TA, GA, and ISA employee contracts will continue, as TAs, GAs, and ISAs are expected to report to work (remotely). TAs and GAs should continue to work the same time base to which they were appointed under the supervision of the faculty instructor of record to assist with delivering the course in a virtual or alternative modality format, performing the same or similar duties including grading, leading discussion groups, and other duties as assigned. Please do not suggest or assume that their services are not needed, as they should continue to be able to fulfill their Unit 11 appointment. Supervisors are encouraged to broadly interpret the Descriptions of Duties so as to provide as many reasonable options as possible for work to be completed remotely.
Student employees in the ISA classification perform teaching, grading and/or tutoring duties and can and should be assigned work assisting instructional faculty members with moving instruction to an online format.
Student employees in the GA classification assist instructional faculty with various professional and technical duties associated generally with the subjects or programs in which the GA is doing graduate work. In addition to supervising students in a classroom, workshop, or laboratory, GA work may involve assisting faculty with research and preparation of course materials, participating in the evaluation of students’ work, tutoring students remotely, and other related work.
In addition to teaching university courses, TAs may also assist instructional faculty with various professional and technical activities. TAs typically are responsible for providing classroom and/or laboratory instruction, making assignments to students, preparing course materials, administering examinations, assessing student performance, tutoring students and determining course grades. TAs also may assist faculty with field experience, supervision, simulation exercises and/or research projects.
TAs who are an instructor of record should follow protocols similar to faculty instructors of record as far as moving their courses to remote instruction. Please refer to the Faculty Resources – Transition to Virtual Teaching website for resources.
With the goal of keeping student employees employed, supervisors should consult with their Unit 11 student employees to work out a telecommuting arrangement that allows them to accomplish their duties remotely. When work can be assigned remotely, then an Individualized Telecommuting Agreement (PDF) needs to be completed.
If, however, a Unit 11 student employee is unable to work remotely for the following reasons:
- due to the employee’s own COVID-19-related illness or that of a family member who the employee would normally be able to use sick leave for;
- it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely;
- due to a COVID-19-related school or daycare closure and the employee is required to be at home with a child or dependent, and it is not operationally feasible for the employee to work remotely or in conjunction with the childcare commitment
Then the Unit 11 student employee shall be eligible to receive a one-time allotment of up to 128 hours prorated by time base of paid administrative leave from March 23, 2020 through December 31, 2020. Please note that the Administrative Leave is only available due to the COVID-19 related absences listed above and while the Unit 11 student is employed. The hours may be used at the request of the employee, in consultation with the supervisor, at any time during the contract period, including intermittently, either before or after the use of any accrued leave or other paid leave. Of the Academic Student Employee classifications (TA, GA, ISA), only TAs accrue sick leave (at a rate of 8 hours per month, prorated by time base). TAs and GAs will report Paid Administrative Leave on a paper Absence Report in the Other Absences column. Please refer to the Paid Administrative Leave FAQ for additional information about Paid Administrative Leave.
If a Unit 11 student employee is no longer interested in continuing to work, they are permitted to resign. A student employee who wishes to resign shall send an email to their supervisor confirming their resignation. The supervisor will then forward the email to the department ASC for processing, in order to end the appointment.
ISAs should continue to submit timesheets electronically pursuant to campus protocol indicating the hours they have been assigned in their Description of Duties, noting in an email the dates and number of hours of any Paid Administrative Leave once approved after consultation with their supervisor.
Further information will be provided as additional information becomes available.
