Nelson Institute Policy for Allocation of Teaching Assistant (TA) and Grader Positions

Part I. TA positions      

 Determining which courses will be assigned TAs is a decision made by the Dean’s Office in close consultation with program chairs, and the Undergraduate and Instructional Committees.

 I.A. Assignment of TA Positions to courses

 Eligibility

Owing to the limited number of TAships available in the budget, and the numerous courses that would benefit from TA assignments, in general, TA positions are only given to classes that are taught by an instructor funded by the Nelson Institute. To the extent practical and in line with the pedagogy of a given course, we seek to allow maximum course enrollment and then will provide corresponding TA support based on actual enrollment and the priorities below.

 Ranking Priorities for Assignment of TAs (does not include TA positions funded by Nelson’s Environmental Professional Programs):  

1. A class is large (80 or more students) and required by one of our academic programs.
2. A class is large and meets a requirement of one of our academic programs.
3. A class is required or highly recommended, typically serves significant numbers of Nelson Institute students, and involves activities for which a TA can provide cost-effective assistance
4. A class consistently enrolls significant numbers (>30 ) or a class enrolls a high proportion (> 25%) of ES students
5. A class offers an opportunity to meet a promise to a student expecting a TA position as part of a recruitment package

 Other factors that can modify these priorities:

Exceptions to the above priorities can be made if there is conflict with other priorities. Possible examples include: granting a TA to a new faculty member for a course under development; granting a TA to a faculty member asked to teach an overload; granting a TA to an assistant professor to help them in seeking tenure. Class format differences and labs are considered in determining TA allocations.

 I.B. Assignment of Students to TA-ships

 Determining student assignments as TAs in specific courses is a decision made by the Dean’s Office in close consultation with faculty instructors and program chairs.

 Considerations in assigning TAs

While TA appointments that are 33% or higher receive tuition remission, Nelson Institute TA positions are generally 50%. The percent appointment is proportional to the workload. The duties expected are variable depending on the course. It is the intent of this policy to as much as possible assign students to courses and duties for which they are prepared to teach on the basis of their training and experience, in order to ensure the best possible learning experience for students in that class.

 When multi-year packages to new students include an institutional promise to assign TA positions it is the responsibility of the APO to keep track of these commitments and to ensure that they are met. Meeting these commitments may require that instructors will have to accept TAs who might otherwise not be their first choice. It is also recommended that the Dean’s office maintain sufficient contingency reserves to meet commitments to students (such as creating a PA position) in the event that the need for a student to take up a position does not coincide with the need for a TA for a course that they are qualified to teach.

 Priorities in Assigning TAs

 Graduate students in Nelson Institute degree programs are given priority for TA positions over those from other programs. When considering applicants with comparable skill sets and teaching experience, PhD students are prioritized over Master’s students. Among Nelson Master’s students, priority is given to those in a research program. Within each degree/program, continuing students are given priority over admitted students. TAs for Environmental Professional Programs courses are expected to be PhD students.

The same TA will be prioritized for the same course they have previously TA’ed (if mutually desirable by the TA and instructor) to the extent that is compatible with overall TA assignments for the semester.

 Faculty role in Assigning Students to TA-ships

In general, TA positions are awarded to classes, not to faculty. Therefore, control of TA positions or assignments are not assigned as part of faculty startup or retention packages. Further, while the instructor will always be consulted during the selection process, the choice of a student to serve as a TA cannot be under the sole control of the instructor promised TA support.

Within this framework, faculty are asked to review TA applications for their classes and rank the applicants based on the criteria they consider important for the class. Faculty rankings will be given more weight when:

• The TA position requires more specialized knowledge or skills than can be acquired during regular TA training
• The TA position is for an advanced class (300 level or higher)

Experienced TAs are an important resource for TA training. For classes with two or more TAs, an effort will be made to ensure that at least one experienced TA is allocated to help socialize and train TAs with no prior experience.

 TA Expectations

Prior to the start of each semester, the APO office will send instructors supervising TAs a TA Expectations Document for the instructor and TA to complete. It includes filling out the approximate expectations for hours per week (on average) spent on each specific task or responsibility. This is not intended to be an iron clad contract, but to provide guidance to the student for what is expected of them.

 Mentoring of TAs

It is Institute policy that TAs are instructors in training and that efforts should be made by the faculty supervisors to mentor the students in best practices. This should also include some level of monitoring of their performance. The faculty supervisor should attend one or more of the discussion sections or labs that are the TA’s responsibility, and provide the TA with timely feedback. The supervisor should also check a sample of the TA’s grades to ensure they match the supervisor’s expectations. It is particularly important to ensure grading consistency among multiple TAs.

 As appropriate, TAs may be given the opportunity to present lectures or lead all-class activities (depending on class structure) to give them experience in this role. This is especially appropriate for PhD students nearing graduation. 

 Part II. Grader Positions:

Considerations in assigning graders

For some classes professors may require assistance with grading or checking assignments that is intermittent or that involves only a small number of hours a week. In those cases, a grader may be assigned instead of, or in addition to, a TA. The priorities will be in the same order as those for TA positions. Graders are paid hourly and do not qualify for tuition remission.