Onboarding

Teaching

Assistants

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 2 of 26

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 3 of 26

Table of Contents

Evans School ............................................................................................................................. 5

Building Facilities (for Parrington Hall) ...................................................................................................... 5

Contact List ................................................................................................................................................ 7

Frequent Web Links .................................................................................................................................. 7

Course and Student Information ............................................................................................................... 8

Words of Wisdom .................................................................................................................................... 20

University of Washington ..........................................................................................................21

Benefits .................................................................................................................................................... 21

UW Policies ............................................................................................................................................. 22

Transportation ......................................................................................................................................... 22

SafeCampus ............................................................................................................................................ 23

Frequent Web Links ................................................................................................................................ 23

Appendix ...................................................................................................................................24

Establishing and Sustaining Respectful, Vibrant Class Discussions ...................................................... 24

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 4 of 26

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 5 of 26

EVANS SCHOOL

Welcome to the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance. We are delighted to have you on board

and hope the following pages will assist in answering some of your questions. Staff and faculty are here

to support you as well—don’t hesitate to ask!

BUILDING FACILITIES (FOR PARRINGTON HALL)

Building Access

The Husky Card is required for building access outside normal business hours. The Office Assistant in

Parrington 208 provides building keys. There is a $6.50 cash (exact change required) or check deposit

per key. This deposit is refunded at the end of the quarter/once keys are returned (via the last paycheck).

Teaching Assistant offices are located in PAR 124 B and PAR 410.

Building Hours1 M-T, 7:00-7:00

F, 7:00-6:00

SS/Holidays, Closed

IT Door code (for the keypad entry door

to access the first floor IT/offices area)

1963

Photocopying

Your assigned core faculty member will provide you their copy code for any materials they need you to

copy for the core course(s). Machines are located on each floor. Please consult with the Office Assistant

for large print jobs, and please do not copy extensive course readings for students. Instead, we

recommend making them available via UW copy centers or reserve readings. Check with the UW

Copyright Center for more details and policies. (Up to one book chapter is usually considered fair use by

the UW library.)

Scanning

Scanning is set up on the printers to email documents to your email address. Once choosing the

scanning feature, you can enter your email address under “manual entry,” then choose “start.” The files

will be sent to your email as PDF. Please consult with the Office Assistant for large scanning jobs. No

codes are required for scanning (or for printing).

1 Closing hours can vary during the summer for Parrington Hall—the building has closed at 5:30 pm during previous

years.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 6 of 26

Office supplies

There is a small supply closet to check when supplies are needed, please discuss with the Office

Assistant. If what’s needed for the core or quiz sections isn’t in the closet, check with your faculty member

about possibly ordering the item(s) through the Office Assistant.

Kitchen Access

The below spaces include the following appliances:

PAR 109: refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven, water cooler, small sink, and large compost bin

PAR 208: refrigerator (no freezer), microwave, water cooler, and large compost bin

Email Distribution

The Evans School provides email distribution lists updated each quarter for our TAs and part-time

instructors. Please review the Evans School group email lists included on our web site to become familiar

with which lists to use and when, and who is included in them.

Phishing Emails

There has been an increase in phishing emails/scams. Please be cautious when opening any email that

seems “phishy.” A recent example tried to appear as an email from the Evans School Assistant Director of

Academic Services, for example, however, did not spell her name correctly—a good red flag. It also came

from a gmail account. All official UW communications will come from UW email addresses (“...@uw.edu”).

There have also been emails trying to appear as coming from our UW-IT department which are not from

our UW-IT department. The bottom line in our busy lives is to please remember to read carefully and not

open any links until you are certain they are legitimate. Feel free to forward questionable emails to

evanshelp@uw.edu for confirmation before opening links or attachments.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 7 of 26

CONTACT LIST

Topic Name Email Phone

Academic Affairs/

Programs

Craig Thomas

Associate Dean

thomasc@uw.edu 206.221.3669

Building Facilities TBH

Office Assistant

bfarmer@uw.edu 206.543.6386

Human Resources Michelle Birdsall

HR Manager

birdsall@uw.edu 206.221.6032

Information Technology Molly Jay

Director

evanshelp@uw.edu 206.616.7360

Office Supplies Blair Farmer

Office Assistant

bfarmer@uw.edu 206.543.6386

Student Registration Kimberly Hay

Assistant Director

kfs3903@uw.edu 206.685.8983

Student Services Carrie Evans

Senior Assistant Dean

evans77@uw.edu 206.897.1465

When in doubt… Kimberly Hay

Assistant Director

kfs3903@uw.edu 206.685.8983

FREQUENT WEB LINKS

Faculty Directory https://evans.uw.edu/faculty-research/faculty-

directory?type=126&=Apply

Home Page http://evans.uw.edu/

Staff Directory https://evans.uw.edu/faculty-staff/staff-directory

Student Resources http://evans.uw.edu/resources-current-students

Course Planning,

Schedules, Syllabi examples

http://evans.uw.edu/academic-programs/course-listings

Some links above may require UW NetID to access

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 8 of 26

COURSE AND STUDENT INFORMATION

On Being a Teaching Assistant…

For PhD students: after your first year in the Evans School PhD program, it is assumed you will begin

Teaching Assistant assignments during your second year, and beyond. If for any reason you will not TA in

a particular quarter (e.g., awarded a research assistant (RA) position, on leave), please notify the

Associate Dean of Academic Affairs as soon as possible. This notification assists us with our internal

planning processes.

Teaching Assistant Resources

It’s recommended you discuss the duties of this position with your faculty member at the earliest

convenience. It is important that expectations and responsibilities are made explicit at the start of each

quarter. Your work should not exceed 20 hours per week, however, will, in all cases, include attending

lectures, holding office hours, and running quiz sections.

The Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL) at the University of Washington has extensive online

resources for new and continuing TA's. For just about everything you may want to know about your

teaching position, visit the CTL web site. Of particular importance is the annual TA Conference in mid-

September. Evans School TA’s should plan to attend the conference for a general orientation and some

workshops on effective instruction.

Doctoral students are encouraged to register for PPM 601—Teaching Mentorship for at least one quarter

during their time in the program. This should be arranged with the faculty member offering to serve as the

mentor. Students register for Teaching Mentorship credits using the Ph.D. Independent Coursework

Contract.

The faculty you are assisting should be regarded as a resource for teaching. As noted above, it’s

encouraged that you would initiate a series of meetings throughout the quarter to discuss the progress of

the course, particular student concerns, and any other issues that may arise.

Your effectiveness as a TA is dependent on regular lecture attendance. Your attendance demonstrates to

the students your concern and interest in the course as a whole. By attending lectures, you can get to

know the students better; some students make it a point to make contact with their TA after each lecture.

In addition, your presence in lecture will insure that any related activities will run smoothly and efficiently.

During lectures, you should be alert to what topics are stressed, as well as how the material is conveyed,

in order to reinforce, or, in some cases, supplement the concepts presented. Many TA's believe they

know how to explain difficult concepts, and, at times, their approach may differ from that of the lecturer.

Students often benefit from an alternative explanation, however, the starting point should always be the

explanation used during lecture by the faculty member.

It is the responsibility of the faculty member, as your supervisor, to observe you in the classroom at some

point in the quarter. It is recommended that this observation take place around the third to fourth week of

the quarter. This allows the TA time to get familiar with the students and the classroom routine, and early

enough to address issues if needed and still have effective outcomes for the students as well as the TA.

Be sure to schedule a time to meet after the observation in order to get feedback and suggestions.

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MPA and Undergraduate Courses

Teaching Assistants are provided for each of our Core course sections. Each Core section has two to four

quiz sections assigned. Our Core courses are listed below.

We generally make these assignments from our pool of Evans School PhD students. During quarters

when we need more TAs than there are available PhD students, we will post the position(s) to our MPA

students. They will apply and be chosen by the Associate Dean, the corresponding Professor(s) for the

core section, or both.

Quarter Number

Title

2017-18 Assigned

Faculty

2017-18 Teaching

Assistants

Autumn PUBPOL 201

Intro to Public Policy & Governance

Ben Brunjes Veda Patwardhan

PUBPOL 511

Managing Politics and Policy

Process

Scott Allard

Pat Dobel

Ben Brunjes

Craig Thomas

Kelly Husted

Elizabeth Harding

Rebeca de Buen

Kate Crosman

PUBPOL 516

Economics for Policy Analysis and

Management I

Mark Long

Brian Dillon

Ben Glasner

Eliza Ives

Nicole Kovski

PUBPOL 522

Public Budgeting and Financial

Management

Sharon Kioko

Justin Marlowe

Austin Sell

Nathaniel Bennett

Lyndsay Gordon

Winter PUBPOL 512

Managing Organizational

Performance

Scott Fritzen

Joaquín Herranz

Ines Jurcevic,

Steve Page

David Suárez

PUBPOL 517

Economics for Policy Analysis and

Management II

David Layton

Elizabeth Vigdor

PUBPOL 527

Quantitative Analysis I

Alison Cullen

Katya Jardim

Marieka Klawitter

Spring PUBPOL 201 Elizabeth Vidgor

PUBPOL 513

Public Policy Analysis

Rachel Fyall

Steve Kosack

Karin Martin

PUBPOL 526

Program Evaluation

Carlos Cuevas

Mary Kay Gugerty

Heather Hill

PUBPOL 528

Quantitative Analysis II

Mark Long

Jake Vigdor

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 10 of 26

Classroom Assignment

Course scheduling is submitted in advance for each quarter to the UW Time Schedule Office by the

Assistant Director of Academic Services. Once the schedule is posted, it will indicate the classroom that

has been assigned for each course provided that quarter, including quiz sections.

Classroom details can be found on the UW Classrooms page. We recommend reviewing with your faculty

member the room features, and visiting rooms you are unfamiliar with, at the earliest convenience. Each

classroom page also provides IT contact information for any special access needed for the room; please

ensure to review this level of detail to be prepared before classes begin. They may request your UW

NetID to reserve equipment, so have that handy when you call.

Registration/Add Codes

This section is FYI; these details are provided to faculty, which you may also find helpful when working

with faculty on core/quiz sections…

Your MyUW account will provide your class list and other relevant information per course:

http://myuw.washington.edu/.

Add Codes are also referred to as Entry Codes by other UW schools/central administration. There are

three registration periods at the UW for each quarter. Specific dates for each quarter can be found on the

UW Academic Calendar.

1. Registration period I is well before the quarter begins. At the Evans School we permit only Evans

School students to register for our courses during this period. It will end a few weeks before the

quarter starts.

2. Registration period II begins as the first period completes and ends the day before the quarter starts.

At the Evans School we generally allow other UW graduate students to register for any of our Elective

courses that still have space available (our Core and respective quiz section courses are strictly for

Evans School MPA students).

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 11 of 26

During both of these periods there can be times when we will use add codes from the administrative end

to handle issues that include priority registration students (e.g., disability accommodations). If you receive

questions from students about being added to a class during these periods, we recommend advising

students to email evansreg@uw.edu and we can help answer their questions. The Assistant Director of

Academic Services monitors this email account.

We do not maintain “wait lists” for our Elective courses. Instructors have the option to manage this on

their own. It’s assumed you will not keep such a list unless you advise us otherwise, and then we can

advise students to reach out to you directly.

3. Registration period III is the first week of class. One week before all instructors are provided their add

code sheet(s). As of the first day of class, you can see who may:

not attend class and decide if you will drop that currently registered student.

come to class who is not already registered in the hopes of being added. If there is space

available, you can choose to provide students with add codes from the sheet. You cannot accept

more students than the assigned classroom can hold; this is a fire code issue. Classroom

logistics, including number of seats, can be found on the UW Classrooms page.

When providing a student with the five-digit code from the form, write in their name on the

corresponding line. Adding their name helps to ensure numbers are not given out more than

once as only one number per student can be used. It is then up to the student to use that

number when registering in the UW system.

For Core faculty—please ensure to provide add codes for the appropriate quiz section for the

Core course as well. Core courses are for Evans School MPA students only.

When this registration period ends, you can shred the add code sheet. We do not need the

form returned.

Five-digit

code to

provide

Write in

student name

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 12 of 26

Student Handbooks

The Evans School provides each incoming student with a handbook; the MPA and PhD books are

extensive in reviewing degree requirements, courses offered, grading, advising, and other administrative

details. We recommend teaching assistants read both handbooks to become familiar with the material,

including the Student Conduct Code, which can be found on the Resources for Current Students page of

our web site.

Disability Accommodations

Many Evans School students seek formal disability accommodations through the UW Disability

Resources for Students (DRS) office. Students with formal accommodations are encouraged to provide

information about their DRS accommodation to the instructor and TA at the start of the quarter.

Formal accommodations range from additional and/or quiet time for exams, support with note-taking

(either using notes from other student volunteers or being permitted to use a laptop or tablet even if the

instructor has otherwise indicated a no-technology rule for the class), to other forms of support or

assistance.

Student Privacy

In general, due to FERPA (the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act), teaching assistants cannot

release any information about a student beyond what you can find by searching in the online UW

directory. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the Senior Assistant Dean of Student

Affairs.

Additional information re: this act can be found on the UW FERPA for Faculty and Staff page.

Canvas

Faculty at the UW use the Canvas tool to communicate information to and with their students. The Help

Page offers a variety of resources on how to use the tool, user guides, and information to sign up for

trainings (which we recommend).

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 13 of 26

Office Hours

Regular weekly office hours are required so students seeking help are guaranteed they can connect with

you and receive assistance with their individual concerns/questions. Office hours “by appointment” can

cause frustration when the need is urgent and the contact and arrangements take time to make. It is your

responsibility to ensure your office hours are clearly communicated to the whole class and that you keep

them.

Your assigned faculty member will also hold office hours and it may be helpful to coordinate so you are

not offering them at the same time (and, as may be possible, do not offer hours during any of the other

core courses and quiz sections). Additional office hours may be needed before midterms and finals;

please do your best to provide additional time for students and add “review sessions” as may be helpful.

There are two rooms in Parrington Hall to accommodate your office hours: PAR 124 B and 410. There

are two options for accessing the room reservation calendars: via Outlook directly (if that’s what you are

already using) or via Outlook 365.

You can access the Evans School Room Reservation page through your UW login. This page includes

PDFs with directions for both Outlook and Outlook 365. The names of these calendars are:

Evans.TA Room 124B

Evans.TA Room 410

Evans.TA Calculators

Reserving Calculators

For the core economic and statistics courses, calculators can be reserved for use during class time. Refer

to above section re: the calculator reservation process.

The box of calculators is kept in the copy room in PAR 208 (the Dean’s Suite; hours are Monday-Friday,

8:00-5:00 pm).

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 14 of 26

In the Classroom

Academic or Other Student Concerns

If students in the course experience academic difficulties, the first step is to alert your faculty member.

They or you (as appropriate) can meet with students outside of class to offer advice and assistance. If

any challenges continue, re: course content or there are non-academic issues, such as repeated

absences or unprofessional conduct, please reach out to the faculty member and/or contact the Senior

Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to discuss options.

Cell Phones

The Evans School would like to ensure that while in class, your focus is entirely on the students and the

learning process. As a result, we ask you to turn off cell phones and other electronic devices while in

class.

Student Plagiarism, Other Forms of Cheating

Plagiarism and other forms of cheating are a serious offence and should not be taken lightly. Please

review the student handbooks (see above) on this topic and work with our Assistant Dean of Student

Services if and when plagiarism is suspected.

When You Can’t Make it To Class

Please notify your students with as much notice as possible when you cannot make it to class. It can also

be useful to advise Student Services via email: evansuw@uw.edu or phone: 206.543.4900.

Holidays

If one of your class sessions falls on a University holiday (per the UW Academic Calendar), you have the

option of rescheduling the class after making sure the off-schedule session will not conflict with students'

other scheduled courses. Rescheduled classes cannot be held on other holidays. Rescheduling a class

on exam week during its regularly scheduled time is an option that should allow most students to attend.

For one-time room requests, please contact the Assistant Director of Academic Services (with as much

advance notice as possible).

Booking Core-related Classrooms

From time to time you may need to book another classroom, for various reasons, outside your regularly

scheduled class time for the core or quiz section. When this happens, please email the Assistant Director

of Academic Services and include the following information in your request (providing these details up

front helps to prevent back and forth emails):

Date and time needed

Size of room (i.e., number of seats)

Logistics required (equipment in the room, type of seating, etc.)

Purpose of the reservation

Specific building and room number, when known (please try to do some research on this before

sending the email, via the UW Classrooms site); below are some details for rooms in Parrington Hall

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 15 of 26

PAR Capacity Seating Equipment Furnishing Photo Schematic

106 30 Tablet Arm

3 Left-

Handed

Overhead Projector

Powered Speaker

Video/Data Projector

DVD/VCR

8’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

108 60 Wheeled

Chairs

9 Fixed

Tables

HD Camera System

Blu-ray/DVD Player

Overhead Projector

AirMedia

Presentation

Gateway

Document Camera

Video/Data Projector

Wireless Lavalier

Microphone

Carpet

Clock and Bell

WiFi

Motorized Screen

8’x8’ Dry Erase

Boards

112 20 Plain

Chairs

2 Tables

65” Flat Panel

Display

Blu-ray/DVD Player

Document Camera

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

16’ Dry Erase

Board

120 20 Tablet Arm Flat Panel Display

Wheeled Cart with

Television Monitor

DVD/VCR

16’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

206 20 Plain

Chairs

4 Tables

Flat Panel Display 8’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

212 20 Plain

Chairs

9 Tables

Flat Panel Display 16’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 16 of 26

PAR Capacity Seating Equipment Furnishing Photo Schematic

213 25 Fixed

Chairs

2 Fixed

Tables

Overhead Projector

65” Flat Panel

Display

Document Camera

7’ Chalk Boards (6)

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

13’ Moveable Chalk

Boards (2)

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

305 20 Plain

Chairs

6 Tables

Flat Panel Display

Blu-ray/DVD Player

Document Camera

8’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

306 15 Plain

Chairs

4 Tables

Flat Panel Display 8’ Chalk Board

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

308 48 Wheeled

Chairs

8 Rounds

Data Projector

Apple AirPlay

Document Camera

AirMedia

Presentation

Gateway

Overhead Projector

Moveable Dry Erase

Boards (8)

Acoustical/Tackable

Panels

WiFi

VGA/HDMI

310 20 Plain

Chairs

11 Tables

65” Flat Panel

Display

Document Camera

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

WiFi

16’ Chalk Board

313 25 Plain

Chairs

2 Fixed

Tables

65” Flat Panel

Display

Clock and Bell

Ethernet/Wireless

4’ Moveable Chalk

Boards (2)

6’x6’ Pull-Down

Screen

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 17 of 26

Best Practices

The following are not rules, simply suggestions for success.

Close Encounters of the First Day

Place your name, phone number, office number, and office hours on the board; even if they are also in a

syllabus.

Introduce yourself! Tell the students how you came to be what you are (professionally speaking). Where

do you come from? Tell a funny story about yourself—especially if it conveys your interests and pursuits

within public policy and governance. Respect your students enough to give them some insight into

yourself, and they will give it back to you!

Be sure to tell your students how you would like to be addressed. This will ease students' initial anxiety

about speaking with you, both inside and outside of class. Explain what your function in the course will

be, establish your preferences for contact, especially if it is OK to speak with you immediately before and

after class.

Briefly go over the course syllabus and explain course policies on exams, homework, grading, etc. Make

sure everyone is clear on how and where to obtain required materials. Give any advice you can re: what it

will take to succeed in the course.

Your Time Before and After Class

Before you review a homework assignment in your section, do the homework yourself. No matter how

straightforward the assigned material may seem, your explanations and assistance will be smoother if

you have solved the particular problems yourself and they are fresh in your mind. You will be able to help

students more efficiently if you know the problems and results to expect.

Be prepared to explain mathematical procedures in great detail, down to the simplest operations involved.

Many students are intimidated by math, and frustration can confuse some students even on concepts

they usually know and understand. Avoid adding to a students’ stress by suggesting you find their

difficulties elementary.

Before class, check to see if you have dry erase board markers and erase previous markings (see Office

Supplies above). Re-set chairs or any other elements of the classroom as you need them during your

session.

Write on the board any announcements or reminders. You can then call attention to them rather than

taking class time to write them out.

End class promptly; if questions remain, let students know your availability (office hours) for continued

assistance.

If you have grading responsibilities, plan ahead to ensure you leave yourself enough time to complete. It

is important to mark and return the student's work promptly, preferably within a week. This gives students

a chance to see their mistakes and learn from them. It will also keep you on top of grading. It’s especially

important to be prompt before midterms and finals. If the faculty member asks for grading assistance on

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 18 of 26

non-quantitative assignments, be sure to get detailed instructions on exactly what you are expected to do,

especially with respect to comments on papers. Also, discuss grading expectations/policies (e.g., grading

rubric, handling appeals, etc.) with the faculty member before any grading begins.

Classroom Strategies

Learn your students' names as quickly as possible and use them frequently. Knowing the names of

your students demonstrates your concern and interest in them as individuals.

To gain the attention of your students, incorporate a student's name in discussions of course content

or hypothetical situations: "Suppose Amy was the mayor of a large Midwestern city …"

Try to maintain "eye contact" with your students by facing the class as much as possible. Please do

not talk to the board/screen.

Speak clearly, loudly, and with a variety of vocal inflections. A persistent, flat monotone can provide

an unintended lullaby.

Look around often for student questions.

Consider using humorous or outrageous examples to make your points; students often find this

approach an effective study aid (i.e., helpful recall).

Move around during the class, especially if there is time during class for students to work. This will

allow you to observe individuals and see where potential concerns may be; also, students are more

likely to ask questions when you are nearby.

Strive to answer student questions simply and to the questioner's satisfaction. It is quite easy to

misunderstand a student question. Sometimes, students aren't even sure what they want to know. If

that happens, ask a student to “say more” until you think you know what they are after, or repeat the

question back in your own words to see if you’re on the same page. If you get a question for which

you have no answer, tell the student you don't know the answer, but that you'll find out (and be sure

to get back to them). Trying to bluff your way through an answer can seriously undermine your

students' confidence in your knowledge—even more than admitting you don't know the answer.

Often, it is helpful for you and your students to say something like, "I'm not sure. But if I have to

guess, I'd say ... because ...", and then reassure them you’ll find out and report back. This gives the

students insight into your thought processes. If you discover you have given a wrong answer, let the

students know as soon as possible.

When students speak in class, give them the chance to complete their answer, even if it is wrong.

Ridiculing or interrupting a wrong answer is unacceptable and will eventually reduce student

participation in class. It’s better to tactfully correct student mistakes. If a student responds correctly to

a question or makes a constructive contribution to class, be certain you supply some form of

encouragement: verbal praise, a smile, or a nod. Demonstrating your concern in these ways should

help promote further contributions and increase student involvement in classroom activities.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 19 of 26

Write legibly and large enough so students in the back row can read what is written.

Keep your presentation orderly; left to right, top to bottom.

Don't write everything you say. Help the students determine what's important by writing only the key

points.

If you make complicated diagrams, use colored markers.

Try to match your instruction with the aptitude of the learners. This is hard, because your students are

hardly uniform. But generally this means watching out for jargon and not expounding upon all that you

know. Watch the faces of the students for clues to see if you are being understood.

Give clear and precise directions. Write them on the board, model a step or two, check initial student

understanding.

Provide constant feedback and correct as promptly as possible (politely).

Quiz Sections

Quiz sections should be designed to complement the weekly course meetings and reinforce lecture

material by providing students a greater opportunity to ask questions or discuss concepts. For

quantitative material, sometimes repetition of the same material presented in class adds clarity. There can

be a wide spectrum of ability and comfort level with quantitative material; for some students there is real

anxiety2. Effective review sessions should offer students a chance to find their own way with the material

in the course.

The key to an effective discussion is pre-planning. A detailed lesson plan is not essential, however, you

should have a list of topics and questions you wish to cover. (There are detailed discussions of good

questioning techniques available on the CTL web site.) It is also helpful to attempt to identify and

anticipate potential issues students may have with the material before you enter class. Do not simply ask,

"Are there any questions?" as the usual response is an entourage of blank stares.

Try to bring a sense of excitement and enthusiasm for the subject material into the classroom with you. It

is infectious (as will be your disinterest, if you have it). Use a variety of approaches in order to maintain

interest and attention. Most importantly, get students involved.

2 If you observe any student demonstrating an especially high level of anxiety, particularly anxiety that continues, please reach out to your faculty member and/or the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Affairs to advise them of the situation.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 20 of 26

Grading

Please consult with your faculty member to understand their expectations having your assistance with

grading for the course.

The UW maintains a grading policy for graduate students, and you can consult the Evans School MPA

and PhD student handbooks to see what information we provide to students re: grading as well.

Course Evaluations

In addition to the core course, quiz sections and teaching assistants also receive evaluations.

The Instructional Assessment System (IASystem) was developed at the UW, and is the system of record

for all course evaluations. The IASystem help page provides links for faculty, teaching assistants, and

administrators, including logging in to the system and user guides.

To maintain integrity in grading, course evaluation reports are not available until the week following

grades being due.

All course evaluations for the Evans School are conducted online. Toward the end of each quarter, the

Assistant Director of Academic Services will order course evaluations for each course, including quiz

sections. An email communication is then sent out to all faculty and teaching assistants teaching in that

quarter with pertinent details, including when the survey opens and closes to students.

During the time that evaluations are open, we recommend leaving time at the end of one of your sections

to allow students to complete their surveys. While surveys are now online, meaning students can

complete them any time, we have discovered there are higher response rates when time in class is

provided. (Please remember to step out of the room during this time.)

Student course evaluations are a critical piece of feedback at the Evans School, not only for instructors

and teaching assistants, but for curriculum and course offerings input as well. The Associate Dean of

Academic Affairs receives a report of all evaluations at the end of the quarter (the same day you will have

access to your own report) to view general themes of what’s working and where improvements might be

made for the School. Your evaluation report is also shared this time for your Core faculty members. This

will provide an opportunity for the two of you to meet and share feedback on what worked well, as well as

possible suggestions re: areas of improvement.

WORDS OF WISDOM

Ask questions, don’t assume

If you want or need something—ask someone

Take your time to get to know the place

Take advantage of hallway conversations and open doors

When in doubt, ask your faculty member, Ann, Carrie, Chloe, or Kimberly

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 21 of 26

UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON

BENEFITS The below provides some information about services frequently asked about, however, please also talk to

our HR Manager when you have questions, and refer to the UW Benefits page which offers a variety of

additional resources.

Workday

Workday is the system used at the UW for all personnel records. New Hire information includes details on

accessing the UW Workday system, and those details will initiate things like direct deposit and the ability

to submit time worked.

Accessing the system is done through the UW Integrated Service Center (ISC) web site. This site not only

includes the link to access your Workday account, but helpful user guides and other details to assist in

navigating the system.

Pay Cycle

We recommend signing up for direct deposit at the earliest opportunity, however, if paper-based

paychecks are preferred that is possible as well. Please contact our HR Manager for details on both.

The UW pay cycles run each month as follows:

Work performed Is paid on

1st-15th of the month 25th of that month

16th-31st of that month 10th of the following month

Husky Card and Use

The Husky Card is the UW identification card and provides access to use many UW services, including

library access, free admission to museums, and other local entertainment activities.

To obtain your Husky Card, visit the Husky Card Account & ID Center located on the ground floor of

Odegaard Library. Then stop by the Parrington 208 front desk (in the Dean’s Suite) to get it coded for

building entry to Parrington Hall.

Health and Wellness

The Whole U is a web site offering information and resources related to health and wellness.

Hall Health is an on-campus resource for any immediate, but non-urgent, health needs or concerns.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 22 of 26

Food and Beverages

The Husky Card also works as a debit card for University dining locations. Funds can be added to the

card via your MyUW portal page.

Library Services

The Husky Card serves as your library card. The UW Library Services web site provides a wealth of

information re: using the libraries, locations and hours, reserving books/materials, and reserving space.

UW POLICIES It’s important to be familiar with all UW policies, some key links are included below. A list of all policies is

located on the Human Resources web site

Use of State Property

We recommend reviewing the UW policy re: personal use of university resources to ensure familiarity and

compliance.

Sexual Harassment

UW has a well-established policy on sexual harassment. Each faculty member is responsible for knowing

and complying with this policy.

Public Records Act

As a public state institution, the UW adheres to the State of Washington Public Records Act. We ask all

those associated with the University to be mindful of this law in all their communications and actions.

Records Management

Ensuring proper records management is critical as a public state institution. The UW has implemented

records management practices to ensure compliance with state law. The Evans School uses the General

Records Schedule.

Conflict of Interest

The Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy is for all UW employees to know and adhere to while at the UW.

TRANSPORTATION The team at UW Transportation Services offers a variety of options for your work commute. Information

includes parking at and around the UW Campus, transit, biking, walking, shuttle buses, ride-share

options, and renting UW vehicles (for UW business only during normal hours of operation).

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 23 of 26

SAFECAMPUS The University of Washington has a team dedicated to providing a campus that is safe for all.

SafeCampus provides information, resources, and trainings on campus safety, and is also a contact for

anyone on campus who has concerns related to safety for themselves or others. Their direct line is

206.685.7233.

When safety for Evans School students is a concern and there is not an immediate threat, please also

consult with the Senior Assistant Dean of Student Affairs.

UW Alert System

Part of UW safety includes the Alert system, which you can sign up for in order to receive alerts related to

campus activities identified as any type of concern via text and/or email.

FREQUENT WEB LINKS

Academic Calendar https://www.washington.edu/students/reg/calendar.html

Bookstore http://www.bookstore.washington.edu/home/home.taf?

Campus Map http://www.washington.edu/maps/

Canvas http://itconnect.uw.edu/learn/tools/canvas/

Center for Teaching and

Learning

http://www.washington.edu/teaching/

Classrooms https://www.washington.edu/classroom/

Copyright Information http://depts.washington.edu/uwcopy/UW_Policies/UW_Copyright/

Course Evaluations http://www.washington.edu/assessment/course-evaluations/

Directory (faculty, staff,

and students)

http://www.washington.edu/home/peopledir/

Food Services https://www.hfs.washington.edu/dining/Default.aspx?id=58#gsc.tab=0

Home Page http://www.washington.edu/

Husky Card https://www.hfs.washington.edu/huskycard/default.aspx?id=76#gsc.tab=0

Information Technology https://itconnect.uw.edu/

Libraries http://www.lib.washington.edu/

Safe Campus http://www.washington.edu/safecampus/

Student Time Schedule https://www.washington.edu/students/timeschd/

Transportation Services https://www.washington.edu/facilities/transportation/

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 24 of 26

APPENDIX

ESTABLISHING AND SUSTAINING RESPECTFUL, VIBRANT CLASS

DISCUSSIONS

March, 2017

Dear UW colleagues:

Lately, I’ve heard from a variety of UW faculty colleagues who are working hard to sustain vibrant

classroom discussions at a time when current events have produced sharp political differences among

us. Our colleagues report that students across the political spectrum say that anxiety about current events

leaves them unable to engage openly and fully in class discussions. Students are wary of how their

classmates or professors might respond to their views on a range of topics. The result: anxiety for

instructors and students alike.

Every class can present a challenge—for the task is to create a learning community, with people who

often do not know one another, and who analyze their world through different frames. This is particularly

germane to discussion-based classes and classes that involve contemporary issues (e.g., environment,

health, politics, race, immigration, social justice, education, and much more). Additionally, a faculty

member may have to deal with students’ preconceptions about the instructor’s experiences, perspectives,

research, and openness to disagreement or questioning.

We’ve heard questions from faculty and teaching assistants such as these:

How do we encourage students to express their views while maintaining a sense of respect and

understanding?

What are the best strategies for addressing social justice issues (especially pertaining to race,

gender, and sexuality) when students believe these are partisan issues?

Many of our faculty have been thinking about these matters for some time, and they are willing to share

approaches and practices that have been successful. Here are a few suggestions, based on my

conversations with several faculty, which may help with establishing and sustaining a respectful, vibrant

class discussion setting in which students from across the spectrum may fully engage. While many of you

do this already, reminders are always useful.

Setting Expectations from Day One

Put norms about engagement and disruption on your syllabus and course web site. Discuss norms with

students on the first day. And let students provide examples of engagement and of disruption.

One professor uses this statement in her syllabus—and then calls attention to it at the start of the quarter,

and other times when such a reminder seems warranted:

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 25 of 26

“I aspire to create a classroom environment that encourages and welcomes different perspectives. How

do we learn anything in the absence of robust engagement with ideas and perspectives that differ from

our own? Respect for different perspectives and the people who express them does not necessarily mean

agreement with them; at a minimum, it means that we should cultivate gratitude for the opportunity to re-

examine our cherished habits of thought.”

Reading aloud a paragraph on the first day of class may not be enough. Periodic reminders throughout

the quarter are important—especially when things are going well.

Ground Rules

At the start of the quarter, some faculty members ask their students to create discussion ground rules that

respect free speech rights, and that model respect for others. Fundamental to this approach is that

everyone has to agree that disagreement is acceptable, but disrespect is not.

Faculty report that student engagement in setting ground rules can work well. Students will take

ownership of those rules, monitoring their own behavior and “calling each other out” for breaking the rules

of engagement. As one professor told me, “It’s not perfect, but it can go a long way to creating an

environment in which every student’s voice can be heard.”

Encouraging Broad Participation

Here are some tips to encourage maximum participation in class discussions.

Positive type reinforcement

If a small number of students are dominating the conversation, invite and wait for other students to

participate

Always thank students who express less popular or controversial views for contributing

If a student disagrees with something you said, thank the student and make clear that the comment

was welcome

Thank students when they express constructive disagreement following the classroom norms for

discussion

Reach out (by email or in office meetings) to individual students who are not participating to invite

them to speak more often

Negative type reinforcement

Intervene if there is a personal attack on another student by reminding students of goals of civility in

discussions

When a student makes comments at the borderline of civility rules, invite the student to reframe the

comment in less personal terms

In milder cases which still have the potential for escalation, approach the student outside of class to

talk about the impact of comments on others

Recognize: It Isn’t Always Easy

A few weeks ago, one UW professor was flummoxed during an awkward moment in his class. Nothing in

his 30 years of teaching had prepared him for what transpired.

The professor was reviewing the results of a student survey; and prior to class, he had screened the

survey comments for profanity and racially-tinged words. But given the size of the data set, he couldn’t

catch everything.

Onboarding Teaching Assistants 2017-2018 Page 26 of 26

While lecturing, he pulled up one survey response that could be interpreted as anti-Muslim. He was

caught off-guard. He was fairly certain that several Muslim students were in the class. Worried that the

survey response would get in the way of student learning—and that discussion of the response would

derail the class—he just forged ahead.

Later, he was still troubled by his reaction, so he revisited the issue in the next class session. He told his

students that he had been flustered and didn’t know what to say. He then talked about his goals for the

class—that he did not want to shield students from the world. At the same time, he wanted to make sure

conversations were civil and respectful. He was willing to alert them when topics were about to become

uncomfortable, yet he would not prevent them from seeing things. While he wanted to set the tone, he

was adamant he would not tell students what to think. When he finished speaking, the students

applauded.

We all learn from each other. Below are additional ideas and links to a variety of resources across our

three campuses.

The Center for Teaching and Learning has outlined several strategies for dealing with challenging

classroom situations, things you can do as you design the syllabus, during the first week of class and in

the midst of a tense moment. Also important is self-care for instructors, which the center addresses, as

well.

The Faculty Senate’s guide to fostering an inclusive community for research, teaching, and service also

offers excellent advice and resources. The UW Bothell Campus Library has posted an informed civic

engagement resource guide, and UW Tacoma’s Faculty Resource Center also provides support for

faculty.

If classroom behavior becomes disruptive, Student Life has posted what you can do, based on our faculty

and student codes, as well as UW resources to assist you and your students.

I welcome your additional suggestions for best practices regarding classroom discussions. Please email

me at provost@uw.edu, and I will share more ideas in the future.

Sincerely,

Gerald J. Baldasty

Provost & Executive Vice President

Professor, Communication

Adjunct Professor, American Ethnic Studies; Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies