Responsibilities

The scope of your responsibilities

Read this section carefully

The specific responsibilities associated with your position will be outlined in an Assignment of Duties (AOD) form that will be given to you within five days of the start of the course. If you accept a teaching position, you accept all the responsibilities associated with it, including attendance at scheduled meetings, course preparation, teaching and meeting with students, marking of all assignments, tests, and exams associated with your section or tutorial, in-person proctoring of the final exam if one is scheduled, and dealing within any mark challenges that may follow the submission of your final marks. You must fulfill all the responsibilities associated with your position.

You need to be available to your students, course coordinator, and TA or GI coordinator during the entire term that you are teaching, from the first to the very last day of term, including the weeks that follow the end of classes or the final exam. Depending on your course, the required availability may be electronic or physical. Absence at any point must be cleared with your course coordinator or GA supervisor, and any leaves you apply for must meet the notification requirements in the CUPE Local 5524.01 Collective Agreement.

If there is an in-person exam scheduled and your AOD form lists proctoring as one of your duties, you must be present at the exam to proctor it. In some cases you may be required to proctor the exam of a course other than your own. Do not make vacation or travel arrangements before you know the date of your course's exam or the exam of the other course you are proctoring.

Failure to fulfill your responsibilities could lead to disciplinary action, in accordance with the provisions in the CUPE Local 5524.01 Collective Agreement.

In addition to the specific responsibilities outlined in your AOD form, and subject to the terms in the CUPE Local 5524.01 Collective Agreement, you have the following general responsibilities:

To your students

To foster the academic development of your students.
To always maintain a professional demeanour in your in-person and online transactions with students. Be positive, supportive, and courteous, even under challenging circumstances. Keep in mind that your communications with students could under some circumstances be forwarded to supervisors or administrators.
To be adequately prepared for classes and other academic activities.
To respond to student inquiries promptly (during the work week queries should be responded to within twenty-four hours).
To mark or respond to all assignments, tests, and exams within the specified timeframes.
To mark or respond to assignments in a manner that is fair, substantial, and constructive.
If you are teaching an on-campus course or tutorial, to set regular office hours during which students can meet with you, and to reasonably accommodate student requests to meet outside of those hours.

To your course leader and coordinator

To attend all scheduled meetings, including the beginning-of-year orientation, individual meetings with your course leader or coordinator, and regular TA meetings set by your course leader.
To respond promptly (within 24 hours) to any inquiries posed by your course leader or coordinator.
To keep your course leader informed of any serious problems with your section or tutorial.

To the university and department

To know and follow the relevant policies of the university. For more information, see Managing your section or tutorial.
To construct and teach your courses in accordance with the course descriptions and outcomes identified in university and department documents.
To respond promptly (within 24 hours) to any administrative inquiries.