Building an inclusive TA training program in the life sciences

A growing number of Canadian universities are implementing teaching assistant (TA) training programs designed to support graduate student teaching. At UBC, the LSI hosts one of several provost-funded, discipline-specific TA training programs on campus. At its core, the LSI TA Training Program is a partnership between senior TAs and faculty from multiple departments. The program designs and delivers a curriculum tailored for teaching in the life sciences that centers equity and inclusivity, while also building a supportive community of emerging educators.

In this paper, the authors provide a brief historical overview of the LSI TA Training Program and describe its embedded values and initiatives, including a flagship TA training “boot camp,” workshops, social celebration events, and a year-round mentorship initiative. Evidence is also presented showing that participation in the program increases confidence in evidence-based teaching strategies, including creating inclusive, equitable classroom environments. Lessons learned in developing and sustaining such a cross-departmental initiative are discussed, highlighting the benefits of faculty–student collaboration and the approaches used to ensure program sustainability while adapting to evolving TA needs.

Overall, the experiences of the LSI TA Training Program highlight that grounding discipline-specific TA training in inclusive teaching prepares new TAs with relevant, practical skills and supports their confidence to be inclusive educators in the life sciences.

Source Publication: Bhalla K, Hay BN, Morse Z, Fussner-Dupas E, Graves ML.2025. Delivering a collaborative, discipline-specific, and equity, diversity, and inclusion-centered teaching assistant training program in the life sciences. J Microbiol Biol Educ.26:e00047-25.https://doi.org/10.1128/jmbe.00047-25