The department considers apprentice teaching an integral part of professional training for a PhD degree in Literature. Every doctoral student is required to be a 50% Teaching Assistant (TA) for at least three academic quarters, although most PhD students will serve as TAs for the majority of their time in the program. Duties of a TA usually include attending the lectures for the course, reading and grading papers and examinations, meeting with the supervising professor to discuss the progress of the course, conducting discussion sections, and holding office hours.

Supervising professors write formal teaching evaluations for each TA who works with them, and the undergraduate students enrolled in the course will complete online evaluations of their assigned TA. PhD students may access completed teaching evaluations by logging in with their Single Sign-On or Student PID/PAC: http://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/Modules/Evals (be sure to select “Student SSO” as the “Sign on with:” option). If students cannot access their evaluations for any reason, they should contact the Student Affairs Manager for assistance.

TAs are expected to take very seriously their responsibilities to their students. Poor teaching evaluation ratings may result in difficulty securing future appointments. 

Students who are not native English speakers may be required to pass an English Language Certification Exam before they can serve as TAs for courses conducted in English. Courses designed to enhance English language skills are available to assist students in passing the exam so that they may TA. Refer to the English Language Certification Exam website for full details: Courses and Programs for International Students | UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies (ucsd.edu).

Full-time doctoral students in good standing are eligible for 50% TA positions on campus, as long as they are within their Support Time Limit (and their Normative Time Limit for appointments within the Literature Department). However, the maximum number of quarters a student may hold TA appointments is eighteen. Appointments during Summer Session do not count towards this total. This is a strictly enforced UC policy, and quarters spent as a TA in a previous graduate programs (within the UC-system) are included in this total. 

Entering PhD students and students early in their courses of study generally find employment in the Literature Department, in one of the campus' College Writing Programs, or in language courses taught by various campus departments. Most programs that hire TAs will offer some form of pedagogical training. 

Some students will find employment as TAs in other campus departments/programs (i.e., Critical Gender Studies, Ethnic Studies, etc.), however, there are significantly less of these positions available than positions in the College Writing Programs. Many TA positions are filled each Spring Quarter, and students will be sent application instructions via the department listserv. 

A GSR is a registered graduate student who performs research under the direction of a faculty member. The Literature Department does not generally have GSR appointments during the academic year, but faculty are sometimes able to apply for funds to hire GSRs during the summer.  If/when there are calls for applications, the department will forward the information to the listserv.  Otherwise, individual faculty may propose an appointment for a specific student, based on their knowledge of the students qualifications to assist them with their research/project.  Students should inquire directly with their faculty advisors about potential positions, with the understanding that the possibility depends on individual faculty's availability, needs for research support, and funding requests.

The duties of GSRs vary significantly position-to-position, and faculty will need to consult with the faculty supervisor of the particular position for a description of the overall duties.

Each Fall Quarter, the Literature Department sends out a call for course proposals from potential Associate Instructor for the following summer. Any students who meet the unique requirements (as outlined in the call) may submit a proposal. Not all proposals may be granted, as the number of course offerings is determined by the Summer Session office and may be limited. If approved, Associate Instructors will be the sole instructor of their course, while being supervised and supported by a faculty mentor.

Within the course proposal application, students will also have the opportunity to request to be considered for the Summer Graduate Teaching Scholars Program. SGTS is a supplemental (optional) program for summer Associate-Ins. It has its own unique eligibility and participation requirements, and it provides additional training/support and a stipend (on top of the Associate Instructor salary). Typically, the program gives priority to students who will be Associate Instructors for the first time.

In rare circumstances, the department may have a need for an Associate Instructor to teach a course during the academic year.

Reader Positions

Departments across campus sometimes hire Readers to assist professors by grading papers and examinations. Their workload is prorated according to the enrollment of the courses. Readers are paid an hourly rate for their work, and and it may be a good supplemental position to a separate primary form of support (TA, GSR, non-employment financial award, etc.).

Most Reader positions will be posted to the IA System, and students may apply there. If a department sends out an email call for applications, the department will forward the information to students via the listserv. Students should also refer to the full list of available positions posted on the IA System Open Positions page (https://academicaffairs.ucsd.edu/Modules/ASES/OpenPositions.aspx). 

Other Employment

Beyond the classroom, there are many other employment opportunities available for graduate and professional students. The department regularly receives requests for tutors, editors, writers, translators, and other various positions across campus (and off-campus). Announcements of this type will be forwarded to students via the listserv. Students can also browse options that are posted on the Career Center's Handshake System. These positions will not typically include any tuition & fee coverage (unlike the more common positions mentioned above), so students should plan accordingly. These other types of positions may be good supplemental positions to a separate primary form of support (TA, GSR, non-employment financial award, etc.).

Students working as ASEs (Teaching Assistants, Readers, and Associate Instructors) and GSRs are covered by collective bargaining agreements between the University and the UAW. Their names and department addresses will be released to the UAW each term that they are employed in the bargaining unit. The contracts can be retrieved electronically at: Bargaining Units & Contracts | UCnet (universityofcalifornia.edu). 

Students hired into ASE positions or GSR positions for the first time at UCSD will be required to attend a UAW orientation during their first quarter of employment, and they are welcome to attend again in a future quarters (if they'd like a refresher). Any questions about the contract can be directed to the UAW directly (https://uaw2865.org/).

Any questions about the process to receive a specific benefit of the contract (e.g. childcare reimbursement, paid medical leave, disability accommodations, etc.) can be directed to the Graduate Coordinator.