Carnegie Mellon University

Eberly Center

Teaching Excellence & Educational Innovation

Graduate and Undergraduate Student Instructor Orientation (GUSIO)

Available year-round!

Do you have a teaching appointment this coming semester as a grader, teaching assistant, or an instructor of record? Are you interested in learning some evidence-based strategies that will help you to effectively and efficiently fulfill that role? If so, attend our Graduate and Undergraduate Student Instructor Orientation (GUSIO) training. 

GUSIO is now available for the 2022-23 academic year, featuring six, online, asynchronous modules on five teaching topics.* These are the same six sessions as in past years (see list below). Each module/session should take approximately 90-120 minutes to complete. Each session focuses on different aspects of teaching and learning, and you and/or your department can select which sessions you complete. New and returning TAs are encouraged to attend, and all sessions count towards “core” seminar credit in the Eberly Center’s Future Faculty Program. For a description of the sessions offered, please see this PDF.

  • Creating a Welcoming and Supportive Climate from Day One
  • Teaching Problem Solving in Recitations
  • Conducting Productive and Engaging Discussions
  • Working Well One-on-One with Students (e.g., in Office Hours)
  • Grading and Providing Feedback on Writing Assignments (Papers, Lab Reports, etc.)
  • Grading and Providing Feedback on Quantitative Assignments (Code, Problem Sets, Etc.)

*Note: The “Grading and Providing Feedback” modules feature the same content but utilize different examples of assignments. We do not recommend completing ONE of the two modules.


Now that this training is available year-round, what is the process for registering, attending, and reporting? 

Registration (SAME PROCESS)

You may register for all sessions HERE. Once your registration has been processed (note: this may take up to 48 hours), you will be emailed instructions for self-enrolling in the GUSIO Canvas course. This course contains access to all session materials as well as links to the online modules. There will be no open or close date for registration. Once you are enrolled in the GUSIO Canvas course, you may complete the modules at any time.

Attendance & Reporting (NEW PROCESS)

Eberly staff will record module completion in Grad App on a weekly basis. If your department requires seminar attendance, you can show them your Eberly Record (a PDF transcript). You can download your transcript by logging in with your Andrew ID to seminars.eberly.cmu.edu and clicking the Eberly Record button.