Graduate Teaching Assistant Positions

Each semester, the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology (CSIT) has a limited number of  positions open for Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA). While APSU does have other types of graduate assistantships, including Graduate Research Assistantships (GRA), Graduate Administrative Assistants (GAA), and Graduate Student Worker (GSW), the majority of the graduate assistantships available in the CSIT department are GTA positions.

The primary responsibility of a GTA position is to assist a department faculty member or other instructor with coursework, including, but not limited to, grading assignments, assisting instructors during lecture, and tutoring.  In some cases, a GTA may be the instructor for a course. The two primary requirements for these positions are a background in the subject and good communication skills.

Due to the technical nature of the classes that GTAs will be assigned to, the department’s hiring process includes an assessment of a potential GTA’s computer-related background. This ensures that the GTA has the appropriate skillset to assist a faculty member in a course.

Communication and time management skills are important since GTAs will interact with students and faculty. In many cases, GTAs are asked to tutor students, provide feedback when grading, and lead labs or lectures.  It is important that GTAs have good communication skills. When grading, it is important that grading is completed in a timely manner.

Due to the limited number of positions and the technical requirements of the job, the department follows this process when hiring for GTA positions

1. All students applying for a GTA position must follow the Graduate School’s process for applying. See https://www.apsu.edu/grad-studies/graduate-assistantships-financial-support/
2. Applications are accepted at anytime. The department will review applications the week before classes begin for the Fall, Spring and Summer terms. Once positions are filled, the department will not be able to hire additional GTAs until the next hiring cycle.
3. During the review process, the department will include a review of any information regarding the applicant’s technical background. The following lists the preference for hiring:
   1. Previous GTAs with favorable performance reviews
   2. New applicants with a computer-related degree.
   3. New applicants with computer coursework on their transcript.
   4. New applicants who indicate computer-related industry experience.

All new applicants will be asked to demonstrate their technical ability with a skill-based evaluation. For some classes, applicants may be asked to interview with the instructor.

Each semester, each GTA will be evaluated by their supervising faculty.  GTAs will be evaluated on their technical ability related to the courses they are assigned to, their communication skills including writing and interaction with students and the supervising faculty, and how well they manage their responsibilities. GTAs who receive satisfactory reviews will be given the opportunity to continue in the same position the following semester. GTAs who receive unsatisfactory overall reviews will not be offered a GTA position in the following semester.