Student Assistants

Teaching assistant (TA) support a face-to-face, in-person course.

Teaching facilitators (TF) support online courses that have been developed by the Office of Distance Education (ODE) or by BU’s Shipley Center.

Graders (GR) support a face-to-face or online course but have primary responsibility for grading with oversight and guidance from the instructor.

Teaching Fellow are usually doctoral students who are fulfilling requirements for a teaching apprenticeship or assistantship. Teaching fellows are sometimes assigned and matched to courses by their departments in an attempt to assign them a course that corresponds with their research interests. They are usually compensated through an existing doctoral fellowship.

Instructors of Record (IOR) are doctoral students who are working under the direction and supervision of a faculty member to teach a course.

Field Supervisors provide supervision in the field for a student in a pre-practicum, practicum, internship, or field-based experience in education or human development. Most field supervisors are former or current educators, counselors, former principals and administrators, or others with years of experience, but sometimes a doctoral student is approved to serve in this role.

Graduate assistants (GA) are master’s-level or doctoral student who may have a wide range of responsibilities that could include providing administrative support to offices and units, working on a project that has a defined scope, providing customer service in a student-facing office, or supporting a faculty member, assistant, or associate dean. Graduate assistants work between 15-20 hours a week during the year.

Research assistants are master’s-level or doctoral students assigned to work with individual faculty members on their research projects and in their centers. This may include the opportunity to co-present at a regional, state, national or international conference, to contribute to a publication or grant, or to help maintain databases. See individual faculty members to learn more about possibilities.

Grant-supported positions may be available for bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students, as well as BU alumni, who will provide specific assistance to a faculty member that has received a state, federal, or foundation-related grant and is using grant funding to pursue research or center-based activities.

1. Use the Faculty Link to monitor your course enrollment.
2. If your enrollment meets the eligibility criteria above for an in-person course, and you wish to obtain a TA, TF, Grader, or Teaching Fellow, you will need to identify a student. Consider former graduate students that have been successful in your course or possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you are seeking. If you cannot identify a student or are new to the community, Academic Affairs keeps an electronic database of students that have indicated a general interest in serving in these types of roles. We will attempt to help you identify a student but cannot guarantee that one will be available.
3. Interview the student to review your expectations for the role. Even if you already know the student, it’s important to be clear about aspects of the role.
4. Once you have offered the position to a student, and the student has expressed interest in serving, please complete the Student Appointment Request form. Please note, you will need the student’s email, resume, or CV. The responses to the form are received by BU Wheelock’s Human Resources Office where student compensation is arranged. If there are any issues with the appointment—for example, students may not work more than 20 hours per week during the year, and there are regulations that we adhere to for our international students—the HR Director will reach back out to you. If not, you can assume that your appointment is processed.
5. Once your TA is appointed, it is important for you to add your TA to your Blackboard site so that the student has access to your syllabus and course materials. If you experience any difficulty adding your TA to Blackboard, please contact ithelp@bu.edu

How many students do I need for an online course to be eligible for a TF?

For online courses:

Once enrollment reaches 16, an instructor is eligible for a Teaching Facilitator (Additional facilitators are assigned thereafter in increments of 15. For example, 16, 31, 46 …)

1. 1. Use the Faculty Link to monitor your online course enrollment.
   2. If your enrollment meets the eligibility criteria above for an online course, and you wish to obtain a Teaching Facilitator, you will need to identify a student. Consider former graduate students that have been successful in your course or possess the knowledge, skills, and abilities that you are seeking for online instruction. If you cannot identify a student or are new to the community, Academic Affairs keeps an electronic database of students that have indicated a general interest in serving in these types of roles. We will attempt to help you identify a student but cannot guarantee one. On occasion, staff members or other faculty may serve as Teaching Facilitators for online courses.
   3. Interview the student to review your expectations for the role. Even if you already know the student, it’s important to be specific about aspects of the role.
   4. Once you have offered the position to a student, and the student has expressed interest in serving, please complete the appointment form: Online Teaching Facilitator Appointment form. Please note, you will need the student’s BU ID #. The responses to the form are received by BU Wheelock’s Human Resources Office where student compensation is arranged. If there are any issues with the appointment—for example, students may not work more than 20 hours a week during the year, and there are regulations that we adhere to for our international students—the HR Director will reach back out to you. If not, you can assume that your appointment is processed.
   5. The BU Human Resources Office and the Office of Academic Affairs will share information about your Teaching Facilitator with the Office of Distance Education (ODE) or with the Shipley Center. This sharing of information allows our systems to arrange access for your student to your online course and to Blackboard. If you experience difficulty accessing systems, contact ithelp@bu.edu