June 12, 2020

Graduate Students: 

About the RCF Program

The goal of the Remote Course Facilitator (RCF) program, organized by the Graduate College and funded by the Office of the Provost, is to assist faculty with the technical and administrative aspects of moving F2F courses to a remote format and to help support the remote learning environment in which active engagement is critical for a successful student experience.

We also believe this is a wonderful opportunity for graduate students to earn some extra money, make connections with faculty, and gain valuable skills and experience in remote teaching and learning technologies – a great addition to your resume/CV!

RCFs will also be invited to attend weekly check-ins and professional development workshops for an opportunity to ask questions, troubleshoot and learn more about remote teaching and learning technologies and connect with remote teaching and learning experts and fellow RCFs.

Please Note: Graduate student RCFs are NOT Teaching Assistants (TAs) and will not be expected to have knowledge of course material; nor will they participate in any teaching, grading or assessment.

Here are some examples of tasks that an RCF may be asked to assist with:

• Assist with all functional aspects of Zoom or other web-conferencing tools used for synchronous course sessions and troubleshoot any technical issues
• Assist the faculty member during synchronous course sessions by monitoring questions using the “hands up” or chat features in Zoom or other web-conferencing tools and assigning or moderating breakout rooms
• Support the faculty member with other remote teaching delivery resources such as Blackboard Ally, Blackboard Collaborate, Camtasia, Kaltura, Turnitin, VoiceThread, etc.
• Monitor discussion boards on Blackboard Learn and alert faculty to key or recurrent questions or reach out to any students with technical issues
• Help uploading course materials or multimedia files, such as Zoom recordings, into Blackboard Learn
• Provide after-class support by summarizing student questions and concerns and follow-up on solutions for any technical or functional issues
• Direct students to and help them understand general course policies (syllabus), expectations and assignments in the remote learning environment (i.e. how to submit, clarifying assignment format, etc.), and relaying any FAQs or concerns to the faculty member
• Complete additional trainings or workshops within reason to assist the faculty member with remote teaching and learning technologies

Here are examples of tasks that RCFs are NOT permitted to assist with:

• Teach/moderate course sessions or prepare course content or materials
• Answer content-related questions or provide after-class tutoring or academic support
• Grade any assessments or enter grades, including providing performance-based feedback
• Manage or respond to issues of academic integrity
• Serve as a TA for the course
• Work significant hours outside of synchronous class time

Here are some testimonials from students who served as RCFs this spring:

“I really enjoyed working as a Remote Course Facilitator. My professor was very supportive and I feel very lucky to [have worked] with [them].”

“I learned a lot from the professor I worked with in terms of organizational skills.”

“This experience gave me the opportunity to enhance my technical skills, specifically related to Blackboard and Zoom.”

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Who is eligible to serve as an RCF?
A: Graduate students who are active status in the current quarter or semester are eligible to serve as RCFs. You do not need to be registered for courses. Accelerated degree students are only eligible if fully converted to graduate student status in the current term. Unfortunately, undergraduate students, recent graduates/alumni (including those who are graduating this spring) and incoming students are not eligible to serve as RCFs this summer.

Q: Is this a paid opportunity?
A: The Office of the Provost provides an award of $450 per matched RCF per term. The award is posted to your Drexel student account at the end of the term. Please keep in mind that if you have a balance, the award will go toward any outstanding balance. If not, you would receive the award in the form of a refund.

Q: How many hours should I expect to serve?
A: This may vary slightly by faculty member and course, but in general RCFs should expect to serve approximately 3 hours per week for a 3-credit course. If you have any questions about your expectations or assigned tasks, we will encourage you to reach out to the Graduate College at graduatecollege@drexel.edu. We will do our best to ensure that both faculty members and RCFs have a positive experience.

Q: How are RCFs matched?
A: RCFs will be matched based on eligibility, availability, experience/proficiency with remote teaching and learning tools, and willingness to learn and support faculty and students in the remote teaching and learning environment.

Sign Up to Be an RCF

In the spring, we had more than 200 graduate students sign up and we are hoping to have even more faculty request RCFs this term to maximize matching. We are so proud of our community’s willingness to support each other during this transition to remote learning. It is yet another example of our commitment to supporting the University’s mission and each other.

Please note that not everyone who signs up will be matched as an RCF this term. We will begin the matching process immediately and may continue to reach out during the term as needs arise. We appreciate your patience and willingness to serve.