Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTAs) make an important contribution to the quality of undergraduate education at Western University. GTAs inspire, encourage, and guide students who embark on a learning journey in hundreds of programs in our 11 Faculties across campus.

A GTA may:

  • proctor exams
  • conduct field trips
  • work with students in lectures and tutorials
  • prepare materials or set-up required displays or apparatus for classes, tutorials and laboratories
  • grade essays, assignments, laboratory reports, tutorials and term tests
  • answer students’ questions through meetings or office hours

A GTA acts as a resource and a mentor to students as they grapple with theories in all disciplines.  A GTA works directly with students as they try to decide how they will use their new knowledge after they graduate.

One term - 10 hour/week GTAship
(Sept. 1, 2017 – Aug. 31, 2018)		 One term - 10 hour/week GTAship
(Sept. 1, 2018 – Aug. 31, 2019)
 One term - 10 hour/week GTAship
(Sept. 1, 2019 – Aug. 31, 2020)
Base Compensation 140 hours @ $44.48/hr = $6,227.20 140 hours @ $45.15/hr = $6,321.00 140 hours @ $45.83/hr = $6,416.20
Vacation Pay Term rate x 4% = $249.09 Term rate x 4% = $252.84 Term rate x 4% = $256.65
Term Rate inclusive of vacation pay $6,476.29 $6,573.84 $6,672.85
Monthly Rate inclusive of vacation pay $1,619.07 $1,643.46 $1,668.21

Employment of registered graduate students as graduate teaching assistants is governed by the provisions of The Collective Agreement between The University of Western Ontario and the Public Service Alliance of Canada.

Current TA Opportunities

  • Only full-time registered graduate students are eligible to hold a GTA appointment at Western University.
  • These postings are in compliance with Article 13.06 of the collective agreement.
  • For a student who is external to the hiring department/program they may require their thesis supervisor's approval before accepting the GTA position.
  • Full-time graduate students may hold only 10 hours per week in TAships, from any source, in any term.

Biology: Posted January 8, 2020

Application Deadline: January 21, 2020

Position Description:

PhD candidates who are currently just beyond their normal TA eligibility period are welcome to apply. Graduate students in Biology programs will be given preference.

Biology 3466B: Evolutionary Genetics (5 h per week): Main responsibilities include assisting instructor in the computer labs (10) and weekly marking lab reports. TAs may be asked to proctor final exams. A working knowledge of population genetics is essential. TAs who feel that they need a refresher are encouraged to attend the lectures (2/week, on their own time).

This position is subject to course and section enrolment. Application deadline: 10:00 am Tuesday, January 21, 2020. . Send the following information INLINE (NO ATTACHMENTS) to Tricia Gray (tgray5@uwo.ca) via UWO email server only. Full name, local phone contact, uwo email address, current program and status, name of supervisor with contact number and email, name of grad chair (if applicable) with contact number and email, brief description of subject background and teaching experience (or equivalent) PLUS the course number(s) to which you would like to apply. Applications that do not meet the above requirements or do not have the consent of supervisor(s) will not be considered.

GTA Training Programs

Lead TA

The Lead TA program is a new initiative on campus to facilitate the professional development of teaching assistants at a discipline-specific level. Sponsored by the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (SGPS), in collaboration with several Faculties on campus, it provides outstanding graduate students with an opportunity to apply their interest, teaching experience, and training beyond traditional TA duties.

During this pilot year, the program will position Lead TAs in 8 departments across campus where they will develop discipline focused TA training activities. By facilitating workshops, developing resources, and offering peer feedback through classroom observations, Lead TAs will serve as mentors, coaches, and liaisons for TAs in their home department.

This initiative to improve the teaching effectiveness of TAs at a departmental level complements the general, interdisciplinary TA training offered by the Teaching Support Centre (TSC).  In order to support the Lead TAs in their own professional development during the year, the TSC will provide ongoing training and resources to the group on facilitation, peer mentoring and teaching excellence.

The Lead TA pilot program is a result of collaboration between the SGPS, the Faculties, the GTA Union and the TSC.  If you would like to learn more about the program, please contact Mihaela Harmos.

TATP - Teaching Assistant Training Program

The Teaching Assistant Training Program is a hands-on, two-and-a-half- day session taught by current Teaching Assistants (TAs) and designed for new TAs embarking on their teaching careers. Learn about fair grading practices, diversity in the classroom, lecturing, and giving students feedback on written work. Choose from concurrent sessions designed to meet your specific discipline-related teaching needs. Get real-time, hands-on teaching experience in our unique micro-teaching sessions, where you can try out your teaching skills and techniques with a small group of your peers and receive helpful, constructive feedback. At the end of the session, you’ll receive a certificate as evidence of your commitment to the development of your knowledge and skill as a teacher.

For more information: http://www.uwo.ca/tsc/graduate_student_programs/tatp.html

Additional Details

Definition The employment contract between a registered full-time graduate student and the Employer for assisting in supervised teaching-related duties listed as per the collective agreement
Compensation Rate Defined by collective agreement
Employment Deductions and Benefit Changes Regular deductions - Tax, CPP, EI etc., 13%
CRA Tax Treatment Regular income, 100% taxable, reported on T4 tax receipt
Posting Required? No Posting Required
System Paid Through HR Payroll system, Online Appointment Process
Job Code; When Paid X0200; Monthly or weekly
Employment Contract Requirements for International Students www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sin/employers/contract.shtml
More Details grad.uwo.ca/faculty_staff/teaching_assistantships.htm

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