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School of Biological Sciences School of Biological Sciences
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  7. Readers

Readers

The School of Biological Sciences hires paid Readers as needed.

Minimum Eligibility Requirements

  • Prior completion of an Undergraduate IA (UGIA) assignment.Including prior completion of BISP 195 with a Passing grade (P)*
  • Prior completion of the same or equivalent course of the assignment. Instructor may require completion of certain courses with stipulated grades (often a grade of A or B expected). See also, Alternative Qualifying Courses
  • A cumulative 3.000 UC GPA at the time of application and during the quarter of assignment.
  • A minimum of 90 units completed or transferred into UC San Diego at the time of application.
  • During the academic year, enrolled in a minimum of 6 units at UC San Diego during the quarter of assignment.
  • Registered UC San Diego student with fees paid in the quarter of assignment.

Restrictions

For more information on Summer Session opportunities, please visit the Summer Session IApage.

For UC San Diego undergraduate student opportunities, please visit the page on Undergraduate Opportunities.

Current Application

Spring 2025 application will open on Monday, January 13th, and close on Sunday, January 26th at 11:59pm PST

Application for Spring IA position

Application Timeline

Application Periods and Deadlines
For participation in: Application Opens Applicants Notified of Decision
Fall May August, prior to the Fall term
Winter Weeks 1 - 4 of the preceding quarter By week 8 of the preceding Fall quarter
Spring Weeks 1 - 4 of the preceding quarter By week 8 of the preceding Winter quarter
Summer Late Winter / Early Spring Quarter By week 8 of the preceding Spring quarter

*approximate timeline. Actual dates may vary.

Reader Performance Expectations

Actual duties for a particular course may vary and will be defined by the supervising instructor. Typical duties may include:

  • Attend lectures
  • Grade exams/quizzes/homework
  • Enter grading information
  • Proctoring exams
  • Exam Scribe

Performance Evaluations and Standards

Readers are evaluated by the instructor of the course and by the students enrolled in the course via online evaluation surveys conducted at the end of the quarter.

Workload and Time reporting

Reader assignments may differ depending on the specific course and its associated workload. Typically, Readers can expect 0 to 10 hours per week. However, workload may fluctuate and Readers should be prepared for variations in their hourly commitment, with the possibility of increased responsibilities during peak periods such as finals week.

  • Readers (including proctors and graders) must accurately report the actual hours worked in their assigned positions.
  • A 25% FTE Reader position equates to a maximum of 110 hours per quarter, which is approximately 10 hours per week. Some weeks may require more hours than others. If additional hours beyond the allocated FTE are anticipated, students must obtain prior approval from the instructor or supervisor.
  • To ensure timely and correct payment processing, timesheets must be submitted punctually and accurately reflect hours worked via EcoTime and approved by the supervising instructor.
    • Detailed instructions for submitting timesheets through EcoTime will be provided upon completion of employment paperwork.
    • For any inquiries related to timesheet submission, please reach out to biotimekeeping@ucsd.edu.

Employment Information

  • A School of Biological Sciences’ Human Resources team member will contact you by email for instructions on employeement paperwork.
  • Students employed in the title code 2850 are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between UC San Diego and the UAW.
  • Readers are paid biweekly and must submit timesheets via EcoTime. The supervising instructor will approve the IA’s timesheets. Information about EcoTime can be found at the EcoTime Support Guide.
  • For questions regarding timesheet submission, please email biotimekeeping@ucsd.edu.
  • Names and addresses of all ASEs are released to the UAW as a condition of employment in title code 2850.
  • See the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) website for additional information concerning Academic Student Employment (ASE).

FAQs for Readers

Employment Paperwork

Hiring must be complete prior to the start of the quarter, including verification of original identification documents. IAs who need to complete hiring paperwork will be contacted via @ucsd email. Some students may already be active in the UCPath Payroll system. In such cases, no additional paperwork is required. Please watch your @ucsd email for information on logging into UCPath (UCSD Payroll system), enrolling in direct deposit, and using the timekeeping system.

TAs are paid monthly and must submit timesheets via EcoTime. The supervising instructor will approve their TA’s timesheets. Information about EcoTime can be found at the EcoTime Support Guide.

For questions, please email biotimekeeping@ucsd.edu

Give special attention to the average number of hours per week that the assignment will entail. This information is listed in the original offer email and on the appointment notification. Increasing the maximum number of hours is not an option! TAs who believe they may exceed the maximum number of hours of assignment must consult with the supervising instructor to ensure that workload remains within the guidelines. Early communication with the supervisor, prior to exceeding workload maximums, is essential.

IA Resources

The IA Resource page includes information about office hours, make-up sections, review sessions, technology, etc.

Dr. Stanley Lo is the Faculty Advisor for Instructional Assistants. The Faculty Advisor is a point of initial contact for inquiries related to professional development as an IA, science of teaching, classroom effectiveness, or other questions and concerns related to ethics, behavior, or academic integrity.

Contacting the Supervising Instructor

IAs may or may not receive direction from the supervising instructor prior to the start of the quarter. If the instructor does not reach out prior to the quarter, IAs should feel free to contact the supervising instructor via email, or to simply attend the first class meeting. Specific discussion section assignments are coordinated directly with the supervising instructor.

Questions? Send them to biota@ucsd.edu