Teaching & research assistants
We hire graduate students for paid employment as teaching and research assistants.
Research assistants (RAs)
Faculty members with external research grants often hire graduate students as RAs. Details of these appointments (salary, hours, etc.) are worked out between the student and the faculty member.
Contact faculty members to find out about possible openings.
Teaching assistants (TAs)
We have TA positions each year for academic assistants and lab instructors. TAs are covered by a collective agreement between CUPE Local 4163 Component 1 and UVic.
Call for applications is sent to current graduate students about a month or two before the start of each term.
Most fall term positions will be confirmed before the start of classes in September. Some assignments may be made as late as the second week of classes. Spring term positions are finalized in early January.
A small number of positions are available for summer session. These are finalized in April.
Frequently asked questions
Under the supervision of the course instructor, you may be asked to:
- hold weekly office hours to help students with problems
- prepare exams and assignments
- grade assignments
- help supervise mid-terms and final exams
- record grades
- help the instructor with other course-related tasks, such as preparation of course materials
Lab instructors also run computer or non-computer labs or tutorials, depending on the course. If you apply for a position as a lab instructor, you should be comfortable teaching in front of small groups of students (20-35).
TAs at UVic are unionized, and we follow the appointment guidelines in the CUPE 4163 Agreement (Article 13.02). To be eligible, students must be registered full-time and be on campus for the term of the TA appointment (unless the class itself is online).
Selection decisions include:
- qualifications and ability of the candidate (s) based on academic merit and related experience
- the career and/or pedagogical value that the position will provide the student
- the student's preferences (as listed on the application form)
- other sources of graduate student financial support being received
All TAs must have a solid background in the related subject (unless specified otherwise). A good command of spoken and written English is essential.
Priority in hiring goes first to graduate students registered in the Department of Anthropology, following the appointment priority policy as outlined in the collective agreement.
Appointment priority policy
- Priority level 1: Graduate students previously appointed to bargaining unit positions as incoming students, and who will be in their 2nd year of a Masters program or the 2nd through 4th year of a Ph.D. program
- Priority level 2: Masters Year 1 and Ph.D. Year 1
- Priority level 3: Ph.D. students Year 2, 3, 4, or 5
- Priority level 4: Other graduate students (in other years, not previously appointed, or from other departments)
- Priority level 5: Undergraduates
- Priority level 6: Others/non-students
Find salary rates for TAs on the Human Resources website (CUPE 4163, Component 1).
120 hours per term is normally the maximum number of hours that will be assigned to each TA. The actual number of hours worked per week varies by course and term.
If you are a current anthropology student you will receive a call for applications from your graduate program assistant.
Sending us an application confirms that you do want a TA job. It also gives you the chance to list your course preferences so we can consider them when we make assignments.