BIO151 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (Cass; SP25)

Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs) for Bio151 will deepen their understanding of core concepts in cell and molecular biology, and gain experience teaching in both large and small group settings, and share knowledge and connect with other students.  UTAs will be expected to attend course lectures and weekly prep meetings, lead or help to lead discussion sections, provide small group instruction during office hours, and participate in grading student work.  

Name of research group, project, or lab
Introductory Biology I (BIO151)
Why participate in this opportunity?

Being a UTA will allow you the opportunity to review core biology content and deepen your understanding of the material by teaching it to others.  This experience will also allow you to gain confidence and experience with teaching, supervising others, and facilitating group work, and help you to build your own skills in teamwork and collaboration by working with our BIO151 instructional team. 

This upcoming spring semester two categories of UTA positions may be available: 

  1. Supportive UTAs will assist with a 50-minute discussion section, attend class (MWF 9:05-9:55AM), hold office hours, and help grade completion of student work, and provide feedback on exam open-response questions. Supportive UTAs will earn course credit (2 credits of BIO 398A, graded P/F).  
  2. Lead UTAs will lead their own 50-minute discussion section, these will be paid positions. In addition to leading discussion section(s), these UTAs will be expected to attend class (MWF 9:05-9:55AM), provide feedback on weekly student homework and midterm exams, and attend weekly prep meetings. These positions will be 8 hours per week at $18 per hour ($2160 for the semester) if leading one discussion section, or 10 hours per week at $18 per hour ($2700 for the semester) if leading two discussion sections (preferred).  Those with prior experience assisting in Bio151 discussion sections (particularly in my section) or other extensive cell/molecular biology UTA experience will be preferred for this position.

 

Logistics Information:
Subject Category
Biology
Cellular Biology
Molecular Biology
Student ranks applicable
Freshman
Sophomore
Junior
Senior
Student qualifications

To become a UTA for BIO151, you should have successfully completed BIO151 (my section preferred). You will be required to attend your assigned discussion section(s) every week, attend lecture (MWF 9:05-9:55AM), and for TA meeting once per week. You should be able to explain complex topics in ways that are engaging and understandable, be enthusiastic about biology, and have good teamwork and communication skills.

  1. Apply for this position through the PROPEL site. See propel.umass.edu
  2. In your PROPEL application materials indicate why you want to be an undergraduate TA for Bio151 and what strength do you believe you'll bring to our Bio151 team.
  3. For your application to be complete, you must also fill out this form to provide more information and indicate your availability.

 

Time commitment
8-10 h/wk
Position Types and Compensation
Teaching - Ind. Study Credit
Teaching - Paid, General
Number of openings
10
Techniques learned

Through this work, you will develop your abilities to explain biological concepts, provide thoughtful feedback, facilitate in-class discussions, manage small student groups and answer questions about cell and molecular biology at a level appropriate for an introductory biology course.

Contact Information:
Mentor
Amanda Cass
acass@umass.edu
Lecturer
Name of project director or principal investigator
Amanda Cass
Email address of project director or principal investigator
acass@umass.edu
10 sp. | 53 appl.
Hours
8-10 h/wk
Project categories
Molecular Biology (+2)
BiologyCellular BiologyMolecular Biology