At U of T there is a strange breed of animal which is propagating at an extraordinary rate. It rears its ugly head in almost every discipline: history, biology, philosophy. Its existence is so common it often goes unnoticed.
For the most part, it remains docile. That is, until it pounces on its prey, eager for the taste of student blood. Hungry, vicious, unrelenting—this creature will stop at nothing to achieve its goal. It’s called a teaching assistant (a T.A. to those who are familiar) and it is out to get you.
T.A.s are one of the most abnormal aspects of education at U of T. Every year students fork out thousands of dollars to acquire a world-class degree. But it’s not world-class professors who mark their papers or lead their tutorials. It’s grad students who have yet to become professors. This is not to say T.A.s are not intelligent, or have not earned their positions, but they have too much power and too much to prove when it comes to their jobs.
Most T.A.s make their careers and reputations by being ridiculously difficult markers. They want to impress their advisors with tough standards; tougher, usually, than the professor would use. Draconian marking schemes are employed so each T.A can compete for the coveted “toughest marker” title in their respective departments.
Not all T.A.s are so power hungry. Many have a genuine interest in answering whatever bothersome questions are on the minds of their undergrads each day. But these are at risk of extinction. The vicious, student-eating kind is gradually overwhelming the former breed.
So what’s the solution to this gory mess? Hire more professors! T.A.s are necessary to accommodate the huge undergraduate population at U of T, but they shouldn’t have to do all the marking. After all, isn’t marking your own students’ work something that comes with the status of being a professor—and even a rewarding opportunity?
Even if professors can’t be expected to mark all their students’ work, there should at least be some sort of regulatory marking system which all T.A.s are obliged to follow. Until that day, undergrads beware! The next victim might be you.
