2012-2013 Non-Chemistry Graduate Students
TA Position Application Announcement
The Department of Chemistry Graduate Studies Office is accepting applications** for
non-chemistry students interested in a “possible” Teaching Associate position in
General Chemistry for the Autumn 2012 and/or Spring 2013 semesters “if available.”
**PLEASE NOTE:
THERE IS NOT AN OFFICIAL APPLICATION FORM**
As part of the application process, applicants must complete and demonstrate
proficiency (90% or better) on a proficiency exam, which is equivalent to a Chemistry
101 final exam. A complete list of application requirements is outlined on the
following pages. Please be aware that a 90%+ on the exam does not automatically
guarantee a teaching position; there are other factors involved in the hiring process,
e.g., the number of undergraduates enrolled in General Chemistry courses and the
number of available chemistry teaching associates.
The TA proficiency exam will be given on the following dates ONLY—NO
EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE. The exams are scheduled for:
WEDNESDAY, MAY 16, 2012
10:00 a.m. - Noon
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23, 2012
10:00 a.m. – Noon
WEDNESDAY, MAY 30, 2012
10:00 a.m. - Noon
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 20, 2012
10:00 a.m. - Noon
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2012
10:00 a.m. - Noon
and
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
ALL EXAMS WILL BE HELD IN ROOM 2136,
NEWMAN-WOLFROM LAB UNLESS OTHERWISE
ANNOUNCED
-2Since there are only 6 testing dates this year,
the test MUST be taken during one of these time periods!
NO EXCEPTIONS WILL BE MADE.
“General” test results (without specific scores) will be emailed to students
as soon as possible following their exam date.
Please email Judy Brown at jabrown@chemistry.ohio-state.edu to make a
reservation for one of these dates and times.
Department of Chemistry TA Application Information
The Department of Chemistry occasionally has Graduate Teaching Associate (GTA-NC
[NonChemistry]) positions available for students from other graduate programs. This need varies
from term-to-term and is dependent upon the undergraduate enrollment of the general chemistry
classes offered as well as the number of chemistry students on TA appointment. GTA-NCs are
provided full tuition authorizations, 85% of student health insurance coverage, and a stipend of
$1,490.00 per month.
Non-chemistry graduate students interested in applying for TA positions for the 2012-2013
autumn/spring semesters are required to submit the following documentation. Please include a
cover sheet that contains your name, department of enrollment, and e-mail address.
A.
A copy of your Graduate School application (can be obtained from your departmental
graduate office or Graduate Admissions, call 292-9444).
B.
A copy of your undergraduate transcripts (can be obtained from your departmental
graduate office).
C.
A copy of your OSU advising report if you are currently enrolled in Ohio State (our
department can obtain this for you).
D.
Any student not currently enrolled at Ohio State must submit transcripts for any
graduate-level course work completed as well as submitting transcripts for all
undergraduate course work.
E.
A current resume.
F.
A brief statement explaining why you are interested in teaching for the
Department of Chemistry and which academic terms you will be available to teach if
hired.
G.
A letter of reference from your academic advisor. We also recommend that those who
have previous teaching experience submit letters of reference from the professors or
instructors for whom they have assisted with recitations.
-3H.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS must provide the results of their SPEAK or Mock
Teaching Tests. If you have not taken either of these, please call 292-5005 to schedule
an appointment to take the SPEAK test. You must be able to supply us with your test
results by the date of your exam date OR be able to prove that you have made
arrangements to take the SPEAK test. It is not possible for us to allow students to wait
on their TA exam results before proceeding with or taking the SPEAK or Mock
Teaching Test. Please note that SPEAK and Mock Teaching Test results from other
universities are not transferable, nor is an undergraduate or master’s degree from
another university acceptable to waive the spoken English requirements.
I.
All applicants are also required to complete a chemistry proficiency exam. This exam is
a 50-question, multiple-choice exam that covers Chapters 1-11 in the text, “Introduction
to General, Organic, and Biological Chemistry,” (Fourth Edition) by Robert J. Ouellette.
A copy of this book is available on reserve in the Science and Engineering Library, 175
W 18th Avenue. You must also bring a scientific, non-programmable, calculator with
you to the exam. A Periodic Table as well as scratch paper will be provided for you to
solve the math portions of the questions.
J.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS who are near graduation and are planning to apply for
OPT (Optional Practical Training) in order to extend your visa and continue working in
the United States MUST prove OPT approval prior to applying for a TA position.
Information on applying for OPT is available through the Office of International Affairs.
With the exception of the TA exam, please complete all requirements before submitting any
application documents to the Department of Chemistry Graduate Studies Office in 1110 NewmanWolfrom Lab. For example, those applicants scheduled to take the exam on May 16 can submit
completed application materials at that time or they can submit them by 4:00 p.m. on Wednesday,
June 27th, the date of the final scheduled exam.
Partial applications should not be submitted and will not be accepted for consideration with those
that are complete since the competition for these positions is extremely high. All applications must be
completed by 4:00 p.m. on June 27th, and applicants may be contacted for a personal interview based
on the outcome of their application review and proficiency exam performance.
TA position awardees MAY or MAY NOT be notified before July
31st, but will be contacted as soon as possible as TAs are assigned.
We ask that applicants wait patiently until after this date to inquire
the status of their application.