For faculty
How do I request LAs or CAs in my course?
Faculty who wish to use LAs or CAs typically start by consulting with the program director to decide how many LAs their course will require.
In January or February of each year, faculty members receive an email form asking them to indicate their needs for LAs or CAs for the following academic year (both Fall and Spring). Early planning is necessary both for budgeting reasons and to accommodate the selection process. LA/CA selection begins early in the semester before a student serves as an LA/CA to ensure that the role is accounted for as they register for classes. For example, students who will serve as LAs/CAs in Spring 2026 applied in late September 2025.
What is the difference between an LA and a CA?
At Vanderbilt, students who support math classes are called CAs and often support students in discussion sections rather than during the lecture component of a course. The application process and compensation are the same.
How do students know to apply?
The application is shared as a QR on flyers, in course announcements, and in emails from the DUS in each of the following departments/programs: Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Earth & Environmental Science, Medicine, Health, & Society, Biochemistry and Chemical Biology, Neuroscience, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology. If you are going to have LAs/CAs in the upcoming semester, you are encouraged to reach out to former students you think would be strong applicants.
What is the selection process like, and how are faculty involved?
The LA and CA selection process is designed to identify students who are not only academically prepared but also genuinely committed to supporting active learning in the classroom. Faculty involvement is an important part of this process.
Students apply or reapply through a Microsoft Form, where they can identify up to five courses they would like to support. For each course, applicants report when they completed it, the instructor, and the grade they received; they must affirm that they received a B- in each course they apply to support. The application also includes short-answer prompts that encourage students to reflect on why they want to join or remain in the program, what experiences have prepared them to serve as an LA/CA, and the qualities that make them a good choice. These written responses help reviewers understand how candidates view teaching and learning, as well as the strengths they would bring to the role.
The process then diverges for new and experienced applicants.
New applicants: Members of the leadership team review all submissions from new applicants. Readers look for applicants who show an awareness of and interest in others’ learning, not just their own experience. They also look for thoughtful, specific responses about how the student thinks about supporting all students in a classroom setting. Applicants who stand out during this review stage are invited to interview. These interviews are conducted by two faculty members: one from the program’s leadership team and one who teaches an LA/CA-supported course. Each 15-minute interview follows a standardized set of questions aligned with a shared rubric. Interviewers submit their scores and comments, which are used to make decisions about placements.
Experienced applicants: Experienced applicants participate in a slightly different process. Although they complete an application form, they do not interview again. Instead, faculty feedback becomes the primary source of information about their suitability for another term. Faculty members who worked with LAs/CAs during the current semester are asked to evaluate each student’s reliability, communication skills, preparation for weekly meetings, and contribution to an inclusive learning environment. The leadership team then uses this feedback—together with the written application—to determine whether an experienced applicant will be placed for another semester and in which course. LA/CA applicants who have only served a single semester are guaranteed to be placed for a second semester as long as they remain in good standing with the program.
The leadership team uses course needs, applicant preferences, and application/interview data (including faculty feedback for experienced applicants) to identify a potential slate of LAs/CAs for each course. Faculty approval of their slate of LAs/CAs is obtained before applicants receive their offers.
Faculty participation is welcomed and highly valued at every stage of the process. Instructors who are interested in reading applications or serving as interviewers are encouraged to contact VandyLA@vanderbilt.edu to be added to the review pool. Meaningful faculty engagement strengthens the program and helps ensure that placements effectively support the needs of each course.
What do I need to keep in mind if I want to use LAs or CAs?
LAs can provide significant benefits in your course, but they do require a time commitment from you. First, you need to plan to meet with your LA/CA team each week for 1-1.5 hours to talk through the course activities they’ll be facilitating. Second, you’ll need activities each week for them to facilitate. VU faculty who have used LAs have found worksheets or linked TopHat questions to be particularly valuable. The Fall 2021 faculty learning community developed this Getting Started Guide. LAs and CAs do not, under any circumstances, grade assignments or exams and should not have access to sensitive student records beyond what is needed for facilitation. LAs and CAs also should not be asked to review exam or quiz drafts.
How are faculty supported?
Each semester, there is a learning community for faculty who are currently using LAs or plan to do so in the future. It’s a helpful way to get input on your challenges, to share your successes, and to glean ideas from others. In recognition of the work required to begin using LAs/CAs, faculty receive $1000 as a salary supplement the first semester they work with LAs/CAs. (Note that if the course is co-taught, the payment is shared.) If you’re interested in knowing more, email vandyla@vanderbilt.edu.
What compensation do LAs and CAs receive?
LAs and CAs are paid $1500 per semester in three equal installments; funds are provided by the College of Arts & Science. This payment corresponds to $12.50 per hour for eight hours per week over a 15-week semester.