Division of Biology and Medicine
Biology Undergraduate Education

Teaching Assistant Program

Being a Teaching Assistant is a great opportunity to develop and practice multiple skills.

Teaching Assistant Program

The Teaching Assistant (TA) Program offers students part-time job opportunities when they are pursuing academic excellence on campus. Being a UTA (Undergraduate Teaching Assistant) or STA (Supplementary Teaching Assistant, graduate students only) helps develop multiple skills - organization, multi-tasking, interpersonal communication and more. Being a helpful community member to both the instructors and students is an exceptional sense of fulfillment, plus you are getting paid!

TA Hiring Timeline

The following timeline is applicable to both UTA and STA hiring*

  • Allocation to Instructors: Mid-October
  • Form response deadline: November 1 (applicable to instructors)
  • Application deadline: November 22 (applicable to students)
  • Selection deadline: December 6

*Some courses may have extensions beyond the above deadlines. Please refer to the specific Workday posting for details.

The following timeline is applicable to UTA hiring. The STA timeline is TBD.

  • Allocation to Instructors: Mid-March
  • Form response deadline: April 1 (applicable to instructors)
  • Application deadline: April 22 (applicable to students)
  • Selection deadline: April 29

TA Job Qualification & Description Overview

This standard job post will offer you an overview of the qualification and expectation of a TA. Please note that there will be additional requirements specific to courses, which will be bolded on Workday posts. 

  • Candidate must be a currently enrolled Brown University undergraduate student (for UTA)/graduate student (for STA) in good academic standing 
  • Candidate must have successfully completed the course they are applying to (or demonstrate evidence of other course enrollments that are equivalent in content knowledge)
  • Candidate must conduct themselves in a professional and ethical manner
  • Candidate must maintain confidentiality per University standards
  • Candidate must demonstrate effective communication skills
  • Candidate must complete I-9 process prior to first day of work

Biology Teaching Assistants will be exposed to at least one of the following learning objectives: 

  • Critically reflect on their teaching practices and any biases to support and engage all students in the learning process
  • Collaborate with instructors on improving course learning goals and creating equitable teaching and learning environments by giving and receiving critical course feedback
  • Create a community of learners across course TAs, students, and instructors
  • Identify and effectively communicate key concepts in their respective course(s) with students
  • Develop professional skills such as problem solving, critical thinking, ethical conduct, mentorship, and time management
  • Effectively engage with course concepts to enhance their own learning
  • Incorporate teaching and disciplinary skills to their everyday lives

Biology Teaching Assistants support course instructors with tasks that may include the following:

  • Leading discussion sessions or labs
  • Holding office hours and/or review sessions
  • Providing feedback and academic support to enrolled students
  • Overseeing/performing administrative tasks
  • Grading with supervision from the instructor
  • Posting grades to Canvas (applicable to STA only)
  • Canvas communications monitoring and support

Available TA Opportunities for Spring 2025

Student Hiring FAQs

The instructor(s) of the course you applied to will view all the received applications and make the final hiring decisions. 

Your pay rate depends on your experience level. You will receive email communication about timekeeping prior to beginning of the class. 

All students must complete I-9 prior to working. If this is your first time being hired as a Teaching Assistant, you will need to complete the form electronically on Workday AND present the documentation at the HR Service Center, if you have not already done so.

More information about I-9

If you are a repeat TA, you do not need to redo the I-9 process.

All students must submit an official Workday application to be considered as a candidate for the role, whether returning or applying for the first time.

Any questions or concerns, please contact bioundergradeducation@brown.edu.