Teaching assistants usually take on the responsibility of guiding undergraduates at Iowa State, but a variety of their duties follow them out of the classroom.

Aside from the basics, the actual role of a TA varies among colleges.

Two common requirements for assistants at ISU include admission into graduate school and a passing grade on an English exam for international students.

Tom Rice, director of graduate education in the political science program, said he looks at a student’s interest in becoming a TA, undergraduate success and graduate record exam scores.

But if TAs from other colleges compared notes, they would find little in common, he said.

In the journalism department, TAs are not allowed to teach classes alone, unless the supervising professor is unavailable.

Instead, assistants are expected to hold office hours, remain on call, help students within the department, assist with grading papers, design tests and attend classes regularly, Rice said.

The professors’ assistants tend to act as mentors to undergraduate students and offer help, rather than replicating the responsibilities of tutors.

“I think of tutoring as extensive one-on-one contact,” Rice said.

According to Rice, TAs are expected to work half time, which is about 20 hours a week, for two semesters.

They get paid about $1,037 a month or $8,300 for two semesters, which Rice believes is low compared to other colleges.

Regardless of the pay, TAs at ISU maintain a good reputation.

“We have no complaints about our TAs,” Rice said.

Chris Minor, lab coordinator for the biology department, said the department’s assistants are the primary instructors for Biology 201 and 202 labs.

In the biology program, TAs are expected to teach different techniques or skills, to grade fairly, have good communication skills and to meet once a week to discuss class material and teaching issues.

David Oliver, chairman of the department of botany, said only a limited pool of graduate students is available in the botany program because “all of our TAs are full-time graduate students.”

Minor said the amount of training corresponds to the needs of each graduate student.

“Depending upon how much experience they have, [training] is anywhere from one to three days, just at course level,” he said.

Although TAs teach on the average of two to four semesters, some teach as infrequently as one semester, while others teach 10 semesters. Minor said the number of semesters depends on the progress of the individual’s degree program.

Oliver said TAs in the botany program make slightly more than those in the political science department, with a salary of $1,150 a month.

TAs in the engineering department are not much better off, taking home $1,100-1,200 per month, said Ed Jones, associate department chairman of the electrical and computer engineering department.

Jones said his TAs teach and grade labs, but “nothing of any great seriousness.

“Ninety-nine percent of their duties are in those two categories,” Jones said.

The engineering department requires its employees to work half time, which for most TAs it entails teaching two to four labs. A faculty course supervisor trains the graduate students in the necessary areas.

Jones said assistants deserve a lot of credit.

“I think it takes a lot of skill and ability to go in and teach when [TAs] are the same age or younger than their students,” Jones said. “I really admire them for it.”