Job Description

POSITION TITLE: TEACHING ASSISTANT (TA)

Department: Fish School/WMC (MET Program)

Date Prepared: August 2020

FLSA Status: Part Time, Hourly

PLEASE NOTE: THIS POSITION REQUIRES CURRENT OR INCOMING STUDENT STATUS FOR CONSIDERATION.

SUBMISSIONS WITHOUT COMPLETED APPLICATION WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED.

STANDARD OF CHRISTIAN COMMITMENT

The divine mission of the Seminary mandates that all personnel must demonstrate a commitment to the purposes of the Seminary.  Every employee shall be an active member of a local church of believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  It is expected that conduct becoming a follower of Jesus Christ will be portrayed in the community.

JOB SUMMARY

Teaching Assistants (TA) are hourly part-time positions created to PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE FOR FACULTY WITH THEIR ONLINE COURSES (synchronous, asynchronous, and/or flex access). Each TA is proposed by the MET Coordinator, approved through the Fish School Dean’s office, and then assigned to assist with a specific course on a semester-by-semester basis. TAs should anticipate an average of 12-15 hours of work per week, not to exceed 20 hours per week without approval, and will not exceed 100 hours of work in one semester. They are paid in accordance with the hours logged on their timesheets for the course to which they are assigned.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS / RESPONSIBILITIES

• Assist faculty in the classroom by monitoring, recording, backing up, and posting the digital recording of all classroom lectures and presentations.
• Verify both the upload and the secure backup of all recorded classroom content.
• Assist faculty in the receipt of student coursework submissions for synchronous classes.
• Distribute and/or upload handouts and other course material to the Canvas platform.
• Assist faculty in managing Canvas announcements, updates, notifications, and any changes to the course calendar or exam schedule.

SKILLS / REQUIREMENTS

• Possess a thorough understanding of the Canvas learning management platform.

• Possess a strong working knowledge of the Microsoft Office® suite of software.

• Undergo training provided by the Office of the AVP for Distributed Learning regarding the operation of smart classroom equipment and content management in Canvas.

• Demonstrate excellent verbal and written communication skills.

• Possess a clear understanding of Southwestern’s ethical conduct policy.

• Possess a strong work ethic and initiative, demonstrate the ability to multi-task, pay attention to detail, and be a team player.

QUALIFICATIONS / EDUCATION

• TAs will be actively enrolled in graduate-level studies at Southwestern. Any request for an exception to this status must be approved by the Dean of the Fish School.
• TAs assigned to online courses will receive special training from the Office of the AVP for Distributed Learning regarding the operation of smart classroom equipment.
• Successful completion of background check, MVR, and credit check may be required.

SUPERVISION

• Oversee the recording, secure back up, upload, and stream of all classroom lectures and presentations for the assigned course.
• This position reports to the MET Coordinator.

DECISION-MAKING RESPONSIBILITIES:

• No

EXPOSURE TO CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION

• Yes – student information in the Canvas platform.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Physically able to sit and stand for long periods of time.
• Able to attend classes on campus, on time, as assigned.
• Able to carry a load of 25 pounds or more.