TEACHING ASSISTANTSHIPS AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
 
Several types of financial assistance are available to Graduate Students at UCI.  These include fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and tuition fellowships for nonresident students, grants-in-aid, and student loans.  Entering or continuing Graduate Students may be awarded research or teaching assistantships for all or part of the academic year.  The Financial Aid Office can provide you with information about assistance based upon financial need, including grants and loans.  Additional information regarding financial aid is available via the web: http://www.fao.uci.edu. 
 
Teaching Assistantships
A 50% Teaching Assistant position (TA) in the Department of Mathematics comprises a workload of no more than 220 service hours per quarter. UCI and the Department assume a full-time Graduate Student receiving a Teaching Assistantship does not have any other employment during the academic year.  During academic sessions, Graduate Students may not be employed in any capacity by the University beyond a maximum of 50% service time.  All Academic Student Employees are covered by a collective bargaining contract.  For further information, see the Office of Graduate Studies website at http://www.rgs.uci.edu/GRAD/staff/grad_rights.pdf. 
 
Discussion Sections
A 50% TA assignment consists of two discussion sections plus time in the Department's tutoring center.  For each discussion section you are assigned, you will spend 2 hours per week in the classroom conducting discussion sections; 1 hour per week in the tutoring center; 1 office hour per week, to work with students; and 5 hours per week as assigned for preparation, grading exams and quizzes, etc.  A standard assignment will be two discussion sections per quarter (this is a 50% appointment).  Each discussion section meets twice a week for one hour each session.   The course instructor determines how the discussions will be conducted, and it is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the beginning of each quarter, and weekly thereafter.  For example, you will give quizzes, review material, and supplement the lecture.  Do not cancel or reschedule your discussion section. Absences must be covered by your Teaching Buddy.
 
Tutoring Hours
Part of the duties of a teaching assistant will be 1-2 hours per week in the tutoring center.  Teaching Assistants are required to schedule their tutoring hours with the Graduate Affairs Officer.  It is imperative for you to be in the tutoring center, in the assigned place, at the assigned time.   Students are free to drop in for help at any time during that hour.   Again, absences are covered by your Teaching Buddy.  Please remember -- the Department of Mathematics is offering this service to students.  In order for the service to be effective, please be reliable and courteous. Tutoring starts the second week of classes and continues through finals week.  TA's must login and log out of the timekeeping program in the tutoring center.  Failure to login/logout will be viewed as an absence.  Uncovered absences from the tutoring center is failure to fulfill part of the obligations of the Teaching Assistantship. Such absences may result in a reduction of the percentage appointment, resulting in a reduction in pay. 
 
Office Hours 
You must have one office hour per week per discussion section.   By the start of the second week of classes you will choose a time for your office hours.  Please give this time to the Graduate Affairs Officer for posting.
 
TA Assignments and Workload
TA's should contact the appropriate instructor(s) as soon as you receive your assignment.  The assigned workload is measured by how many hours the University could reasonably expect a TA to take to satisfactorily complete the work assigned.  A TA with a 50% appointment will be assigned a workload of no more than 220 hours per quarter.  (This applies proportionately to other percent appointments.)  This can be used at the instructors' discretion for preparation, attending course lectures, grading, or discussion with the instructor. The TA orientation is considered part of the workload for the term.  TA's should initiate discussions with the instructor if they anticipate any workload-related issues.  Should you have questions or concerns regarding your work load it is your responsibility to contact the Graduate Affairs Officer or Larry Chrystal in a timely manner.  It is necessary that you establish and maintain frequent communication with the instructor(s) and with the Department.  It is advised that you check your Department mailbox and e-mail every day.
 
Teaching Buddies
If you are unable to make your discussion section you must contact your Teaching Buddy and let the instructor know.  It is important that this be done as soon as you are aware of the need.  Your Teaching Buddy is another TA who has agreed (in advance) to cover your assignment in case of an emergency.  You are required to find your own Teaching Buddy, someone who either is or has been a TA in your course.  You need a buddy for each discussion section assigned.  This can be the same person, just make sure you are covered. This information must be given to the Graduate Affairs Officer by the start of the second week of classes, you will find a form in your mailbox for this purpose.
 
Academic Credit for Supervised University Teaching
Being a TA entitles you to enroll in a course titled "University Teaching," Math 399, for one to four units of credit per quarter.   Those teaching assistants, who otherwise would not be enrolled for 12 units of graduate or upper-division credit and would not be recognized as full time for enrollment reporting and budgetary purposes, must enroll for 399 credit no later than the second week of instruction.  Authorization codes are required for 399, contact the Graduate Affairs Officer for the code.
 
Academic Criteria for Appointment
The Graduate Studies Committee and the Graduate Admissions and Advising Committees decide who will receive Teaching Assistantships.   The committee bases its selections on (1) Your academic progress (course work, examinations, etc.);  (2) Your previous TA work, including student evaluations; and (3) Faculty recommendations. 
 
The following University criteria must be met:
 
Teaching Assistant Appointment Periods and Limitations
Teaching Assistantships are for one quarter, two quarters, or an academic year.  Graduate students who have not advanced to candidacy for the doctorate, may be appointed as a Teaching Assistant or Teaching Associate for a maximum of 12 quarters including the full period of the current or proposed appointment.  Following advancement to candidacy, a doctoral student is allowed to be appointed to an additional 6 quarters for a total maximum of 18 appointment quarters.  The quarters are counted regardless of appointment percentage.
 
Fee-Offsets for Teaching Assistant Appointments
The Graduate Student Health Insurance Fee and a partial fee remission of 100% of the annual educational and registration fees will be paid by the Office of Graduate Studies for TAs with appointments of 25% or more for an entire quarter.  The remaining balance of the student fees to be paid by the student for the academic year will be $167.50 per quarter or $502.50 for the academic year.  For further information, contact the Office of Graduate Studies.
 
Evaluations 
TAs are evaluated by students each quarter.  A evaluations will be completed online. Evaluations for the last year of academic residence will be maintained in your graduate file for 5 years after you leave UCI; they will be used for your Letters of Recommendation.
 
Payroll
Teaching Assistants are paid on the 1st day of the month.  To receive your pay you have two options: 1) Departmental pickup or 2) Surepay (Direct Deposit).  Select one of these options at the time your employment paperwork is signed or you can change your selection by filling out appropriate paperwork from the Graduate Affairs Officer  Please be aware that fall quarter Teaching Assistants will not receive their first paycheck until the first week of November, therefore other financial provisions should be made for this period.
 
FELLOWSHIPS
Research Assistantship and External Grants
The University of California is the State's primary research institution.  Much scholarly research and creative activity is supported by University funds or by grants and contracts from federal and state agencies, foundations, corporations, and individual sponsors.  The office of Research and Graduate Studies also maintains a resource center containing the most current information about extramural funding sources for student and faculty research.  Please refer to the Office of Research and Graduate Studies homepage: http://www.rgs.uci.edu.
 
Non-Resident Tuition Waivers
Students who are not residents of California are charged in addition to fees, nonresident tuition, which is currently $4,898 per quarter or $14,694 per year for each year of attendance required by the curriculum. Nonresident Graduate Students on approved part-time status shall pay one-half the nonresident tuition.  Students who have advanced to candidacy for the Ph.D. are eligible for a 75% reduction in the nonresident tuition for a period of three years.  Outstanding non-resident applicants may be eligible for a full or partial tuition waiver as part of their admission award package.  This tuition reduction must have prior approval through the Office of Graduate Studies and the Registrar's Office.
 
Continuing Student Fellowships