Tutoring and Demonstrating - Conditions of Employment

Conditions of Employment

Your department and your supervisor are the best sources of information in relation to departmental expectations and the conditions of employment.

Tutors who are postgraduate students in the department in which they are teaching may have access to a room. Beyond this, the general provision of space and facilities for tutors and demonstrators varies; there is seldom individual work space, although there is generally a room where you can have a cup of tea and collect your mail, email and messages.

Usually tutors and demonstrators are remunerated on the basis of set hourly rates for first and repeat tutorials and a lesser hourly rate for demonstrating. The set rate includes time for preparation, teaching and a certain amount of assessment. Where assessment over the calculated amount is required, tutors and demonstrators should receive extra payment. Within this framework, the amount of preparation and marking required can vary considerably.

There are diverse expectations about attendance at meetings specifically related to tutoring and demonstrating. Some departments build in payment for pre-class meetings; others regard them as part of preparation time. Tutors and demonstrators may or may not be paid for training and induction time. Tutors are often expected to attend lectures.

Decisions about whether or not tutors and demonstrators are re-employed are often based on a variety of sources of information, including formal course evaluations, feedback from senior tutors and from laboratory managers, and direct observation of teaching.

Next chapter: Chapter 10. A guide for self-evaluation

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