Graduate Teaching Assistant Responsibilities

Given below is the synopsis of the main responsibilities, duties, and practices that all graduate Teaching Assistants (TAs) at the Introductory Physics Laboratory (IPL) should follow, as discussed in TA meetings, guidelines, and practice courses:

1. First-year TAs are required to attend the TA orientation meeting held the week before the academic year begins and to complete lab training through the PHYS 7220 and 7230 courses offered during the Fall and Spring semesters, respectively. More advanced TAs, who might be teaching a new lab for the first time, must attend the appropriate training class for that lab or arrange individual training with the IPL Supervisor. All TAs must also attend general TA meetings held at the beginning of each term.
2. In case of an emergency that prevents you from teaching your lab class on a particular day or time, you are required to notify the IPL Supervisor immediately and attempt to find another TA to substitute for you. Missing a class should be a rare event, and the IPL Supervisor can sometimes help facilitate coverage. If you must miss a class and substitutions are needed, the IPL Supervisor must always be informed.
3. All scheduled TA workload assignments (physics labs, ILSes, lectures, etc.) to be missed due to critical research activities, such as TA’s presentation at a conference or a research seminar that cannot be moved to a different date, must be requested two weeks in advance and approved by both the faculty advisor and the IPL Supervisor. The TA must arrange in advance a satisfactory substitute coverage plan for all teaching assignments to be missed and present it to the IPL Supervisor for final approval. Research-related absences that are longer than one work week are strongly discouraged and will require additional approval from the Physics Graduate Director and/or the Department Chair.
4. You are required to arrive before the start of your class to check the lab equipment and prepare the 10–20 minute whiteboard introduction that you will present to the students at the beginning of the class. During the lab session, you must proactively engage with students and assist them for the entire duration of the lab. Additionally, at the beginning of the term, you must post your email contact on Canvas LMS.
5. You are required to keep up with grading lab reports and to follow the grading rubrics and guidelines as provided by the IPL faculty. Timely grading is crucial for students, as they need feedback to improve their reports as the semester progresses. You should return graded lab reports within one week of receiving them so that students have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about their grades during their next in-person laboratory class.
6. You are required to send progress reports as requested by the university during the semester and to directly alert students by email if they are doing poorly or not attending classes. Additionally, you are responsible for helping students schedule and complete make-up labs that have been approved by the IPL Supervisor. At the end of each semester, you must also enter a final letter grade for each student into the Registrar’s database.
7. If you are assigned a non-lab workload, you are required to contact and collaborate with the responsible faculty member to the best of your ability while staying within the time constraints allocated for the assignment.
8. You are required to treat your students with respect and fairness. Avoid acting in a condescending or sarcastic manner when interacting with them. You must respond promptly to students’ emails and other written or verbal requests.

These are the most important and basic policy requirements that ensure the IPL runs smoothly for our students. If you have significant lapses in any of these requirements, you will receive a warning letter asking you to correct the issue immediately. Further lapses may lead to termination of your Teaching Assistantship.