Position Description and Requirements

Job Description and Duties

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions for First-Year Engineering (FYE) courses are offered through the Purdue University School of Engineering Education (ENE). GTAs are primarily hired to fulfill classroom responsibilities. If an offer is extended to you, it will identify your key role on the team. 

Key Classroom Support Responsibilities

• Support an instructor in the successful execution of the course. Duties range from maintaining  assigned sections’ Brightspace and Gradescope pages, reviewing student work, proctoring exams, uploading/ maintaining grades, and managing in-class logistics. There may be opportunities to present brief class demonstrations/lectures, and substitute for absent instructors.
• Lead a team of 5-6 undergraduate teaching assistants to professionally support the instructor in classroom management, grading homework and projects, proctoring and grading exams, and team activities.

Qualifications and Skills

• Actively pursuing Master's or Ph.D. Degree in engineering, STEM/ENE education or related field
• MATLAB programming proficiency or extensive experience in programming is required; experience with other languages (C/C++, Python, JAVA) is a plus
• Power user in EXCEL. Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Capable of managing difficult classroom/student situations with poise and professionalism while exercising remedies in a proactive, fair way that is consistent with course policies and protocol
• Willingness to learn new tools, methods, and approaches for classroom instruction and student engagement
• Excellent oral and written communication skills (international students must be certified in oral English proficiency or be able to pass Purdue’s Oral English Proficiency Test so review the OEPP website for further information)
• Enjoys working with people at all levels and of various cultural backgrounds, works effectively as part of a team, and is able to comfortably alter roles from leadership to followership
• Positive attitude and patience
• Excellent organizational and time management skills; able to be proactive with tasks
• Able to work independently with little supervision
• Extreme attention to detail and able to maintain and update Learning Management Systems (Brightspace and Gradescope)
• Ability to problem-solve, function under pressure, meet deadlines, and demonstrate creativity
• Able to work 100% of established work hours onsite in Dudley and Lambertus Hall

Other Skills

• Coursework in learning theory or instructional design
• Experience with assessment
• Knowledge of the basic engineering design cycle
• At least one semester’s experience in research, classroom instruction, developing instructional materials, or equivalent life experience demonstrating skills and capabilities around course instruction, project management, classroom management or active learning
• Extended teaching/mentoring/instructional experience
• First-hand knowledge of ENGR 13000/13100/13200/13300 or other FYE courses

Key Course and Employment Details

• GTA appointments are typically 1/2 time (20 hrs/week) and involve responsibility for two (2) course sections
• Each course section is conducted twice a week and are two-hours long (for a total of 4 hours/week); GTA’s are expected to arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of class time and stay as necessary to address student questions and fulfill classroom logistics; course sections may include up to 120 students
• GTAs attend weekly instructional meeting to discuss course topics and workload (~2 hours/week)
• GTAs work evening Help Sessions (minimum of 2 hours every week)
• GTAs attend mandatory training during the week prior to the start of classes, each semester. You will be notified of training dates in advance.
• This position is paid on a fixed biweekly rate based on appointment
• Appointments are by semester. Reappointment for future semesters is dependent on job performance and departmental need

Other Requirements

• You must be a registered graduate student of Purdue or accepted your offer of admission to Purdue
• You must have completed relevant undergraduate and/or high-level STEM course work
• Previous teaching experience is not required but preferred
• You must be dependable and willing to fulfill your obligations in a timely manner

Application Instructions

Timeline

• Prepare to apply by identifying the individual who will endorse your application, and by gathering the information requested on the application.
• Apply online (applications not accepted via email or in person) between February 15 and March 31. FYE may accept applications throughout the semester on an ad hoc basis.
• Accept offer, if extended, by May 10 with sections assigned by early August.
• Attend training and be available throughout the semester contract period, which starts the week before classes and extends through the week after finals. 

Preparation

Have the following information/answers/attachments handy:

• PUID
• Your Purdue Graduate Department; degree objective and anticipated graduation date
• First semester enrolled; anticipated credit hours for fall and spring
• Undergraduate major and where you earned it
• Assurance you will be on campus and able to work the week before classes start
• Assurance you have accepted your offer of admission to OGSPS and are registered as a graduate student
• Name and email of the individual who will be completing the Applicant Endorsement (required) - This endorsement must be completed by your Purdue Faculty Advisor unless you're a new graduate student without an advisor. In that case, we will accept the endorsement from your department/program Graduate Chair. Once you apply, an email will be sent to the individual you list with notification you have applied and a request to complete the survey.
• CV attachment (required)
• Purdue employment history (department(s), position(s), supervisor(s) name(s), and dates of employment)
• ENGR 131 or 132 courses or their equivalents that you have taken and names of your course instructors
• Unique skills or abilities that prepared you for GTA position in FYE
• Teaching Assistant (TA) experience and grading or tutoring experience (yes/no)
• Summary of experience; distinguish lab instructor experience from classroom teaching; include dates, places, and a description of duties
• Relevant experience working in a team or with other teams, that may benefit you in the FYE classroom setting
• Programming languages, software packages, and operating systems in which you are proficient
• Other than technical skills, list what you can offer the FYE students and the instructional team you may be paired with

Questions

Offers are contingent upon your schedule of availability matching available positions. Contact the FYE Operations Center with questions regarding GTA employment.