AIs: resourceful, yet crux of complaints

Some students see Associate Instructors as discussion leaders, paper graders and a waste of their tuition, while other students and faculty view AIs as an asset to the educational process at IU. No matter which stance a person takes, there is no doubt that AIs are a crucial part of the University. \nSophomore Dick Batka is not pleased. He pays thousands of dollars for his education with the expectancy of being taught by professionals, professors with Ph.D.s. Batka, like other students, is frustrated by the number of AIs teaching his courses.\n"I pay an exorbitant amount of money to get a good education from professors, people with Ph.D.s, not some grad student or senior who wants or needs teaching experience," Batka, an Indiana Daily Student employee, said.\nThere are currently 1,843 AIs teaching this semester at IU. The College of Arts and Sciences has the most AIs with a total of 1,233. The School of Music follows with 190 AIs.\nWhile Batka feels he should be taught by professors, some students find AIs to be helpful and beneficial to their learning experience at IU. \nJunior Ryan Healy said he has no problem with AIs teaching courses "as long as they have some experience in running a class and know the subject."\nOne of the best classes he took at IU was taught by two graduate students. \n"They were very knowledgeable about the subject and they had an excellent command of the classroom," Healy said.\nHealy has experienced the downside of having AIs as teachers also. \n"I have had classes in which the AI was not skillful in classroom management, and despite the fact they knew the subject, the class was not run as efficiently as it could have been," Healy said.\nDean of Faculties Jeanne Sept said AIs play a significant instructional role on campus.\n"In large, high-demand, courses led by faculty, AIs can be used to teach individual discussion sections or laboratories, to allow students the opportunity to review course materials in small groups even in introductory courses," Sept said.\nWhile there seems to be a lot of AIs teaching at IU, Sept said there has been an increase of faculty this year.\n"Overall our campus is developing a number of new programs and opportunities for students, such as informatics and the international studies major in COAS, with more faculty teaching, even though our undergraduate enrollments temporarily declined this year," Sept said. \nWendi Tai is an AI in the School of Education. Tai said she has never experienced negativity from her students for not having her Ph.D. \n"I gain experience in working with college-age populations, and I also get the chance to improve on my teaching skills. In addition, I feel like I learn new things myself; as I discover new ways of teaching material," Tai said.\nBill Harwood, associate professor in the School of Education, uses AIs to teach his science course. He sees them as a help to students and professors.\n"Generally speaking, I believe AIs benefit students in part because they are recent students. They can sometimes find ways to help students make a connection with the subject that are new and effective," said Harwood.\nMarc Dollinger, chair of the Undergraduate Program in the Kelley School of Business sees AIs as a help to professors and students. \n"I think (AIs) benefit the students in that the AI helps us be efficient, so we can offer a wide range of courses," said Dollinger. "To an extent ... AIs are closer in age and experience to the students, they can provide some perspective to students from people who are 'just there' in terms of finishing college." \n-- Contact Staff Writer Chelsea McDonnaugh at cmcdonno@indiana.edu.