Assistants teach composition, basic composition or work as writing tutors in the writing lab.
All must participate in a seminar in teaching composition. Assistantships are generally awarded by April 15 of each year. The teaching assistantship is the main source of financial support for graduate students. Each TA provides a stipend and a partial waiver of fees in compensation for teaching three to four credits per semester assigned by the Department. A teaching assistantship is a contract for employment with definite requirements and obligations, and to the extent that the selection process is competitive, it confers a form of academic recognition.