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Essential Information For Faculty Supervisors Of Teaching Assistants

Since June 1, 2000 the employment of graduate students in specific academic titles has been covered by a collective bargaining agreement between the Regents of the University of California and the UAW. This contract covers Teaching Assistants, Associates In, and Teaching Fellows, collectively referred to as Academic Student Employees or ASEs under the Agreement. The contract sets out the terms and conditions of ASE employment and also requires that various groups assume new roles and responsibilities (e.g., faculty as supervisors of represented employees). This document is intended as an overview of critical portions of the Agreement related to the employment of Teaching Assistants (TAs) only. For further explanation about the contract and your compliance with it, contact the Faculty Graduate Representative or Graduate Assistant in your department. Divisional staff are also available as resources: contact Shari Hastings (x9-4757) or Pat Gross (x9-3060) for any employee relations issues and Grace Harter (x9-3185) for all other issues.

I. EMPLOYEE VERSUS STUDENT
The contract divides the University's relationship with graduate students into two relationships: student as distinct from employee (ASE). The contract governs only the employer/employee relationship of Teaching Assistants, Associates In, and Teaching Fellows. It does not cover graduate student researchers or course assistants, or have any applicability to graduate student issues.

II. APPOINTMENT NOTIFICATION & SECURITY
The contract has technical appointment notification rules. A faculty member's responsibility is to follow the procedures outlined by the department for making TA hiring recommendations. Also, faculty are advised to be clear with ASEs that any discussion of a job offer is contingent on a formal appointment letter (also called a written notice of appointment) from the Department/Program Chair as faculty members do not have hiring authority for TA appointments.

The contract does not set hiring criteria, and the union has no say in the matter of whom the University hires to fill these positions. However, once an ASE has accepted a written offer, they can only be dismissed for "Just Cause" or "Academic Ineligibility". We cannot lay off an ASE because of low course enrollments or lack of funds.

III. JOB DUTIES/EXPECTATIONS AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATIONS
The contract requires that we be clear about expected job duties as part of the appointment process. And, apart from the contract, we have a responsibility to train and develop graduate students as teachers. The best way to motivate top performance and provide valuable mentoring is to be clear about expectations and to give clear and immediate feedback. A 'Notification of Duties' document has been developed to assist you in outlining and communicating TA duties and responsibilities as well as any particular performance expectations you may have of the TA assigned to your course. It is your responsibility as a supervisor to meet with your employee at the outset of the quarter and clearly explain your expectations. You must communicate any significant changes in duties and/or expectations to the ASE.

The basis of a performance evaluation is the communication of expectations by the supervisor to the employee at the beginning of the appointment; this establishes the criteria upon which an end of the quarter evaluation will be based. While not required by the contract, the Dean strongly encourages faculty supervisors to complete a performance evaluation of TAs at the end of each quarterly appointment because of the value of providing feedback to employees and trainees. What the contract does require however, is that if evaluations are to be done they must only be based upon criteria and expectations discussed with the TA at the start of the quarter. The bottom line is that the faculty supervisor should give the TA clear information and specific performance expectations at the beginning of the appointment and then should evaluate the TA's performance based only on those expectations; there should be no surprises at the end of the quarter. Performance evaluations can be in narrative style or can identify a performance rating. For your convenience, the backside of the 'Notification of Duties' document provides a performance rating form and further instruction if you choose to do a narrative style evaluation. It is important to distinguish evaluation of employment from academic evaluations that might be part of a pedagogy course.

Print the Notification of Duties form including the performance evaluation template off the web.

IV. EMPLOYEE RELATIONS AND DISCIPLINE
Open dialog can be the most effective component of a successful working relationship. Let the TA know when you are available for questions and discussion. If you think the TA is not meeting the expectations you have outlined, have a conversation with the TA: explain the problem as you see it, tell the TA what changes need to be made and by when, and then listen to any explanation or feedback the TA may offer. If the problem is not resolved or is particularly problematic, consult with Shari Hastings (x9-4757) or Pat Gross (x9-3060) in the Natural Sciences' Personnel Office for assistance in determining the appropriate next steps.

V. MANAGEMENT RIGHTS
The contract has a strong Management Rights clause. The University retains complete control over the content of courses, the way the courses are taught and who teaches them. The University also retains control over hiring decisions for teaching appointments. This means that departments remain free to set minimum academic eligibility requirements for appointments (subject to Graduate Division oversight).

VI. WORKLOAD LIMITATIONS FOR 50% TEACHING ASSISTANT APPOINTMENTS
[There are no time records for TAs. Refer to any guidelines for TA working hours that may have been developed by your particular department or program]

As a faculty supervisor:

You may not assign more work than can reasonably be expected to be completed in 220 hours during the quarter

You may assign work than can reasonably be expected to be accomplished in an average of 20 hours per week

You may occasionally assign work over 20 hours in a particular week, but you should not assign more work than can reasonably be accomplished in 40 hours in any one week

The total number of hours assigned over 20 per week cannot exceed 50 hours for the whole quarter Note that the contract focuses on the number of hours of work assigned, not the number of hours actually worked. It is the responsibility of faculty supervisors to assign workloads in compliance with the contract.

View the full contract.