UTAs have responsibilities as both students in 388V and as UTAs with the class they are UTAing. A breakdown of responsibilities for both roles is below.
Fixed: Requirements as a student
First-time UTAs take 388V for 4 credits. They attend a 90-minute weekly seminar and complete 1 credit’s worth of coursework.
| Responsibilities for 388V: First-time UTAs | Hours per week |
| Attend all 388V seminar meetings | 1.5 |
| Complete 388V coursework (readings/ discussions/ assignments) | 1.5-2 |
| Total: 3-4 |
Returning UTAs take 388V for 3 credits. They do not attend the weekly seminar and have reduced coursework.
| Responsibilities for 388V: Returning UTAs | Hours per week |
| Complete 388V coursework (readings/ discussions/ assignments) | 1-2 |
| Total: 1-2 |
Detailed requirements are on the syllabi for both versions of 388V. These syllabi are linked to About 388V and For Current Instructors.
Flexible: Responsibilities as a UTA
Both new and returning UTAs devote 8-10 hours per week to the class they are assisting. The table below includes a range of responsibilities that UTAs often have. The first three, marked with an asterisk, are standard. The remaining activities are listed to give instructors a sense of what is possible. Note that UTAs can not be expected to do everything on this list—they only have 8-10 hours per week to devote to the class with which they are assisting.
UTA responsibilities are to be negotiated by UTAs and their instructors.
| Responsibilities for class with which UTA is assisting | Hours per week |
| Attend class meetings* | 2.5 |
| Attend weekly planning meeting w/ supervising instructor* | 1 |
| Hold office hours* | 1 |
| Prepare for class meetings (keep up with readings that students are responsible for, review assignment prompts, etc.) | 1 |
| Respond to student emails | 1 |
| Monitor/ participate in online discussions | 1-2 |
| Grade low-stakes assignments/ activities in ELMS | 1-2 |
| Design and present lessons (beyond the two required for 388V) | 1 |
| Design resources for students (help guides, handouts, etc.) | 1 |
| Help instructors redesign/ maintain ELMS site | 1 |
| Other | X |
| Total (maximum): 8-10 hours |
*Standard UTA responsibilities
Notes on UTA Responsibilities
Attend all class meetings
3-credit classes meet for 2.5 hours per week.
Note that while some blended and online instructors treat online class time slightly differently, all UMD credit hours, regardless of format, are still defined by “seat time.”
Attend weekly planning meeting w/ supervising instructor
These are usually in person, though many UTA-instructor pairs hold these online, either via video conference or live chat
Hold weekly office hours
Fixed office hours strongly recommended, though UTAs may offer to meet by appointment to accommodate student schedules. UTAs hold office hours in Stamp, McKeldin, Footnotes, the cafe in the back of Tawes, and so forth. Online office hours are fine as long as they’re live (via Skype, Zoom, etc.).
Many UTA-instructor pairs budget time for additional office hours during draft weeks of major assignments. Many UTAs also hold mandatory student conferences 1-2 times/ semester for brainstorming sessions about upcoming major projects. Recommended: do these early in the semester so that UTAs get to know their students early on.
Prepare for class meetings
UTAs should be prepared to answer student questions about the course materials and assignments.
Respond to student emails
Tip: Establish student email protocol together and communicate to students. Students should know whom to write with which questions or issues (e.g., ELMS troubleshooting, missing class). Students should also have a sense of how long it may take for UTAs to respond to emails. UTAs are busy, too!
Monitor/ participate in online discussions
UTAs often join online discussions by asking follow-up questions once students have posted their initial responses. This is particularly useful for classes in which students eventually take over online discussions. Other instructors simply have their UTAs ‘grade’ discussion boards without commenting on students’ responses. Any system is fine; just be sure to discuss this with your UTAs so they know what is expected of them.
Grade low-stakes assignments/ activities in ELMS
See About Grading page
Help instructors redesign/ update ELMS site
UTAs attend an online ELMS webinar through 388V during the first week of classes. A recording is posted on the 388V ELMS site.
