Associate instructor
Associate Instructor (AI) is a title commonly used in higher education institutions, particularly in the United States, to refer to graduate students or academic staff members who assist in teaching or teach undergraduate or lower-level courses. The role and responsibilities associated with the title may vary by institution, department, and region.
Associate Instructor (AI) is a title commonly used in higher education institutions, particularly in the United States, to refer to graduate students or academic staff members who assist in teaching or teach undergraduate or lower-level courses. The role and responsibilities associated with the title may vary by institution, department, and region.[1][2]
Overview
[edit]The term Associate Instructor is often used interchangeably with or as an institutional variant of Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA), Teaching Fellow, or Teaching Assistant (TA).[3] However, some universities use the title Associate Instructor to designate graduate students with more extensive teaching responsibilities than a typical TA, including the autonomy to design syllabi, lead entire classes, and assign grades.[4]
Responsibilities
[edit]Typical duties of an associate instructor may include: leading discussion sections, labs, or tutorials; delivering lectures independently; holding office hours for student consultations; grading assignments and exams; preparing course materials; managing course learning platforms (e.g., Canvas, Moodle).[5]
In some institutions, particularly research universities, associate instructors are expected to serve as the primary instructor of record for a course (Instructor of record, IOR), especially at the undergraduate level.[5]
Employment status
[edit]Associate Instructors are typically compensated through stipends, tuition waivers, or hourly wages, depending on their workload and the funding structure of the institution. They are usually enrolled as full-time graduate students and their teaching responsibilities form part of their professional development and financial support package.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Jobs Associate Instructor | University of Utah". employment.utah.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "What Does an Associate Instructor Do? Roles And Responsibilities - Zippia". www.zippia.com. 2020-10-02. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "IV-3 ASSOCIATE INSTRUCTOR (Revised 6/24)" (PDF). UCSB.
- ^ "Academic Student Employees – Academic Personnel". Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ a b "What I Learned Teaching My First Course as an Associate Instructor! | Graduate Student Resource Center". gsrc.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-02.
- ^ "Definition of ASE Title Codes | Graduate Division". graduate.ucr.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-02.