WRDS Undergraduate Teaching Assistant

The School of Journalism, Writing, and Media seeks to fill an Undergraduate Teaching Assistant l position for Term 2 of the 2025 Winter Session.

The successful applicant will need to be located in Vancouver and available on campus.  The UTA  will perform duties as required and to assist the course instructor during Term 2 of the 2025W academic session.  Current UBC students are eligible to apply to assist with the following course:

 Course

Term

Course Days

Course Time

 Hours
per week

Position
WRDS 151

2

T/R

3:30-5:00pm

6

UTA – l

For more details on courses please see: WRDS Undergraduate Course Descriptions

 Please note that the above listed UTA position is dependent on budgetary approval. 

Qualifications:

The successful candidates must be able to: take direction and then work independently; demonstrate organization and proficiency in managing multiple, complex tasks, some of which will be time-sensitive; communicate in timely and effective ways with students, instructors, and JWAM staff; undertake all responsibilities with integrity and professionalism, including working with student data

Applicants should have taken one of the three courses below:

  • WRDS 150 (formerly known as WRDS 150B)
  • WRDS 151 (formerly known as WRDS 150A)
  • WRDS 350

Prior UTA experience is required for a UTA-l. Knowledge of Canvas, online classrooms (Zoom), and video editing software are required.

Duties:

  • Providing office hours for students in the course
  • Presenting material/lecturing (e.g., leading discussions in online breakout rooms/answering questions/ facilitating a panel of student presentations)
  • Conducting/holding review or tutorial sessions; creating, monitoring, and managing student groups (e.g., holding breakout room sessions for students with time zone issues for the class in online sections)
  • Corresponding with students via email; answering student questions on online discussion boards (e.g., Piazza) or by email; report issues observed during regular activities, such as academic misconduct, problems with assignments or students struggling with course material; monitoring and responding to student FAQs;
  • Attending specific lectures when the instructor needs technical support such as peer review days and project presentations.
  • Creating, monitoring, and managing discussion forums
  • Tracking student attendance and/or participation and engagement on Canvas and in lectures
  • Marking/grading, and managing low stakes, formative and summative assignments; providing feedback on assignments (e.g., setting up discussion threads, quizzes, checking citations and bibliographies for accuracy, checking word counts, providing supportive comments)
  • Helping students deal with technical issues/liaising with Arts ISIT;
  • Managing the course Canvas site, including creation of quizzes, rubrics, calendar entries, assignment submissions, module management, calendar
  • Supporting synchronous, online sessions if the course is offered online (e.g., monitoring the chat; helping track raised hands; prioritizing questions; answering simple questions; sharing links or documents; assigning students to breakout rooms)
  • Compiling and interpreting data from student surveys and feedback forms
  • Ensuring online materials are accessible such as creating alt-text on slides, captioning videos to further support accessibility.

Hours of work: 6 hours per week for 16 weeks (96 hours) for a 50% part-time UTA l position.

Salary:

2025W Term 2 UTA 1
$26.40 /hour, ($633.60 / per month @ 50%)

Application: A letter of application including your curriculum vitae, all contact information, your degree program and year of study, and description of experience in the discipline and specializations relevant to the positions for which you are applying.

Please note that UTA positions can range from 25% to 100%, with hours and duties scaled accordingly.

Cover letters are to be addressed to Course Instructor, Dr. Jennifer Gagnon.

Completed applications can be submitted through the JWAM Application Portal up until December 8th, 2025.

Please contact wrds.info@ubc.ca if you are unable to access the application portal.

JWAM is committed to research and pedagogy that responds to and addresses historic inequities and therefore welcomes applicants who would contribute to our ongoing efforts to create an open and diverse community, one that fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged in the fields of journalism, writing, and academia in general.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence.  An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged.  We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Métis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. We encourage all qualified persons to apply.