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
[email protected] Students in
[email protected] 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
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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering
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McGill UniversityFaculty of Engineering Q UESTIONS ?