Summer Opportunities

*approximate timeline. Actual dates may vary.

Graduate students may apply for paid teaching assistant (TA) positions. Minimum eligibility requirements:

• UC San Diego graduate student, enrolled in at least 12 units in the previous spring quarter
• Minimum 3.000 GPA
• Some instructors may require completion of certain courses with stipulated grades.
• Those assisting for the first time will also complete an online training curriculum

Restrictions:

• Students may not assist in more than one course per summer session; however, students may assist in both Summer 1 and Summer 2 opportunities.

See the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) website for additional information concerning Academic Student Employment (ASE) salary rates and benefits.

Undergraduates may apply for paid Undergraduate Reader positions. Minimum eligibility requirements:

Minimum eligibility requirements:

• 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.

• Effective Summer 2024: Undergraduate students without prior UGIA experience are eligible to serve as IAs (Reader/Grader). Students with prior UGIA experience will receive priority consideration.

Restrictions:

• Students may not assist in more than one course per summer session; however, students may assist in both Summer 1 and Summer 2 opportunities.

Undergraduate Readers will not be required to enroll in BISP 195 during Summer Session.   

See the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) website for additional information concerning Academic Student Employment (ASE) salary rates and benefits.

Actual duties for a particular course may vary. Complete descriptions of duties will be provided to selected applicants by the instructor of record for the course.

Attendance at every lecture, assigned discussion/lab section, IA meeting, and mandatory training is required. IAs must be flexible and prepared to participate. It is the responsibility of the student to resolve any conflicts arising from their assignment schedules. Students should also proactively communicate with instructors to understand and clarify any additional expectations.

Typical duties include:

Graduate IAs (Teaching Assistants):

• Attend lectures
• Lead discussion section(s) or lab section(s)
• Hold office hours
• Assist with development of exams
• With faculty oversight, develop new (written) course material for use in discussion sections/ homework/ exams/quizzes/ review sessions
• Proctor and grade exams
• Meet regularly with the instructor
• Assist with course management
• Mentor undergraduate instructional assistants
• Other applicable duties as assigned by the instructor

Undergraduate IAs (Readers):

• Attend lectures
• Grade exams/quizzes/homework
• Enter grading information
• Proctoring exams
• Exam Scribe
• Meet regularly with the instructor
• Other applicable duties as assigned by the instructor

Performance Evaluations and Standards

IAs are evaluated by the instructor of the course and by the students enrolled in the course via online evalutation surverys conducted at the end of each Summer Session.

Summer session assignments vary based on the course and associated workload. Typical assignments vary from 0-35 hours per week.

Most of these hours are accrued in the five-week summer session (I or II) and final exam (plus grading) period (see Schedule of Classes). If required, instructors will inform IAs of the need to work hours in the pre-session week.

Readers

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 summer session 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.

• A School of Biological Sciences’ Human Resources team member will contact you by email for instructions on employeement paperwork.
• Graduate students employed in Teaching Assistant title code 2310 and Undergraduate Reader/Graders employed in title code 2850 are covered by a collective bargaining agreement between UC San Diego and the ASE/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
• 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 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 the represented title codes.
• See the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) website for additional information concerning Academic Student Employment (ASE).

Enrollment and Eligibility

Students must be registered and enrolled as a UC San Diego student in the proceeding Spring Quarter. It is not required for students to be enrolled in Summer courses.  

Undergraduate Readers will not be required to enroll in BISP 195 during Summer Session.   

Assignments are based on School need and are offered solely at the discretion of the School of Biological Sciences. While an instructor may request a student as an IA, such a request does not guarantee placement, nor does it constitute an offer of apprenticeship or employment.

Employment Paperwork and Payment

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.

The Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs (GEPA) website includes in information concerning Academic Student Employment (ASE) salary rates and benefits.

All TAs and Readers must submit timesheets via EcoTime. The supervising instructor will approve their IAs 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.