Teaching Assistants are an essential part of the teaching team in the Department, providing a crucial personal link between the Professor and the students. With the instructor's assistance, Teaching Assistants prepare and lead the labs and/or tutorials, and grade student work. Because of their close contact with the students, Teaching Assistants play an important role in helping students learn the material, and commonly serve as mentors and career advisors. Without Teaching Assistants, the educational experience of our students would not be as rewarding as it is.

To recognize the best of our Teaching Assistants, various individual and corporate donors have created a significant number of Teaching Assistant Awards. These awards, which are given on the basis of nominations by students and faculty, carry no additional monetary value for the student so honoured.  However, the funding supplied by the donors to this program, is an essential contribution to the Department's ability to maintain good quality teaching in our laboratories and field schools, and is gratefully acknowledged. However, receipt of one of these awards is recognition of outstanding performance as a Teaching Assistant, and can be used on CVs and applications for scholarships and/or graduate school as an indication of communication and interpersonal skills.

Past TA award recipients

Graduate students who are within terms of support are eligible to serve as Teaching Assistants in introductory and upper-level undergraduate courses, in subject areas in which they have some experience. Senior undergraduate students can also serve as a Teaching Assistant in one or other of our introductory courses. Students who are interested in applying for a Teaching Assistant position should complete a TA.Application .

All Teaching-Assistant appointments are governed by the Collective Agreement between the University and the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). In addition, Teaching Assistants and the instructor of the course are asked to sign a Teaching Assistant Contract which sets out the expected duties of the position.

PSAC Collective Agreement with Queen's University May 1, 2010 - April 30, 2013

General PSAC website