Course Assistants

versus

Teaching Apprentices

What is the difference between Course Assistants (CA) and Teaching Apprentices (TA) ?

On our campus, students fill many roles and offer valuable work and contributions. Some of these roles include the Course Assistant (CA) campus job and the Teaching Apprentice (TA) program.

The Course Assistant position, administered at the departmental level, emphasizes the CA’s support of the course, whereas the Teaching Apprentice program emphasizes the apprentice’s learning. Apprentices receive academic credit, whereas Course Assistants are paid hourly.

These programs have distinct requirements and duties and are not interchangeable.

The policy of Wesleyan University Academic Affairs is that a person cannot serve as a Course Assistant or a Teaching Apprentice for a course in which they are currently enrolled

Course Assistant (CA)

Course Assistants are paid hourly and have specific job duties designed to support the course and the faculty teaching it. These campus jobs are posted on Handshake, where all students can view and apply. Each job posting includes a detailed description of the role’s duties and responsibilities. Unlike Teaching Apprentices, Course Assistants do not earn course credit or enroll in the course. They are compensated hourly, and hiring is supported by the Gordon Career Center’s Campus Employment team (campusemployment@wesleyan.edu).

Wesleyan University policy prohibits Course Assistants from earning course credit for the course they work in.


Teaching Apprentice (TA)

The Teaching Apprentice program is administered by the Academic Deans. This program emphasizes the Apprentice’s learning, and students who serve in this role earn academic credit for the experience. The Teaching Apprentice Program allows students to work closely with a faculty mentor to gain a deep understanding of the course subject matter and the pedagogical challenges of the course and discipline. Successful apprenticeships entail a rigorous academic experience, a crucial part of which includes the apprentice’s participation in a one-credit tutorial offered by the course instructor, focusing on specific aspects of the course topic and the art and craft of teaching.
 
TA roles are not posted in Handshake. To learn more, students should connect with faculty members they are interested in working with and learning from.

See the Academic Affairs website for more information on the Teaching Apprentice program.