Teaching Apprentices (TAs)

What is a teaching apprentice?

Assist faculty members with scholarly research. As a matter of University policy, academic apprentice personnel are considered primarily as students being professionally trained, and graduate student status takes precedence over University employment.  These apprenticeships are intended to provide qualified students with relevant training experience for academic and academic-related careers in teaching and research and to augment limited resources from within the University for graduate student support. ​

Teaching Assistant/Associate/Fellow

  • Selected for their scholarship and promise as teachers
  • Primary duty is to assist in all aspects of instruction (tutoring, grading, advising, sectional teaching, sectional laboratory teaching, field work teaching, limited lecturing)
  • Duties are performed under the supervision of faculty “Instructor of Record” who are vested with the sole and final responsibility for course content, work assignments, performance evaluations and grading in the assigned course
  • May supervise teaching assignments in small sections of undergraduate courses or laboratories
  • May NOT be given sole responsibility for the content of a course, selection of assignments, planning of exams, or grading
  • May NOT be used exclusively as readers

Title: Teaching Assistant (title code 2310)

  • No experience necessary
  • 3.0 GPA
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units
  • 375 course enrollment
  • Not to exceed 12 quarters
  • Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) requirement

Teaching Associate (title code 1506)

  • Master’s degree  or  has  completed  at  least  36  units  of  graduate coursework  (not  including courses  375  or  495)  
  • Has  at  least  one  academic  year  (three  academic  quarters  or  two  semesters)  of  UCLA  TA
  • experience  (or  approved  collegiate  teaching  experience  at  a  comparable  institution)
  • 3.0 GPA
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units    375 course enrollment
  • Not  to exceed 12 quarters
  • TOP requirement
  • Advancements to teaching associate are made upon recommendation by the chair of the department, based on performance evaluations by supervising faculty (which must be documented if advancement is withheld from an otherwise qualified student)

Teaching Fellow (title code 2300)

  • Advanced course assistants who perform the same duties as teaching associates. Formally advanced  to  doctoral  candidacy
  • Demonstrated  professional maturity  and  excellence  as  a  scholar  and  teacher
  • Two  academic  years  (six  academic  quarters  or  four  semesters)  of UCLA  TA  experience  (or  approved  teaching  experience  at  a  comparable  institution)
  • May provide  the  entire  instruction of  a  lower  division course under  the  general supervision of the regular faculty  member in charge  of the  course
  • 3.0 GPA
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units.
  • 375 course enrollment
  • Not  to exceed 12 quarters
  • TOP requirement
  • Advancements to teaching fellow are made upon recommendation by the chair of the department, based on performance evaluations by supervising faculty (which must be documented if advancement is withheld from an otherwise qualified student)

Teaching Apprentices supervise assignments in small discussion and lab sections of undergraduate courses.

  • Teaching Assistant (title code 2310)
  • Teaching Associate (title code 1506)
  • Teaching Fellow (title code 2300)

ASE Salary Scale: ASE Salary Scale

Range adjustments happen at the beginning of each October. Academic apprentice personnel are compensated at rates established by the University of California Office of the President. Student assistants who have previously served in academic apprentice positions may be reappointed or advanced to the titles for which they are qualified no later than two weeks prior to the effective date of their employment. No advancements can occur for a given quarter after the beginning of that quarter. Reappointments and advancements are not automatic.

For more information, please click here.

Process

Forms

FAQs

Process

Flowchart

Step-by-Step Process

Flowchart

Step-by-Step Process

Step/FTE (Percent Effort) Change
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate current and new step/percent.
    • Indicate effective date and end date.
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
  1. Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
 Pay Rate Change
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate current and new rate.
    • Indicate effective date.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Brief justification of rate change.
  1. Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
Early Termination/Separations
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate termination effective date. (last date of on pay status)
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Attach a resignation letter.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
  1. Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
Fees and Tuition (Remissions Benefits)
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate new FAU.
    • Indicate amount per month.
    • Indicate fund name.
    • Indicate authorizing agency.
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
  1. Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
Additional Stipend: Instructions if supplement is from current PI/Supervisor/Mentor.
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate new FAU.
    • Indicate amount per month.
    • Indicate fund name.
    • Indicate authorizing agency.
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
    • Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
Additional GSR appointment Supplement: Instructions if supplement is from current PI/Supervisor/Mentor.
  1. Complete Action Request form: Please make sure to include the following information on the appropriate fields on the form.
    • Indicate new FAU.
    • Indicate amount per month.
    • Indicate fund name.
    • Indicate authorizing agency.
    • Add comments to confirm request.
    • Add administrator and fund manager names.
  1. Submit the form to ATO email for processing.
Additional GSR appointment Supplement and or Stipend: If the request is not from the current PI/Supervisor/Mentor. Please contact ATO for further guidance. Friendly Reminder: Graduate Students are allowed to work a maximum amount of 50% during the academic year. Any additional FTE will require an exception from Graduate Division. Please work with the Graduate Student’s Student Affairs Officer prior to any additional appointment submissions.

Forms

Teaching Apprentice Appointment Form

When do I use this form? When you would like to appoint a new teaching apprentice.

Download

Action Request Form

When do I use this form? When you need to request changes to current and active Postdoc, Predoc, GSRs, or TA appointments.

Download

Pre-Appointment Questionnaire for Graduate Student Researcher, Predoctoral Fellows, and TAs

When do I use this form? This is required to provide ATO information regarding student appointment information. Must be included in GSR/Predoc/TA pre-appointment packet.

Download

Frequently Asked Questions

See chart below. The cost will be charged as a direct cost to fund sources. In the event of multiple appointments collectively equal to 25% time or greater, charges will be prorated among the eligible fund distributions. 

UC  students  may  not  be  employed  for  more  than  50  percent  of  full  time  during  an  academic  quarter,  in  any  single or  combination  of  University  titles,  academic  and/or  staff, including  University  Extension  unless  authorized  by  the Dean  of  the  student’s  school  or  college. Percentages  are  figured  on  the  basis  of  100  percent = 40  hours  per  week.  Students  can  be  employed  up to  100 percent  during  quarter  breaks  and  summer.  ​

For  teaching assistants/associates/fellows,  the  20 hours  should  include  the  time  in  faculty  lectures,  preparation,  classroom  or  laboratory teaching,  reading and  commenting on  student papers  or  examinations,  office  consultation,  and other  duties  required  to  carry  out  the  teaching role. ​

  • Selected for their scholarship and promise as teachers Primary duty is to assist in all aspects of instruction (tutoring, grading, advising, sectional teaching, sectional laboratory teaching, field work teaching, limited lecturing). ​
  • Duties are performed under the supervision of faculty “Instructor of Record” who are vested with the sole and final responsibility for course content, work assignments, performance evaluations and grading in the assigned course.​
  • May supervise teaching assignments in small sections of undergraduate courses or laboratories.​
  • May NOT be given sole responsibility for the content of a course, selection of assignments, planning of exams, or grading. ​
  • May NOT be used exclusively as readers. ​
  • No experience necessary ​
  • 3.0 GPA ​
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units ​
  • 375 course enrollment​
  •  Not to exceed 12 quarters ​
  • Test of Oral Proficiency (TOP) requirement 
  • Master’s  degree  or  has  completed  at  least  36  units  of  graduate coursework  (not  including courses  375  or  495)   ​
  • Has  at  least  one  academic  year  (three  academic  quarters  or  two  semesters)  of  UCLA  TA ​ experience  (or  approved  collegiate  teaching  experience  at  a  comparable  institution) ​
  • 3.0 GPA ​
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units
  • 375 course enrollment ​
  • Not  to exceed 12 quarters 
  • TOP requirement ​

Advancements to teaching associate are made upon recommendation by the chair of the department, based on performance evaluations by supervising faculty (which must be documented if advancement is withheld from an otherwise qualified student) 

  • Advanced course assistants who perform the same  duties as teaching associates.  Formally  advanced  to  doctoral  candidacy ​
  • Demonstrated  professional maturity  and  excellence  as  a  scholar  and  teacher ​
  • Two  academic  years  (six  academic  quarters  or  four  semesters)  of UCLA  TA  experience  (or  approved  teaching  experience  at  a  comparable  institution) ​
  • May  provide  the  entire  instruction of  a  lower  division course under  the  general supervision ​of the regular faculty  member in charge  of the  course 
  •  3.0 GPA ​
  • Enrolled in at least 12 units  ​
  • 375 course enrollment ​
  • Not  to exceed 12 quarters ​
  • TOP requirement ​

Advancements to teaching fellow are made upon recommendation by the chair of the department, based on performance evaluations by supervising faculty (which must be documented if advancement is withheld from an otherwise qualified student.

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