Position Description and Requirements

Job Description and Duties

Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) positions for First-Year Engineering (FYE) courses (ENGR 13000, 13100, 13200, 13300) 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 ENGR 13000/13100/13200/13300 course – Duties range from maintaining your assigned sections’ Brightspace and Gradescope pages (posting materials, updating dates, etc.), reviewing student work, proctoring exams, uploading/ maintaining grades, and managing in-class logistics (potential opportunities to present brief class demonstrations/lectures, and substitute for absent instructors)
• Lead a team of five/six undergraduate teaching assistants to professionally support the instructor in classroom management, grading homework and projects, proctoring and grading exams, and team activities of the ENGR 13000/13100/13200/13300 course

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 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. Participation is required.
• 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 to be Considered for a Graduate Assistantship

• You must be a current registered graduate student of Purdue University 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 is preferred
• You must be dependable and willing to fulfill your obligations in a timely manner

Application Instructions

Application Timeline

• All applications received will be considered for Fall 2024 semester positions
• The application deadline is end of day on March 31, 2024
• Interviews and initial offers will begin after the application deadline, on a rolling basis
• GTA offers are targeted for completion by May 10th; exact section assignments may not occur until early August
• The semester contract period starts the week before classes and extends through the week after finals
GTAs are required to attend training and to be available throughout the contract period
• While we do our best to match all qualified students with open positions, all offers of employment are contingent on your schedule of availability matching our available positions
• If we have a need, we may accept applications throughout the semester on an ad hoc basis

How to Apply

1. Review the application preparation section (below)
2. Apply online (we do not accept applications via email or in person)
3. Note that the following items are required for your application to be complete:
   • CV/Resume – The Qualtrics application will require you to attach your CV/Resume to be complete
   • Applicant Endorsement – This endorsement must be completed by your Purdue Faculty Advisor. If you are a new graduate student without an advisor, we will accept the endorsement from the Graduate Chair for your program here at Purdue. In your application, we will ask for the name and email of your Purdue Faculty Advisor. Once your application is submitted, an email will automatically be sent to the advisor you listed with a notification you have applied for our position and requesting they complete the applicant endorsement survey. For any questions regarding how to find the right contact for your Purdue Faculty Advisor, please contact the FYE Operations Center

Questions:

Forward additional employment inquiries to the FYE Operations Center (allow 3 business days for reply)