L&S TA Planning

Changes for 2024-25 exercise:

• Plans for Academic Year 2023-24 were due February, 2023 via email to teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu. The deadline for 2024-25 is to be determined.
• Departments/programs should use the Instructional Staffing Request form to send changes outside of this exercise (link to form, form instructions for adding or changing a TA position).

TA Planning spreadsheet

Departments will communicate their TA plans for the upcoming academic year by updating the TA Planning spreadsheet. The TA Planning spreadsheet is a document assembled by L&S Teaching & Learning Administration based on previous TA plans completed by departments. The spreadsheet will typically show one row per course. Otherwise, there will be multiple rows for a course if there is more than one type of TA appointment associated with it (e.g., head TA).

L&S TLA requests that departments/programs review and update this planning spreadsheet with their current plans for the upcoming academic year.

This exercise is intended to help departments/programs plan how to best deploy their TA resources. This process also documents TA position and workload details in a simple and systematic format for easy reference by departmental staff and chairs as well as L&S administration. 

Note: this spreadsheet is for academic year TAs only; see below for information on Summer Term TAs.

Instructions for the TA Planning spreadsheet

• Lynne Prost in L&S Teaching & Learning Administration will email each department/program with a TA planning spreadsheet.
• Updated spreadsheets for academic year 2023-24 were due February 8, 2023 via email to teach.learn@ls.wisc.edu. The deadline for academic year 2024-25 is to be determined.
• Lynne Prost will reply with the approval and follow up questions if needed

Department/program review:

• See below for detailed explanations of each spreadsheet field.
• Check for accuracy (course names, appt structure, appt %).
• Courses with previously approved TA appointments will have 'Active' position status.
  • If TA position is needed in in the upcoming academic year: adjust the number of TAs planned for Fall and Spring semesters and make other changes as needed.
  • If the TA position is *not* needed in the upcoming academic year, update the Position Status field to 'Inactive'.
• Add rows for any new TA positions, and set the Position Status field to 'Pending'.
• Use the 'Notes' column to highlight change or add details.
• Do not modify the 'Date of last workload review' column; this column is for use by TLA staff.

Note: This table has not been updated for the 2024-25 academic year exercise.

The spreadsheet will typically show one row per course. Otherwise, there will be multiple rows for a course if there is more than one type of TA appointment associated with it (e.g., head TA).

TA Planning Spreadsheet Fields

Field	Description
Course/Assignment	List the number & names of courses with TAs For positions not associated with a course, please describe as needed (e.g., Learning Centers, course development) Make additional entries if there are multiple appointment types for a course, e.g., head TA.
Fall / Spring # of TAs	Planned headcount of TAs per semester. Please estimate to the best of your ability; you do not need approval by L&S admin to later adjust these numbers.
Appt Structure	Briefly describe the structure of the position, e.g., number of discussions/labs. (ex: 4 discussions/TA)
Appt %	Appointment percentage of this position.
Position Status	Options: Active - courses that are continuing to have TAs in 2023-24 Inactive - courses that will not have TAs in 2023-24 Pending - used for new TA positions for 2023-24
Notes	Add notes if modifying an existing position, or to add additional info as needed.
Date of last workload review	For use by L&S Admin staff, do not modify these dates.

Academic Year Teaching Assistants

The funding for most 101 funded TAs and graders during the academic year: 101-A48##71, where '##' is the department number from your unit's UDDS.

• All 101-funded TA expenditures will be charged to the department’s TA budget sheet at the end of the fiscal year. Any overspending on that budget sheet will result in a one-time charge to the department’s tally sheet.
• Recognizing that departments have received ongoing tally sheet credits intended to help cover the costs of enrollment expansion, we anticipate that some of these credits will be shifted to the TA budget sheet to offset permanent increases in TA spending.
• The TA budget sheet on the BSR includes itemized credits for one-time support from sources such as FIGs, Honors, Other Schools/Colleges, etc. You are strongly encouraged to review your TA budget sheet to understand the fiscal implications of your TA plans. Please contact Assistant Dean Mary Beth Roberts with questions regarding your TA budget sheet on the BSR.

Summer Teaching Assistants

The funding line for most TAs during Summer Term: 131-2 A48##93, where '##' is the department number from your unit's UDDS.

Summer TA positions are included on the Expense Details report in Box ("48-#### Summer"). This report lists the exact funding string for each TA.

Changes

Outside of the academic year exercise, communicate the following changes via the Instructional Staffing Request form (Instructions):

• Adding new TA positions:
  
  • Adding a TA to a new course
  • Adding a TA to an existing course that has not previously had TAs
  • Creating a one-time TA position, e.g., course development
• Changing existing TA positions
  • Change the appointment % of an existing TA position
  • Change the structure of an existing TA position

Departments/programs do not need to use this form if changing the number of TAs approved during the annual planning exercise.

Curricular

• The Course Guide entries must match your planning for enrollment limits and the structure and number of lab/discussion sections. Departments need to carefully monitor enrollments, both during the priority registration periods for the fall and spring semesters but also during the summer and January SOAR sessions.
• Updates related to course access will be posted on the L&S KB: Course Access Landing Page

HR

• Departments may begin to work on their TA offer letters once the approval is confirmed. The most up to date template letters are available on the L&S KB.
• Reminder: Reader/Grader hours do not require approval.
• Please contact your STS/SA HR Business Partner for personnel issues related to TA and grader appointments.

Summer term TAs are requested as part of a department's summer budget proposal. Changes related to summer TAs may be communicated through Instructional Staffing Request form (Instructions).

Appointment details for summer TAs are listed on the Expense Details report in Box ("48-#### Summer").