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5 votes
3 answers
4k views

Is there generally a relationship between a dept's research grant numbers and the teaching loads they give PhD students?

To me, one of the most important factors that differentiates a good PhD program in the US and a bad one is the teaching expectations placed on the student. In some departments, PhD students are ...
joshisanonymous's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
188 views

Feasibility of a Makeup Exam

I'm currently a TA for a first-year math course (at a US university), and one of my students wasn't feeling well on the day of the midterm exam for this course. They emailed the instructor their ...
stoic-santiago's user avatar
21 votes
8 answers
11k views

How to move forward after microaggression allegations against my TA

Context: I am an associate professor of mathematics at a small liberal-arts college in the US. I am teaching multiple sections of a general-education mathematics course this fall, and I have an ...
AegisCruiser's user avatar
  • 4,527
5 votes
2 answers
7k views

Should a TA position which requires teaching a class offer more money than one that doesn't?

I am currently a PhD student (international) at a University in the US (TX). I was offered a TA position, however the position requires me to work as an instructor of the course. I worked before as ...
sss.tp's user avatar
  • 59
4 votes
0 answers
129 views

How to proceed with a problem with a professor and class structure as a whole

I am a teaching assistant for an introductory summer term class. I have not previously been a TA for this specific course, but have worked within this department and typically teach an accelerated ...
Pleiades's user avatar
  • 141
10 votes
3 answers
5k views

Can a school make a grad student TA if the student was promised an RA by admissions?

A student applied to a 5-year PhD program after graduating from an undergraduate program. The student was accepted to the graduate program and was promised a research assistantship and tuition waiver ...
aquaticapetheory's user avatar
14 votes
8 answers
7k views

Unreasonable requests to a TA from a student

One of my students' behaviour just feels always disrespectful to me. A homework was due tonight, and she asked me yesterday evening how to solve multiple questions. I try to respond as soon as I can, ...
happypenguin's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
105 views

Should I ask the program coordinator regarding an offered PhD TAship for 11 months?

I have been offered a Ph.D. position in the USA where the offer says 'the admission comes with an 11 month per year teaching assistantship that carries a $2,000/month stipend, health insurance, and a ...
Black Sheep's user avatar
  • 1,996
42 votes
7 answers
12k views

My peers think I slept with my overly friendly TA - what do I do?

I am a female undergraduate student and in a bit of a situation here. Last semester, I had a male graduate teaching assistant for one of my classes, and I got the very strong impression for months ...
monsterdynamite's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
809 views

Dating my TA after the fall semester [duplicate]

Long story short, my TA and I have expressed romantic feelings for each other; I’m a man while she’s a woman, if that matters. We’ve not acted on our feelings yet, but now that grades are submitted ...
user152475's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
378 views

Department forcing me to teach a course even though my advisor has funds available to fund me from a grant

My advisor has funds for me to use for research from his grant so that I don't have to teach in my final semester. Unfortunately my department is denying the request and forcing me to teach a course ...
user93656's user avatar
  • 365
1 vote
3 answers
230 views

Do outside-funded graduate students normally have TA or grading responsibilities in the US?

Assuming a student has full funding from an outside source. Do the TA and grading responsibilities become optional?
Epsilon_Delta's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
2k views

Best practices after the termination of your teaching assistantship

My university is an "at will" employer. Graduate students are not unionized. I'm a PhD student and I'm sensing a possibility for a TAship termination, so I want to explore possibilities. (1) ...
AnAnnoyedPhDTA's user avatar
5 votes
2 answers
781 views

Are undergraduate TAs appropriate/ normal in upper level courses?

I came back to school after a long break (5+ years) and jumped right back into higher level courses (junior and senior level courses). First thing I noticed was that a professor did not lecture or ...
Anonymoose's user avatar
20 votes
4 answers
6k views

How do I voice my opinion that the teaching of students is being neglected?

I'm in a Phd program right now and it seems there are some unethical practices going on in my department. Examples include: testing over irrelevant material or material that was not really covered, ...
gordta_chichrron's user avatar

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