Department of Political Science | University of Massachusetts Amherst
DESCRIPTION OF RESPONSIBILITIES
Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistant is a 20 hour per week position for 19 weeks. For the 2019-2020 academic
year the Fall appointment begins September 3, 2019 and ends January 11, 2020, and the Spring
appointment begins January 12, 2020 and ends May 23, 2020. This position requires that you
fulfill the following primary responsibilities. Remember that fulfilling your responsibilities is
vital to attaining the instructor’s teaching goals and to your own development as a future teacher.
Key Responsibilities
1. Meet with the instructor and other TAs as indicated by instructor, and work together as a
team.
2. Provide your faculty instructor and fellow TAs with your contact information, and
indicate your preferred mode of communication (email, cellphone, landline, etc.) in the
event of an emergency.
3. Attend each lecture session of class. If you cannot attend on a specific day because of
compelling circumstances (such as illness or personal emergency) you are expected to
notify the instructor in advance and make arrangements to get catch up on missed
material.
4. Facilitate three discussion sections, each meeting once a week, in accordance with
guidelines provided by the instructor. The sections should complement class lectures.
5. Notify your instructor immediately, by means of communication specified by the
instructor, if you are unable to attend sections in a given week because of compelling
circumstances. You must also get in touch with fellow TAs to find someone to replace
you in sections. If this is not possible, you must inform the instructor and your students
via email that sections will be canceled. You must also contact Emily White and Adrian
to let them know about the section cancelation.
6. Grade and provide feedback on the written assignments submitted by students enrolled in
your sections in a timely fashion. Grading and feedback should follow the guidelines
provided by the instructor and general good pedagogical practices.
7. Answer or redirect student questions and email queries in a timely fashion.
8. Maintain attendance/participation and assignment grade records for each of your sections.
9. Hold office hours for three hours each week unless otherwise indicated by your faculty
instructor. Coordinate the timing of your office hours with your faculty instructor and
fellow TAs.
10. Be available, as needed, to assist in administrative and logistical tasks of the course such
as photocopying handouts, picking up exam books and pencils, and placing books/videos
on library reserves.
11. Be available to lecture as part of a teacher-development plan. In this circumstance, the
instructor should inform you early in the semester and is expected to mentor you in
lecture preparation.
12. Voice questions or concerns regarding your teaching, other TAs, or the course, to the
instructor immediately.
13. If any additional duties are required beyond the 19 weeks of the assistantship, it is the
responsibility of the instructor.
14. Contact the Graduate Program Director immediately if an unresolvable conflict arises
between you and your instructor, or if the instructor places responsibilities on you that are
clearly in excess of those laid out in this description.
15. Please contact the Graduate Program Director if any issues arise related to your job
responsibilities.