Working with Teaching Assistants
Teaching Assistantships, awarded almost exclusively to doctoral students who work closely in a mentor-type relationship with College faculty, are 20-hour/week positions created to support teaching and learning. Teaching Assistants (TAs) are assigned to one or more sections of courses. TAs assist both the students who are enrolled and the instructors who teach. As doctoral students, TAs work closely with faculty members on both research and teaching and are supported by the College to learn both research and instructional processes. The TA and instructor relationship is considered as mentoring, often with preparation for a future academic position. Graduate students who are TAs are compensated with tuition and a stipend. Instructors should meet with their TAs at the beginning of each semester to sign the Assistant-Instructor Agreement Form, which outlines the responsibilities of both the TA and the Instructor.
If your doctoral student has questions about being a TA, please share the Teaching Assistant & Instructional Assistant webpage with them: https://ist.psu.edu/learning/ta-ia
TAs work with their advisor and the Office of Graduate Programs to be placed in a class each semester. If you have questions, email istgradprograms@psu.edu.