Teaching Assistant and Assistant Instructor Positions for the Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies
Apply here.
Eligibility
The Department of Mexican American and Latina/o Studies (MALS) offers both teaching assistant and assistant instructor opportunities to graduate students at The University of Texas at Austin. These assistantships are open to continuing graduate students ONLY and are contingent on institutional funding. MALS does not typically offer assistantships to first-year graduate students in the PhD program in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies. Funding is available to students in the second year of the program.
Graduate students seeking an appointment with MALS must be enrolled in either the PhD program in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies or participating in the Graduate Portfolio Program in Mexican American and Latina/o Studies.
Students appointed from outside the College of Liberal Arts will only receive tuition benefit up to COLA's standard full time enrollment rate.
Graduate students seeking an appointment as a teaching assistant must be in good standing with the Graduate School (i.e., 3.00 grade-point average or better), registered for at least nine semester hours of course work in the long semester they are appointed, and making progress toward their graduate degree.
Graduate students seeking an appointment as an assistant instructor must also be in good standing with the Graduate School (i.e., 3.00 grade-point average or better), registered for at least nine semester hours of course work in the long semester of the appointment, and making progress toward their graduate degree. Applicants must also have a master's degree or an equivalent level of achievement in graduate study (e.g., 30 hours including 18 hours of credit in the subject to be taught) and professional accomplishment. Applicants must have credit for a 398T (i.e., supervised teaching course) plus one semester of employment as a teaching assistant or have one year of teaching experience at an accredited college or school.
Graduate students are limited to a total of 14 semesters of student academic employment. The Graduate School enforces the 14 Semester Rule and there are no exceptions to this policy. This policy applies to both teaching assistant and assistant instructor appointments.
Evaluation
The Revised Handbook of Operating Procedures of The University of Texas at Austin states that teaching assistants and assistant instructors employed by UT Austin must have a written evaluation submitted by a supervising faculty member each semester.
Faculty affiliates who are assigned a teaching assistant, or are supervising an assistant instructor, are required to submit a MALS Graduate Student Instructor Evaluation Form as part of this evaluation to document how well the graduate student has carried out basic responsibilities during the semester. Future assignments are contingent upon completion of the form. Faculty affiliates are required to provide written remarks as circumstances warrant. Finally, faculty affiliates are encouraged to write a letter to the MALS graduate advisor noting exceptional (or less than satisfactory) performance by a teaching assistant or assistant instructor.
How to Apply
Access the online application form here.
All application materials must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, December 4, 2020.
In addition to the application form, we must receive the following materials in order for your application to be considered complete.
- A letter of recommendation from a MALS faculty member or MALS Courtesy faculty emailed by the faculty member to the MALS Academic Program Coordinator, Luis Guevara, at lvg@austin.utexas.edu.
Assistant Instructor:
- Syllabi for two lower-division MAS courses (include titles, brief 50 word descriptions, required readings, assignments, and grade criteria), uploaded into the application form;
- A statement of support from a MALS faculty member (who will also supervise the student while appointed as an assistant instructor) emailed by the faculty member to the MALS Academic Program Coordinator, Luis Guevara, at lvg@austin.utexas.edu.
MALS welcomes course proposals for MAS 319, our lower-division undergraduate topics course number. Prospective assistant instructor applicants should contact Luis Guevara, Senior Academic Program Coordinator, at lvg@austin.utexas.edu, regarding previous titles or any other questions regarding the application process.
