What is a GTA?
Here at Trent University, graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) are enrolled graduate students who also assist undergraduate faculty in their courses while pursuing their studies. They form an integral part of the university community by supporting our academic units. Each year during the Fall and Winter terms, undergraduate departments hire several GTAs to support their undergraduate programs primarily in the areas of classroom support and marking.
Who can be a GTA?
GTAs are offered automatically to eligible graduate students enrolled in research programs as part of the funding package. If granted, the GTA assignment will be outlined in the offer of admission. An application is not required.
Students enrolled in professional programs are not eligible for a GTA position but can explore other employment opportunities on campus via the Student Experience Portal.
What are the benefits of being a GTA?
Being a GTA has many benefits. Not only do these positions provide funding support to you while pursuing your academic interests, but they are also a great way to develop skills that will help to prepare your career advancement inside and outside of academia.
As a GTA, you may be expected to lead tutorials, labs or study groups, foster discussion and engage students, evaluate assessments, invigilate tests or exams, assist students who require additional guidance, help manage classroom activities or assist with the preparation of lectures. These tasks will require leadership, communication, thorough planning, adaptability, collaboration, and decision-making skills, all of which are transferrable to your own graduate program or life after Trent.
Hiring Process and Staff Accounts
Hiring processes begin each year in mid-Summer. During the summer months, students will be assigned to an undergraduate course for the upcoming Fall and/or Winter terms, and the undergraduate hiring department will begin the paperwork to officially employ you at the university.
You will receive an email to your Trent student email accounts from a system called Laserfiche forms. This hiring form will require you to review the posting, accept or decline the position, and upload documents required for payroll. These include:
- Tax forms TD1 and TD1 ON (new and returning GTAs must submit each year)
- Void cheque or direct deposit form (new GTAs only unless banking information has changed for returning GTAs)
- Copy of valid study permit (international students only)
- Copy of SIN letter (international students only)
Once the form is complete and all documents are submitted, the form will then be sent to payroll for final processing. Staff email accounts will be automatically generated by payroll when the hiring paperwork is submitted. The staff email accounts are separate from your student email account and will grant you access to the mandatory training modules and undergraduate course assignments in Blackboard, when they become available.
Course Selection
Each year, links to available GTA positions for the upcoming Fall and Winter academic terms will be updated in early Summer, on department websites.
Returning GTAs (second year or above) are given priority access to provide preference of which GTA courses they would like to teach. You must indicate your preferred course as soon as possible.
Please check the department websites for available postings below, and contact your assigned undergraduate program directly to request your preferred course(s):
- Anthropology
- Ancient Greek & Roman Studies
- Biology
- Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies
- Chemistry
- Child and Youth Studies
- Computing & Information Systems
- Cultural Studies
- Canadian Studies
- Economics
- English
- Forensic Science
- Gender & Social Justice
- History
- International Development Studies
- Mathematics
- Nursing
- Physics & Astronomy
- Political Studies
- Psychology
- School of Business
- School of Education
- School of the Environment
- Social Work
- Sociology
While your assigned undergraduate program will try to accommodate your course preference, it is not guaranteed. New GTAs will be assigned to the remaining available courses.
Hours and Pay Schedule
GTA positions are arranged by the undergraduate department but funded by the School of Graduate Studies. The time commitment for GTAs is 10 hours per week. This includes the paid training sessions. Wages paid to employees will be set out in Appendix A in the Collective Agreement.
Payments are processed by the payroll department and are made by direct deposit to the student's bank account. You will be paid on a bi-weekly basis. International students must set up a Canadian bank account to receive their payments.
Training and Professional Development
Our required training modules will aid you in preparing for your teaching assignment. New and returning GTAs are both encouraged to attend the GTA orientation held by the Center of Teaching and Learning each year.
As a Graduate Teaching Assistant, you are automatically a member of the CUPE Unit 2 (Local: 3908) union and are advised to familiarize yourself with the Collective Agreement.
Important Dates
Students are encouraged to check their Trent student emails throughout the year for important updates regarding their GTAs. Below are some important annual dates to keep in mind:
| June 1st | Course lists are posted on department websites and the School of Graduate Studies website. Returning students may begin to review available postings to determine preferences. |
| August 1st | Deadline for returning GTAs to submit course preferences to departments. If no preference is given, you will be assigned to remaining available courses. New GTAs will also be assigned to courses following this date. |
| August 29th | Payroll deadline for GTAs to submit hiring paperwork. |
| First Week of September | Mandatory GTA training provided through VIP. GTA Orientation provided through the Center for Teaching and Learning. |
| First Week of September | Courses begin and students begin their GTA placements |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: I am an international student and I have been offered a Graduate Teaching Assistant position as part of my funding for this term but cannot travel to Canada - am I still eligible?
- Beginning January 1, 2024, Trent University GTA's are not permitted to work for Trent University while living outside of Canada. If a GTA will not be living in Canada during the Fall and/or Winter terms, they must decline their position as a GTA for the applicable term.
- International students must have a Canadian Social Insurance Number (SIN) to qualify for a GTA position. Students who are unable to secure a Canadian SIN will not be eligible to accept their Graduate Teaching Assistant position.
Q: Can I defer my Graduate Teaching Assistant position offer?
- Graduate Teaching Assistantships are offered only in the fall and winter terms. If you are unable to accept your Graduate Teaching Assistant position for the term it was offered in your admission letter, you must decline the position offer by emailing gradta@trentu.ca. You cannot defer the position.
Contact Information
Please direct all questions related to the hiring of Graduate Teaching Assistants to the School of Graduate Studies at gradta@trentu.ca.
Please contact the Center for Teaching and Learning for training support at teaching@trentu.ca.