Serving as a Grader
There are a few reasons that lead to receiving an appointment as a grader. All international* students are required to pass the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and Test of Spoken English (TSE) before they can qualify to be a recitation instructor or sole instructor. International students who have not fulfilled this criterion are sometimes assigned to be graders for higher level courses. When making these appointments, the authorities make sure that the potential grader is familiar with the material of the assigned course.
Sometimes when introductory level classes do not have recitations, graders are assigned to the courses to help the instructor.
For higher level courses (such as the 700 and 800 level classes) instructors prefer senior students who have taken these classes before. In these cases, a senior student may be assigned to be a grader even though he/she is qualified for classroom teaching. Also, senior students who are working on their dissertation and do not have an RA, are sometimes assigned to be graders.
* depends on the nationality of the student.
How it affects you
Your duties as a grader depend on the percentage of your appointment, the course/s and the instructor for whom you are a grader.
If you have a full (50%) appointment
- You are likely to be assigned to serve as a grader for two courses.
- These could be under the same instructor or different instructors.
- Depending on the instructor/s, you maybe required to grade homework assignments, quizzes, and/or tests.
- Some instructors provide solutions and rubrics, and some have the graders write up the solutions.
- You may also be required to manage the course website, and post homework solutions and grades on the site regularly.
If you have a 25% appointment
- You are likely to be assigned to serve as a grader for one course.
- Your duties could include grading homework assignments and tests, writing up solutions, managing the course website, and posting grades, among other things.
For either appointment (25% or 50%), you must hold four office hours in the tutor room per undergraduate course you grade.
If you are appointed as a grader for an introductory level Statistics class, your duties may be very similar to the previously discussed positions.
Remember the kinds of duties are highly dependent on the course/s and the instructor/s. Always check with your instructor about her/his expectations.
What ifs
- Situation A: You are a grader this quarter. Also, you are working on a very exciting research project, and expect to create quite a stir when you present your findings at the Joint Statistical Meetings. If you leave to attend the conference, you will be missing you duties as a grader. What do you do?
Solution: First and foremost, find someone who is qualified to cover for you. This person should be a member of the department, who is familiar with the course material. Talk to this person and explain to her/him the duties you will be missing and need her/him to cover for you. Get an “Absence from duty” form from Cockins Hall 405. Fill in the details, and have it signed by the person/s substituting for you. Get it signed by the course coordinator/instructor. Then take it to Patty Shoults in Cockins Hall 405C. See section on “Absence from duty forms.”
- Situation B: As a grader you are expected to come up with the solutions, which will then be used to grade students’ answers. What do you do when you don’t know how to answer a certain problem? Or you are not sure whether the way a student has solved a problem is correct?
Solution: Ask the professor for whom you grade.
Solution: First and foremost, find someone who is qualified to cover for you. This person should be a member of the department, who is familiar with the course material. Talk to this person and explain to her/him the duties you will be missing and need her/him to cover for you. Get an “Absence from duty” form from Cockins Hall 405. Fill in the details, and have it signed by the person/s substituting for you. Get it signed by the course coordinator/instructor. Then take it to Patty Shoults in Cockins Hall 405C. See section on “Absence from duty forms.”
Solution: Ask the professor for whom you grade.
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