Teaching & Research Assistant Resources

Congratulations on receiving a TA or RA position with Asian Languages and Literature. 

Checklist

☑ Attend TA Orientation

☑ Submit Office Hours to Program Coordinator

☑ Create Website Profile

☑ Enroll in Courses (10 credit minimum) 

☑ Pay Student Activity Fees 

☑ Sign Up for GAIP

 

Attend TA Orientation 

Contact the Graduate Program Advisor for information and details on when the New TA Orientation sessions will take place. Typically this is in September. You may also refer to our online departmental calendar for additional information as it becomes available. Please also take the time to read our Academic Student Employees Statement of Policies. 

Administration 

Asian Languages and Literature Department Contacts

• Main Office
  • Department Administrator
• Faculty Members
• Email Usage Policy - The UW Email system is provided to support UW activities and is subject to state laws and UW policy.  Please review the Appropriate Use of UW Resources on the IT Connect website for more detailed information on the rules, laws, and policies in accordance with using UW computing and networking resources.

Mail Boxes

• The TA mailboxes are located on the second floor of Gowen Hall directly across from the Copy Room (216A).
• You will be assigned a mailbox by the Graduate Program Advisor. Refer to the list posted next to the pigeonhole mailboxes in order to determine which box is yours.
• Please note that no personal mail is to be delivered to the department.

Submit Your Office Hours 

Please submit your scheduled office hours each academic quarter to the Program Coordinator.

Office Assignments and Regulations

You will be assigned to one of the TA offices one week prior to the beginning of the academic quarter.

Please note that the whole University has a space problem, some of you must share a desk. TA offices provide temporary workspace for you to hold office hours and perform work related to your appointment. Please adhere to the following regulations governing the use of TA office space:

1. Keep the office neat and clean at all times.
2. Do not use any appliances in the office (plug-in water pot or microwave).
3. Lock office doors when you leave the office.
4. The department is not responsible for any lost or stolen items.
5. When your appointment concludes, please return your key.
6. Return the key within five days of the last day of the quarter to avoid a late fee.
7. Your office must be cleared of all your teaching and personal materials when you return your key to the office. Anything left behind will be discarded.

Conference and Class Rooms

If you would like to reserve the Gowen Hall conference room (Gowen M223) or the Student Lounge (Gowen M218), please submit a reservation request to the Program Coordinator. Be sure to include the time(s) and date(s) needed in your request.

Create a Website Profile 

Work with the Program Coordinator to create and establish your department web profile. A list of all current teaching assistant web profiles is located here. A short bio that includes your contact information, office hours, and a photo is a good starting point.

Building Maintenance

Please contact the Main Office to report any problems in Gowen Hall such as dripping faucets, burnt out light bulbs, graffiti, etc. that need attention.

Recycling

You are responsible for emptying out your own paper recycling bin. You may empty it in either the green paper recycling collection bags in the Student Lounge or outside of the Copy Room. There are also large recycling dumpsters located on the ground floor of Gowen Hall.

Pay & Benefits 

Pay Day  (Please contact the Department Administrator for any payroll questions.)

There are two pay periods per month (1^st – 15^th and 16^th – end of the month). Pay Days are on the 10^th and 25^th of each month. If either day falls on a Saturday, you will receive your check the Friday prior. If either day falls on a Sunday, you will receive your check the following Monday. New employees who begin anytime between the 1^st - 15^th of the month will receive their first paycheck on the 25^th of that month. Those who start employment anytime between the 16^th- 30^th/31^st of the month will receive his or her first paycheck on the 10^th of the following month.

• Have questions about your paychecks?

Check out the paycheck information webpage on the ISC website.

• Want to learn how to use Workday?

Find out more on the ISC website.

Pay Scale

The rate of pay for TAs is determined by their degree level. See the Regular non-variable rate TA/RA/SA salary schedule. Please notify the Academic Counselor when you have completed an MA at UW, or successfully completed your PhD general exam so that we can change the monthly rate of your stipend.

Employment Policies

Many Academic Student Employees (ASEs), including TAs, RAs, SAs, Readers/Graders/Tutors, and some Trainees now work under a collective bargaining agreement. The full contract governing their employment is on the web.

In addition to this contract, the employment of ASEs working in the Department of Asian Languages & Literature is governed by departmental policy: AL&L Academic Student Employees Statement of Policies.

Tuition Payment  

Compensation for a TA, RA, or SA position includes the Graduate School’s payment of your tuition at the Graduate Tier I level while you work as a TA/RA/SA. The only payment for which you are responsible is for quarterly fees totaling about $250-450 per quarter.  In order for the tuition waiver to go into effect for a given quarter, a TA must be registered for a minimum of 10 credits during the academic year, or 2 credits during summer quarter teaching assignments.

Your tuition will be waived on or before the tuition deadline if you registered a full-time/10 credits and you have gone through the appt. process with the Business Center.  However, it is important for you to pay your own portion e.g., student activity fee (it is about $250-450), bus pass, etc. Tuition is due on third Friday of each Quarter. Please pay this amount by to avoid the late fee. If your tuition waiver for the remaining portion of your tuition has not appeared on your student account by the deadline, please email the Academic Counselor.

Benefits Overview 

This web page contains important information about the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP), which you will need to sign up for within your first month of employment. You cannot be enrolled in the Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP) at the same time. To be eligible for GAIP benefits, you must be enrolled for at least 10 credits for the quarter, and your position must be 50% FTE or greater and paid on five of the six pay days of the coverage period.

Please note: Health benefits go into effect on the 1st of the month after you begin work. For example, if you begin work on September 1^st, your benefits are effective as of that day. If you begin work September 2^nd your benefits will not kick in until October 1^st.

UW Human Resources - Benefits Office

• For information on benefits, pleas consult the HR site: http://www.uw.edu/admin/hr/benefits/

Teaching Resources 

Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL)

The following information and resources can be found on this webpage:

• UWired
• Classroom and Instructor Tools and Resources
• Facilities that Support Teaching
• Special Opportunities for Teaching
• Collaborative Teaching Ventures 

UW-IT

• Provides A/V equipment rentals (laptops, tablets, projectors)
• Ability to assist with remote teaching
• Most services are free and/or already paid for by the Student Activity Fee.