Lessons Learned from Supporting Student-Teachers as Lead University Instructors

As Computer Science undergraduate programs continue to increase in response to the still-unmet student demand, one growing trend is to engage current students as instructors of record, allowing for increases in course offerings and/or enrollments and giving these students extraordinary experiences in teaching. Despite these benefits, there are significant concerns that could be raised: do these student instructors have the maturity and training to handle the additional job requirements such as mentoring junior teaching staff, resolving difficult interpersonal situations, addressing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) issues, and garnering respect from students who might be a similar age? The goal of this panel is not to claim this solution is novel, but to share lessons learned, including the student instructor perspective, from faculty whose four institutions have been doing this successfully for years, each taking different approaches to engagement and pre-service professional development.