ECE Illinois


Professor N. Narayana Rao

Teaching Assistant Responsibilities


(Document distributed to all TA's at the beginning of each semester)

As a teaching assistant you are a member of a group that is essential to our program of instruction in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. As undergraduate students most of you have had contact with teaching assistants in several of your classes. You know that some teaching assistants provide more help for the student than others. In electrical and computer engineering, we expect good teaching from our teaching assistants and we get outstanding teaching from some. In 1977 we established an award for outstanding teaching by a graduate student in Electrical and Computer engineering. The Harold L. Olesen Award for Teaching Excellence is given annually to two graduate students (one each for the Fall and Spring semesters), selected as the best teachers in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. In addition to the honor of being selected, the award includes a check for $500. In order to help you understand what is expected of you, the following statements of the expectations and responsibilities of teaching assistants are given here:

1. In this department you will work under the direction of the faculty member responsible for the course to which you are assigned. A list of course directors is attached. In most cases, the course director is also the course supervisor. As a new instructor, you should find the efforts of the course supervisor to be quite helpful. This is the person to whom you should go with questions concerning the particular course. Specifically this includes course content, schedule of topics to be covered, the types and frequency of examinations, and grades to be given. In addition, as an instructor of the course you are expected to assist the course supervisor. This includes: 1) teaching your assigned section(s); 2) participation and discussion about course content and choice of text; 3) assisting in the preparation of special notes; 4) assisting in the preparation of demonstrations; and 5) substituting for another instructor as needed because of illness or other reasons that prevent the instructor from meeting the class

2. Two TA Conference Rooms are available for office hours. Contact Sheryle Carpenter or Laurie Fisher in 153 EL to reserve the conference rooms. A key for the office will be available for you. If you will be using the building after hours, you should see Sheryle Carpenter to request a magnetic card for entry to the Everitt Laboratory through the westside door or the ground floor door on the east side of the building. If you need access to a lab or office related to your teaching duties, the course director or faculty member in charge of your assigned course will provide the necessary authorizations. All TAs that do not currently hold research offices are assigned to shared offices on the third floor of Everitt Laboratory. Due to the shortage of office space, we are unable to provide a desk for each person. Use of this space should be worked out among the officemates.

3. Everitt Laboratory building security is an important matter. Steps have been taken to discourage unauthorized entrance to the buildings in the department, and your cooperation is requested to help eliminate unauthorized entries. If you see suspicious activity, please report it to the university police.

4. There are several offices you should locate as you may need to find them later.

ECE Department Office, 155 EL
Student Counseling Office, 156 EL
Business Office, 147 EL
Electronics Shop, 265 EL
Mailboxes, 159 EL
For stenographic services, 159 EL.

5. Check your mailbox in Room 159 EL regularly (and frequently) for messages.

6. You are expected to be here throughout the semester except for the following academic vacations:

	Sept. 4, 2000				Labor Day
	Nov. 18-26, 2000			Thanksgiving Vacation
	Dec. 16, 2000				Last Day of Final Examination*
	Dec. 24-27, 2000			Christmas Break
	Dec. 31, 2000 - Jan. 3, 2001		New Year's Holidays
	Jan. 15, 2001				Martin Luther King Day
	Mar. 10-18, 2001			Spring Break
	May 11, 2001				Last Day of Final Examination*

*As the final grades for courses are due no later than 4 days after the final exam date, your presence may be required until those grades are turned in, depending on your teaching assignment.

7. Carry out your duties as assigned. It is your responsibility to contact the professor to whom you have been assigned to obtain the details of your assignment.

You will receive an assignment of teaching duties prior to the first day of classes (August 23 for Fall 2000 and January 16 for Spring 2001) or shortly thereafter. To meet changing needs of the department it may be necessary to add a specific assignment or to substitute an assignment for the one made to you initially.

Please check your mailbox frequently for two to three weeks so you may be informed of any changes in your teaching assignments as soon as possible.

8. You are not authorized to use the Xerox copy machines available in the department. Your supervisor will give you the instructions regarding the policy if it becomes necessary for you to have material (for the specific course you are working with) xeroxed by using the machine in 159 EL.

9. Another matter of importance is concerned with capricious grading and academic dishonesty. In order to avoid misunderstanding by students about grading policies, etc., resulting in capricious grading complaints, we have prepared the attached information on capricious grading and academic dishonesty. It is your responsibility to read this material and understand the regulations and procedures.

Several questions which have been raised concerning the time commitment expected from a Teaching Assistant suggest that additional information on what is expected may be helpful. The time each teaching assistant is expected to work is determined by the fraction of full-time that is called for in the appointment: 

			50 %             - 20 hours per week
			33 %             - 13 1/3 hours per week
			25 %             - 10 hours per week
			17 %             - 6 2/3 hours per week

These hours are the average hours per week a teaching assistant should expect to work during the semester and include the period from registration through final exams.

Each semester you will receive two forms: a Planning Document form and a Teaching Preference form for the following semester. It is very important that you complete and return these forms to the office on time. If it is necessary for you to make any changes in your request after you turn in the Planning Document, please notify the department office as soon as possible.

Should you have questions concerning your responsibilities as a Teaching Assistant in this department, please raise them with:

a. your supervisor

b. the Associate Head of the Department, N. N. Rao.