Part 1: Rights and Responsibilities

Responsibilities as an Employee

Teaching assistants acquire new rights and professional responsibilities. Take your duties as university teachers and employees seriously: you are a professional, a representative of your university and department, and even your discipline!

TA expectations will vary between universities and within departments. Most universities host TA orientation seminars that introduce graduate students to their role on campus and in the classroom. Find out when and where your university holds its orientation sessions. If you discover that none are available, you might suggest that the university learning centre organise a seminar or workshop for TAs in general. You could also encourage your department to host one exclusively for graduate students in history.

The Teaching Assistant/Employer Contract

TA assignments are normally offered to students as part of their funding packages. There are some exceptions – at Université du Québec à Montréal and Université Laval, students must ask for TA assignments. Further, at Laval, prospective TAs are required to pass a French language exam, as well as an exam assessing their abilities to grade assignments and exams. These exams are offered twice a year in September and January. Be sure to find out how your university operates. As employees, teaching assistants usually sign contracts that are binding on the TA and the employer. Contracts are generally prepared by the department or Faculty of Graduate Studies in accordance with the collective agreement, although in some Quebec universities they are prepared by the course director or the union. In addition to these contracts – which often specify hours of employment, wages, and benefits – separate regulations also govern the relationship between the university and its employees. Typically, you will be hired for an average of ten to twelve hours a week, although this can be as high as fifteen hours in some francophone universities. If you are responsible for leading a seminar, most of these hours will be worked at regular times throughout the semester. By contrast, marking assistants usually engage in intensive work sessions spaced sporadically throughout the term. The particulars of your teaching engagement should be negotiated with the course director and signed in a written agreement.

You should also be aware that, at many universities, teaching assistants are represented by unions. If this is the situation at your institution, the rules and regulations governing your relationship to the university will be spelled out in a collective agreement. Teaching assistants should be issued copies of these regulations.

Relationships with Course Directors

The TA often stands as an intermediary between students and the course director. You can assist your course instructor by ensuring that students understand the core themes and content of the lectures and by reporting any common areas of misunderstanding to the professor. TAs can also assist both students and professors by passing on general comments about the clarity of lectures and reading material. The course director may also ask you to help him or her prepare or assess exam questions.

The course director will have set out guidelines for readings, lectures, exams and the like by the beginning of the year, any they may or may not have clear guidelines for you as a teaching assistant. Your CD may leave it up to you to decide what should be discussed in tutorials. If this is the case, you can begin to build (and test) your own portfolio of in-class activities and discussion questions.

If your course director gives you specific directions on how to handle tutorials and course materials, you should follow her directions. Keep in mind that you may have little control over assignments and exams and you will need to stick to the course material so that your students will be prepared.

Observing how your CD interacts with students, manages course communications, handles dates and deadlines will give you a good idea of what she expects from you. Working alongside more established professors is also a good opportunity for you to begin thinking about how you would (or would not) manage your own courses. If you have an opportunity to voice your opinion, or ask questions, about the management of the class, you should do so.

Responsibilities as a Teacher

creating an atmosphere conducive to learning
detailing the policies, requirements and expectations of the course
being available to students in lecture, seminar, and office hours

As a teaching assistant, it is your responsibility to create a comfortable and engaging learning environment for your students whether it be through lectures, seminars, informal discussions in your office, or comments on written assignments. As a teacher, you have a moral and legal responsibility to treat all of your students fairly and without favouritism. Ensure that your language and examples are free of prejudice. This responsibility also extends to your students: they should be given a chance to freely express their questions, ideas, and beliefs in class, but do not allow aggressive or opinionated participants to alienate or offend their fellow students.

To ensure that students get the most out of their university experience, it is incumbent upon you to explain clearly and concisely all course requirements, policies, and expectations. What will be graded and how will it be evaluated? Obtain a copy of the university plagiarism policy and give your students a definition of plagiarism. Explain other places where breaches of academic honesty may unknowingly occur. For example, it is considered cheating to submit a paper in more than one course without the permission of all relevant instructors.

To fulfill the requirements of your contract, you must also attend all required lectures, seminars, and office hours. If you are forced to miss a class due to illness or some other eventuality, notify your course director or the department secretary as early as possible. In some cases, another TA will be used as a substitute. Some universities have specific policies regarding sick-leave or class cancellations.

Developing a good relationship with your department’s administrative staff is essential. Office staff can help you to navigate a range of administrative problems and navigate the university bureaucracy. Be friendly and professional to all!

The TA as Student Advisor

Given the size of modern-day university classes, teaching assistants may provide the only personalised instruction in a first-year undergraduate's career. As student advisors, TAs have an advantage over professors because they are often closer to students in age and experience. Most teaching assistants deal with introductory classes full of new students who are intimidated and confused by the university experience.

Students may not always come to your office hours and they may not necessarily follow the rules you have set out for them in tutorial. First year students may particularly struggle because they are not accustomed to being responsible for their own schedule and deadlines. This can be frustrating. It is important to set out clear expectations for conduct, email communication and meeting with students at the beginning of the year, and to reiterate these expectations frequently.

Treat your students like adults. Do not talk down to undergraduates, make fun of them in the TA lounge, or complain to them (or others) about how little they know about history. Students come from a range of academic, socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds. It is your job to set out expectations, work with gaps and limitations in knowledge and show empathy to students who are struggling.

All of the above notwithstanding, you must maintain clear boundaries with your students. Don’t give out your phone number or dedicate more than your allotted hours to a student. If a student is in crisis, plagiarizes or their conduct is problematic, contact your course director.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is one of the most difficult issues that you may have to deal with as a teaching assistant. TAs hold a particularly vulnerable position on campus because they may be victims of harassment from their students, their colleagues, or their employer/course director. As instructors, they likewise hold a position of power over their students’ grades and academic futures. In addition, as a student advisor, you may find that you are the first person that a student may talk to if he or she feels they are being sexually harassed. For these reasons, it is imperative to become familiar with your university's policies on sexual harassment.

What is Sexual Harassment?

sexual harassment is any unwanted sexual attention
it can be verbal, written, graphic, or physical
it creates an offensive, intimidating or hostile learning or working environment
it may result from an intentional or unintentional action and it can be blatant or subtle
it has both males and females as its victims and perpetrators
it can occur between members of the opposite or the same gender
it can occur between people of different status or people of the same status
if a student approaches you about having experienced sexual harassment, you should encourage him or her to pursue the assistance and remedies that exist at your university, which may include the university sexual harassment office, the university ombudsman, the women's centre or, if a physical attack has occurred, ask the victim if they wish to contact the campus security department or local police – in all cases, treat the allegations seriously and assure confidentiality

Safety Precautions to Avoid Becoming a Victim or Accused of Sexual Harassment

schedule meetings with students/advisors during regular "business" hours
leave the office door ajar if you are alone with a student/advisor
restrict informal meetings and discussions to public settings such as the university café or restaurant
avoid using sexist language, terms of endearment, and sexual innuendo
do not ask students to do you favours - you may be misunderstood
remember that professional ethics restrict teachers, including teaching assistants, from becoming personally involved with their students