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| teaching_assistant_allocation [2015/01/15 19:57] – judi | teaching_assistant_allocation [2015/01/27 16:46] (current) – judi |
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| ===== Teaching Assistant Allocation ===== | ===== Teaching Assistant Allocation ===== |
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| The allocation of Teaching Assistants to courses can be guided, but not dictated, by formulae and rules. The guidelines used at the School of Computer Science are designed to provide adequate TA support and to ensure that the support is greatest where it is most needed, but with the goal of keeping costs for TAs as low as possible. | //The allocation of Teaching Assistants to courses can be guided, but not dictated, by formula and rules. // |
| | |
| | == In the past == |
| | - estimate enrollments based on: |
| | * Past enrollments |
| | * Emerging trends |
| | * Advice from Academic Counsellor. |
| | - Apply the SoCS allocation formula to enrollment estimate to get base numbers |
| | * < 30 = 0 TAs |
| | * 30-49 = 0.5 TA |
| | * 50-99 = 1 TA |
| | * 100-199 = 2 TAs |
| | * 200-249 = 3 TAs |
| | * 250-399 = 4 TAs |
| | * > 400 = 5 TAs |
| | - adjust as needed taking into consideration: |
| | * Brand new course |
| | * Instructor teaching the course for the first time, |
| | * Novice instructor |
| | * Late assignment of course to instructor |
| | * Heavy lab component / 0.75 credit course |
| | * Other extraordinary requirements |
| | * Service course (fewer TAs) |
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| Given that the SOCS TA budget is tightly stretched, the focus is on providing TA support for grading and labs/tutorials. Allocation of TAs based soley on the number of students in a course results in some courses being over-resourced (those that have fewer graded items, no tutorials/labs) and some being under-resourced (those with more graded items and heavy lab components). | Allocation of TAs based solely on the number of students and scheduled lab time results in some courses being over-resourced (those that have fewer graded item or that do not use all tutorials/labs for example) and some being under-resourced (i.e. those with more graded items and heavy lab components). |
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| The Guidelines used are outlined here: | == The Future == |
| * TA estimates are calculated based on the number of students enrolled in the course after the add period and on the Course Description document that is created by the course instructor (See [[https://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/undergraduate/current/c08/c08-grds-proc.shtml|Grading Procedures, Resolution 4, Part A ]] of the undergraduate calendar) | |
| * Instructors must provide the course description by the start of the course selection period. The course selection period for Winter semester is usually the **beginning of August**. The course selection period for Fall semester is usually the **beginning of March**. | The School of Computer Science TA allocation guidelines are designed to provide adequate TA support and to ensure that the support is greatest where it is most needed, as well as to ensure job similarity for students employed as Teaching Assistants by SOCS. The focus is on providing TA support for grading and labs/tutorials (virtual or real). |
| * TAs may not be hired for courses if the course description is not provided on time. In the case of courses that are taught by sessional lecturers, the most recent course outline for the course will be used to create the course description. | |
| * TA estimates are based on the following | |
| | == SOCS TA Allocation Guidelines == |
| | - TA estimates are calculated based on: |
| | * the number of students enrolled in the course after the add period |
| | * the course description document that is created by the course instructor (See [[https://www.uoguelph.ca/registrar/calendars/undergraduate/current/c08/c08-grds-proc.shtml|Grading Procedures, Resolution 4, Part A ]] of the undergraduate calendar) |
| | - TA time requirements are based on the following (from the course description document) |
| * The number of graded assignments | * The number of graded assignments |
| * The number of graded labs | * The number of graded labs |
| * Student projects | * Student projects |
| * Weekly meetings and consultation time | * Weekly meetings and consultation time |
| * The estimates for grading times are based on reports from TAs for different courses and estimates provided by faculty members. Instructors whose evaluated items are more difficult to grade can provide alternate time estimates. Our working estimates are: | - Our working estimates are: |
| * Assignments take 10 minutes to grade for first and second year course, 15 minutes for 3rd and 4th | * Assignments take 10 minutes to grade for first and second year course, 15 minutes for 3rd and 4th |
| * Midterms take 10 minutes/student of TA time to grade | * Midterms take 10 minutes/student of TA time to grade |
| * Final exams take 15 minutes/student of TA time to grade | * Final exams take 15 minutes/student of TA time to grade |
| * Consideration is given to the following | * The estimates for grading times are based on reports from TAs for different courses and estimates provided by faculty members. |
| * First and Second year courses may need more TA support than upper year courses. Upper year students are usually more self sufficient. | * Instructors are encouraged to provide details about the marking of labs, assignments and exams when the course description is submitted. Those details can be used to improve the estimates for the course. |
| | - Consideration is given to the following |
| | * First and second year courses may need more TA support than upper year courses. Upper year students are usually more self sufficient. |
| * Sessional instructors, especially new ones, may need additional TA support. | * Sessional instructors, especially new ones, may need additional TA support. |
| * Instructors who are teaching a course for the first time may need additional TA support. | * Instructors who are teaching a course for the first time may need additional TA support. |
| * Instructors are encouraged to provide details about the marking of labs, assignments and exams when the course description is submitted. | * Service courses require fewer TAs |
| | * Courses with enrollment lower than 30 are unlikely to require TA support |
| | - As stated in the calendar, **instructors must provide the course description by the start of the course selection period**. The course selection period for Winter semester is usually the **beginning of August**. The course selection period for Fall semester is usually the **beginning of March**. TAs may not be allocated for courses unless the course description is provided on time. In the case of courses that are taught by sessional lecturers, or that are assigned late to an instructor, the most recent course outline for the course will be used to create the course description. |
