Teaching Assistant Job Description 

Definition: An academically qualified and registered graduate student in full-time residence chosen for excellent scholarship and for promise as a teacher, who is assigned to assist in the delivery of instruction under the active tutelage and supervision of a faculty member. The majority of graduate students who perform instructional functions are assigned to the Teaching Assistant title.

Responsibilities: Assist the supervising faculty member by conducting discussion, laboratory, or quiz sections that supplement faculty lectures; and by grading assignments or examinations. Teaching Assistants may provide input into the development of assignments or exams, and hold office hours. No prior teaching experience is required for appointment. The final responsibility for the content of the course rests with the supervising faculty member. A Teaching Assistant is not independently responsible for the instructional content of a course, selection of assignments, planning, examinations, determination of student grades or decisions on grade appeals; and is not assigned full instructional responsibility for an entire course.

For further information please refer to: http://ap.uci.edu/ase/teaching-assistant/

TA Employment Information

Local campus fees of $157.88 per quarter are not covered by a TA appointment (updated Oct. 2018). Students are responsible for paying local fees through the Student Billing System prior to the UCI fee payment deadline. Local fees must be paid for your tuition/fees to credit to your student account. For more information on how local campus fees are calculated in to the Chemistry funding package please see Graduate Student Funding Information.

Chem 399: University Teaching

It is mandatory that students enroll in Chem 399: University Teaching for every quarter they are employed as a TA.

TA guidelines and responsibilities for specific courses

Lecture TA Office Hours Room Reservations

Lecture TA Office Hours will be held in the recently upgraded Office Hour rooms in Rowland Hall (517, 523, and 552). Fill out the google form on Room Reservations for TAs and Tutors to reserve a room. The assignments will be posted on the same page you submitted your request, please check back for your room and time assignment. You will not receive your assignment via email. Please read through the following policies before submitting your request:

  • The priority reservation deadline will be posted prior to the start of the quarter on the Room Reservations for TAs and Tutors website. It is suggested you make arrangements to split discussions with your fellow TAs, before week 1 if you would like priority scheduling. 
  • These rooms are for lecture TAs only. If you are TAing a lab your lab office hour room will be handled by the instructor. 
  • Room assignments will be made on a first come first serve basis. 
  • If you need to change your submission, you may do so. If multiple submissions are received, only the latest will be honored. 
  • Each person must fill out their own form and have multiple options listed.
  • You can arrange times with your fellow TAs and issues stated on the form will be taken into consideration. 

Questions?  Ask Dr. Amanda Holton (abrindle@uci.edu)

TA Resources 

Questions? Contact Morgan Sibley(msibley@uci.edu), Student Affairs Manager