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Guide for Prospective U/GSIs, Readers, and Tutors

Teaching is an integral part to solidifying one's own grasp of a subject. We catalyze the learning experience by providing teaching opportunities to both our graduate and undergraduate students, to support our course staff, share ideas, and inspire advances in teaching, learning, and research.

Apply

Applications and Deadlines

Students apply to all U/GSI, Reader and/or Tutor positions through one universal application. If you wish to apply to additional positions, you may edit your previously submitted application. You do not need to submit a new application for every position.

Apply for Fall 2023

Applications for Fall 2023 are now open.

The priority deadline is May 5, 2023. Students interested in an EECS ASE appointment must apply by May 12, 2023.

Apply for Summer 2023

Applications for Summer Sessions 2023 are now open.

The priority deadline is March 17, 2023.

Students must apply directly through the EECS Department's ASE application system to be considered for a position. Only official ASE appointments offered by the department and finalized by ERSO will count towards the teaching requirement.

Please note that some courses may require applicants to submit a supplemental form (linked below) in addition to this application:

Verbal or email offers from course staff or faculty are not considered official offers. Only offer letters generated by the department are considered valid.

The default instructional mode for Summer 2023 will be in-person. As a residential campus, UC Berkeley generally expects students and instructors to be present on campus to participate in classes. In accordance with campus guidelines, ASEs will, for now, be expected to perform their assignments in-person on campus for Summer 2023. We will continue to keep the EECS community informed as summer plans change (pending public health concerns and guidance) in the weeks and months to come.

Please note that U/GSIs, readers, and tutors should make every effort to come to campus in Summer 2023 in order to fulfill their roles. Exceptions for international student employees with visa-related travel restrictions, or student employees with medically-documented accommodations, will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Academic Personnel Office. As appropriate, please reach out to your department, hiring unit, or the Berkeley International Office to evaluate your options.

If you are interested in applying for an ASE position for a Data course, please visit the Joining Data Course Staff web page. Contact ds-ase@berkeley.edu if you have any questions about ASE positions for Data courses.

Summer 2023: First-Time GSI/UGSI Eligibility Requirements

First-time U/GSIs during Summer Sessions are now required to have previously completed a pedagogy course prior to Summer Sessions. For example, to be eligible to serve as an EECS U/GSI during Summer Sessions 2023, potential candidates must have completed CS 375, EE 375, CS 370, or an equivalent pedagogy course during or prior to Spring 2023. In addition to a GSI pedagogy course, prospective U/GSIs must participate in the Spring 2023 GSI Teaching Conference on Friday, January 13, 2023 to be eligible to serve as U/GSIs. Please note that additional Graduate Council requirements, including the online GSI Ethics Course, are detailed in the Graduate Council Policy on Appointments and Mentoring of GSIs.

Upcoming Events

In accordance with campus-wide policies pertaining to Academic Student Employees (ASEs), all first-time EECS Undergraduate/Graduate Student Instructors (U/GSIs) must attend the following events before interacting with students in-person or online in their role as an ASE. U/GSIs are also required to complete the GSI Professional Standards & Ethics Online Course as specified below.

As an ASE, it is your responsibility to stay informed about your rights, protections, and benefits as an ASE under the UC-UAW 2865 Collective Bargaining Agreement, which represents U/GSIs, readers, and tutors.

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U/GSI Selection Process

Staff GSI Coordinators will be responsible for all GSI hiring. Official GSI offers will be issued from the staff GSI coordinators—offers from faculty or course staff are not official. After faculty requests have been fulfilled, the search begins to assign students to classes without faculty requests.

First Priority

EECS graduate students have the highest priority. Among them, students with guaranteed GSI appointments are granted first priority, followed by students who must fulfill the teaching requirement for the PhD program. Other candidates with priority include EECS graduate students with demonstrated financial support, as well as candidates requested by faculty.

Second Priority

Graduate students from other departments.

Third Priority

Undergraduates. Having taken the very courses they will teach, our own undergraduates are quite often excellent GSIs.

Non-Native English Speaker U/GSI English Proficiency Requirement

All prospective U/GSIs who do not speak English as a native language must pass a spoken English proficiency test before they may serve as a U/GSI. Candidates who hold a B.A., B.S., or other bachelor's level degree from an institution in the United States are exempt from this policy. The policy applies to all prospective GSIs, regardless of citizenship, country of origin, residency status, or subject taught. Those who do not speak English as a native language may satisfy this requirement by passing a language test on the Berkeley campus.

A passing score on one of these tests must be obtained before you can be appointed as a U/GSI.

To determine if you have satisfied the English Language Requirement, you can take the English Language Proficiency Questionnaire.

Contact

EECS UGSIs & GSIs

For any questions or concerns, please contact the Graduate Support Team at gsicoordinators@eecs.berkeley.edu.

EECS Readers & Tutors

Please contact Hamilton Chang, ASE Program Manager, at hamiltonchang@eecs.berkeley.edu.

Academic Intern Appointments

If you are interested in becoming an AI (Academic Intern) for an EECS course, please contact the head GSI of your course of interest.

Requests for AIs are also posted on Ed (please check regularly for updates).

You can also visit the course homepage to learn more information about course staff support, which can be found through the EECS Course Directory.

For detailed information regarding all Academic Appointments on campus (including requirements, fee remission, etc.), please consult Grad Division Teaching and Research Appointments. To learn more about the ASE hiring process, please see the ASE Program Hiring Pipeline.

Students can also refer to the GSI Teaching and Resource Center as an additional resource for teaching workshops and certifications.