Departmental Teaching Assignments

The responsibilities of graduate TAs may include any task related to the instruction of students. Students who assist faculty members may be assigned to grade papers or exams, prepare course

materials and update information on Blackboard, hold office hours, or supervise a recitation section. Students who are assigned to teach their own course assume responsibility for all duties related to the instruction of that course.  Generally, MS students working as TAs are assigned to assist faculty members.

PhD students who wish to teach may be assigned to teach their own section of a course. Students must successfully defend the Analytic Project prior to serving as an instructor of record (i.e., teaching “their own courses”). Students are also required to complete SOC 610 “Seminar on Teaching Sociology” before serving as an instructor of record. The SOC 610 requirement may be waived by the Graduate Committee when a student has taught as the instructor of record at the college or university level.

Students teaching their own course are required by the department to participate each semester (including summer) in PICES (Purdue Instructor Course Evaluation Service) teaching evaluations administered by Purdue’s Center for Instructional Excellence.