TA Handbook-Chapter 6

Chapter 6
Teaching Assistants and Students

Your Students
Teaching Assistants as Faculty-Student Liaisons
Academic Integrity
Ethical Concerns (including Sexual Harassment)
Individual Help (including Office Hours)
Maintaining Records
Writing Letters of Recommendation

YOUR STUDENTS

Teaching assistants at the University of Pittsburgh come from a variety of backgrounds. Some of you have attended large universities, some have attended small undergraduate colleges, and others were educated abroad. While a good teacher will draw upon his or her own experiences when developing a teaching style, it is important to keep in mind that the University of Pittsburgh may have very different demographics from your own undergraduate college.

The University of Pittsburgh was founded in 1787 and became a state-related, public research university in 1966. Today the University consists of the Pittsburgh campus with its 16 schools as well as four regional campuses. On the Pittsburgh campus, the University offers over 100 distinct baccalaureate programs.

More than 200 years after its founding, the University of Pittsburgh educates students from all 50 states, 4 United States territories, and 110 foreign countries. In recent years, China, Taiwan, India, the Republic of Korea and Japan have been the most common countries of origin for international students. However students come to Pittsburgh from Africa, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, North America and Latin America.

In 1997-98, minorities made up 12 percent of the student population. A total of 2,056 African-American students (undergraduate, graduate and professional students), 45 American Indians, 1,028 Asians or Pacific Islanders, and 344 Hispanic Americans were enrolled in the University of Pittsburgh.

Despite this diversity, the University of Pittsburgh is still largely a regional campus. Ninety percent of those undergraduates enrolled at the University come from the state of Pennsylvania, and most come from Western Pennsylvania (although Philadelphia and its suburbs are also well represented). Statewide, about 5.5% of the students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s institutions of higher education are enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh.

Gender divisions at the University are typical of any major American university. Fifty-three percent of the campus population in 1997 were female, and forty-seven percent were male.

The University of Pittsburgh Fact Book is the official profile of the University. While no demographic profile can tell you who your students really are, it may provide you with some perspective on teaching at the University of Pittsburgh.

TEACHING ASSISTANTS AS LIAISONS

As a teaching assistant, you have the opportunity to work closely with both students and professors. As a teaching assistant, you are in the position to provide each party with a unique combination of information and guidance based on your relationship to the other. Your job is often that of a facilitator who helps the faculty member to manage a large number of students and helps the students to get the most of the lectures.

In working with students in the classroom you can greatly enhance their educational experience by:

Taking time to ensure that the course organization and requirements are clear to students.
Providing students with an opportunity to get clarification on points covered in the lecture.
Working with individuals or small groups of students to provide more in-depth explanations and to develop relationships between course content and theory.
Maintaining office hours in which you provide intensive one-on-one support for students.

In discussions with the faculty member:

You can provide the course instructor with feedback on what the students have not mastered after attending the lecture and doing the assigned readings, highlight particularly challenging topics and note the topics the students understand easily. This information can be used to develop exercises and assignments and even to adapt lecture material.
You can bring to the faculty member’s attention students who are having a particularly difficult time with the course material and may need additional support
You can discuss pedagogy and explore new approaches to teaching the course material.

Teaching assistants can also help students prepare for exams or complete assignments by making the professor’s expectations clear. This requires clear communication with the faculty supervisor to ensure that the correct information is conveyed to your students. Depending upon the course and the professor’s wishes, you may construct study guides containing important concepts and terms relevant to upcoming exams. Spending some time in discussion sections reviewing for exams can also be helpful.

If you have the opportunity to write questions or review exam content, you will be expected to keep this information in strict confidence until the exam has been administered. Therefore, you must guard your comments to students carefully to ensure that you reveal only what the professor decides is appropriate for the students to know beforehand. If you are unsure, ask. Do not risk an academic integrity violation (see the following section on academic integrity).

PROFESSIONALISM

As a teaching assistant, you have a responsibility to conduct yourself as a professional. That often means remaining above the fray. You must separate yourself from the criticisms that students sometimes level at professors through their teaching assistant. For instance, at some point in your career as a teaching assistant you may be approached by disgruntled students who feels the professor has been "unfair" or "out-of-touch." In this type of situation, students often attempt to elicit support. Avoid any temptation to agree with their criticisms? even if you think their criticisms are valid. When appropriate, you should encourage the student to meet with the professor to discuss questions or concerns about the course. On occasion, you may find it best to approach the professor privately and voice the student’s concerns. Or, if you feel the complaints are of a more serious nature, you should refer the student to the University of Pittsburgh's Academic Integrity Guidelines (including "Faculty Obligations to Students") and suggest that they talk to the department academic integrity officer, department chair, or dean.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

FACULTY AND TEACHING ASSISTANTS

The University has established an official policy which lists the obligations that faculty have toward students at the University of Pittsburgh. In conjunction with the Policy Statement for Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows, and Graduate Student Assistants and specific department regulations, Policy 02-03-02 is the University’s primary guide for teaching assistants. It states that "all faculty members accept an obligation, in relation to their students, to discharge their duties in a fair and conscientious manner in accordance with the ethical standard generally recognized within the academic community, as well as those of their profession." In addition, it enumerates the following responsibilities:

To meet their classes when scheduled.
To be available at reasonable times for appointments with students, and to keep such appointments.
To make appropriate preparation for classes and other meetings.
To perform grading duties, and other academic evaluations in a timely manner.
To inform students within the period during which they may add or drop a course of the following: (a) the general content and objectives of the course, (b) the methods and standards of evaluation (including the importance to be assigned various factors in academic evaluation), and, in advance of any evaluation, (c) the permissible materials or references allowed during evaluation. This may be done orally, in writing, or by reference to printed course descriptions.
To base all academic evaluations on good faith professional judgment.
Not to consider, in such evaluations, such factors as race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, political or cultural affiliation, lifestyle, activities, or behavior outside the classroom unrelated to academic achievement.
To respect the confidentiality of information regarding a student contained in University records and to refrain from releasing such information, except in connection with intra-University business, or with student consent, or as may be permitted by law.
Not to exploit the professional relationship with students for private advantage and to refrain from soliciting the assistance of students for private purposes in a manner which infringes upon such students' freedom of choice.
To give appropriate recognition to contributions made by students to research, publication, service, or other activities.
To refrain from any activity which involves risk to the health and safety of a student, except with the student's informed consent, and where applicable, in accordance with the University guidelines relating to the use of human subjects in experimentation.
To respect the dignity of students individually and collectively in the classroom and other academic contexts.

A complete copy of the University of Pittsburgh’s policy on faculty obligations and academic integrity (including grievance procedures) is available at the Policies, Procedures and Handbooks web site. The Policy Statement for Teaching Assistants, Teaching Fellows and Graduate Student Assistants? a thorough explanation of your responsibilities and privileges as a teaching assistant? complements the University's policy on faculty obligations. In addition to outlining your obligations to your students, it outlines your obligations to the University and your department.

POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR
GRADUATE INSTRUCTORS

Policies, Procedures and Handbooks at the University http://www.pitt.edu/DOC/94/271/42590/pp_handbooks.html

TA/TF/GSA Policy
http://www.pitt.edu/~provost/tapolicy.html

Academic Integrity (Faculty)
http://www.pitt.edu/HOME/PP/policies/02/02-03-02.html

Academic Integrity (Students)
http://www.pitt.edu/HOME/PP/policies/02/02-03-03.html

STUDENTS

Students, as well as faculty, have responsibilities and obligations to the University. Each student should become familiar with the academic regulations of the University of Pittsburgh, his or her school and major department and throughout this web handbook we make reference to these regulations (in particular, see the discussion of plagiarism in Chapter 8). The core of these regulations is the University’s policy on academic integrity (University Policy 02-03-02). This policy establishes the basic obligations of every member of the University community and empowers an Academic Integrity Board to adjudicate grievances from faculty about student behavior (and, as outlined in the previous section, to adjudicate grievances from students about faculty behavior).

The academic integrity policy states that "students have an obligation to exhibit honesty and ethical conduct in carrying out his or her academic assignments." Failure to meet these standards is a breach of the community trust and can result in disciplinary action ranging from the reduction of a course grade to expulsion from the University. Without limiting the broader application of this principle, a student may be found to have violated this obligation if he or she:

Refers during an academic evaluation to materials or sources or employs devices not authorized by the instructor.
Provides assistance during an academic evaluation to another person in a manner not authorized by the instructor.
Receives assistance during an academic evaluation from another person in a manner not authorized by the instructor.
Engages in unauthorized possession, buying, selling, obtaining, or using a copy of any materials intended to be used as an instrument of academic evaluation in advance of its administration.
Acts as a substitute for another person in any academic evaluation process.
Utilizes a substitute in any academic evaluation procedure.
Practices any form of deceit in an academic evaluation proceeding.
Depends on the aid of others in a manner expressly prohibited by the instructor in the research, preparation, creation, writing, performing, or publication of work to be submitted for academic credit or evaluation.
Provides aid to another person, knowing such aid is expressly prohibited by the instructor, in the research, preparation, creation, writing, performing, or publication of work to be submitted for academic credit or evaluation.
Presents as one’s own, for academic evaluation, the ideas, representations, or words of another person or persons without customary and proper acknowledgment of sources.
Submits the work of another person in a manner that represents the work to be one’s own.
Knowingly permits one’s work to be submitted by another person without the instructor’s authorization.
Attempts to influence or change one’s academic evaluation or record for reasons other than achievement or merit.
Indulges, during a class or examination session in which one is a student, in conduct that is so disruptive as to infringe upon the rights of the instructor or fellow students.
Fails to cooperate, if called upon, in the investigation or disposition of any allegation of dishonesty pertaining to another student or any other breach of a student’s obligation to exhibit honesty.
Violates the canons of ethics of his or her discipline or disciplines.

If you feel that a student has committed a violation of this policy, you should notify the course instructor. The course instructor (you, if you are teaching your own course) should then advise the student that there is reason to believe that the student has committed a violation of the academic integrity policy. The student must be given a chance to respond. If the instructor and the student can come to an agreement on how the matter should be settled, then both sign a letter of agreement to that effect and submit it to the dean’s office. The matter is then considered closed.

If an agreement cannot be reached, the instructor must file a written statement of the charges (setting forth the alleged offenses in narrative form and listing witnesses or evidence) with the dean’s designated academic integrity hearing officer. A formal proceeding is then initiated. If the violation takes place at the end of the semester, the instructor should submit a G (incomplete) grade for the semester.

ETHICAL CONCERNS

GENERAL

Working closely with students, teaching classes and grading papers requires a professional attitude and good judgment. As a teaching assistant you are in a position of authority over your students and you need to be careful not to abuse this relationship. Respect Your Students’ Privacy. Legally, students’ records are private documents. You should not share a student’s grades with anyone other than the instructor, teaching assistants assigned to the course, or the student. (For more information see "Privacy of Student Records" in Chapter 8.)

Although not bound by the same legal standards, conversations held during office hours should be treated as private (except when doing so might result in physical harm). Only when you make students feel confident that what they are telling you is confidential will they speak openly and honestly.

Never Ask For or Accept Favors. Do not ask students for personal favors and never accept gifts. Favors and gifts create obligations that may influence your grading and compromise your ability to treat all your students equally.

Romantic Relationships. University policy states: "The University's educational mission is promoted by professional relationships between faculty members and students. Relationships of an intimate nature compromise the integrity of a faculty-student relationship whenever the faculty member has a professional responsibility for the student." As a result, the University prohibits "intimate relationships" between teaching assistants and any student whose academic work is evaluated by the teaching assistant. A full description of this policy is located in Chapter 5, "Faculty-Student Relationships."

Treat Your Colleagues with Respect. If a student comes to you complaining about a grade he/she received on the last assignment, you need to fairly evaluate the student’s complaint. Do not look for scapegoats. Answering, "You should feel lucky I graded your paper; the other TA is much tougher," is unethical. While it can be tempting to compare yourself favorably with the course instructor or another teaching assistant, it compromises the integrity of the course and your department, implies that some students are given advantages that other students do not have, and ultimately makes you look petty.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

Sexual harassment most often (but not always) takes place where there is a power differential between the persons involved. The University of Pittsburgh is committed to maintaining a community free of sexual harassment and considers sexual harassment a violation of University policy (as well as federal, state and local law).

The University of Pittsburgh defines sexual harassment as "any unwelcome advance, request for sexual favors, or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

Submission to such conduct is an explicit or implicit condition of employment or academic success.
Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for an employment or academic decision.
Such conduct has the purpose or effect of: (a) unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work or academic performance, or (b) creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work or academic environment.

Sexual harassment can take place between members of the same gender as well as members of different genders. It is a violation of University policy whether it happens on campus or at a University sponsored off-campus event. It is also a violation of University policy to have a consensual relationship with one of your students (see "Student-Faculty Relationships" in Chapter 5).

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICIES AND SERVICES AT
THE UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

University of Pittsburgh Sexual Harassment Policy http://www.pitt.edu/HOME/PP/policies/07/07-06-04.html

University of Pittsburgh Faculty-Student Relationship Policy

http://www.pitt.edu/HOME/PP/policies/02/02-04-03.html

Sexual Assault Services at the University of Pittsburgh http://www.pitt.edu/~saserv/

As a teaching assistant, you should demonstrate good judgment when working with students. Since the teaching assistant–student relationship involves a difference of authority and power, you should be aware that even seemingly harmless requests may be perceived as difficult to refuse.

We suggest the following rules when working with students (of either sex):

Schedule meetings at times when classes meet on campus (this may include the early evening). Meetings should be held in your carrel or office (with the door open) or at a public location (such as the lobby of the library or a campus cafeteria). Do not meet with students off-campus.
Avoid asking students for favors. Even the seemingly most harmless request might be misconstrued.
Maintain a professional distance with students. Be kind, but it is not necessary to share your personal concerns or feelings.
Avoid physically touching your students. Even when sympathizing with a distressed student, it is inappropriate to embrace a student.
Do not tell jokes of a sexual nature and do not make remarks about a student’s clothing, body or sexual activities.

INDIVIDUAL HELP

OFFICE HOURS

Office hours are times set aside by an instructor or teaching assistant to meet with students and discuss the course material as well as any problems the student may be having with the course. Office hours are an important time for students; they offer your students a chance to speak with you privately about everything from their grades to their political leanings. Consequently, for many instructors, office hours are a fulfilling part of teaching.

Your office hours should be scheduled early in the semester. For this reason, most teaching assistants announce their office hours during the first week of class and provide students with a course or recitation syllabus with office hours clearly stated. Occasionally, however, the instructor will wait until the first class in order to check with students about what times are best before settling on a specific schedule.

Although department regulations vary, most teaching assistants at the University of Pittsburgh hold office hours twice a week for an hour each time. Having office hours on two different days helps to ensure that more of your students will be able to stop by during the times you have set aside. Although it is not required, most teaching assistants also agree to meet with students by appointment.

Do not be surprised if during the first week no one shows up; students are often reluctant simply to drop by. It is only after the first assignment is returned and your students find themselves with concrete concerns that they will start coming to your office hours. After that, the number of students increases steadily. Many teaching assistants and teaching fellows find that, for students who require additional assistance, they need to set up extra office hours when major assignments are due or midterms and finals take place.

Encourage your students to take advantage of your office hours. Throughout the semester you should remind your students that they are welcome to stop by to discuss their problems and concerns. You may also want to schedule at least one private meeting with each student in order to get to know your students and to discuss their progress. Finally, when grading material, you may want to require students who did not do well to speak with you before the next assignment is due so that you can make suggestions about how they might improve their work. Office hours are an excellent chance for you to transform testing into learning. Working with a student individually, you can address problems he/she may be having with writing or study skills without tying up class time or embarrassing the student.

E-MAIL OFFICE HOURS

In addition to traditional office hours, teaching assistants and course instructors now offer e-mail office hours. There are two ways to make yourself available with e-mail. First, you can encourage students to e-mail you anytime with questions and you can commit yourself to regularly (at least once a day at a prearranged time) checking your e-mail and promptly responding. Alternatively, you can set aside a few hours a week to be online. During these time periods, students can e-mail you knowing they will get an immediate response. (A chat program such as ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger or Microsoft Chat works especially well for holding online office hours, but requires that every student in the class has access to the same program. CourseWeb, the University’s course management software, is a web program that can be used even if you do not use the program’s other features.)

Discussion lists and class web pages are another way to keep in touch with your students. For more information, see our discussion of "Teaching with Technology" in Chapter 4. Keep in mind that although online technologies can provide an excellent means of extending the boundaries of the classroom, they only work well when the instructor makes a regular (and sometimes substantial) commitment to organizing and maintaining them.

EFFECTIVE DIALOGUE

Getting students to come to your office hours is not usually a problem, but ensuring that the time you spend with them is productive can be difficult. Bruce, a teaching assistant at the University of Pittsburgh, recalls one especially challenging student. After both the first and second papers, Tim came to me for help. He seemed like a hard-working student, but he had consistently failed to develop themes and to draw conclusions in his papers. He would listen to what I had to say, but I could not draw him into a discussion about his paper. Even when asked a point-blank question, he would just stare back. I asked my peers for advice and someone suggested that I talk to Tim about his life, his major and his interests before I started discussing the paper. It worked. Tim was still quiet, but talking to him about "safe" topics put him at ease and made it easier to talk to him about his academic work. Office hours provide you with a great opportunity to get to know your students and to deal with their individual academic problems. However, students often come to your office embarrassed that they have had to ask for help or frustrated with the course, their grades and, although seldom explicitly stated, their accomplishments in the class. Successfully dealing with your students’ discomfort is often the first step when working with students individually. Here is a checklist for establishing a good dialogue with your students: Be as approachable as possible. The best thing to do when a student comes in during your office hours is to make him or her feel welcomed. It is very easy to make students feel that they are intruding; it takes a bit of effort to create a relaxed, pleasant atmosphere.

Rely on the student to tell you what he or she has come to see you about. You may suspect some hidden problem, but you should not press the student to disclose it. Ask the student what he/she would like to talk about and then listen. Repeat main points to let the student know that you are listening carefully and understand his/her concerns. Ask questions if you are unclear on any points, but give a reasonable amount of time to explain why he/she has come to you or to express his/her grievance.

Avoid being defensive. Often when students come to you it is with a complaint. "I don’t think this is a fair grade" or "I am a B student, why did you give me a C" are typical grievances. Do not try to defend your grading decisions. If you made a mistake, apologize and rectify it quickly. If not, explore the students’ concerns and positively demonstrate areas for improvement.

Offer a choice of solutions. "Okay," you might say, "I see two choices. You could rewrite this paper or you could use the time that it would take to rewrite to the paper to put additional effort into the next assignment." Offering the student more than one solution empowers the student and involves him or her in the outcome.

Set goals and deadlines. Once a strategy has been decided on, review the plan with your student and establish clear deadlines.

While office hours offer a wonderful opportunity for helping students individually, realize that you will not always be able to provide the answers or information that is needed. If you are helping a student with material for your own course, there is nothing wrong with saying, "I don’t know, but I can find out for you." If you are teaching a recitation, you may want to refer the student to the course instructor.

Some situations require more specialized assistance than you will be able to give. If you believe the student has a learning disability, refer the student to the Office of Student Disabilities. If you feel the student needs extensive help with writing or learning skills, call the Writing Center or Academic Support Center while the student is meeting with you and set up an appointment. If you feel the student needs personal counseling, encourage the student to contact the Counseling Center. In Chapter 4 we provided information on assisting students with disabilities, academic problems or personal concerns. In addition, resources and telephone numbers are located web resource guide (Chapter 12). Do not hesitate to refer a student who needs help to one of these support services.

Although generally not as many students will take advantage of office hours as should, on occasion you may encounter students who are overly dependent on you either for assistance with course material or for companionship and counsel. It may be necessary to set limits with these students. You might encourage them to tackle assignments on their own before coming to you for help, or explain to them that you have limited time to spend with each student and must, therefore, restrict the frequency and duration of office visits. As indicated above, seriously troubled students who seek your assistance may be referred to the University’s professional counseling services.

MAINTAINING RECORDS

At the start of each semester, you should collect contact information from your students (current address and telephone number, permanent address and telephone number, e-mail address, student ID number) and create a grade book in which you can record your students’ attendance records and grades. Grades can be kept in a notebook or in a spreadsheet program. Either way, keep this information current; enter grades as you assign them. There is nothing worse than finding that you are missing grades at the end of the semester.

Your grade book must also be kept in a secure location (this is private information) and a back-up copy made. Never give anyone access to a student's grades without proper authorization. For more on securing your grades, see Chapter 8, "Privacy of Student Records."

Once the semester is over, establish a file for your grade book and any papers or exams that may not have been returned. Various departments have their own policies concerning uncollected work, but it is usually recommended that you keep these for at least a year. Further, we recommend that you keep your grade books for ten years. Old papers and grade books are necessary to settle incomplete grades or to write letters of recommendation.

WRITING LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

Students may ask you to write letters of recommendation to bolster an application for a full-time job, transfer to another institution, or application to graduate school. If you are willing to write the letter, write it promptly and professionally while you still clearly recall the student and his/her course work.

If you have reservations about the student, politely and explicitly explain your concerns. Perhaps you do not know the student very well or perhaps you feel that the student has not demonstrated the skills (in your class) necessary for the position he/she is applying for. Often a positive recommendation will mention an applicant’s weaknesses, but you should not volunteer to write a recommendation unless you feel you can honestly and thoroughly speak about the student.

Before writing the letter of recommendation, it is useful to meet with the student. Ask the student to bring a copy of his/her resume, course work from your class, the recommendation form (if any), and the address where the recommendation should be sent. Take this opportunity to talk to the student about the position he or she is seeking and to ask about the date by which you must submit the recommendation.

When writing a recommendation, be as specific as possible. Refer to your grade book and any exams or papers you may have saved. Unless a form has been provided, write the recommendation letter on University of Pittsburgh letterhead, employ a standard business letter format, and include a telephone number, e-mail address and mail address where you can be reached. Typically, a letter of recommendation is one single-spaced page in length.

Consider including the following information:

Describe your relationship to the student. State how long you have known him or her and in what capacity.
Discuss the student’s intellectual ability by comparing him or her to other students with whom you have worked.
Describe the student’s attitude toward academic work. Were assignments completed promptly, carefully and with enthusiasm?
If it is applicable to the situation, describe the student’s performance in a laboratory situation. Comment on his or her preparation for labs and understanding of the various experiments. Would you trust this student to work in a lab without supervision?
Comment on the student’s communication skills, both oral and written. Are these skills appropriate to the work being contemplated?
Finally, discuss any personal characteristics of the student that you believe are relevant.

If possible, use specific examples or anecdotes to illustrate the points you make in your letter. Focus on what it is that makes this student different from others, but be careful not to overdo your praise and compromise your credibility. Above all else, be honest.

Keep in mind that you are legally responsible for statements you make in your recommendation and may be liable for any deleterious remarks. If you feel you should comment on a student's negative traits, it is wise to preface your remarks with a qualifying phrase such as "To the best of my knowledge . . .." Regardless, keep a copy of the letter for your files in case the student requests another recommendation at a later date or in case an employer calls to verify the information.

Under the Educational Rights and Privacy Act, a student has the right to see a copy of your recommendation unless he or she is willing to sign a waiver. If you have no objections, give a copy of the recommendation to the student. [1]

Chapter 5 .. Chapter 7

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