An Instructional Support Assistant (ISA) is an undergraduate student usually working full-time for a four month term to fulfil the requirement for a co-op work term. Many of the ISAs for ISG are interested in teaching as a vocation but others have gone on to pursue graduate studies or industry professions.
ISAs are the main source of support for students and can greatly impact their academic performance.
ISAs have shared office spaces to work collaboratively as a community
ISAs gain hands-on teaching experience when supervising labs or leading tutorials
ISAs are encouraged to get to know each other, socialize, and provide ongoing support at work
ISAs have opportunities to network with university staff and professors
ISAs greatly influence their course's delivery by test-writing assignments and providing direct feedback to instructors
Courses with ISAs
The following courses are all supported by ISG and will have ISAs employed based on termly enrolment.
- CS 100
- CS 105 (Offered: W, F)
- CS 106 (Offered: W)
- CS 114 (Offered: W, F)
- CS 115
- CS 116
- CS 135 (Offered: W, F)
- CS 136
- CS 136L
- CS 137 (Offered: F)
- CS 138 (Offered: W)
- CS 145 (Offered: F)
- CS 146 (Offered: W)
- CS 200 (Offered: W, S)
- CS 231 (Offered: S)
- CS 234 (Offered: F, S)
- CS 240
- CS 240E (Offered: W, S)*
- CS 241
- CS 241E (Offered: F)
- CS 246
- CS 246E (Offered: F)
- CS 247 (Offered: S)
- CS 251
*CS 240E may not be offered depending on demand.
How to contact ISAs
To contact an ISA for course-related support, please email them through their course emails found on the course outline of your course.
Duties and expectations
ISAs report to their course ISC and are the main front-line contact for students. ISAs' duties include:
- Attending one set of lectures per week
- Attending and participating in weekly course staff meetings for feedback and planning
- Assisting students in-person or virtually
- Conducting tutorials and/or labs
- Coordinating TAs and assignment marking
- Developing model solutions, marking schemes, and concept-checks
- Maintaining course webpages, discussion forums (e.g. Piazza), or LEARN courses
- Marking assignments, midterms, and final exams
- Proctoring midterms and final exams