Undergrad TAs

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) are employed in many undergraduate Biological Science courses. Our UTAs work with faculty, Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs), and department staff to support daily course operations and assist students with course material. Duties and responsibilities vary based on course, instructor, and experience level. There is an intial training to orient TAs to current pedagogical strategies and safety, and then additional course-specific training will be required. UTAs are paid for their training time.

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Potential duties may include:

  • Conduct and / or assist labs
  • Hold office hours
  • Answer questions in online discussion forums
  • Proctor exams
  • Write, review, beta test, or grade course content
  • Attend TA meetings
  • Manage course Brightspace pages
  • Observe new UTAs and provide evaluative input

General requirements and commitments:

  • UTA applicants must have earned a B or better in the courses they select on their application to be considered.
  • UTAs must work a minimum of 10 hours per week.
  • UTAs can accept roles for up to two courses per semester, not to exceed 10 h a week.
  • All UTAs are required to complete online training modules every academic year. New UTAs must also attend an evening in-person training session during the first week of the semester. Failure to complete training requirements will result in termination from the position. 

There are four TA roles in Biological Sciences; new, returning, developmental and lead UTA. New UTAs are required to do their first time for BIOL credit, and have the option thereafter of working for credit or pay. Ten hours of work per week for one semester is worth three credits. Students can earn credit up to two times as a TA (so, not to exceed 6 cr max). 

  • New UTA - For all first semester UTAs.
    • New UTA Pay: $11/hour.
  • Returning UTA - Any UTA who is rehired for a consecutive following semester is considered returning.
    • Returning UTA Pay: $12/hour.
    • Note: If a UTA chooses not to continue for a consecutive semester, and later returns after one or more semesters, they will be considered a new UTA.
  • Developmental UTA - A specialized role focusing on developing course content. Dev UTAs have increased responsibilities and need specialized course knowledge.
    • Dev UTA Pay: $15/hour.
  • Lead UTA - A specialized role focused on leading course operations, for example, serving as a Head UTA. Lead UTAs have increased responsibilities and need specialized course knowledge.
    • Lead UTA Pay: $15/hour.  

If you are interested in being a UTA, reach out to the course instructor ahead of the semester for which you want to TA.  Offers are sent via email on a rolling, per-course basis.  We appreciate all applicants’ interest and encourage you to reapply in a future semester if not selected.