Employment of UG and MSc Students
This policy aims to provide guidance on when undergraduate and postgraduate taught students can be employed for teaching support work.
Any requests to deviate from the eligibility rules detailed below should be sent to the Director of Teaching (inf-dot@ed.ac.uk) for approval with teaching-support@inf.ed.ac.uk copied in.
- UG1 students are not permitted to take on any teaching support work.
- UG2 students are permitted to be demonstrators on UG1 courses, provided they passed that course in first year, and for peer support groups (such as INFBASE, Programming Club).
- Honours undergraduate (UG3, UG4 and UG5) and taught postgraduate (PGT) students are permitted to be employed as engagement trackers, tutors, demonstrators and exam invigilators on non-honours courses and honours courses.
- PGT students are permitted to be employed as markers and exam markers on non-honours courses.
- Honours undergraduate students are not permitted to be employed as markers*, exam markers, or teaching assistants.
- PGT students are not permitted to be employed as teaching assistants.
- Students cannot be enrolled on a course for which they are appointed as a tutor or demonstrator.
- If tutoring on an honours course, honours undergraduate and taught postgraduate students must have taken the course (or equivalent) in their UG degree. Course lecturers are responsible for checking this.
- Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students are permitted to do a maximum of 132 hours per year, with a recommended limit of 6 hours per week across the academic year.
- Undergraduate and taught postgraduate students must do the appropriate ‘Essentials’ and 'Unconcious Bias' training sessions prior to commencing any work. Attendance will be monitored by ISS and students will only be deemed eligible for appointment once these are completed.
*Except where marking is expected as part of the tutor role e.g. INF1-DA.
Appointment of teaching support staff is the responsibility of the course lecturer. Prior to appointment, course lecturers should:
-
Check that Undergraduate students have achieved a first-class average across their studies in previous years. Check that PGT students have ability in comparable courses.
-
Interview the student prior to appointment to ensure their suitability.
Informatics Student Services (ISS) will monitor the total number of hours that taught students are appointed to.
Policy Approved by Teaching Committee: 18/02/18