PandA Departmental Policy (August 2003)

Teaching Assistants (TA’s) and Grading Assistants (GA’s)

1. GA/TA selection:

In order of priority:

  1. incoming new students selected by the admission committees (Physics and Optics), with a two-year commitment by the department (so long as a minimum 3.0 GPA is maintained);
  2. pre-comp and pre-candidacy students without research supervisor (up to a maximum of 3 yrs)...student must petition
  3. students working on a dissertation project that either lost funding, or with RA funding expected soon, or with no chance of getting an RA...the student’s supervisor has to petition
  4. undergraduate students

2. GA/TA assignments:

The GA/TA’s will be assigned by the student program coordinator in consultation with the associate chairs. The priorities are (in order):

  1. undergraduate labs (101L, 102L, 106L, 108L, 151L, 152L, 160L, 161L, 262L, 270/271L, 493L/498L, 476L/4777L)
  2. introductory physics and astronomy courses (101, 102, 106, 108, 151, 152, 160, 161, 262, 270/271)
  3. Physics 301, 303, 304, 307L/308L, 330, 405, 406, 491/492, A421/422
  4. Physics 463, 464, 466/467, 503, 505, 511, 521, 522, 554, 555, 564, 566
  5. any other graduate class (priority according to the number of enrolled students)

The department has funding for about 25 full-time (official language: .50 FTE) GA/RAs at the moment.

3. GA/TA load:

The student program coordinator and the associate chairs review the actual workload of the GA/TA’s regularly and make adjustments if necessary. Discrepancies in the TA/GA workload will be evened out whenever possible over a two-semester period. The typical load for a full-time TA/GA is 18-20 hrs./wk.

4. GA/TA compensation:

As of August 2003, full-time pre-master’s degree (pre-comp) TA/GAs are paid $1050-1080/month. Post-master’s degree and post-comp TA/GAs are paid $1120-1200/month. Health insurance is paid 100% for TAs and GAs. TA/GAs are also given tuition waivers for up to 6 credit hours with a .25 FTE, and up to 12 credit hours for full-time TA/GAs. A TA/GA-ship can be divided into a maximum of four TA/GA positions (.125 FTE, or 5 hours/week commitment) that come with a 3-credit tuition waiver each.

5. Organizational:

TA/GA contracts are written for one semester.

The student program coordinator collects information from students and faculty/instructors about:

a. TA/GA assistantships (names of students) for the coming semester (no later than March 15/ October 15); and

b. the workload of the TA/GA associated with the course (by Tuesday of the preparation week).