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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering T EACHING A SSISTANT (TA) ORIENTATION Faculty of Engineering Mining & Materials Engineering Feb. 21, 2014

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering W ELCOME TA s in E NGINEERING !

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering R IGHTS AND R ESPONSIBILITIES The Faculty of Engineering is committed to making the teaching experience a rewarding and positive learning experience for all involved.

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Rights of the TAs and rights of the Course Instructor or Course Lecturer (CL): The employment contracts are between the TA and McGill University; For any questions or concerns, a TA is invited to talk to his/ her Course Instructor or a contact person in the Department or School; McGills TA positions, as well as the CL positions are unionized and their collective agreements need to be respected; the TA union is: A.G.S.E.M. (Assoc. of Graduate Students Employed at McGill) Course Instructors and Course Lecturers have management rights for the employment relationship. Rights

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Responsibilities of the TA: Depending upon the TA assignment, responsibilities can include: Grading assignments, exams and laboratory reports Organizing and instructing laboratory sessions Giving tutorials Holding office hours and mentoring students Generating/updating course web sites Responsibilities (1/2)

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Responsibilities of the Course Instructor or CL: Once the TAs is appointed, the Course Instructor arranges to meet with the TA This one-on-one meeting provides the opportunity for a clear mutual understanding of the: Rights and responsibilities of the TA Role of the collective agreement (AGSEM) Definition of the expectations and tasks Finalization of the hours of work and workload form Responsibilities (2/2)

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering B UILDING G ood R ELATIONSHIPS B ETWEEN TA S AND S TUDENTS

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Be professional Your goal is to provide intellectual challenge along with instructional support Know your subject and convey the enthusiasm you have for it to your students Be professional - be a teacher, not a buddy Get to know your students: be respectful, consider for example cultural diversity Building Relationships (1/2)

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Trust, Respect, and Duties: Build trust between you and the student, and you and the Course Instructor. Be reliable. When you are supposed to be there, be there on time. Respect deadlines people count on you. Prepare for your duties prepare, prepare, prepare! Treat your TA position as a job - you are expected to be available to cover all duties this is a job. If you plan to attend a conference- you must arrange well in advance and gain permission to be away. Building Relationships (2/2)

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering S UPPORT

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Support for TAs: Attend the University AGSEM TA Training sessions: www.mcgill.ca/skillsets/calendar (The 3 hours are paid for first time TAs) Attend the Engineering pedagogical workshops: Further details to follow; e- Handbook for Engineering TAs Learn the Student Code of Conduct: www.mcgill.ca/files/student- records/Code_of_Student_Conduct.pdfwww.mcgill.ca/files/student- records/Code_of_Student_Conduct.pdf Adhere to McGills values and ethical conduct: www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/academicrights/integrity www.mcgill.ca/students/srr/academicrights/integrity Handbook on Student Rights and Responsibilities www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/policies/students/handbook-student-rights-and- responsibilitiesle-recueil-des-droits-et-obligations-d www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/policies/students/handbook-student-rights-and- responsibilitiesle-recueil-des-droits-et-obligations-d References

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering And more support for TAs: McGills Assessment Policy https://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/sites/mcgill.ca.secretariat/files/univer sity_student_assessment_policy_0.pdf https://www.mcgill.ca/secretariat/sites/mcgill.ca.secretariat/files/univer sity_student_assessment_policy_0.pdf Fact sheets: Discrimination Fact Sheet (2013) and Harassment Fact Sheet (2013).Discrimination Fact SheetHarassment Fact Sheet Helping Students in Difficulty from Dean of Students - Andre Costopoulos andre.costopoulos@mcgill.caHelping Students in Difficultyandre.costopoulos@mcgill.ca And - Dont be shy: When in doubt, ASK! If you have questions, ask the Course Instructor first. References

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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Q UESTIONS ?