Cohorts for Community: Structuring Undergraduate Staff Support
As computer science courses rely on large teams of undergraduate teaching staff, it becomes important to identify structures that can support them effectively while fostering both consistency and community. In this lightning talk, we present a cohort-based model for organizing staff, in which Head Teaching Assistants, experienced Teaching Assistants (TAs) who take on additional leadership and course logistics responsibilities, each lead a small group of four to five other TAs. Each cohort intentionally mixes more- and less-experienced staff to promote mentorship and peer learning. Rather than convening in all-staff meetings, which often suffer from inconsistent attendance and limited interaction, the course relies on a layered structure: the Preceptor, a full-time faculty member responsible for overall course management, meets weekly with Head Teaching Fellows, who in turn meet weekly with their cohorts. This model decentralizes communication, granting Head TAs more agency in how they guide their groups while creating smaller communities where staff feel comfortable raising concerns, asking questions, and sharing strategies. To this end, we will share concrete examples of how cohort meetings have improved information flow, strengthened staff development, and cultivated a greater sense of belonging among teaching staff. Additionally, we will highlight challenges such as uneven dissemination of information across groups and discuss strategies we have implemented to mitigate these issues. Lastly, we will reflect on why we believe this structure offers a scalable and transferable model for other large courses seeking to balance efficiency with community while developing leadership pathways for experienced staff.