As members of the Penn Engineering Online community,

teaching assistants provide exceptional educational experiences to our students who are located across the country and around the globe.

Key Dates

Hiring SemesterFall 2024
Application DatesOctober 10, 2023 – December 15, 2023
Expected Interview DatesOctober 10, 2023 – December 15, 2023
Dates of EmploymentJanuary 1, 2023 – May 6, 2023
Training BeginsJanuary 1, 2023
Courses BeginJanuary 16, 2023

Spring 2024 – Teaching Assistants

Teaching assistants guide Penn Engineering Online students to academic success by helping them engage with and understand the course materials. TAs will serve as one of the primary sources of knowledge and expertise for our students. Penn Engineering Online faculty, staff, and head TAs support the teaching assistants in establishing and maintaining these working relationships.

Which courses need TAs for the Fall 2023 Semester:

  • CIT 5910: Introduction to Software Development
  • CIT 5920: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Systems
  • CIT 5930: Introduction to Computer Systems
  • CIT 5940: Data Structures & Software Design
  • CIT 5950: Computer Systems Programming
  • CIT 5960: Algorithms & Computation
  • CIS 5210: Artificial Intelligence
  • CIS 5450: Big Data Analytics
  • CIS 5490: Wireless Communications for Mobile Networks & IoT
  • CIS 5500: Databases & Information Systems
  • CIS 5510: Computer & Network Security
  • CIS 5530: Networked Systems
  • EAS 5740: How to Use Data (.5 CU)
  • EAS 5830: Blockchains (.5 CU)
  • EAS 5850: Imaging Informatics (.5 CU)
  • ESE 5410: Machine Learning for Data Science
  • ESE 5420: Statistics for Data Science

We are looking for individuals with the following skills and attributes:

  • Troubleshooting
  • Problem-solving
  • Excellent written and verbal communication
  • Willingness to learn something new and be challenged
  • Enjoy working in teams
  • Excellent time management

TA responsibilities include:

  • Attend synchronous and asynchronous virtual orientation sessions
  • Beta test material in Canvas
  • Attend virtual synchronous course staff meetings (1 hour each week)
  • Participate in virtual synchronous office hours, small group and individual (1 hour each week)
  • Participate in virtual synchronous recitations, including problems chosen by course staff, and problems addressing the current difficulties of the students (1 hour each week)
  • Monitor and respond to student questions in the communications forum based on a schedule, and ensure questions are answered within 24 hrs (1-2 hours each week)
  • Provide 1:1 support to struggling students as needed and directed by the instructor
  • Grade student work according to an established rubric, provide feedback and upload grades to the platform (may not be required for classes that use Grading TAs)

Time Commitment:

  • 10-15 hours per week
  • Since all student interaction is online, these positions provide slightly more flexibility than on-campus TA positions.

Compensation:

  • TAs will be paid $18/hr

Prerequisites:

  • Have completed and done well in an equivalent course, on-campus or online.
  • Reside in the United States at time of employment.

Spring 2024 – Grading TAs

Primary courses that need Grading TAs for the MCIT Online Spring 2024 semester:

  • CIT 5910: Introduction to Software Development
  • CIT 5920: Mathematical Foundations of Computer Systems
  • CIT 5930: Introduction to Computer Systems

Grading TA responsibilities include:

  • Grading assignments based on a rubric
  • Providing written feedback to students
  • Processing re-grades
  • Monitoring and answering students’ questions on Ed Discussion

Time Commitment
~10 hours per week

Compensation
$18/hour

Prerequisites:

  • Reside in the United States at time of employment.
  • Have completed and done well in an equivalent course, on-campus or online.

Teaching Assistants – Non-Credit Courses

Teaching assistants for non-credit courses are dedicated to helping students engage with and understand the course materials. Penn Engineering Online is looking for Teaching Assistants to provide an exceptional educational experience to learners enrolled in our open robotics courses.

We are seeking current Penn students (juniors, seniors, and graduate students) with advanced robotics knowledge to monitor the following ongoing robotics courses:

We are seeking current Penn students with advanced knowledge to monitor the following ongoing courses:

We are looking for individuals with the following skills and attributes:

  • Troubleshooting
  • Problem-solving
  • Excellent written and verbal communication
  • Willingness to learn something new and be challenged

TA responsibilities include:

  • Attending synchronous and asynchronous virtual orientation sessions
  • Monitoring and responding to student questions in the communications forum based on a schedule, and ensuring questions are answered within 48 hrs (1-2 hours each week)
  • Monitoring and resolving course problem reports

Time Commitment:

  • Approximately 10 hours per week
  • Since all student interaction is online, these positions provide slightly more flexibility than on-campus TA positions

Compensation:

  • TAs will be paid $16/hr

Prerequisites:

  • Reside in the United States at time of employment

To apply, please email:weisserj@seas.upenn.edu

Teaching Assistant FAQs

How do I know if I’m authorized to work?

If you aren’t sure if you are authorized to work, contact your International Student advisor (either at Penn’s ISSS or your sponsoring institution). For information on Penn’s guidelines for on-campus employment, review Penn’s ISSS site. We recommend that you check your status each time you apply for a job, to make sure your situation hasn’t changed and that you are available to work on your start date.

You may also contact Kathryn Fogle (kfogle@upenn.edu), Immigration and Employment Compliance Manager, with questions about your work authorization status.

Please note that if you are applying for OPT or CPT, it can sometimes take weeks (or more) to receive it. Please plan accordingly, because you are NOT able to work until you have received your authorization.

What happens after I sign the Offer Letter and complete the PEFS Payroll Packet?

When you sign your Offer Letter and complete your PEFS Payroll Packet through Docusign, your paperwork will automatically go to PEFS to be processed. However, sometimes there are delays in getting students added into the system, which may take two weeks (sometimes longer). Once you are added, you will receive instructions for completing Onboarding in Workday. If you haven’t heard anything in more than two weeks, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu), who can check on your status. 

Do I have to sign the Offer Letter and complete the PEFS Payroll Packet again if I am a returning TA?

Yes. Each semester you are hired, you need to sign a new Offer Letter and complete a new PEFS Payroll Packet. If any of your information has changed, it will be updated by completing this paperwork.

Should I still complete the Offer Letter and PEFS Payroll Packet if I don’t have a SSN?

Yes, still complete the paperwork and you will receive information from PEFS on how to get a SSN.

What should I do if I am unable to access Workday?

 If you are unable to access Workday, you need to wait for PEFS to add you into the system. It may take two weeks (sometimes longer) for PEFS to process your paperwork. If it’s been more than two weeks since you submitted your paperwork, and you can’t access Workday, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu). If you know that you have been added to the system and are still unable to access Workday, contact the Penn Solution Center.

 For more information about Workday, see: https://www.workday.upenn.edu/home/your-workday/students

What should I do if I don’t see any onboarding tasks assigned in Workday?

If you are a new TA and you don’t see any onboarding tasks, most likely PEFS has not finished adding you to the system yet. It may take two weeks (sometimes longer) for PEFS to process your paperwork. If it’s been more than two weeks since you submitted your paperwork, and you don’t see anything in Workday, please contact Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu).

If you are a returning TA, and you completed your onboarding tasks when you were previously hired, there is nothing further to complete unless PEFS contacts you.

When can I begin working?

If you are a new TA, you can begin working once the following steps are completed:

  • You have signed and completed your Offer Letter and PEFS Payroll Packet
  • You have completed any onboarding tasks sent to you by PEFS (listed in Workday)
  • You can see your job in Workday

If you are a returning TA, the above steps still apply, but you may or may not have any onboarding tasks to complete. You will need to check Workday to see that your new job is there (you should not be submitting hours to a previous job).

How many hours can I work weekly?

Student workers cannot work more than 20 hours per week for any/all combined Penn jobs. If you have more than one job, you must ensure that you do not exceed 20 hours per week in total. Students are responsible for tracking their weekly hours to ensure they don’t exceed the 20-hour weekly cap. Reported hours beyond the 20-hour limit will be automatically unapproved in Workday.

What should I do if I forgot to enter my hours in Workday?

If you miss the deadline to submit your hours for the week (Sunday @ 9:00 pm ET), the system will lock you out from Monday @ 2:00 pm ET until Wednesday @ 12:00 pm ET. You can go into Workday once the system reopens to enter your hours, but those hours will not be paid until the following week. You should ALWAYS report hours under the correct week, and never submit two weeks of hours in one week.

If you have missed submitting hours for previous weeks, you can go into Workday and enter up to six weeks in the past. If you need to submit hours beyond six weeks, email Kendall Reinisch (kj0y@seas.upenn.edu) and CC your Course Manager to request a manual timesheet. Manual timesheets will take a few weeks to process once submitted.

Teaching Assistant Awards

Each semester we recognize teaching assistants that have selected by their their students, peers and faculty for their contribution to creating a thriving community of online learners.

View Award Announcements

Teaching and Learning Practicum

Open to all current MCIT Online students who are in good academic standing. This practicum provides the opportunity for students to gain additional skills in their field through practicing educational leadership and mentoring.

More Information about the Teaching and Learning Practicum
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