Code of Practice on Teaching and Demonstrating by Graduate Students

A. Selection (Graduate Teaching Assistants only)

1. Vacancies for GTAs should be advertised in departments and a person specification provided.
    

2. All short-listed GTAs should be interviewed by the Head of Department or his/her nominee, and one other member of teaching staff, before initial appointment and their suitability assessed in relation to the essential criteria, including their English Language competence.
    

3. Feedback should be provided on candidates' interview performance and suitability for the GTA role on request, after the selection process is complete, and all candidates invited to interview should be informed of their entitlement to request feedback. Candidates who are not selected on the grounds of English language competence should be advised on the English language courses available to them.

B. Training and development of GTAs, Demonstrators and Graduate Lab Assistants (GLA)

1. Departments should ensure that all new GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators undertake a Learning and Development training course, or an alternative programme of training proposed by the Head of Department and approved in writing by Learning and Development.
    

2. Training for GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators (wherever delivered) should include training in sensitivity to cultural issues, including language and special needs.
    

3. Departments should normally provide written information on teaching arrangements and responsibilities within the department for GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators.

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4. Early in each academic year departments should organise a briefing meeting for new GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators providing formal induction on departmental teaching and assessment practices, student progress procedures, the role of the GTA/GLA/Demonstrator and guidance on academic content. At this meeting or separately departments should provide appropriate training on health and safety.
    

5. Departments should normally hold, at the end of the Autumn term and at the end of each academic year, a seminar/workshop for GTAs, aimed at sharing good practice and providing a preliminary induction for potential new GTAs.
    

6. Departments should maintain systems for monitoring the quality of teaching by GTAs, which should include documented observation of teaching, the dates of observations and names of observers to be held on departmental records. Each GTA should be allocated a mentor, normally the relevant course/module supervisor.
    

7. Departments should advise GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators of appropriate training opportunities, including those provided by the Learning and Development and should keep Learning and Development informed of any emerging training needs of GTAs, Graduate Lab Assistants and Demonstrators.
    

8. Departments should encourage and support GTAs who may wish to develop portfolios for accreditation.

C. Teaching and Demonstrating duties

1. Teaching should normally be class teaching or demonstrating; lecturing duties must be associated with a student's research interest, and require prior approval from the Dean of the Graduate School and the Dean of the relevant Faculty in which the teaching will be conducted.
    

2. Where a GTA or Demonstrator is asked to deliver more than one lecture, they should be paid appropriately for this additional duty.
   

3. Where GTAs are asked to have office hours, they should be paid appropriately and provided with a suitable room.
   

4. There should be a clear role description for GTAs, Demonstrators and GLAs in each department and it should be clear how the rate of pay has been calculated.
   

5. Where a GTA, Demonstrator or GLA is employed for class/lab teaching or demonstrating this should normally involve all relevant preparation, delivery, basic administration (such as record keeping) and marking associated with a given module. Any variation on this should be clarified by Departments.
   

6. Departments should see to equalise coursework marking by GTAs, Demonstrators or GLAs across any given module. Where a GTA, Demonstrator or GLA is asked to undertaken additional marking, they should be paid appropriately for this duty.

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D. Departmental organisation (Graduate Teaching Assistants only)

1. Departments should make every effort to ensure the integration of GTAs into course/module teaching teams, and their inclusion in the information and communication networks appropriate to their role as team members.
    

2. GTAs should be represented at departmental meetings where there is discussion on teaching issues.
    

3. Wherever possible, GTAs should be listed alongside academic staff in course/module details, reading lists and departmental booklets and included on staff e-mail lists and lists of office hours.
    

4. GTAs should be provided with appropriate resources to carry out their teaching duties.

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