Assistant-Instructor Agreement Form

**Must be completed with the supervising instructor**



Teaching Assistant (TA) and Instructional Assistant (IA) positions exist in the College of IST for the purpose of assisting instructors in providing challenging and meaningful learning experiences for students enrolled in the courses that faculty teach. TAs are generally Doctoral students and IAs are generally Masters or IUG students.



Read this document for suggestions for instructors working with Teaching and Instructional assistants: https://pennstateoffice365.sharepoint.com/:w:/s/ISTTLA/EezhKitqTeVMiJAFVEfp8VwBEC1o_X2QUWKpp7UF5kZgcA?e=IeeZtJ



Mandatory Responsibilities


The following responsibilities are mandatory for all assistants.


Communication with Instructor and Students


  • Meet with instructor on a regular basis (usually once a week or biweekly) to discuss enrolled students' progress and/or to get briefed on upcoming lessons/assigned work


  • Respond promptly to instructor's and, if applicable, students' requests via specified means of communication


  • Provide advance notice to instructor and any other teaching team members (i.e., undergraduate Learning Assistants or other graduate assistants who may also be assigned to the course) if unable to fulfill responsibilities due to sickness or other reasonable excuses


Preparation


  • Read and review assigned readings, class assignments, and other materials for the course


  • Organize materials (e.g., survey results, summary of online discussions, etc.) ahead of weekly meetings


Attendance


  • Attend all meetings, class sessions, and/or outside lectures as designated by instructor



Feedback and Evaluation:


Formative feedback should be given at mid-semester, from both the students enrolled in the course to which the assistant is assigned and the instructor who teaches that course. Feedback at mid-semester is shared only with the assistant and the supervising instructor—for the purpose of improvement.



A performance evaluation occurs at the end of the semester, by both the students enrolled in the course to which the assistant is assigned and the instructor who teaches that course. Results are shared with the assistant, the supervising instructor, and the Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies.



Start/End Dates:


Start date is Friday before classes begin. (Graduate students may work with instructors online prior to the start of the semester.)


End date is the last day of Finals Week—or whatever earlier date the instructor sets. (Make end-of-semester travel plans accordingly.)




Please Note: A separate form must be completed for each TA/IA Assignment.

This form MUST be completed with the supervising instructor

Please check this box to confirm the above statement.

Check only those assigned.

Check only those assigned.

Check only those assigned.

Check only those assigned.

Check only those assigned.

Check only those assigned.