# DEPARTMENT OF BIOLOGY TA POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS

The Department of Biology expects teaching assistants (TAs) to perform satisfactorily in three areas. TAs should (1) perform the tasks specified by their teaching faculty supervisor; (2) proctor exams as directed by the Biology Graduate Program office and the faculty member in charge of the exam; and (3) receive satisfactory TA evaluations from the instructor/lab coordinator. Specific requirements related to each of these areas are listed below. In addition, the Biology Department expects that TAs perform their assignments with appropriate professional behavior. Professional behavior includes, but is not limited to, arriving to class on time, communicating in advance with the instructor in the case of illness or other problems, treating all students with respect, and following all lab safety practices.

- • expects TAs to perform the tasks assigned by their teaching faculty supervisor • expects TAs to perform the tasks assigned by their teaching faculty supervisor by the agreed upon deadline.
- o tasks could include (but are not limited to) meeting with the lab o tasks could include (but are not limited to) meeting with the lab coordinator, preparing materials for lectures or laboratory classes, teaching lectures or labs, maintaining animals and/or animal facilities used in lab classes, grading assignments, or any other tasks requested by the faculty supervisor or lab coordinator that are required as part of the normal operating procedures of a course.
- o tasks must take no more than 20 hours per week on average, given a o tasks must take no more than 20 hours per week on average, given a reasonable effort on the part of the TA.
- ▪ requires faculty teaching supervisors to ensure that their TAs ▪ requires faculty teaching supervisors to ensure that their TAs work less than 20 hours per week.
- ▪ expects TAs to restrict their work as a TA to the tasks assigned ▪ expects TAs to restrict their work as a TA to the tasks assigned by their teaching faculty supervisor and to perform those tasks in a reasonable amount of time.
- o should seek and expect support from their teaching faculty advisors o should seek and expect support from their teaching faculty advisors concerning conflicts with students that arise as a result of their role in a course. Conflicts that are not resolved by the teaching faculty advisor should be brought to the attention of the Associate Chair of Biology.
- o should seek support from the Associate Chair of Biology concerning conflicts o should seek support from the Associate Chair of Biology concerning conflicts with their teaching faculty advisor.
- • expects TAs to proctor exams as directed by the Biology Graduate Program • expects TAs to proctor exams as directed by the Biology Graduate Program (BGP) office and the faculty member in charge of the exam
- o should sign up to proctor exams when instructed to do so by the BGP office. o should sign up to proctor exams when instructed to do so by the BGP office. The number, time and location of the exams will be determined by the BGP.
- o should follow the instructions of the faculty member in charge of the exam. o should follow the instructions of the faculty member in charge of the exam. Proctoring responsibilities include arriving at the exam site on time, distributing examination materials, monitoring student behavior during the exam, reporting aberrant student behaviors to the faculty member in charge, collecting examination materials, and checking student IDs.
- • expects TAs to be evaluated by the instructor and (for TAs that interact directly • expects TAs to be evaluated by the instructor and (for TAs that interact directly with students) students and to receive satisfactory evaluations. TAs that fail to receive satisfactory evaluations from the instructor of record will be notified by the Associate Chair of Biology and directed to participate in training designed to help them improve their performance.
- o will get feedback from their teaching faculty advisor at two times. o will get feedback from their teaching faculty advisor at two times.