Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Agreement

In accepting a graduate teaching assistant appointment, students agree to fulfill the following responsibilities. Failure to do so may jeopardize students’ current or future GTA appointment.

  1. Register as a full-time student as defined by the Graduate School;

  2. Beginning on the appointment start date, be available to assist the course instructor, which may require meeting on campus;

  3. Report to the ECE GSO for TA Check-in and Orientation;

  4. Contact the course instructor immediately upon receiving the TA course assignment;

  5. If assigned as a TA for lab sections(s), complete the requisite training before the first lab;

  6. If an international student, satisfy all requirements related to the Maryland English Institute International Teaching Assistant Evaluation (MEI ITA);

  7. Attend lectures, if required by the course instructor of the assigned course(s) throughout the semester;

  8. Meet with the course instructor at least three times during the semester to discuss progress as a TA;

  9. Conduct mid-semester evaluations, meet with TA Training and Development mentor to discuss evaluations (new TAs only), and submit a self-evaluation;

  10. Remind students of end-of-semester online evaluations (CourseEvalUM);

  11. Prepare and appear for all scheduled recitations/labs for the entire semester;

  12. Request permission for emergency absences in advance or as soon as possible and notify all pertinent parties;

  13. Fulfill end-of-semester TA duties related to the course after the final exam is given;

  14. Return all loaned books/materials in excellent condition upon completion of the term;

  15. Read and adhere to emails from the GSO and announcements posted to ece-tas@umd.edu;

  16. Comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). See https://umd-registrar.catalog.instructure.com/courses/umd-ferpa-tutorial for an explanation and tutorial.

  17. Review and comply with university’s Sexual Misconduct, Non-Discrimination, and Disability & Accessibility Policies located here: https://ocrsm.umd.edu/;

  18. Complete the ECE TA Training and Development Program:

    1. Attend TLTC Campus-wide TA Orientation if never attended before;

    2. New TAs must attend three TA Training and Development Program sessions per semester, which must include TA Orientation and two workshops;

    3. Returning TAs must attend two TA Training and Development Program workshops per semester.