From time to time, departments may find that the best candidates available to meet short-term staffing needs in the undergraduate course range (courses numbered 699 and below) are found among the graduate student body. There is no policy that prevents departments from hiring graduate students as associate lecturers or lecturers in these courses, assuming that procedures outlined in Chapter III.5.2 (http://www.ls.wisc.edu/handbook/ChapterThree/chIII-5-2.htm) have been followed. In fact, some departments may specifically state that preference in appointments will be given to current graduate students.

For courses in the 300-699 range, however, it is important to recognize that these graduate student instructors may occasionally be in the position of teaching and evaluating the work of other graduate students. Departments should consider this possibility as they make staffing assignments. As is the case with any staffing assignment, every department ensures that instructors are proficient in the subject matter to be taught; in this case, however, departments may also need to consider whether graduate student instructors are sufficiently advanced in their academic programs that they are able to teach other graduate students.

Once these fundamental questions are satisfied, related issues may also need to be considered:

• A recent analysis of graduate student enrollments in courses taught by graduate student lecturers suggests that most graduate students taking undergraduate courses are enrolled in programs offered outside the department sponsoring the course. In these cases, departments may determine that there is no cause for concern.
  
• If a graduate student lecturer is teaching student colleagues enrolled in his/her own program, the department may need to consider the appropriateness of such peer instruction and evaluation. The department’s determination may reflect its own program structure: for example, a department may determine that an advanced graduate student lecturer who is a dissertator is qualified to teach an introductory course to master’s level students.

In any case, departments are responsible for monitoring student enrollments in courses taught by graduate student lecturers, and to intervene as needed to ensure appropriate evaluation of graduate student work and to avoid perceived conflicts of interst.