Geography Department Policies and Guidelines for Teaching Assistantships
Teaching is a fundamental part of a graduate student’s training and professional development. It
is also the predominant means by which graduate students receive funding in the department.
The geography department has been fortunate to have a strong tradition of excellence and
maturity in graduate student teaching. In recognizing the key role that graduate student
teachers play in the department’s teaching mission (both in terms of training graduate students
and in terms of undergraduate teaching), the department has adopted the following guidelines
clarifying the assignment of teaching assistantships as well as the basic norms upon which
professional development among graduate student teachers is built. Such norms entail that the
department and faculty have specific responsibilities and obligations toward graduate students as
well. Teaching in the department is a project in which graduate students and faculty work
together, and therefore these guidelines are effective only to the extent that faculty uphold their
own responsibilities toward graduate assistants and the department’s broader teaching mission.
These responsibilities mean that faculty not only set an example in terms of how they handle
their own teaching assignments, but also that faculty devote specific attention to their role as
mentors in training graduate teachers.
1. TA assignments:
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Teaching assignments are finalized by the following dates: Fall semester – May 30th; Spring semester –
December 1st; Summer term – November 15th.
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TA and Graduate Teaching assignments are made based on a number of factors. First among these is
the department’s funding commitments to individual students. Some students have multi-semester
funding commitments, and some are considered on a semester-by-semester basis. Typically, the
maximum funding commitment from the department is three years for PhD students and two years for
MA students. This includes funding in the form of Teaching Assistantships, Graduate Part Time
Instructorships, and Research Assistantships. Students who have already received two years (for MA)
or three years (for PhD) of funding from the department are no longer prioritized for TA or Graduate
Teaching assignments.
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Among students with multi-semester funding commitments, TA and Graduate Teaching assignments
are made according to the qualifications of the student to teach specific courses.
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Once the department’s multi-semester funding commitments are met, any remaining TA or Graduate
Teaching positions are assigned according to the qualifications of the student.

The department recognizes that teaching is an important part of a graduate student’s training, and will
therefore try to accommodate as many students as possible who desire TA or Graduate Teaching
positions. Students with external sources of funding may therefore be able to teach in the department,
with consideration given to their qualifications and to the department’s desire to provide funding
opportunities to as many students as possible.
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Because external funding sources often become available after the deadlines for accepting teaching
assignments, adjustments in these assignments often need to be made prior to the beginning of the
semester. Such adjustments typically take the form of new Research Assistantships opening up to
students already given teaching assignments.

Students are expected to honor their teaching assignments once these assignments have been
accepted. The department, however, recognizes that external funding opportunities may emerge and
will try to accommodate students with such opportunities.

Informal switching of TA assignments is not allowed without prior approval of the course instructors.
2. A 50% TA should expect to work an average of 20 hours per week. A 37% TA will work an average of
15 hours/week. A 33% TA will work an average of 13 hours/week, and a 25% TA will work an average of
10 hours/week. For classes with recitations, this equates with 4 recitations per week for a 50% assignment,
3 recitations per week for a 37% assignment, and 2 recitations per week for a 25% assignment. For classes
with labs, this equates with 3 labs per week for a 50% TA, 2 labs per week for a 33% TA, and 1 lab per
week for a 25% TA.
3. TA workloads will normally be comprised of the following responsibilities:
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Attending lecture. Unless excused by the instructor, TA’s are expected to attend lecture, even if they
have assisted the same course or instructor previously. Students will want to talk with them and
courses are never the same.
Keeping at least 2 hours of office hours per week. Office hours should be included in the syllabus or
class web-page and should be announced in class. Office hours should be at a fixed time and place
each week. Extra hours or appointments can be added, but the TAs are expected to hold their regular
hours.
Attending a weekly meeting with TA’s and instructor. This may only be in the case of large classes with
several TA’s.
Preparation of class materials, collating of exams, assignments or other class materials, administering
exams, grading of assignments and exams, and preparation of presentations or exercises in recitations
or labs.
4. The TA workload is unevenly distributed throughout the semester. While TA’s should expect to work no
more than an average of 20 hours per week for the duration of his or her appointment, there are typically
weeks where this workload is exceeded and weeks where it is not. TA’s are encouraged to keep a time log
of their weekly hours spent on their TA assignments.
5. Each TA is expected to be available for work 1 week before class, and up to the time when final grades
are submitted to the registrar’s office. That means that a TA should not expect to show up the first day of
lecture and leave the last day of lecture. Failure to meet these expectations will result in docked pay and
may jeopardize one’s future funding status in the department.
6. Many TA assignments involve leading recitations or labs. In these cases, TA’s are responsible for being at
each of those recitations or labs. Obviously, things come up, and a TA may need to be absent from a
recitation or lab. In that event, the TA needs to make arrangements to have the class covered by another
TA; these arrangements should be approved in advance by the instructor. In the event that a TA needs to
be absent from campus for more than five days during a semester, the campus policy on Leaves of Absence
goes into effect (see #7).
7. Like faculty, Teaching Assistants are expected to be on campus on a regular basis during the semester.
TA’s will be expected to abide by the university’s policy regarding travel and absence from campus. This
policy is stated as follows:
“You must be on campus one week before classes start and through and including the final exam
and grading period.
“If you are absent from campus for a total of 5 working days or more during a semester, (these
days do not have to be in succession), you must inform the Chair in writing of the proposed absence
and your plan for covering your classes, labs or recitations.
“You will be given written permission for your absence and your plan to cover your classes, labs or
recitations if it is approved by the Chair of the Department.
“You are required to be here for final exams and grading. A separate approval (same procedure as
above) is required if you plan on being absent during this period.”
8. For TA’s assigned to large classes with several assistants, lab or recitation assignments are typically made
during the week prior to the beginning of classes. On rare occasions, a lab or recitation may conflict with
the schedules of all the TA’s assigned to that class. In these situations, it may be possible, with the
instructor’s permission, to switch courses with another TA. TA’s will typically not be asked to adjust their
own class schedules to accommodate such a situation unless all other solutions have been exhausted, and
only if such an adjustment does not jeopardize the TA’s progress toward his or her degree.
9. Graduate teachers who feel that faculty are not providing adequate guidance, are being abusive, or are
failing to act responsibly in their teaching duties are encouraged to bring their concerns to the department’s
director of graduate studies or to the department chair.