Employment

Chemical Engineering: Teaching Assistant (TA) Information

Each quarter, TAs are selected by the ChE department to assist our faculty (instructor of Record) with the instruction of our undergraduate and graduate courses required for our majors. 

Teaching Assistant Application

NOTE: The applicant is responsible for reading, understanding, and following the requirements below. Incomplete TA applications will be rejected. 

To qualify for a TA position, the applicant must complete the following:

  1. Attended TA Orientation (only need to be completed once).
  2. Confirm you completed the TA Language Requirement via TALRA.
  3. Complete the Teaching Assistant Application. 
    • by 8am Monday, February 26th, 2024 for priority review. 
    • You need to sign in via your UC Davis email account.
    • Applications will be accepted until the first day of the Spring Quarter.

Priority consideration is given to Chemical Engineering Ph.D. students. 

Our students enjoy success in applying for other departments, especially as Chemistry TAs. You can find more information on their website including testing requirements, application details, and job description. 

Teaching Assistant Job Duties

  • Duties may vary by course and are based on the supplemental contract signed by both the Instructor of Record and the TA.
  • Common duties include: conducting a discussion section or laboratory experiments, proctoring quizzes or exams, holding office hours, and grading. 
  • Once an offer letter is signed by the TA, they are welcome to connect with the Instructor of Record to begin discussing the specific duties, sections, and office hours. 
  • Mandatory registration in EMS 390 associated with the course (CRN will be provided upon completion of hiring paperwork)

Frequently Asked Questions for Applications

  • I missed the deadline for the TA application, what happens now?
  • If you miss the priority deadline, your application may not be considered but you have until the start of the quarter to apply. Handshake hosts many other Taships from other departments across campus. 
  • I am not an MSE graduate students, can I be considered for a TA position in the MSE Department?
  • MSE students receive a high priority for the TA positions. Realistically, the number of MSE applicants outnumber the number of available positions within the department. It is rare that any non-ChE students would receive a TAships from the Department unless they are working directly under an ChE faculty member. 
  • What is the percentage/stipend for a TA position?
  • Traditionally, the ChE department only employs TAs for 25% appointments (10 hours per week. The salary is based on the current TA salary table which is experience-based [link]. For example, starting in 2023-24 AY, a 25% TAship at salary point 1 (with 0-2 quarters of TA experience) is proportionate to $1,353.96/month. 
  • Does a TAship cover Non-Resident Student Tuition (NRST) (applicant to non-CA domestic or international students)?
  • No. TAships cover tuition, fees, and health insurance only. The student is responsible for paying the NRST and local fees as noted in the TA offer letter. 
  • I was selected for a TA position that I didn't apply for, do I have to accept?
  • That is at your discretion. Please mark decline, sign, and date the TA offer letter. 

    NOTE: There is no guarantee that you will be offered a different TAship with the ChE Department. 
  • I have submitted my TA application and/or Offer letter, now what?
     
  • Please be patient, as the TA selection process takes time. Multiple emails sent to our department to check the status of your submitted forms slow down the process. You will receive an email if additional information/action is needed. 

Direct Deposit

Why Enroll for Direct Deposit?

Any payment or refund made to students through MyBill are eligible for direct deposit. We strongly encourage you to enroll for direct deposit as it expedites these payments by transferring funds electronically into a bank account of your choice. It’s the fastest, most secure way to receive refunds at UCD. Direct Deposit also greatly minimizes the chances of problems since there are no checks to be misplaced, lost, or stolen, and there is no delay in receipt of funds, even if you are out of town.

What Happens if I Don’t Enroll in Direct Deposit?

Any payment or refund made to you will be issued as a paper check and you will have to pick it up in-person at the Student Accounting office during regular business hours. This will likely cause a delay in receiving your funds.

How Do I Enroll for Direct Deposit?

To sign up for Direct Deposit, please go to MyBill and click on the “Refunds” tab. We have also developed a step-by-step reference guide to walk you through the enrollment process.

Questions? Please contact Student Accounting at 530-752-3646 or myaccount@ucdavis.edu. Please include your student ID when emailing their office.

Information Relating to your Position:

Readers

Pay Frequency:

  • If you only have a Reader position then you will be paid biweekly. As an hourly employee, you will be paid every other Wednesday if you submit your TRS timesheet on time.

  • If you are a Reader AND a Teaching Assistant, Associate Instructor, or Graduate Student Researcher then you will be paid monthly.

  • For exact pay dates, please refer to the current calendar on https://financeandbusiness.ucdavis.edu/finance/payroll-services/ee-resources/calendars

Submitting Hours:

  • You will be required to submit a timesheet for your reader position.  To report your hours for this position, you will use the online time reporting system. The online timesheet system “TRS” can be accessed at https://trs-ucpath.ucdavis.edu/trs/.

  • PAID BIWEEKLY: Timesheets run in 2-week increments and are always due on the last Friday of the bi-weekly pay period. Instructions on how to complete your timesheet and submit can be found on the following website https://afs.ucdavis.edu/systems/trs/training by clicking on “Biweekly-Paid Employees Training”.

  • PAID MONTHLY: Timesheets run in 1-month increments and you will need to project out the hours you will be working for the month. Make sure to submit your timesheet by the 15th of the month. For example, you would submit your October timesheet on or before 10/15. Please note that the timesheet due date you see was created for monthly employees who report their hours in arrears. So please ignore this due date. If you actually work more or less hours than you put on your timesheet, please reach out to your departmental processor. You can find their information here. Let them know and they will return the timesheet to you.  You will then need to make the corrections and resubmit it.

Additional Information:
  • This an exempt position. That means you are exempt from earning overtime.
  • There is a possibility that your pay frequency (how often you are paid) will change throughout the year. This depends on if you also hold a Teaching Assistant, Associate Instructor, or Graduate Student Researcher position along with a Reader position.
    • For example: If you have a TA and Reader job during Fall quarter, then you will be a monthly employee. In Winter quarter, you only have the Reader job. Then you will be transitioned to a biweekly employee effective January 1st. Then in Spring quarter, you have a Reader and AI job. Starting April 1st, you will be moved back to being a monthly paid employee.

Teaching Assistants & Graduate Student Researchers

Pay Frequency:
Additional Information:
  • If you are still receiving your TA, AI, or GSR job salary but you are no longer working in that position, please alert your department ASAP. This means that you have been overpaid and you will be required to pay back the money to the UC Path Center.

Updated: November 3rd, 2023