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Instructional Support for Political Science Faculty, Lecturers, and Graduate Students

Resources

The sections below contain valuable resources, links, and information pertaining to course instruction and other academic needs for all faculty members and instructors of the Department of Political Science. 

Academic Integrity at UC San Diego

Academic Integrity Office: https://academicintegrity.ucsd.edu/

If you’re aware of cheating (academic misconduct or integrity violations) at UCSD, it is your ethical obligation to speak out against academic dishonesty.

If you suspect cheating in one of your classes, Senate policy requires that you report the suspicion to the AI Office:

Additional Resources:

Audio-Visual Equipment

Many classrooms are equipped with self-serve units containing computer projector, DVD/CD/VCR, and MP3 player/iPod. Instructors can confirm the features available in their classroom using the Classroom Attributes database. Media Services also provides a wide array of audio/visual services and equipment for use in the classroom. The Media Teaching Lab helps with integrating video into course assignments. The department is also able to lend items (a projector, laptop, laptop connectors, or conference phone) to departmental faculty and graduate students. Reservations for such media equipment is required and must be made with as much advance notice as possible.

Please contact the front desk at polireception@ucsd.edu for details regarding the use of the department's A/V equipment. 

Campus Centers and Resources

UC San Diego has an abundance of resources for students (undergraduate and graduate), staff, and faculty. 

The Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion has an entire page, and related banners, that link directly to vital resources and campus communities. 

Please take time to review and share out relevant resources.

Canvas & Educational Continuity

 

Ed Tech - https://edtech.ucsd.edu/ - is hosting regular drop-in workshops about Canvas and feeling supported in the transition process. They are also open to any invites to be at any relevant meetings or TA/IA training sessions.

Faculty, lecturers, and instructors can also explore their practice course in Canvas, and email canvas@ucsd.edu with any questions or concerns.

Faculty/TAs - Resource Guide

Instructor Resources - The Digital Learning staff provides support and resources for online teaching and learning through evidence-based practices and iterative design processes. The resources, templates, and articles that are linked provide strategies and guidelines for online and hybrid courses and programs at UC San Diego.

Education Continuity Tools and Resources - In the event that on-campus instruction is partially or fully disrupted, your ability to continue your class in the manner that you've planned may be impacted. The linked guide helps you prepare alternatives for these situations in order to minimize loss of learning time and lessen the impact of a disruption.

  • Zoom Guides - The following guides will show you how to complete common Zoom tasks. If you need to complete a task that is not covered there, please email canvas@ucsd.edu for support.
  • FAQ - Some general questions and answers for Zoom and Canvas

Start-of-Term/Course Launch Checklist - In preparation for the start of the term, make use of the Canvas start-of-term checklist to get your course up and running. This checklist will guide you through what is required to ensure student access, content and grade visibility, and an eGrades-ready gradebook. For your reference, all checklist items have an accompanying visual aid.

End-of-Term Checklist - As you head into finals, make use of the Canvas end-of-term checklist to close out your course. This checklist will guide you through what is required to ensure accurate grades within Canvas, while also preparing your gradebook for export to eGrades. For your reference, each checklist item has an accompanying visual aid.

Instructional Tools on Canvas - Most of the third party apps available in TritonEd (Blackboard) are now available in the Canvas environment. These tools include apps such as Turnitin, Gradescope, and iClicker. 

Grades in Canvas - The following guides will show you how to complete common grading and gradebook-related tasks in Canvas. If you need to complete a task that is not covered there, please email canvas@ucsd.edu for support.

Class Rosters

Class rosters can be viewed and downloaded directly from your course's Canvas page. You can view the class list and communicate with students.

Canvas requires the completion of online FERPA training in UC Learning.

A Single Sign-On (SSO) user ID and password are required. Those using an SSO resource for the first time will need to first self-register using their UCSD email address. Those requiring a UCSD email address or with access problems should contact SSCF-Help.

Be sure to save downloaded rosters as .xls files to view in Excel.

Instructors who are unable to sign on to Canvas should contact Ethel Lu for a roster until their problem is resolved. Requests will only be honored if they are sent from your UCSD email address and include the 6-digit course ID (available from the Schedule of Classes).

Classroom ITS/AV Support

If you need classroom audio-visual or media support please call ITS Classroom Support at 858-534-5784.

Instructional Technology Guide: Classroom Technology

Course Reserves

Information For Faculty:

Contact Course Reserves: reserves@ucsd.edu, (858) 534-1212

How do I put an item on reserve for my class?

Log into Course Reserves with your Active Directory (AD) login. Select the course you want to work on, and then click on Add Reserves Items from the side menu. You will then be able to add items in any format (books, articles, video, etc.).

View the Faculty User Guide for Course Reserves

Quick videos tutorials of the basics can be found here. 

Creating a New Course

The Department of Political Science continues to add courses to our curriculum on an annual basis to support faculty research and expertise, educational advancement of the profession, and to prepare our undergraduate and graduate students in the field of political science post-graduation. 

Faculty must contact Student Affairs Manager, Ethel Lu (erlu@ucsd.edu),  and fill out the form (linked below) AT LEAST two quarters before they want to teach the course. Otherwise there is no guarantee that the course will be approved and on the schedule in time.

If you wish to create a new undergraduate or a graduate course, please complete a brief survey at the following link:  

Request to Create or Update a New Course

 

You will need to provide the following:

  1. A fewer than 500 characters (including spaces) course description. 
  2. Prerequisites you wish to have enforced (our upper division courses all have a default of requiring upper division standing; however some courses also require a lower division course prior to enrolling). An example of this would be if you are offering a course in American Politics and you would like to ensure that the class has already had some background in American Politics, you may ask that the prerequisite of POLI 10 be an enforced prerequisite
  3. Most of our courses require a final examination. When the course is on the published schedule and students enroll, that final exam date is published along with the day/time of the course. If the course will never have a final examination, please indicate what method of testing will be required, i.e., "original research paper", etc. The default for most of our courses is "final examination is required". This assists us should another instructor choose to offer the course and would prefer to offer the final exam, then when the course is published on the schedule of courses for each quarter, a day/time for a final exam are already arranged. It avoids us needing to request special arrangements for any given quarter.

Ethel Lu oversees the preparation and submission of the course approval form. The form must be approved by the chair of our department and submitted to the Registrar, for final review by the Academic Senate.

Course Scheduling and Room Reservations

Faculty will be asked to submit their scheduling preferences for teaching times to the Department’s Student Affairs Manager, Ethel Lu (erlu@ucsd.edu), for all classes.

Instructor preference, room availability, predicted enrollments, and conflicts in the curriculum all factor into the final schedule. Instructors will be notified of class time and room well in advance of the beginning of the quarter and can confirm this information themselves online.

Ethel can also assist you with reservations for additional classrooms for review sessions, presentations, or other special needs.

One-time or non-course room reservations should be submitted at least 3 days before the meeting/event via the following: One-Time Room Request Google Form

A student worker will follow up with you about room availability and confirm your request.  

For same-day room requests, please stop by the administrative office front desk.

Copies/Handouts

The department does not provide copy services. You may create copies of midterms, finals, etc. in one of the following ways:

  • Submit your copy request to campus copy service at PrintConnection.  Simply sign up/login and submit your request online. Detailed instructions can be found here.  Also, remember to check the Class List on Blink for an accurate enrollment number, and make note of the fund source Project and Task number you will use to pay for the order.
  • Handouts for classes can be uploaded to your website on Canvas for students to view/print.
  • The department copy machine is available to all faculty and grad students. Instructors and TAs may use it at any time.  Please note that the copy machine is prone to jamming/breaking down when processing large batches for printing.

Educational Technology Services

The Educational Technology Services Group supports the instructional technology needs of the UC San Diego community.

Enrollment in Courses

Students with course registration, enrollment, and waitlist questions should be referred to the academic advising team in the Department, or the Virtual Advising Center as soon as possible.  

Examinations

Example of a signed Buckley Waiver for exams. Students are not required to sign the waiver.

Blue Books / Scantron Forms are not provided by the Department.

Finals:

  • Are required for courses and students
  • Cannot not be administered prior to Final Exam week
  • Cannot be due (in the case of take-home exam) before starting time of the exam
  • Require instructor or equivalent present during Final Exam week, including the exam
  • Must conform to start / end times posted on the campus final exam schedule
  • Must allow for extended testing times for eligible students with disabilities

Midterms:

  • Are not mandatory
  • Require instructor or equivalent present for the exam

Retention of Final Exams:

  • Are required for one full quarter following final exam period unless returned to students
  • Must be kept in a private area unless Buckley Waivers were signed
  • Final exams with Buckley waivers may be brought to the cubbies located in the outside hallway next to the third floor elevator near the faculty offices in SSB, any time after finals week. Exams may be retrieved by students at any time.

Alternative Final Examinations

Instructors who agree to allow a student to sit for an alternative examination need to proctor. An example of a situation for alternative examination would include a student needing to sit for a final examination to replace an existing Incomplete with a final course grade. Staff will not - and cannot - serve as proctors. 

Staff will assist with reserving a room; the instructor (not the student) should contact polireception@ucsd.edu to check on the availability of Political Science conference rooms for the time/date needed for the student(s). Students who arrive to the department and indicate they are there for an exam will be re-directed to their instructor with whom the arrangements were made for the alternative exam.

Another option for alternative final exam scheduling is through the Triton Testing Center.  Please visit their website for more details.

For more information, please review the UCSD Academic Senate EPC Policy on Examinations. 

Grades

Grading and assessing students' work is an integral part of educational feedback and learning. Faculty are required to post their grading system and policies on their course syllabi in order to provide clarity to students and to reduce any issues in the future.

Below is information about the most common questions received from faculty, graduate students, and instructors grading grades and the grading process. 

Grade Changes

  • All grades assigned except "I"(Incomplete) and "IP" (In-Progress) are final.
  • NO CHANGES of a final grade may be made on the basis of revision or augmentation of a student's work in the course.
  • A final grade may be corrected when a clerical (recording) error or procedural error has occurred.

 Electronic Grades (eGrades)

  • EGrades is a web-based application that allows instructors to submit or change final grades for the students in their courses.
  • Grade entry for the current term opens at 8 a.m. on the first day of finals, and closes at 11:59 p.m. on the Tuesday after the last final is given.
  • After the deadline for the current term, there is a “blackout day” on Wednesday that is required for other end-of-term processing. On this day, no grades can be entered or changed for any term.
  • Sections not submitted by the closing deadline will be recorded with blank grades, which will lapse to a failing grade after one quarter.
  • A step-by-step guide is available detailing how to submit electronic grades, designate an authorized grader, and submit grades changes.

Incomplete Grade

  • An Incomplete may be assigned only if a student is not failing the course and cannot complete the course because of circumstances beyond their control.
  • Coursework must be completed no later than Week 10 of the subsequent quarter. The instructor may assign an earlier deadline.
  • Though not required by the Department, many faculty who work with a student who is requesting an Incomplete may find the Incomplete Form helpful in record keeping and accountability. Students may also find this documentation handy so they are aware of what needs to be completed and by what date(s). 
  • For an undergraduate student, please consult with the Undergraduate Advisor; for a graduate student, please consult the Graduate Program Coordinator.
  • Coursework must be completed no later than the end of the subsequent quarter. The instructor may assign an earlier deadline.

eGrades Access

All instructors and their authorized graders must have Single Sign-On Access in order to use eGrades. Self-Registration for Single Sign-On is available here.

eGrades Tutorial

A full eGrades tutorial is available on Blink here in PDF.

Instructor of Record (IR) is:

  • Responsible for all grade changes
  • Responsible for the final submission of grades during the submission period
  • Responsible for designating their TA/Graders as Authorized Graders (AG) on eGrades

Authorized Graders (AG) are:

  • Assigned by the Instructor of Record
  • Only able to import and upload grades
  • NOT able to submit final grades on behalf of the instructor
  • NOT able to file or submit grade changes

Grades are due by 11:59pm via eGrades, on the Tuesday following final exam week.

For all information on eGrades, please visit the site here or contact them via email.

Resources: Academic Senate Grading Policy, UCSD Grading System, AIC Suggested Regrading Policy.

Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative

The Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative at UC San Diego is designed to ensure that California’s fastest growing student population feels welcome, supported, and able to thrive at UC San Diego. 

The initiative's mission: "We are committed to actively transforming UC San Diego into a student-centered university for the success of current and future Latinx/Chicanx students, families and communities. We will do this through six core values that advance equity, build community, and ensure student success."

Faculty can learn more about the goals and core values of Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative.

The PDF link below includes recommendations on how faculty can help support students who identify as Latinx/Chicanx and advance the Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative 

Latinx/Chicanx Academic Excellence Initiative Faculty Resource

Letters of Recommendation

Letters of recommendation contain detailed information about the student who is the subject of the letter. This may include such information as grades on exams and other class assignments, grades earned from other faculty in the Department, GPA in the major, grades in related departments, standardized test scores, among other information.

When writing a letter of recommendation about a student, have them complete a release form. If you complete a letter of recommendation and do not have a release, you should only include information about which you have personal knowledge. Information from transcripts, for example, should not be used. 

To stay within FERPA guidelines, if a student asks a professor or instructor in the Department to write a letter of recommendation for them, they must agree to the following statement within an email:

“I consent to the release of personal and educational information about me in the letter of recommendation that I have requested from you. This authorization allows you to release all information about me, within the University’s possession, to [fill in details (e.g., any other educational institution, any centralized application processing services (list by name if possible), both, etc.]. This authorization shall remain valid unless and until it is rescinded in writing.”

Office Hours

Faculty and section teaching assistants are required to hold a minimum of two office hours per week during teaching quarters and should include this information on their syllabus and/or course websites.

Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD)

AFA letters are sent by the OSD to instructors and department liaisons.  You should receive most of these by the first day of instruction.  In order for our department to remain in compliance with the regulations governing the accommodations for students with disabilities, please be sure to read the letter and provide accommodations as noted.  The PoliSci OSD liaison can answer any questions you may have.

The Department OSD liaisons are the Staff Undergrad Advisor (for undergrad courses) and the Staff Graduate Coordinator (for grad courses). 

NEW Starting FA22: Instructors who have students needing Exam Accommodations can do so through the Triton Testing Center.  Please note that instructors and students who wish to use these services for OSD exams must register by the end of Week 2.  See the following Triton Testing Center FAQ page for more info.  Due to limited room availability, the department cannot guarantee office space for exam administration.

For all other types of accommodation, please refer the student to the Department OSD Liaison.

 

Support and Information for Faculty, Lecturers, and TAs:

Office Space for Grad Students

Below are the guidelines and procedures for moving in or vacating graduate student office space.

Moving In

  1. Incoming students will be assigned offices by mid-to-late August and an email will be sent with details including intros to fellow officemates.
  2. After you receive an email from the Graduate Coordinator about your official office assignment, be sure to pick up your office keys from the HR Coordinator.
  3. Office space is assigned based on office availability.
  4. Each office will have a table, desk chair, and bookshelf for each person assigned.

 

Office Hours

Some graduate TAs hold office hours in their assigned office.  Please coordinate this with your office mates ahead of the quarter.

Furniture Policy

Grad students are permitted to have personal furniture in their offices as far as the following policies are adhered to:

  1. Desks and chairs are provided by the department and should not be removed. If you believe there is a need to do so, please talk to the staff beforehand to determine whether this is necessary or appropriate.
  2. If you want to add a piece of furniture discuss with your officemates first to make sure everyone in the office agrees.
  3. If you decide to remove a personal piece of furniture:
    1. Communicate it with your officemates.
    2. Either make arrangements to take the piece of furniture with you or, if appropriate, toss it in the large dumpster outside the south side of the building.
    3. Do not leave the piece of furniture outside of your office in the hall.

Graduate Student Lounge

  1. Graduate students should not leave any unwanted items (especially those with sensitive information) in the common space. It is NOT a dumping ground!  Please be respectful of this shared area.
  2. If you see food that has clearly been left behind for a couple of days, please feel free to throw it away.

 

Moving Out

  1. Identify all of your belongings.
  2. If there are belongings you do not want but believe that your officemates may (e.g., furniture, books, etc.), talk to them and make arrangements. You can also post an announcement in the graduate student slack channel to see if other students are interested in them.
  3. Remove ALL of your belongings out of your current office. The Department has a dolly and a cart that you can use.
  4. If you have belongings that you do not want or is trash, toss it out either in the regular trash bin, recycle bin or shredding bin that are outside in the hallways. Any large items that do not fit in the bins outside can be tossed in the much larger dumpsters around the corner of the south side of the building on the first floor.
    1. Do not leave any belongings in your office, in the hallway, or in the graduate lounge.

 

Your assistance and team effort on this process would be much appreciated!

Other - Facilities Requests

While the Department of Political Science Staff are happy to assist and guide you to solutions, our job responsibilities are often greater than our bandwidth and sometimes we may not be in a position to handle facilities related issues about which you make us aware (examples: toilet does not work, shower head is leaking, wall heater in office is not working, etc.). 

For this reason, we ask that you - i.e. any Political Science faculty member, graduate student, and staff member - submit service requests directly to UCSD Facilities Management.

Political Science Remote Teaching Guide

Maureen Feeley has created a Remote Teaching Guide via Google Docs for all faculty, instructors, and TAs in the Department of Political Science. 

This is a "living document" in that it is updated as needed by contributors. 

You will be able to request access if needed. 

Report An Issue

The Department of Political Science believes in the safety and well-being of its community members - faculty, staff, graduate students, and undergraduate students - and upholds UC San Diego's Principles of Community. 

Should any member of our community experience an issue that goes against these principles, they should feel comfortable seeking help and guidance in a confidential way via the Report An Issue page. Please review and learn about the various avenues of support that exist across UC San Diego below, and feel free to share this information with any individuals who may be in need. 

Sending a Message to Your Class

To send an e-mail message to a class, please use the Official Student Messaging System.

  1. Click ‘Compose’
  2. Input your name and UCSD email
  3. Under ‘Recipients’, click the ‘Add Students’ button
  4. Under the ‘By Enrollment’ section, make sure ‘Subject’ is chosen, then click ‘Political Science’, and chose your course and section or lecture that the message will be sent to.
  5. Click ‘Add Students to Recipients’ button
  6. Write the subject and body of the message as you would a regular email
  7. Attach files if necessary
  8. Do not adjust the ‘Message Type’ or ‘Priority’ options
  9. Click ‘Save and Review’
  10. Checkmark the ‘Send Me a Copy’ box to receive a copy of your email
  11. If everything is to your satisfaction, click the ‘Finalize and Send’ button

Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) - Formerly CAPE

Student Evaluation of Teaching (SET) is the new student evaluation form that replaced CAPEs for undergraduate courses and the graduate evaluation forms in graduate courses as of 2023. For more information, please visit the SET website.

Please note the following:

  • On Monday of Week 9 each student will be notified that they can now submit their SET forms via the Evaluations site. The evaluation window will close for students at 8am on Saturday of Week 10.
  • Instructors have the option of adding up to 5 custom questions to their forms. More information can be found here.
  • Response rates can be very low without faculty encouragement. SET provides tips on increasing response rates on their website.
  • Your students’ written comments are not publicly available and are found here.

If you have any trouble accessing the SET form, please email ats@ucsd.edu. 

For questions or suggestions relating to SET more generally, please email set@ucsd.edu. 

 

** If you are looking for information about CAPE or student evaluation data for courses before SU23, please go to the CAPE site at https://cape.ucsd.edu/. 

  • Professors and Course Instructors: To access your CAPE evaluation through the link above, you would fill out the section asking for your name (Last, First) and course number (POLI XXX).

Students in Distress & Disruptive Behavior

The following PDF link includes the names, contact information, and a brief description of campus resources at UCSD that faculty can utilize and refer student to when they are in distress or displaying disruptive (to you, themselves, or their peers) behavior.

Creating a Community of Care: Resources for Faculty

Syllabi

All faculty are expected to provide a syllabus for each of their courses.

Statements & Resources Highly Recommended to Have on Your Syllabus

1) Inclusive Classroom Statement:

The TAs and I are fully committed to creating a learning environment that supports diversity of thought, perspectives, experiences, and identities.  We urge each of you to contribute your unique perspectives to discussions of course questions, themes, and materials so that we can learn from them, and from each other. If you should ever feel excluded, or unable to fully participate in our class for any reason, please let me know, or please consult the Department’s “Report and Issue” page for additional campus resources to support you, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in our classroom, and beyond.

Additional resources to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in our classroom, and beyond, may be found here:

https://diversity.ucsd.edu/

https://students.ucsd.edu/student-life/diversity/index.html

https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/governance/policies/4400.ht

2) Resources to Support Student Learning

3) Academic Accommodations and the Office for Students with Disabilities

Students requesting accommodations for this course due to a disability must provide a current Authorization for Accommodation (AFA) letter issued by the Office for Students with Disabilities (https://osd.ucsd.edu/). Students are required to discuss accommodation arrangements with instructors and OSD liaisons in the department well in advance of any exams or assignments. The OSD Liaison for the Department of Political Science is Joanna Peralta; please connect with her via the Virtual Advising Center as soon as possible.

4) Academic Advising

Students who have academic advising questions related to the Political Science major, should contact the department's Undergraduate Advisor, Emilie Hines, via the Virtual Advising Center. Academic advising questions often include (but are not limited to): add/drop deadlines, course enrollment policies, planning major and minor requirements, quarter-by-quarter plans, department petitions and paperwork, and referrals to campus and student support services.

5) Additional resources to support equity, diversity, and inclusion in our classroom, and beyond:

Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
858.822.3542 | diversity@ucsd.edu | https://diversity.ucsd.edu/
https://students.ucsd.edu/student-life/diversity/index.html
https://regents.universityofcalifornia.edu/governance/policies/4400.html

Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination
https://ophd.ucsd.edu/
ophd@ucsd.edu or (858) 534-8298

UCSD Office of the Ombuds
https://ombuds.ucsd.edu/
To reach a Confidential Ombudsperson, please call 858-534-0777.

6) UCSD Academic Regulations and Policies

Academic Integrity: Each student is expected to abide by UCSD’s policy on Integrity of Scholarship (https://senate.ucsd.edu/Operating-Procedures/Senate-Manual/Appendices/2) and to excel with integrity in our course (https://academicintegrity.ucsd.edu/excel-integrity/index.html).

7) UCSD’s Principles of Community: To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to maintain a climate of fairness, cooperation, and professionalism. These principles of community are vital to the success of the University and the well being of its constituents. UC San Diego faculty, staff, and students are expected to practice these basic principles as individuals and in groups. The Principles of Community and the Student Code of Conduct support equity, diversity, and inclusion in our classroom.

The department also encourages that instructors utilize the university's turnitin.com. To conserve resources, faculty are encouraged to post syllabi online and distribute the web address to students by email (using the Class List on Blink) or on the first day of class. If hard copies are required, faculty can use department copy machines or submit their copy order online to Imprints: PrintConnection. 

Teaching + Learning Commons Resources

In 2015, UC San Diego established the Teaching + Learning Commons to advance and improve how we teach and learn. Today, a suite of services and programs are in place to develop better instructors and more engaged learners. Our campus is committed to delivering an educational experience that prepares students who are capable of solving problems, leading, and innovating in a diverse and interconnected world.

The Teaching + Learning Commons is located on the first level of Geisel Library.  

The Teaching + Learning Commons offers programs specifically for current faculty, future faculty (Teaching Assistants, Instructional Assistants, Graduate Students, Postdocs), and international instructors (Graduate Students Whose Native Language is Not English).

A faculty brochure and additional teaching resources and are also available.

Resources for Remote Teaching:

Textbooks

Faculty will be asked for textbook preferences prior to the start of the quarter via https://ucsd.follettdiscover.com/log_in. 

For faculty who do not submit their information by appropriate deadlines, the Bookstore cannot guarantee that books will be on the shelves by the start of classes.

Request for desk copies from the publisher can take at least 4-6 weeks for delivery.  Instructors may contact the publisher directly to request and receive desk copies.  Otherwise, if desk copies have not been received or if additional desk copies are needed by beginning of class, the please reach out to the Student Services Coordinator or polireception@ucsd.edu to get assistance with purchasing textbooks from the bookstore using your instructor funds.

Teaching Assistants and Readers

Teaching Assistants

Departmental graduate students serve as instructional assistants to faculty who are teaching courses. The TA primarily assists the faculty member in charge of the course by conducting discussion or laboratory sections that supplement faculty lectures and by grading assignments and examinations.

TAs are typically required to:

  • Attend all lectures unless otherwise notified;
  • Meet with discussion/lab section(s), if applicable;
  • Hold office hours;
  • Proctor quizzes, exams, and finals (instructor must remain present); and
  • Grade student work as requested by the supervising instructor.

You will be informed of your Teaching Assistants prior to the start of the quarter. After the initial meeting, regular weekly meetings with the TA are highly recommended. Please be aware that TAs must be evaluated by the professors at the end of each quarter as a stipulation of the recent TA contract.

Supervision and Training of Teaching Assistants:

  • The Instructor of Record supervises, trains, guides, and evaluates each TA.
  • The Instructor will establish the specific responsibilities of each TA within the course and provide appropriate guidance as to how these responsibilities are to be met. Please see the ASE Duty Form for general duties expected of TAs.
  • Instructors also hold regularly scheduled meetings of all of their TAs, as needed, at least four times a quarter.
  • The instructors must ensure that the workload of a TA does not exceed the 110 hours per quarter per section (25% TA) or 20 hours per week (50% TA).
  • TAs are encouraged to immediately bring any workload concerns to the Graduate Coordinator or Student Affairs Manager.
  • TAs are required to read and sign the ASE Duty Form.

Readers

Readers are typically required to:

  • meet with the instructor prior to course to establish organizational guidelines;
  • meet regularly with the course instructor to ensure ongoing communication regarding progress of students and course;
  • attend all lectures unless otherwise notified;
  • assist with course preparation (e.g. library research for articles, questions for exams, contacting Soft Reserves, etc.);
  • assist with proctoring exams;
  • grade exams, papers and homework;
  • responsible for class discussion boards;
  • read and sign the ASE Duty Form.

Ultimately, TA/reader responsibilities are up to the faculty’s discretion. Faculty expectation must be under the ‘description of duties’ when submitting TA/reader preferences in the ASES system (sent by the Graduate Coordinator each term).  

A 25% TA/reader may not work more than 10 hours per week

A 33% TA/reader may not work more than 13.2 hours per week

A 50% TA/reader may not work more than 20 hours per week

*hours per week also includes hours attending class lecture (if applicable).

Instructional Quick Links

Student and Class Information ToolboxUCSD Schedule of Classes

Student Affairs Manager
Ethel Regis Lu 

Graduate Coordinator
Katie Smith

Undergraduate Advisor
Zain Sharifi

Zoom

To support the transition toward online instruction and increased telecommuting in response to COVID-19 (coronavirus) planning, UCSD has provisioned all campus faculty, staff, teaching assistants and enrolled students with Zoom Pro Meeting accounts.

Zoom allows for video, audio, and screen sharing between participants. It can be used from any computer, laptop, tablet, or phone, and it works on PC, Mac, Android and iOS devices.

Getting Started

1. Download Zoom for your computer or mobile device.

2. Click Sign In to claim your UC San Diego Zoom Pro account using Single Sign-On (SSO)

3. If you need to host webinars of any size, or to hold large meetings with more than 300 attendees, please submit a request for Zoom Large Meeting or Zoom Webinar  ADD-ON License. These licenses should be configured well in advance to avoid  issues.

4. Use the app or webpage to start, join, or schedule meetings.

Other

Have suggestions for information that can be included above? If so, please contact Zain Sharifi.