The College recognizes that employing strong undergraduate students to provide classroom support can hold many benefits. Below are guidelines that must be used in hiring undergraduates to support instruction:
- Undergraduate teaching assistants/classroom aides may be employed to support faculty members and graduate teaching assistants in various ways, including serving as discussion leaders, tutors, lab assistants, coaches, etc.
- Tasks assigned to undergraduates must focus on mentoring and support rather than assessment and supervision. Undergraduates are likely to have various types of conflicts of interest in working with other undergraduates, so they should never be put in the position of grading the work of other students or be assigned to other tasks in which a conflict of interest might arise.
- Compensation for undergraduate teaching assistants/classroom aides should be between the range of $12.50-$15.00 per hour. Funding for these positions should come either from departmental funds or faculty research funds.
- Undergraduate teaching assistants/classroom aides should never be left in charge of a class outside of the presence of a faculty member or graduate teaching assistant.
- Undergraduate teaching assistants/classroom aides should be carefully supervised and should have opportunities to meet regularly with the faculty member/graduate students who are supervising their work. These meetings should include constructive feedback from the faculty member/graduate students, but they should also create space for undergraduate assistants to pose questions, describe challenges, and reflect on their experiences in the classroom.
- Approval for all undergraduate instructional assistance (including name, class assignment, duties, number of hours, pay rate) should be requested from the faculty member's home college, or the school, college, or program overseeing the course.