Teaching Assistants / Tutor Markers

Teaching Assistants play a crucial role in maintaining a culture of academic integrity. The dual role that comes from belonging to the teaching community and the student community can raise questions related to academic integrity. The following information provides relevant policy information and suggestions for practice.

The Student Academic Integrity policy, S10.01 clarifies the expectations for ethical scholarly work and applies to all students, both undergraduate and graduate.

Any responsibility for student discipline under the student academic integrity policy falls to the instructor, not to the Teaching Assistant/Tutor Marker. Do not assign any penalty for what you consider to be a case of academic dishonesty, as the instructor/faculty member is responsible to follow appropriate procedures related to investigating and reporting violations of the student academic integrity policy.

It is important to talk to the course instructor at the outset about what the expectations for the class will be (e.g. Will the use of generative AI be permitted in written assignments? Is there a recommended type of feedback to provide to students?) Since your role includes grading assessments in a fair manner, clarify any questions you have related to grading criteria.

You can expect diversity in the classroom, where students have different understandings of plagiarism. By sharing feedback early (e.g. “It seems like this sentence needs a citation,”) and clarifying expectations (e.g. Remember to use your own words”), you can correct small problems as students’ progress in their development of ethical academic writing. 

It is important to avoid any conflicts of interest. For example, it would be a conflict of interest to tutor a student enrolled in a class when you are the teaching assistant. Students who ask for additional support outside of office hours should be referred to the resources at the Library and the Student Learning Commons.

The Center for Educational Excellence (CEE) has a variety of resources and supports for TAs. Make sure to enrol in the TA Hub and review the module on Assessments and Marking to learn more about providing feedback and grading student work. TAs are most welcome to participate in CEE programs and connect with Educational Developers for individual consultations to support their teaching.

Inform the course instructor of your concerns and keep any notes you make (i.e. observations during final exam, noting instances of suspected plagiarism/ copying when marking assessments)

Maintain the confidentiality of the students in your class. Do not discuss student grades/ discipline matters with anyone other than the course instructor/supervisor.