This article describes a case study of a Communication Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) program and reports a limited, preliminary assessment of the teaching effectiveness of 25 UTA. The article concludes by identifying various benefits and drawbacks of Communication UTA programs and offers recommendations for departments interested in developing similar programs. Communication faculty were initially skeptical of the idea of having undergraduates serve as teachers. This prompted discussions about the underlying values that might serve as building blocks of a UTA program. The label UTA is used to refer to a supervised teaching role occupied by an undergraduate. The role of UTA is viewed as a first formal step in the process of socialization for careers in higher education and related areas
