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Undergraduate Teaching Opportunities Programme (UTOP)

We believe teaching reinforces understanding and learning of the individual, and fosters peer-to-peer support and collaborative learning. UTOP opens up opportunities for students to impart knowledge they learned during their course of study in SUTD.
Overview
UTOP Schedule
Guide for students
Guide for faculty/ staff
Student-initiated workshops

Guide for faculty/staff

UTA request

Need a helping hand? Faculty can submit your UTA request to UTOP Office via SAMS UTOP Portal during the UTA request period (refer to schedule).

 

To qualify for UTA request, the module/subject must have run at least once, so that undergraduates who have taken the module before can be engaged as UTA.

Student-initiated workshops

Faculty may be approached by students to be an advisor for their own self-initiated UTOP workshops.

 

The role of an advisor is to provide support and advice on the students’ activity. He/she may simply act as a resource, moderator or to point students in the right direction whenever necessary. He/she is also required to endorse the students’ proposal plan prior to submission and student timesheet once the activity is completed.

 

Student evaluation

Towards the end of the UTOP activity, faculty/staff advisors will be asked to verify the contact hours accumulated by each UTOPer. To qualify for the UTOP certificate, students need to fulfil 26 contact hours (defined as teaching interaction, of which up to one third of the hours can be considered towards course preparatory or administrative work).

 

How is UTOP different from other schemes?
UTOP


Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) Student-Initiated projects
  • Termed as UTAs.
  • Non-paid & fully voluntary.
  • UTAs need to fulfil 26 contact hours: defined as teaching interaction. Up to 1/3 of the hours can be considered towards course preparatory or administrative work.
  • Students must have completed the subject before they can be engaged.
  • A UTOP certificate will be issued when UTAs fulfil 26 contact hours as defined above.
  • Termed as Student Instructors.
  • Non-paid, fully voluntary & initiated by students.
  • Student Instructors need to fulfil 26 contact hours: defined as teaching interaction. Up to 1/3 of the hours can be considered towards workshop preparatory or administrative work.
  • UTOP certificate will be issued when student instructors fulfil 26 contact hours as defined above.
Other schemes

*These schemes do not fall under UTOP.

 

Students@Part-time Work Scheme
(Office of Student Life)		 Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA)
(Office of Graduate Studies)
  • Termed as Student Helpers
  • Paid positions.
  • If your requirements do not fit under UTOP, you may consider the Students@Part-time Work Scheme.
  • More information can be found here. Alternatively, please contact the Office of Student Life for assistance.
  • Termed as TAs or Graduate Instructors
  • Faculty who wish to engage graduate students, please approach the respective Pillar’s Graduate Studies Associate Programme Director for more information.
WHAT's NEXT

Find out more

Frequently asked questions

I know of a peer/undergraduate who does teaching without any pay or recognition; can I recommend him/her for UTOP?
Please reach out to us at utop@sutd.edu.sg.
I am interested in initiating a 3D printing workshop. Must I fulfil the minimum 26 contact hours within a term to be eligible for the UTOP certificate?
To be eligible for UTOP certification, your entire UTOP activity must fulfil a minimum of 26 contact hours (of which 1/3 of the total contact hours can be considered towards course preparatory/administrative work). However, it need not be within a term. It can be, for example, within a 3-day workshop too.
I wish to submit a student-initiated workshop proposal. When is the deadline for submission?
There is no deadline for student-initiated workshop proposal submissions as we accept proposals all year round. You have to look for a faculty/staff advisor to acknowledge the proposal. Incomplete submissions will not processed. Send in early for review in time for your activity as student proposals may take up to 2 weeks for review.

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