CS TA Assignment Team
The CS TA Assignment Team is a shared effort between ISG and the CS Graduate Office. The team works to ensure that CS courses are staffed by appropriate TAs/IAs and that eligible graduate students are receiving their TA positions in a clear and fair way.
Due to the size of the School's undergraduate population, there are 300-450 TA units to assign each term across 40-50 courses. Each course covers different topics and specific research areas may lend themselves better to specific courses.
The CS TA Assignment Team itself is small and the work is only made possible through cooperation from graduate students, graduate supervisors, and instructors. We ask that you keep a look out for our emails each month.
TA Assignment Info Session - Fall 2024
TA Assignment Forms
TA Eligibility
To be eligible to TA, graduate students must be enrolled with a full-time course load and on-campus for the duration that they are TAing. TA eligibility is determined by the CS Graduate Office.
MMath students
Full-time MMath students are eligible for up to 7.00 TA units over the 2-year program timeline.
| Term | F | W | S | F | W | S | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MMath Student A (2-Year Program) | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | -- |
| MMath Student B (1 Extra Term) | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 0.00 |
| MMath Student C (Delayed Start Term) | -- | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 |
MMath students usually have 4 TA units in their 1st year and three TA units in their second year. These students typically have their double TA unit in their second or third term of full-time studies.
MMath students who are not assigned a double TA unit in their first three terms are prioritized to get a double unit in their fourth term.
PhD students
Full-time PhD students are eligible for up to 16.00 units of TA over the 4-year program timeline.
| Term | F | W | S | F | W | S | ... |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PhD Student A | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 8.00 units to complete in 6 terms |
| PhD Student B (Delayed Start Term) | -- | 1.00 | 1.00 | 2.00 | 2.00 | 1.00 | 9.00 units to complete in 7 terms |
PhD students are typically assigned a double TA unit every year. Doubles are more likely to be assigned in Fall and Winter terms as that is when course enrollment is highest.
Students can check Odyssey for history of their TA units assigned to date.
Continuation of TA support beyond the first year is contingent on satisfactory performance of previous TA assignments.
Students who are eligible are guaranteed a TA unit assuming that they fill out the TA preference form on-time and sign their TA contracts. Continuation of TA support beyond the first year is contingent on satisfactory performance of previous TA assignments.
New students
Students who are starting their degrees are not expected to complete the TA preference form to receive TA positions. New students are generally assigned to marking duties in first/second-year CS courses so that you can focus on adjusting to the university environment.
TA training is provided as part of the CS Graduate Orientation and in Fall and Winter terms, new students are invited to the TA Assignment Info Session (typically held in early October or early February) to be formally introduced to the expectations for all TAs and how to participate in the TA assignment process.
Over-eligible MMath and PhD students
MMath and PhD students who have completed their TA unit requirements or have gone over their time limit are not guaranteed TA units. TA positions for these students are only possible if eligible TAs have all been assigned and a surplus of vacant positions.
These students are welcome to complete the TA preference form and will be contacted by the CS TA Assignment Team directly if there are courses that may require additional support.
MDSAI students, MMath coursework students
MDSAI students and MMath Coursework students are not entitled to any TA units as part of their program.
The MDSAI program is academically demanding and time intensive. For these reasons, MDSAI students are not encouraged to apply for a TA position unless they are strongly confident that they can manage an additional 80 hours of TA work.
These students are welcome to complete the TA preference form to indicate interest in TAing. The CS TA Assignment Team will contact students directly if there are courses that may require additional support.
Non-CS students
If you are a graduate student in a department/unit other than Computer Science and are interested in TA'ing for a Computer Science course then you are welcome to complete the TA preference form to indicate your interest and qualifications.
The CS TA Assignment Team will directly contact students who complete the form if and only if there are suitable positions to fill and if there are no other qualified CS graduates who can fill them.
Timeline for Winter 2025 TA assignments
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2024
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Oct
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TA preferences forms
All grad students are expected to complete the TA preference form so that the team has an understanding of your eligibility, your course preferences, your duty preferences, and any relevant background information.
Preferences are not guaranteed due to TA eligibility issues, but all submissions are considered.
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Instructor preferences
CS Instructors are also to submit requests for specific TAs or notes for what skills/duties the TAs should have for their course.
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Nov
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Supervisors to buyout TA units
The new supervisor buyout form will be available at the beginning of November and will remain open for submissions for one week.
Please note that any buyout requests submitted after this period will require the approval of the Graduate Director, and such requests may be denied if they are deemed unfeasible.
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TA assignments are drafted
Around this time is when ISCs will determine suitable Instructional Apprentices (IA) based on instructor input and TA preferences forms.
The CS TA Assignment Team will then compile the list of eligible TAs, and based on all TA preferences and instructor/ISC requests, begin to assign grads to suitable CS courses.
Factors that come into play are not just preferences but previous TA experiences, research backgrounds relating to course content, the number of TAs assigned, etc.
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Tentative TA assignment period
All graduate students and instructors are shown their tentative assignments on Odyssey, showing the number of TA units, the courses assigned, and whether or not a student has declined their TA or been bought out.
Both sides have a week or so to email concerns to the CS TA Assignment Team or Grad Office. All inquiries are considered but only reasonable requests can be accommodated at this time.
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Dec
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Finalized TA assignment period
Within 2 weeks of the tentative TA assignment period, any adjustments or updates are made on Odyssey. Students are to confirm their assigned units + position for the next term.
Instructors/ISCs may begin to reach out to their assigned TAs/IAs to determine expectations for the upcoming term.
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TA contracts issued
To accept a TA position and receive TA funding, students are required to sign their TA contracts made available online.
Instructors/ISCs will also provide TA agreement forms to finalize TA expectations and duties.
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Oct