In my two-and-a-half years as an undergraduate student, I’ve been under the tutelage of my fair share of TAs. Some of them have been phenomenal, some rather mediocre, but at the end of each tutorial, I’ve usually exited the cramped classroom with more knowledge than when I entered. More recently however, I’ve been forced to suffer through a semester of the most unqualified, uninformed and intolerable TA the University of Toronto has to offer. If you think that I’m exaggerating, I assure you I’m not. Naturally, this experience has made me question how on earth this person was ever employed. After doing a bit of research into the matter, I have reached a number of conclusions. Not surprisingly, the problem seems to lie at the administrative level.
The terms and conditions for the hiring of TAs is governed by a collective agreement between U of T and CUPE Local 3902, Unit 1. According to Mary Anne Ross, U of T’s director of labour relations, the criteria are somewhat unspecific. Teaching experience, good academic standing and relevant academic study are usually sought after, but due to this ambiguity, it’s the responsibility of each individual department to determine how high or low their own standards are. Given the unlikelihood that my TA adequately holds any of these prerequisites, I can only assume that the standards at my department are incredibly low. With such a lack of standardized policy, applicants are often glanced over like a menu at a cheap restaurant, selected only because they appear to be appetizing. But undergrads are the ones left with a bad taste in our mouth. Somebody needs to take it upon themselves to ensure that the person being hired is qualified to teach and isn’t completely imbecilic.
Maybe the department had to hire her because nobody else applied, but that’s unlikely. Job postings are not only stapled to the TA-hiring bulletin board in the hall of the department, but are often advertised on the Internet and through word of mouth. Since grad students are typically poor or debt-ridden, it’s likely that a reasonable amount of people would see these ads, and jump at the open spot. Secondly, TAs at U of T can make anywhere from $28 to $35 an hour. (I know, my jaw dropped too.) This is certainly a better wage than they would make waiting tables at any of the neighborhood watering holes. Plus, being a TA looks great on those CVs, so I’ve been told. According to Ross, there is no evidence to suggest that U of T is enduring a university-wide TA shortage. Underqualified hires can’t be the result of a shallow applicant pool.
The responsibility falls on the individual departments to hire adequate educators. Whether it’s the bureaucrats, the course administrators or the individual professors themselves, someone must ensure that there are real, unambiguous standards. A TA can make or break a course, inspire a student to pursue a certain discipline, or at the most basic level, teach us a few things
