Preceptor

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A Preceptor is a teacher responsible to uphold a certain law or tradition, a precept.

[edit] Music

Musically, the title Preceptor usually refers to a monk responsible for making music in a monastery. He trained the monks in the traditions of plain chant for daily services and prayers.

[edit] Education

Some North American universities have a special student position called Preceptor. Preceptors are student volunteers who assist the staff professor and teaching assistants of a large lecture class by helping design certain lessons and holding their own office hours and review sessions. In some cases, volunteers are required to take an outside class focused on leadership development, where their final grade is determined by both the lecture professor and leadership development teacher. Thus, the preceptor earns credit for their preceptorship. It is considered a good leadership experience and reflects well on the student in their transcript. Preceptor can also refer to a paid student grader.

At some old universities (Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford), "preceptors" are not students at all but faculty members teaching courses in expository writing (Expos), music, mathematics and languages. Famous past Harvard Expos preceptors include New Yorker staff writer George Packer, novelist Tom Perrotta, former Globe music critic Richard Dyer, poet Dan Chiasson, and scholar Mark Gaipa. At Columbia University, on the other hand, "preceptors" are senior graduate students (one or two years from award of the doctoral degree) who, along with veritable senior faculty, teach the courses on "Literature Humanities" and "Contemporary Civilization."