TA Hiring Priority in the Mathematics Department

The Mathematics Department appoints Teaching Assistants in accordance with the provisions of the collective agreement between TSSU and SFU.  In hiring Teaching Assistants, the Mathematics Department gives priority to the applicants in the following order:

1. Graduate students registered in the Math department with priority under XIII F.4.
2. Graduate students registered in the Math department without priority under XIII F.4.
3. Qualified graduate students registered in other departments with priority under XIII F.4.
4. Qualified graduate students registered in other departments without priority under XIII F.4.
5. Undergraduate students with a strong mathematics background and teaching skils
6. External applicants with the appropriate mathematical and teaching background.

Article XIII F.4 refers to the TSSU-SFU collective agreement and states:

“Graduate student priority for appointment as a Teaching Assistant shall be limited as follows:

a. a student registered at SFU in a master's program or as a qualifying student for a master's program shall not have priority for appointment after having held appointments totaling twenty-five (25) base units.
b. a student registered at SFU in a doctoral program or as a qualifying student for a doctoral program who holds a master's degree or equivalent shall not have priority for appointment after having held appointments totaling forty (40) base units.
c. a student registered at SFU in a doctoral program without a master's degree or equivalent shall not have priority for appointment as a GTA 2 after having held appointments totaling fifty (50) base units.”

If a selection among applicants within a priority group is required, the following priority rules apply:

1. For graduate students, a graduate student without financial support from merit based scholarships or merit based fellowships during the semester of appointment will have priority for the appointment. This rule is required by the collective agreement.
2. Priority will be given to the candidate with demonstrated expertise in the specific subject.
3. Priority will be given to applicants with a mathematics degree, or pursuing a mathematics degree (for undergraduate teaching assistants).
4. Applicants with excellent oral and written communication skills will have priority.
5. Within all groups of applicants, priority is given to students with previous experience for the specific course or workshop assignment.

Base Unit Information

Salary Per Base Unit (BU) ~  May 1, 2013 - April 30, 2014