Guidelines for the Supervision of TA's (Adopted 1996)

 

This document provides clarification regarding the appropriateness of tasks assigned to Teaching Assistants (TAs).  It is intended to serve as a guide to both course instructors and TAs.  The general policy for all University of California campuses is found in the Academic Personnel Manual:

"A teaching assistant is not responsible for the instructional content of a course, for selection of student assignments, for planning of examinations, or for determining the term grade for students.  Neither is the TA to be assigned responsibility for instructing the entire enrollment of a course or for providing the entire instruction of a group of students enrolled in a course.  The teaching assistant is responsible only for the conduct of recitation, laboratory, or quiz sections under the active direction and supervision of a regular member of the faculty to whom final responsibility for the course's entire instruction, including the performance of teaching assistants, has been assigned." (University of California Academic Personnel Manual, 410-20)

"Appointment to the title of teaching assistant or teaching fellow may not exceed half-time, nor may such appointment in combination with other employment within the University exceed half-time.  (Those employed half-time should expect to devote, during instructional and examination periods, sixteen to twenty hours per week to such work including time spent in preparation, classroom and laboratory teaching, office consultation, and reading student papers.)" (University of California Academic Personnel Manual, 410-17b) The instructor and TA are free to establish a new agreement which supersedes the guidelines listed below. However, such an agreement needs to be reached in advance and with the expressed consent of the TA.  If any disagreement about work assignments arises, the TA is encouraged to consult with the department's Graduate Assistant or Vice Chair.  
 

TASK
APPROPRIATE 
PLEASE NOTE
exam questions
TAs may generate some exam questions 
TAs are not responsible for generating the majority of exam question
exam answer keys (objective)
TAs may generate some answers for the answer key.
TAs are not responsible for establishing or verifying the answer key. 
grading exams (objective)
TAs may grade exams using key(s) provided by instructor 
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
criteria for grading written assignments and essay exams 
TAs may review criteria for grading subjective exams and written assignments
TAs do not solely establish grading criteria for subjective exams and written assignments
grading written assignments and essay exams
TAs may grade subjective exams and written assignments using criteria provided by instructor
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
cheating
TAs adhere to policy established by instructor
TAs do not establish policy for actions to take when cheating occurs
makeup exams
TAs may proctor makeup exams*
TAs do not establish policy regarding the students' ability to makeup exams 
course syllabus
TAs may review course syllabus
TAs do not prepare course syllabus
adds, drops, and section changes
TAs may assist with adds, drops & section changes and duly note them 
TAs do not establish policy for adds, drops & section changes
meeting with instructor
TAs meet with instructor as requested
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
lecture attendance
TAs may be asked to attend lectures
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
lecture preparation
The instructor is responsible for preparing all lecture materials.
TAs do not prepare lecture material for instructor (e.g., generating overheads) 
giving lectures 
TAs may be asked to give a lecture with appropriate advance notice, but they have the right to decline.
TAs should not give an excessive number of lectures (more than 10% of lectures) 
review sessions 
TAs may hold review sessions 
Tasks should not exceed workload*, multi-TA** 
planning labs/sections 
TAs meet with instructor to receive instructions regarding lab/section content
TAs are not solely responsible for determining lab/section content 
leading labs/sections 
TAs lead labs/discussion sections
Tasks should not exceed workload*, multi-TA** 
 
office hours
2 hrs/wk for .50 FTE TAs 
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
proctor course exams
TAs proctor course exams & final, and one exam for another course
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
grade keeping & reporting
TAs keep grade records, reporting information to instructor, posting grades, archiving exams and assignments during the quarter
  
Tasks should not exceed workload* 
final grades
  
TAs may assist in filling out final grade forms
TAs do not assign final grades 
archiving course material after quarter has ended
Instructors are responsible for archiving course materials.
  TAs do not hold course material (e.g., exams, papers, quizzes) after quarter has ended 
responding to student questions after quarter has ended 
TAs respond to instructor regarding questions raised by students after quarter has ended
 TAs are not responsible for responding to student questions after the quarter has ended 


*The maximum workload for TAs are 20 hrs/wk  for 50 FTE and 10 hrs/wk for .25 FTE.  Weekly workload may exceed this amount only with the expressed consent of the TA.

 

**Workload should be shared equally among TAs having equal FTE assignments and proportionally less for TAs holding lesser FTE positions (e.g., all .50 FTE TAs lead 4 sections per week, and .25 FTE TAs lead 2).