Mechanical Engineering 150A - Mechanical Design
This position and job description is subject to change without notice by the University of California, the Department, or the Faculty.
This position and job description is based on a 10 hour per week position.
Course Information
Lecture: 3 hours per week
Discussion: 1 hour per week
Usual number of TA's: 1 per quarter
Requirements
Graduate student with a degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering. Must have taken the course or equivalent. Preference will be given to those who apply by March 15 for following academic year. All domestic applicants applying to the MAE Graduate Program, with a GPA of 3.5 and above, will automatically be considered for this position.
General Tasks and Responsibilities
Note: These are estimates for planning purposes. Actual schedules and totals will vary.
Weekly Tasks - hours per week
Prepare Discussion materials: 2
Lead Discussion section: 1
Office hours (for homework & projects): 4
Quarterly Tasks - hours per quarter
Assist in course planning: 6
Grade project reports: 20
Assignment of final grades: 3
Average total hours per week (estimate)
[Weekly total + (quarterly total/10)]: 10
Supervision: Instructor
Person(s) responsible: Instructor
TA Office Hours: See "Weekly Tasks”
Description of procedures and policies
The faculty member teaching the course is the primary supervisor of all TA's. Problems, concerns suggestions, or questions about all course aspects or policies - content material or references, grading practices, individual student needs, make-up policy, etc., should be directed to the faculty member in charge.
Methods, Times and Procedures of Evaluation
TA's will be evaluated by the students at the end of the course, using the departmental evaluation form. Student evaluations will be available for TA review in a reasonable amount of time. The Instructor will also provide an oral appraisal of the performance of the TA. This appraisal will include information on the basis on which the appraisal was made (e.g., direct observation or student comments).
Special Circumstances
TA's for this course are expected to enroll in MAE-396 (Teaching Assistant Training Practicum), which meets one hour per week. The purpose of this course is to provide instruction on teaching, course planning and reports grading. TA's should expect large fluctuations in the weekly time requirement. Especially busy time are before and following project due dates. These due dates are specified at the beginning of the course by the Instructor. Accordingly, the timing of these busy periods will be known well in advance.