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Graduate & Teaching Assistants (GAs & TAs)

 

TEACHING & PROGRAMS

Graduate and Teaching Assistants (GAs and TAs)

Graduate and Teaching Assistants at the University of Windsor are unionized employees governed by a Collective Agreement (CUPE Local 4580). This section provides an overview of the AAU Head's role in hiring and managing GA and TA employees in accordance with the provisions of the CUPE Local 4580 Collective Agreement. For questions and guidance on collective agreement provisions, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies (gata-fgs@uwindsor.ca)

GA/TA Allocations

Each AAU receives from the Faculty Dean’s office their funding allocation for undergraduate (TA) and/or graduate (GA) assistant positions. AAUs are responsible for tracking their GA/TA expenditures for the fiscal year (May to April). Contact your Faculty Dean’s office for guidance on how your AAU’s TA/GA allocation is determined.

Graduate Assistantships Considerations

Graduate Assistantships (GAs), in particular, require careful consideration as GA offers are tied with a commitment by the AAU for future GA terms of support: 7 GA terms total for Doctoral; 3 – for Master’s.

First priority for AAU Heads is to ensure the AAU is meeting its outstanding GA commitments before new GA offers are made. This requires a re-assessment each term of the AAU’s GA obligations remaining from offers that have been triggered in prior semesters/years.

Under certain conditions, departments may offer GA terms without making a future commitment per the collective agreement. Contact graduate studies to obtain the AAU Head’s Reference Guide to Managing GA and TA Appointments, for guidance on the criteria for making GA offers and related decisions

Duties and Responsibilities

Course instructors who are supported by a Teaching Assistant or a Graduate Assistant employee (as assigned by their AAU Head) are considered the TA’s or GA’s Employment Supervisor who is responsible for the assignment and direction of the TA’s or GA’s work duties. 
 
The AAU Head has decision-making authority on all matters related to the TA and GA employees within the AAU. At their discretion, AAU Heads may delegate certain tasks within the AAU – e.g. to graduate coordinator or undergraduate program director, to AAU support staff (e.g. grad. secretary), etc.
 

Hiring Process Summary

If course instructors expect GAs/TAs to begin working as soon as classes start, the AAU Head should initiate the process approximately 9-10 weeks prior to the beginning of the term:
  • Course instructors should be advised to submit requests for GA/TA support to the AAU Head.
  • AAU Head (or delegate(s)) will review instructor requests for the term and determine which course/instructor will be assigned GAs/TAs.
  • AAU Head will obtain Faculty Dean’s approval and confirm funding for the projected # of positions.
  • AAU will draft a notice of projected GA and/or TA positions and send to graduate studies for approval before posting.

For instructions including template for posting projected GA/TA positions, timelines, and resources refer to the Faculty of Graduate Studies GA and TA Appointments Guidelines for Departments

GA and TA hiring is done in UWinsite People, and the departmental deadlines must be aligned with the posted GA/TA processing deadlines for each term on the GA and TA Appointments Guidelines for Departments.

Coach and Counsel and Performance Concerns

Course instructors must be advised to always consult with the AAU Head (or designate), and with Academic Labour Relations or Graduate Studies, for guidance before initiating any disciplinary action.

Course instructors (as the GA/TA Supervisors) will monitor the progress of duties and provide ‘coach and counsel’ as needed throughout the appointment, to clarify expectations and address minor concerns (a follow-up email after a coaching and counseling session is appropriate to concisely document the discussion and ensure both parties are aligned on expectations and improvements). Supervisors must inform the AAU Head if there are persisting performance concerns that they have been unable to resolve informally with their assigned GA or TA. As part of the coaching and counselling process, a written performance evaluation may be deemed appropriate to provide constructive feedback on assigned duties, outline specific suggestions for improvement, and establish a reasonable timeline for achieving the expected progress. A standardized evaluation form must be used for this purpose – contact Graduate Studies for guidance and to request a copy of the GA/TA evaluation form.

For guidance on collective agreement provisions regarding GA/TA evaluations or performance issues, please contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies (gata-fgs@uwindsor.ca) or the Academic Labour Relations office (acadlr@uwindsor.ca).

Assistants (GAs or TAs) should be instructed to reach out to their CUPE local 4580 representative for collective agreement guidance.

Further Reading:

Collective Agreement (CUPE Local 4580)

GA and TA Appointments Guidelines for Departments

Employment of Full-Time Graduate Students 

 

Note: This site is a living document, the goal of which is to improve, in some small way, the working lives of University of Windsor faculty. We are eager to collaborate with the campus community to better this service over time. If you can identify any knowledge gaps, missing resources, or outdated or erroneous information on this site, please contact avpa@uwindsor.ca without hesitation.