Looking for 4 Undergraduate Teaching Assistants (UTAs)
In the Genetics Laboratory, BIO284, Undergraduate TAs learn teaching techniques, increase their understanding of fundamental Genetics material and techniques, and strengthen their hands-on skills and confidence by assisting with lab sections, offering direct student peer support, and meeting weekly with the instructors and graduate TAs to plan and prepare for each lab class.
You will need to be able to commit to a minimum of one full afternoon per week (4 hrs per lab) for one lab section. Each lab section is held one afternoon per week. In the Fall semester, the course is held in 4 separate lab sections; Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday:
Monday and Wednesday sections meet from 1:25 pm to 5:25 pm
Tuesday and Thursday sections meet from 1:00 pm to 5: 00 pm
You will be required to help set up the lab beforehand and prepare in advance for each lab period by reviewing the provided protocols and materials that students will be responsible for during that lab class.
Prospective TAs only able to assist with breakdowns and setups on Fridays are also encouraged to apply.
Being an undergraduate teaching assistant will allow you to gain confidence, learn more about teaching, share knowledge, connect with other students, and prepare for other leadership roles. This experience will require you to re-learn the material covered in the course to explain and teach it to others. You will get to know graduate students in different graduate programs at UMass as well as laboratory staff and faculty members.
Student qualifications
To be a successful applicant you must be enthusiastic about working hard and helping your peers, and you must have good teamwork and communication skills.
- Apply for this position through the PROPEL site
- In your application materials, please indicate why you're interested in this position, the strengths you bring to your work as a UTA, and what you think UTAs in this course should do to help all students succeed
- For your application to be complete, please attach your unofficial transcript and describe in your essay your relevant experience
Students will receive a minimum of 2 credits for supporting either 1 or 2 lab sections (a minimum of ~5-7 hours of work each week will be needed to support one lab section).