEAL, a teaching performance exam. If you fail the TEPAIC and the APPEAL exam, you can choose from a variety of English language training options to improve your skills through the Department of Second Language Studies.

All international students should be aware of work authorization requirements as noted through the Office of International Services when considering initial employment or changes to their employment status.  The College always recommends speaking with OIS prior to taking any action in order to avoid potential violations or complications of your work authorization.