Skip to main content
Loading

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

PW Undergraduate Teaching Assistants

Currently, the Professional Writing major houses about 50 undergraduate students. However, our PW service courses (ENGL 419, ENGL 420, ENGL 421, ENGL 422) enroll hundreds of undergraduate students across various colleges and majors.  

To give our PW majors teaching and research experience, this program will pair experienced instructors with Undergraduate Teaching Assistants. Under the mentorship of the instructor, UTAs should expect to help with multiple aspects of teaching professional writing — responding to writing, performing research, developing leadership skills, and planning the activities that make professional writing courses engaging. 

For questions about UTA positions, contact Bradley Dilger (dilger@purdue.edu).

Job Description and Duties  

This application is for Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (UTA) positions for Professional Writing courses in the Department of English. Duties will vary depending on the specific assignment, but will include one or more of the following:  

Assisting directly with teaching:  

  • Assist with one section (30-72 students) of an upper-level Professional Writing course.  
  • Work as a part of a team with ENGL faculty, Graduate TAs, and/or other Peer Teachers.  
  • Attend three 50 minutes class sessions (MWF) or two 75-minute sessions (TTR) each week; during class, assist students and teams with assignments and activities.  
  • Perform grading, attend weekly meetings, and complete other duties as assigned.  
  • Opportunities to assist with optional tasks such as office hours may be available throughout the semester.  

Responding to student writing:  

  • Help with the grading of one section (30-72 students) of an upper-level PW course. 
  • With instructor supervision and support, grade no more than 5 of the section’s assignments.  
  • Attend weekly meetings with the teaching team, and perform other duties as assigned.  

Collaborating to develop and publish research:  

When applicable, UTAs will assist their instructor with research opportunities such as 

  • Co-authoring a paper based on in-class research 
  • Co-authoring and presenting a poster or paper presentation at a conference 

Requirements to be considered for an Undergraduate Assistant:  

  • Be registered as an undergraduate student at Purdue (required).  
  • Have completed at least three PW courses with a grade of B or better (preferred). 

Expectations of an Undergraduate Assistant:  

  • Be dependable and willing to fulfill obligations in a timely manner  
  • Comply with FERPA requirements 
  • Respond promptly to emails and inquiries from the instructor  
  • Accurately account for time worked and be punctual in turning in a timecard  

Funding  

This is an hourly position that intends to pay UTAs (8-10 hours a week, 16 weeks x $15 an hour) = about $2,000 a semester.