2012 - 2013

• 1. Overview
• 2. FAQ
• 3. TA offer process and criteria
• 4. Teaching Tips
• 5. Department Rules
  • 5.1. Availability
  • 5.2. Absences
  • 5.3. Academic Misconduct
  • 5.4. Assignments, Exams, and Grades
  • 5.5. Books
  • 5.6. Communication
  • 5.7. Confidential Student Information
  • 5.8. Duplicating
  • 5.9. Final Grading
  • 5.10. Office Hours
  • 5.11. Planning for Classes
  • 5.12. Questions
  • 5.13. Resignations
  • 5.14. Start of Classes
  • 5.15. Training
• 6. Department Contact Information
• 7. Ethical Issues for TAs
• 8. Department Policy on Cheating by TAs
• 9. Related links

5. Department Rules

5.1. Availability

There is an expectation that TAs will be physically present on campus during the semester of their TA work. TAs with significant time restrictions (for example, who can only be on campus evenings and/or weekends), or who will be out of town during extended periods of time, should not accept TA offers. TAs should also be present on campus at least a week before classes start, and should not leave at the semester's end until all their TA work is done.

5.2. Absences

If you cannot hold your office hours due to illness or other circumstances, and are unable to get another TA to cover for you, please call the main office ((612) 625-4002) to let the receptionist know. They need to cancel the office hour and answer students' questions about the cancellation.

You also should contact the faculty member in charge of your course whenever you are unable to perform any of your duties.

If you are assigned to TEACH a class and will miss it for one day, please call the main office (625-4002) and report what arrangements you have made to have someone teach for you. If you will miss more than one day of class you will need prior approval from Dr. Barry.

5.3. Academic Misconduct

TAs hold positions of responsibility. For this reason academic misconduct by a TA is a particularly grave situation, and the department has adopted a rule that academic misconduct by a TA can be grounds for termination of the TA position. Moreover the department will not offer TA positions to students with a record of academic misconduct.

5.4. Assignments, Exams, and Grades

Because TA mailboxes are too small and lack the needed security, assignments cannot be accepted in the Computer Science main office. Students should turn in assignments during class or office hours.

University Policy mandates that assignments and examinations should be handed back in class or office hours rather than placed in the hall for students to pick up.

If you wish to post grades you must do so in a way that guarantees student privacy, such as using the University Moodle system.

5.5. Books

Please make textbook requests at the CS reception desk by filling out a request form with your name and course number. You'll receive an e-mail reply about when the book is ready. This will usually be next day, but will be longer when we need to order the book.

5.6. Communication

Each TA will have a mailbox. In general, you should check yours at least once every weekday. You should also check your email at least once every weekday.

All TAs must have their current mailing address and home phone number on file. Please make sure your current information is online at http://hrss.umn.edu.

On occasion we get complaints from instructors that they have not been able to contact TAs. Please respond to all e-mail, phone messages, etc. from instructors and department staff in a timely manner.

5.7. Confidential Student Information

Student ID numbers, grades, etc. are confidential information. Disclosure of private information is an extremely serious matter so all TAs should be very careful that private information is not posted on web sites, left laying around where others can see it, etc. Here are some specific rules:

1. All TAs should know what information is public and what is private. See the FERPA page if you are unsure about this. Note that not only are items like grades, student ID numbers, etc. private, but so are items like class lists. If you have any questions about whether information is private or public, please ask Liz Freppert or Phil Barry before making it public.
2. The FERPA rules apply not only to people outside the University and department, but also inside. So, for example, not only is it a FERPA violation to make class grades publically readable, or send them to someone outside the University; but it is also a FERPA violation to let CS&E office staff, system staff, TAs working on other classes, faculty other than the one you are TAing for, etc. view confidential files for the class you are TAing. Once again, if you have any questions on this please ask Liz Freppert or Phil Barry. (Please note: Due to the insecurity of email, TAs should avoid using email to communicate FERPA protected information. For example, if different members of a course staff need to work with a grade file, they should set up the grade file in the grades directory mentioned below, and access it there directly rather than emailing the grade file to one another.)
3. As of Fall 2012, the GRIT grade software will no longer be accessible. Instead, classes should use the grade facility in the Moodle course management software.
4. The Computer Science Department system staff maintains special directories for grade files. It is very important that TAs and faculty use these files for grades and other confidential class information. The staff will send around further information on this soon after the start of classes. Please e-mail the operator if you do not receive this announcement or if you have questions. Note grade files and other similar files must *not* be stored on laptops, local machines, home computers, or in your home directory or /.www, /web, /project directories. Note this includes the class web directory (including having a .grades subdirectory in that directory).
5. Also be careful with any hardcopies of private information. Please store such copies in a secure location, and shred them when you are done with them. You can give old hardcopies of grade files, etc. to the receptionist in the CS main office to be shredded.
6. In general be very careful with confidential information, whether student information or course information, that is placed on a laptop or in the course web directory. This is not a spurious warning: the department has had more than one incident in the past where laptops have been stolen, or where information in a web directory was inadvertently made world-readable.

5.8. Duplicating

The Department provides copying for homework, laboratory assignments and examinations. If you wish to give out lecture notes or other long material, please post them online. If you prefer to give out such material in hardcopy, please make them accessible through the Bookstore or any of the local copy houses. The students can then purchase their own copies. The Copyright Permissions Center (624-8258) works to secure permission for copyrighted materials used in course packets; please contact them if you have any questions.

There is a 24-hour turnaround time required for course material that you would like the office staff to copy for you. If you have a long assignment or examination, please allow extra time. If you have special requests or extremely urgent jobs please talk to the receptionist at the CS&E front desk.

5.9. Final Grading

After finals, TAs should not leave town until ALL their grading for the class is finished. So you must check with the instructor of your class before making any travel arrangements.

5.10. Office Hours

Prior to the beginning of the classes you should discuss specific office hour times with the instructor.

TAs with a 25% appointment should have at least 1 office hour per week. TAs with a 50% appointment should have at least 2. These are minimum amounts, though, and for many classes the instructor may ask you to have additional office hours.

Office hours should be held in a room set aside for that purpose (currently Keller Hall 2-209 and the the public lab Keller Hall 4-250). If you have a compelling reason to hold the office hours elsewhere, please get the department's approval before doing so.

If you wish to hold your office hours in one of the open classroom labs, please notify Liz Freppert about this. These labs can be reserved by other classes and departments; and we have had occasions in the past where TAs have been holding office hours in such labs without notifying the department, only to have a conflict arise when another department reserves the lab.

TAs for evening classes are reminded to have AT LEAST one office hour in the evening.

5.11. Planning for Classes

At least one week before the beginning of classes you should contact the instructor for the course you will TA. At this time you should discuss items such as what your TA duties will be, what time you will hold your office hours, whether or not you will lead discussion sections (if the class has discussion sections), and whether the instructor needs you to do any work prior to the first class.

5.12. Questions

You should discuss any course specific questions with the instructor or other TAs. General questions can be handled by the department receptionist (5-4002). Questions about TA procedures, textbooks, and appointments should go to Liz Freppert (5-1890; freppert@cs.umn.edu) or Dr. Barry (4-8311; barry@cs.umn.edu).

5.13. Resignations

The department has the following policy:

1. Teaching Assistants may resign their TA appointment for an RA appointment if they resign prior to the announced application deadline, which is usually 4 - 6 weeks before the start of classes of each semester.
2. TAs who wish to resign their TA appointment after the above deadline will need written permission from the Department Head or TA Supervisor.
3. The department will not process RA offers to TAs that resign without meeting these criteria. TAs who resign less than two weeks before the beginning of classes will forfeit their eligibility to receive any form of support from the department in the future.

TAs should not resign after classes have begun.

5.14. Start of Classes

TAs should contact the instructor they are working with *prior* to the start of classes. In the past we have had problems with TAs not being available until the first day of classes (or later!). This creates numerous problems, so please make sure you are in town and available to work at least a week prior to the start of classes.

5.15. Training

In the Fall, all new TAs are strongly encouraged to participate in the TA orientation and teaching workshops help as part of the Teaching Enrichment Series by the Center for Teaching and Learning. There is also departmental training for new TAs. Dates and times of this departmental training will be mailed (by hardcopy or email) to the new TAs.

International TAs who have not passed the University English requirement must sign up for one of the University TA English classes.