• TAs must be available for tutorials, labs, office hours, invigilation and marking of midterms and finals, where applicable
• For courses with tutorials, prepare for each tutorial, facilitate and/or lead tutorials and perform all related duties required for effective conduct of the tutorial
• For course with labs, have experience reviewing and assessing laboratory reports for written quality and technical accuracy, be willing to proactively assist students and be able to provide constructive written or oral feedback on work submitted by students in the course. Most courses include marking and require the ability to provide constructive written feedback on work submitted by students
• TAs are expected to hold office hours for some courses which require the ability to assist students with understanding course material and assignment requirements

General Requirements:

• Applicants must have sufficient written and one-to-one oral communications skills in order to support students and instructors throughout the semester whether in-person or by email
• Applicants must have sufficient time management and organizational skills – this is of particular concern for courses with tutorials or labs
• Applicants must have sufficient knowledge in the discipline of the course to interpret the course material and competency in oral and written English.
• Applicants must download the “Self-Assessment Qualification Sheet”. Starting Summer 2023, SEE TA applicants will be required to upload a completed copy of this form with their applications. Applicants should be sure to only select those qualifications that they have met and are demonstrated within their CV/applications. This will help course instructors to better assess their qualifications and the School to make better assignments.

Education Requirements:

• Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in engineering or an equivalent post-secondary degree from a recognized institution OR demonstrated industry experience specific to the course(s) applied for. Applicants must have sufficient knowledge in the discipline of the course to interpret the course material and pre-requisites in order to provide optimum TA support for students and course instructors.
• Applicants can be senior undergraduate students who have a better than average overall CGPA who can demonstrate competence through courses taken. Applicants must have sufficient knowledge in the discipline of the course to interpret the course material and pre-requisites in order to provide optimum TA support for students and course instructors.

SEE 100 – Engineering Graphics and Software for Design

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of a minimum of one Engineering Graphics undergraduate-level course 
• Demonstrated experience in using CAD software to create engineering drawings (SolidWorks is the preferred CAD software, as it is taught in SEE 100)

Preferred qualifications:

• Prior TA experience in similar courses
• Ability to plan and deliver a CAD software tutorial at an intermediate level within the term
• Good communication skills and eagerness to learn and transfer knowledge

SEE 101W - Process, Form and Convention in Professional Genres

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of a university level technical writing course in English that includes at least half of these topics: critical reading and writing, creating cohesive arguments including with the use of scholarly sources, readability (e.g. clarity, conciseness, memory load, transitions, parallel structure, appropriate tense, active/passive voice), audience orientation, style conventions (e.g. IEEE, APA), figures/tables. Note that TAs will need to attend select 101W lectures and study select readings for any topics for which they are not already trained or experienced.
• Demonstrated ability to write a 2000-word paper in English that is reader-oriented, clear, concise, and critical. 
• Demonstrated experience in delivering at least 2 presentations in scholarly venues (e.g. university classroom, conference)

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience giving analytical, constructive, and encouraging feedback to students on long-form written text
• Experience using Canadian English writing conventions
• Trained in group facilitation skills and experience leading discussion groups

SEE 110 - Energy, Environment and Society

Mandatory qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience applying the concepts of energy systems design and sustainability to engineering problems
• Demonstrated ability to write a 2000-word paper in English that is reader-oriented, clear, concise, and critical
• Experience giving analytical, constructive, and encouraging feedback to students on long form written text

SEE 325 - Mechanical Design and Finite Element Analysis

Mandatory qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience using numerical methods such as CFD and FEM to solve engineering problems
• Proven experience and knowledge of ANSYS mechanical

Preferred qualifications:

• Previous TA experience in a lab-based finite element method course with any software package

SEE 333- Network and Communication Systems

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of an undergraduate course in Communication Systems or Computer Networking or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated experience applying different data communication concepts
• Demonstrated experience applying different networking topologies and protocols

Preferred qualifications:

• Knowledge of lab safety practices and safe work procedures
• Working experience with a networking simulator (Packet Tracer) and PLC (Allen Bradley) is an asset
• Experience working with students and troubleshooting their circuits and their codes
• Experience preparing learning materials, conducting tutorials and labs, and assessing student work

SEE 402 - Professional Engineering Ethics and Practice

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of a course in engineering profession, law and ethics, and the engineers’ responsibility to society in a Canadian setting or equivalent
• Demonstrated experience providing constructive feedback and evaluation of written projects and video assignments

Preferred qualifications:

• Good technical and non-technical communication skills 
• Experience leading small group discussions

SEE 410W - Sustainable Energy Design Project I

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successfully completed engineering design course at the senior undergraduate or graduate level
• Demonstrated experience of completing engineering design projects
• Experience giving constructive feedback on technical reports and presentations

Preferred qualifications:

• Effective written communication skills
• Good interpersonal skills and experience in supporting teamwork
• Prior TA experience in capstone courses 

SEE 464 - Energy Systems Modeling for Buildings

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of a minimum of one undergraduate-level course in built environment energy assessment (HVAC, Building Science, Building Energy Modelling)  
• Demonstrated experience in using Energy Modelling software to create detailed building geometry, enclosure and mechanical system and assess energy usage (IESVE is the preferred software, as it is taught in SEE 464 – other packages such as DesignBuilder, eQUEST, Energy+, etc., are accepted)

Preferred qualifications:

• Prior TA experience in similar courses
• Ability to plan and deliver an energy modelling software tutorial at an intermediate level within the term
• Good communication skills and eagerness to learn and transfer knowledge

SEE 476 - Renewable Energy Systems

Mandatory qualifications:

• Proven track record of utilizing the core principles of electrical or mechanical engineering within the context of renewable energy systems, in a business environment, a research facility, or equivalent settings.
• Successful completion of an undergraduate or graduate course in the field of renewable energy systems (e.g. wind-, tidal-, solar, hydro- and/or geothermal energy conversion) or equivalent demonstrated experience.
• Working experience with energy system design or assessment platforms, like HOMER, RETScreen, PVSyst or EnergyPLAN

Preferred qualifications:

• Students with a background in electrical or mechanical engineering are preferred
• Prior working experience with LabVolt and Energy lab equipment is an asset
• Flexibility with student assignments, lab manual design/editing and tutoring

SEE 477 - Special Topics in Sustainable Energy Engineering

Mandatory qualifications:

• Successful completion of an undergraduate or graduate course in combustion, emission, internal combustion engine, atmospheric pollution, air pollution or related field 

Preferred qualifications:

• Hands-on experiences in combustion testing, engine testing, vehicle emission testing and similar experimentations 
• Demonstrated experience programming in Python and data visualization skills 

Priority for appointment/reappointment as a TA is in accordance with Article XIII of the Collective Agreement with the Teaching Support Staff Union (TSSU).

Per section XIII F3. 1(a), priority must be given to applicants in the following order:

1. Graduate students registered in SEE
2. Graduate students registered in other departments
3. Undergraduate or external students

In allocating TA positions, SEE will also take into account the following:

• Instructor requests
• Applicant’s preferences
• Amount of financial support offered on admission to the graduate program
• Suitability for particular courses (e.g. discipline of prior degree(s), publications, experience)
• Employment evaluations
• Number of base units already received to ensure sufficient teaching-related experience in applicant’s field

If an assignment within a priority group requires a selection between applicants, the graduate student without financial support from merit based scholarships or merit based fellowships during the semester of appointment with a value equal to at least a 5.17 appointment, will have priority for the appointment. For specific information please refer to the TSSU Collective Agreement.

• Applicants must review and understand TA requirements for all courses 
• Non-SEE graduate student applicants must submit a current CV and unofficial transcript (not co-op transcript) at the time of application
• Applicants will be asked to indicate their course preferences at time of application 
• Applicants must declare in their TA Application Form if they will be away for more than one week in the TA appointment term. This will NOT be used to deny their application or alter their priority.
• SEE graduate students must use their SFU computing ID and password to login to the application system

Please ensure that you review the course calendar entry and course outline and course schedule for details about each course. All TAs must be available in-person for the duration of the semester and/or appointment dates. This includes in-person attendance at specified labs, tutorials, mid-term(s), final exam, marking sessions, etc. for the semester.

ALL steps must be completed to be considered.

Step 1. Confirm Availability

1. View the course schedule and select your course(s) of interest


2. Compare your personal academic (classes and exam)/work schedule with the undergraduate course(s) you are interested in:
   • Ensure there are no time conflicts for tutorials, labs and exam invigilation
   • Remember the location of courses is in Surrey Campus and keep commute time in mind
   • Please note that you must be both qualified and available for the course(s) you apply for
   • It is your responsibility to maintain your availability until the deadline

Step 2. Complete the Application

The TA application is delivered through a web form. Non-SEE graduate student applicants should have their resumes and unofficial transcripts (not co-op transcript) ready in PDF format to upload.

If you have any questions, please contact SEE TA Assignment Manager, by email to see_ta_support@sfu.ca.

SEE selects and appoints TAs based on criteria and principles in compliance with Collective Agreement with the Teaching Support Staff Union.

Successful candidates will be notified by email with an offer indicating Base Unit assignments and a specific deadline for acceptance or rejection. Please read in its entirety before accepting the TA offer.

The termof a TA appointment shall normally be seventeen (17) weeks from the beginning of a semester and in accordance with the University's payroll schedule. Payroll schedules can be found on the SFU HR website. Your salary information can be accessed through SFU MyInfo. 

If you are NOT in the SFU payroll system, there are important documents that you have to submit. SEE is UNABLE to process your appointment until these required documents are received within the time period specified.

Canadian candidates must submit:

1. TD1 BC Tax Credit Form
2. TD1 Federal Tax Credit Form
3. Personal Data Form
4. A void cheque OR a direct deposit form (you can request from your bank)

International candidates must submit:

1. TD1 BC Tax Credit Form
2. TD1 Federal Tax Credit Form
3. Personal Data Form
4. A void cheque OR a direct deposit form (you can request from your bank)
5. Study/Work Permit (valid for entire term you are applying for)
6. SIN Document (must be valid for entire term you’re applying for)

Please note that if your appointment is conditional, changes may occur from your acceptance of the TA offer until the 4^th week of classes. If you receive a revised offer, please respond within the time period specified.

Important milestones to note about your TA appointment:

1. First week of Class - Time Use Guidelines (TUG): Completed by the Course Supervisor in consultation with TAs to establish the required duties and responsibilities for the appointment.  Course supervisors should also review evaluation criteria with TAs.
2. Before the end of Week 5 of the semester - TA Workload Review: To be conducted by the course supervisor in consultation with TAs to ensure workload hours remaining is sufficient for the completion of the course. TA Workload Reviews are mandatory for all TAs. 
3. Throughout the semester – The Course Supervisor should be in constant communication and reviewing TA’s work progress.
4. End of the semester - TA evaluations: There will be two types of evaluations of TA performance. Both will be added to a TA’s employment file once the TA has had an opportunity to review and discuss the evaluation with their supervisor and provide comments no later than the end of the first week of classes of the following semester.

a) Evaluation by students of the course. Sample student evaluation.
b) Evaluation by the course supervisor. Sample Evaluation form. Course supervisors must review evaluation criteria with their TAs at the beginning of the semester, i.e. upon commencement of TA duties (ref. TSSU Collective Agreement - Art. XVIII A.).