Carolyn M. Fay: Teaching Portfolio: Responsibilities
Description of Teaching Responsibilities

Throughout my teaching career, I have taught all levels of undergraduate French language, literature, and culture.  I have also had the opportunity to teach interdisciplinary courses in general education. (See  Recent Courses to access the sample list of syllabi.) 

Penn State Altoona

As Assistant Professor of French at Penn State Altoona, I was the sole full-time instructor of French.  My responsibilities included the intermediate and elementary French language sequence, as well as general education courses in French culture, literature, and film.  In addition, I oversaw all extracurricular and co-curricular French program activities for the campus, I advised students on placement in the French language sequence, I mentored and advised students interested in study abroad in French-speaking countries, and I mentored and advised students considering the French major and minor at Penn State University Park.  As an advisor for the College of Liberal Arts, I also advised first-year undergraduate students. 

Elementary and intermediate French language courses meet three days a week for a total of four contact hours.  The typical enrollment is between 20 and 25.  General education courses in French culture, literature, and film meet either two or three days a week for a total of three contact hours.  The usual enrollment is between 25 and 30 students. 

My goals as director of French program activities at Penn State Altoona were simple:  to foster awareness of French and francophone culture across the college campus, and to provide students of French extra- and co-curricular experiences to support their learning.  Some sample activities include: French Film series (4-6 films per semester), French Cheese Tasting Event, and Study Abroad Informational Session for students interested in programs in France and French-speaking countries.    

Franklin and Marshall College

From 2002 to 2004, I was Visiting Assistant Professor of French at F&M.  I was responsible for French 101 and 102 (elementary language) as well as advanced courses in nineteenth- and twentieth-century French literature and civilization. In addition, I contributed to F&M's general education curriculum and taught an interdisciplinary course in English on Sleep and Dreams.

French language courses at F&M meet three days a week, with one additional weekly meeting with a French teaching assistant, who worked with the students under my supervision. The typical enrollment was 20 students. Advanced courses meet two or three days a week and enrollment ranged between 15 and 20 students.

The University of Virginia

At UVA, I taught courses in literature and cultural studies as a Faculty Lecturer in 2001-2002. In addition to teaching three courses per semester, I was also an academic advisor to 15 first-year students. Typical enrollment in advanced undergraduate French courses was 15-18, although there were 26 enrolled students in "Le Sommeil et les rêves", a cultural studies course I taught in Spring 2002.  Advanced courses met twice a week.

I have seven years' experience teaching elementary and intermediate French language courses as a graduate instructor at UVa. I have also taught advanced conversation courses, an intensive intermediate grammar course, and a reading course for graduate students. The typical enrollment in the language courses is 21 and 15 in the conversation courses.

As a graduate instructor, I was solely responsible for the courses I taught: duties included lesson plans and assignments, test generation and grading. In some cases, I have significantly redesigned a course. (See French 232 with electronic component.) Per semester, I usually taught either two sections of a course that meets three hours a week, or one section of a course that meets five hours a week plus a one hour a week conversation course, for a total of six classroom hours a week. I was also available for a minimum of two hours a week in my office for students seeking contact outside of class. (See Evaluations, no. 4).

In addition, I have served in several administrative and leadership positions related to the courses I teach. I was the 2002 Co-Director of the Summer Language Institute in French at UVa with my colleague Candace Cone. This was a nine-week intensive immersion program that covers the material for four 3-credit courses in French language (101-202). Students had 6 hours of instruction per day, plus evening cultural activities, 5 days a week. After the first two weeks, all instruction and activities, whether in or outside of the classroom, were in French. As Co-Director, I was responsible for designing the program of study, supervising the teaching staff, selecting applicants for admission, and teaching the morning classes of the first half of the session.

During my time as a graduate instructor at UVa, I often served as Course Chair, organizing multi-section courses, working with up to 9 other instructors, designing course syllabi and procedures, and leading meetings related to administration of the courses. Many of the instructors I worked with were new teachers or new to UVa; consequently, I frequently assisted in their training--providing additional guidelines and ideas, sample lesson plans, instructions on how to grade assignments and trouble-shooting techniques. This experience prepared me to take on the role of Co-Director of the Required Course Sequence in French during the Spring semester of 1997 with my colleague Candace Cone. In this position, I was directly responsible for all of the elementary and intermediate French courses offered in the RCS sequence. We supervised a teaching staff of 30, advised instructors and students on placement, scheduled and staffed the teaching roster for the Fall 1997 semester and worked with students who demonstrated special learning needs in language classes. Independent of the aforementioned positions, I also served on committees related to teaching--including textbook selection committees and instructional technology roundtables. These activities, though they occured outside of the physical boundaries of the classroom, directly supported my teaching as well as that of my colleagues.

Finally, an important facet of my teaching responsibilities is my leadership and participation in teacher training workshops. At the beginning of each Fall semester, the UVa French Department conducts a one-week orientation for new instructors. I taught a variety of sessions regularly in this orientation. I have also led workshops that appeal to a broader community of teachers under the auspices of the Teaching Resource Center, the Arts and Sciences Media Center and the Center for the Liberal Arts at UVa. I enjoy leading workshops and benefit from sharing my ideas and experiences with other instructors. Such dialogs support and sustain my classroom and administrative experiences. (See Workshop Materials.) Regardless of the particular endeavor, whether teaching a course or directing a program, I believe that my most important RteachingS responsibility is to learn. (See Improvement and Goals).


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