Skip to main content

This job has expired

Instructional Assistant - Psychology

Employer
The University of Chicago
Location
Illinois, United States
Salary
Competitive Salary
Date posted
Aug 13, 2021

About the Unit: The undergraduate psychology major is designed to acquaint students with the research methods psychologists use and to provide a foundation of core knowledge covering the major areas of psychology. This broad foundation allows students to pursue a more advanced understanding of subfields related to their own particular interests and goals for the major. The program may serve as preparation for graduate work in psychology or related fields (e.g., neuroscience, education), as well as for students interested in careers in social work, public policy, business, or medicine. Students are encouraged to become actively engaged in research in the department and should consult with the director of undergraduate research about their interests as early as possible.

Job Summary: The Instructional Assistant assists faculty, other teaching personnel, and program administrations in their work delivering undergraduate education in the psychology major and related programs. The Instructional Assistant's role comprises a set of responsibilities designed to address the majors’s curricular needs and may differ each quarter. The role focuses on supporting instruction as a teaching assistant in specific for-credit psychology courses or course sequences. Additional duties include assisting undergraduate students in social sciences lab or workshop settings, advising and mentoring undergraduates conducting independent research, grading assignments and exams, and supporting instructors’ use of academic technologies. The Instructional Assistant has experience completing research and academic work in psychology and is equipped to support undergraduate instruction in capacities that range from substantive, pedagogical, methodological, technological, to administrative. The role will be a combination of the responsibilities listed below, and the specific allocation of duties may differ each quarter.

This position is for a limited, two-year term. The annual work period is 9.5 months, from September 1 through June 15, and the salary is paid over 12 months, from September through August.

Responsibilities:

  • Assists the instructor of record in an undergraduate psychology course or courses by running weekly review and discussion sections as an accompaniment to the scheduled course; holds regularly scheduled office hours; reads and comments on papers, exams, and other assignments and recommends grades for individual assignments.
  • Contributes to teaching resources and student materials; coordinates discussion sections, setting up equipment, managing reserve readings and other logistics; meets regularly with the instructor of record; attends regularly-scheduled sessions of assigned courses and reads all assigned materials.
  • Provides centralized support for undergraduate academics in the Psychology Department.
  • Leads workshops on research methods and lab sessions for undergraduate courses that focus on quantitative research in the social sciences.
  • Manages academic technologies and coordinating technological support for instructor and students in undergraduate psychology courses.
  • Grades assignments, exams, and papers from a variety of undergraduate psychology courses.
  • Meets with students to discuss academics and programming related to the psychology major.
  • Supports instructors’ use of academic technologies.
  • Meets regularly with instructors of record and the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Psychology to discuss program goals and curriculum.
  • Attends relevant on-campus training sessions on pedagogy, social science research methods, and academic technology.
  • Participates regularly in one or more of the University’s academic workshops, colloquia, or talk series.
  • Uses general understanding and experience to administer the delivery of services to program participants and/or beneficiaries.
  • Interacts with faculty, researchers, and staff for committee work or information.
  • Work with small groups of students to help them improve in the subject area and hold office hours to speak individually with students.
  • Helps staff to plan and execute events.
  • Performs other related work as needed.
  • Minimum Qualifications:

    Education: Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

    Work Experience: Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

    Preferred Qualifications:

    Education: Master's degree in psychology or related field, PhD in psychology or related field.

    Experience: Background as a teaching assistant or instructor in undergraduate psychology courses, working knowledge conducting research in psychology or related fields.

    Preferred Competencies:

    • Strong verbal and written communication skills including excellent editing/proofreading ability in English.
    • Foster an inclusive environment for all students.
    • Handle multiple concurrent projects in a competent and professional manner while also managing details and meeting deadlines.
    • Work effectively with supervision and as a part of a team, individually, or in concert with other offices and campus partners.
    • Work autonomously, taking initiative and without detailed instructions.
    • Maintain confidentiality/discretion at all times.
    • Handle stressful situations.
    • Critical thinking skills.
    • Problem solving skills.
    • Decision making skills.
    • Reasoning skills.
    • Attention to detail.
    • Creativity.

    Working Conditions:

    • 9.5 month position paid over 12 months.
    • Some availability during evenings and weekends.

    Application Documents:

    • Resume/CV (required)
    • Cover Letter that includes your interest in this position (required)
    • References Contact Information (3)(required)

     

    The University of Chicago is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity/Disabled/Veterans Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, status as an individual with a disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or other protected classes under the law. For additional information please see the University's Notice of Nondiscrimination.

     Staff Job seekers in need of a reasonable accommodation to complete the application process should call 773-702-5800 or submit a request via Applicant Inquiry Form.

     We seek a diverse pool of applicants who wish to join an academic community that places the highest value on rigorous inquiry and encourages a diversity of perspectives, experiences, groups of individuals, and ideas to inform and stimulate intellectual challenge, engagement, and exchange.

     All offers of employment are contingent upon a background check that includes a review of conviction history.  A conviction does not automatically preclude University employment.  Rather, the University considers conviction information on a case-by-case basis and assesses the nature of the offense, the circumstances surrounding it, the proximity in time of the conviction, and its relevance to the position.

     The University of Chicago's Annual Security & Fire Safety Report (Report) provides information about University offices and programs that provide safety support, crime and fire statistics, emergency response and communications plans, and other policies and information. The Report can be accessed online at: http://securityreport.uchicago.edu. Paper copies of the Report are available, upon request, from the University of Chicago Police Department, 850 E. 61st Street, Chicago, IL 60637.

    Get job alerts

    Create a job alert and receive personalized job recommendations straight to your inbox.

    Create alert