Even after students spend hours studying the Course of instruction and the CUE Guide, shopping dozens of lectures and seeking out word-of-mouth,even the best -planned schedule can be foiled by one thing: a terriable section leader

In a lecture class with hundreds of students, the professor 's teaching ability may not b as important as the skill of the Teaching Fellow (TF) explaining diffcult concept or leading a meaningful discussion.

Beacuse TFs arer crucial to undergraduate education, it is often the students who suffer the consequences when their graduate student instructors fail to make the grade.

Whe undergraduates recieve an unsatisfactory report card, thy can turn to the Bureau of Study Council, the Writing Center and other on-Campus resources for help.

When their TFs are burned by a low score on student evaluations, they can turn to the Bok center and the Commitee on undergraduate Education (CUE).

The CUE is dedecated to students and their education, says Terry Aladjem, assistant director of the Derek Bok Center for Teaching and Learning, and it works closely with the Bok Center in helping both TFs who receive low scores and experience TFs who just want to improve their skills

"We work to ensure the best possible teaching for our undergraduates," wrote Dean of Undergraduate Education William M. Todd III in an e-mail message.

"But, together with the Bok Center and the Dean of Graduate students all possible help in developing their pedagogical abilities," he added.

ATF's Report Card

The CUE offers professors the option to evaluate their own performnces and their TF's as well midway through each semester. The figures published in the in annual CUE guide are also used to alert the dean of Undergraduate education to possible problems with a specific TF's teaching. When a CUE guide score for a TF is too lows, actrion is immediatley taken.

"When a TF falls below 3.0, we write the letter in which we outline some measure the TF can take it improfe his/her performance," Todd wrote in an e-mail message.

The letter acknowledges that the CUE guide scores may be due to unusual circumstance but offer some specific suggestions on Where TFs can getteaching advice Talking to the coursehead and meeting with Bok Center staff are two of the usual course that TFs take.

If a TF receives a low score for a second semeaster ia a row, the CUE may prohibit the TF from further teaching. In extreme cases, According to Todd, the TF can be removed during the middle o a semester but it is a rare occurence.

Sending TFs Back to School

While it may seem that evryone and their roommate complains about "bad" TFs, the reality is that very few TFs receive the minimum CUE guide score of 3.0 Last semester, 37 TFs out of ever 1,000 received letters advising them to seek help with their teaching.