Unit/Project Description:
Reporting to the Chair of the Department, the Instructional Assistant IV provides pedagogical, administrative, and technical support across the Department's undergraduate teaching program, with a particular focus on the logistics of the Department's large first-year calculus courses and other high-enrolment courses.
The incumbent hires and manages teams of invigilators; sets up and manages an on-campus and online testing centre; organizes logistics for all course tests and examinations; standardizes gradebooks and Avenue to Learn course pages across large courses; collects and processes test and exam submissions; manages deferred examinations for instructors no longer at the University; handles the adoption and updating of course materials; manages "at-risk" student lists and other requests from Faculty Offices (e.g., the test date calendar); facilitates exam review requests; responds to petitions for late withdrawal and special consideration; manages academic integrity complaints; and manages Academic Considerations (MSAF) and Student Accessibility Services (SAS) accommodations not addressed through universal course design.
In coordination with Departmental Committees and Faculty Members, the incumbent also supports student outreach and recruitment activities (e.g., May at Mac), course and academic/career advising for the Department's cohort of approximately 1,200 undergraduate students, and enhancement of the Math Help Centre, including extension of service to second-year and upper-year students.
The incumbent also serves as the Department's representative on the Engineering Operating Committee and prepares and presents course outcome reports for the Department's first-year Engineering courses at Committee meetings.
This is a senior instructional support role requiring a high degree of independent judgment, organizational leadership, and the ability to manage competing priorities across many large courses and stakeholders simultaneously.
Job Summary
Responsible for providing pedagogical and technical support to instructors, teaching assistants and students. Designs and modifies laboratory experiments, tutorial sessions, and lesson plans in accordance with the curriculum priorities of the instructor within an academic unit, department, or faculty. Forecasts operating budgets for lab and tutorial courses. Ongoing responsibility for supervising ten (10) or more Teaching Assistants.
Purpose and Key Functions:
• Design, adapt, and modify laboratory experiments and tutorial sessions.
• Modify and adapt test procedures and equipment to meet specialized requirements.
• Forecast budgets and proposed expenditures for new program proposals, and for operating lab and tutorial courses.
• Write and design lesson plans in accordance to the curriculum priorities of the instructor.
• Provide formal supervision to teaching assistants and other part-time staff.
• Communicate curriculum to teaching assistants that is to be covered in tutorial sessions.
• Review current educational research literature to ensure curriculum follows best practices in teaching, education and learning.
• Organize and coordinate teaching laboratories, computer-based instruction, and tutorial classes accordingly.
• Introduce and demonstrate labs or tutorial sessions to students.
• Tutor students in programs and assist students with lab work.
• Train others on proper lab techniques, operating laboratory equipment, and on running efficient and effective tutorial sessions.
• Compose test questions and assignments, and prepare solution sheets for review by others.
• Assist staff with the preparation and set up of equipment and supplies for laboratories and tutorial sessions.
• Organize and monitor the on-line learning environment for courses in an academic unit, department, or faculty by ensuring that the appropriate course content information is made available to students.
• Write a variety of documents such as procedure manuals, correspondence, and reports.
• Prepare a variety of lecture materials including presentation slides and handouts.
• Provide guidance, advice, and solutions to teaching assistants when resolving student inquiries.
• Provide teaching assistants with appropriate teaching material as specified by the instructor.
• Ensure accurate grading of assignments is completed by teaching assistants and report discrepancies to the instructor.
• Correspond and meet with students to address concerns related to the course including, but not limited to, the resolution of contested grades.
• Liaise with instructors, teaching assistants, and students to ensure information within the academic unit is understood by all parties.
• Exchange technical and scientific information amongst colleagues.
• Operate, adjust, and maintain a variety of equipment and instruments.
• Troubleshoot equipment and perform minor repairs. Ensure major repair requests are escalated to the appropriate area.
• Assign tutorials to teaching assistants and arrange teaching assistant office hours.
• Section classes at the beginning of the year, dealing with all scheduling changes, room reservations, and scheduling conflicts.
• Assess the need for laboratory equipment and provide recommendations for the acquisition of materials and equipment.
• Calibrate laboratory equipment according to established calibration standards.
• Collect, track, and safeguard student marks and tests.
• Calculate student marks and submit final grades to appropriate areas.
• Input, maintain, and verify information in a variety of databases and spreadsheets.
• Pipette a variety of reagents and media.
• Prepare chemical reagents and biomedical media according to formulae and assume responsibility for accuracy in the preparation and standardization of solutions.
• Ensure that all laboratory waste is disposed of according to established policies and procedures.
Supervision:
Ongoing responsibility for supervising 10 or more casual employees at any one time.
Assets:
- Demonstrated experience supervising and training teaching assistants or other staff.
- Strong organizational, communication, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines across many large courses.
- Experience with Avenue to Learn (or a similar LMS), Crowdmark, Scantron/multiple-choice test evaluation software, and standard office software (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
- Experience with scientific computing or programming (e.g., Python, R, or Julia).
- Familiarity with McMaster's academic policies relating to academic integrity, MSAF/Academic Considerations, and Student Accessibility Services.
Additional Information:
Regular hours of work are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Will be expected to work evenings or weekends during exam periods and at other points during the semester, as required for operational needs.
