First of all, understanding the nature of GSI is important. Having teaching experience is great, especially if you plan to stay in academia or having a teaching-focused job. However, sometimes it can also be a burden. 

"..., calling GSI positions a form of "support" obscures the major negative impact of GSI work on research productivity. Also, GSI positions are not actually coordinated through guiding professors, in my experience, so it's odd to portray them as such."

- quoted a student's answer from a former funding survey

While these positions usually pay all of your fees and tuition, as well as a stipend, there is variability to watch out for. For example, some GSI appointments for ES courses (courses in the Ecosystem Science Undergraduate major) don't cover the campus activity fees, meaning that you can still owe ~200 dollars. Different departments on campus also have slightly different fee remissions. They may also charge for GSIing if you are not a grad student in their department. The table below shows the general remissions and percentage pay rates need to achieve each. GSI appointments has step (I, II, III, IV, V, VI, etc) that determine the actual pay rate of the stipend that you get. 

Applying to GSI

The GSAOs will announce calls for applications mid-semester. The application process involves writing a very brief (most write about a paragraph?) explanation of your interest and suitability for each course you're interested in GSIing, then ranking the courses in your order of preference. 

Its a good idea to contact the professor you would like to GSI for beforehand. Some professors have requirements or expectations or requirements for their GSIs. It is also a good idea to write grad students who GSIed a course in the past to get a sense of the workload and their experience working with the Instructor.  

While you GSI

It can be difficult to keep good boundaries around your teaching workload and also carve time out for your own dissertation work. Keeping track of your hours is incredibly important - use this Union provided workload grid. It is also good to discuss your Instructor's expectations for time management at the START of the semester ("how many hours should I spend on reading, prepping section, grading, etc."). You can keep it simply for your own records, but it also serves as the basis for any claims or negotiations.

If you find you are working beyond the workload protection standards (see below), bring it up with your Instructor. You can also contact an ESPM union steward; they can explore options with you, help you approach your Instructor, or help you file a grievance. You can also file a claim with the union yourself. Typical solutions when claims are filed are the increase in compensation to the GSI (e.g. from 50% to 80% with a corresponding increase in pay), or adjustments of course assignments in order to decrease the teaching work load for the GSI. 

Know your rights:

The current union contract means that if you receive and accept a verbal or written job offer, that job is guaranteed -- if your section is canceled after you’re hired, the university either has to reassign you to another section or pay you anyway. 

If you receive a 50% appointment (most GSI appointments are this), expect to work an average of 20 hours per week. If any of the above conditions aren't being met, or if you’re asked to 

1) work more than 8 hours per day,

2) work more than an average of 20 hours per week,

3) work more than 40 hours in any one week, or

4) work more than a total of 220 hours per quarter (or 340 per semester)

your workload rights are being violated, and you can file a grievance here. Generally, if something doesn't feel right about your job situation, you can always reach out to a union rep and learn more! 

For 50% appointments the number of hours worked in excess of 20 hours per week may not total more than 50 hours per quarter or 77 hours per semester.

First time GSI

• Language Proficiency Program

• First-Time GSI Requirements

• GSI Teaching Conference

• GSI Professional Standards and Ethics in Teaching Online Course

• Pedagogy Course for First-Time GSIs

Teaching Resources:

• Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center

  • • Must-See Policies and Resources

    • Teaching Guide for GSIs

    • Checklist for Getting Started (pdf)

    • Time Management Strategies

    • Find Your Faculty  Adviser for GSI Affairs

    • Working as a GSI: Frequently Asked Questions

• http://serc.carleton.edu/index.html (specific to teaching science; lots about the earth sciences)

Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education

UC Berkeley offers a Certificate in Teaching & Learning in Higher Education through the Graduate Student Instructor Teaching & Resource Center. This certification is a way to demonstrate your training in teaching. Requirements include two semesters of GSIing and attendance at six teaching workshops (see the website for a full list of requirements).