Through candid case studies and thematic reflections, this book offers insiders’ views of how colleges and universities design, sustain, and assess teaching certificate programs for graduate student instructors.

This collection spotlights the perspectives of educational developers from diverse institutions, who reveal what it takes to balance flexibility with rigor, navigate academic politics, build strategic partnerships, and work within real-world constraints. These perspectives position certificate programs as microcosms of broader shifts in teaching development and higher education. Chapters explore how programs adapt to the varied realities of graduate student life, clarify educational values, and seed career opportunities—all against a backdrop of uncertainty in higher education.

Presenting both strategies and surprises, this volume provides essential guidance for teaching center directors, graduate school administrators, and anyone committed to responsive, high-impact support for graduate instructors.

Mark Phillipson is Director of Graduate Student Programs and Services in the Center for Teaching and Learning at Columbia University.

Katherine Kearns works in graduate education and educational development and has contributed to national initiatives such as the CIRTL Network and the Professional Development Hub (pd|hub).

Molly Hatcher is a higher education consultant and the former Assistant Vice Provost and Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at the University of Texas at Austin.

Linda von Hoene is Assistant Dean for Graduate Professional Development and Director of the Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center at the University of California, Berkeley.