Guide for Prospective ASEs (Academic Student Employees)
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 for Summer Sessions 2024
Applications for Summer Sessions 2024 are now open.
Students interested in an EECS ASE appointment must apply by March 27, 2024. If you are interested in applying for an ASE position for a Data Science 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 Science courses.
Please note that some courses may require applicants to submit a supplemental form (linked below) in addition to this application:
Applications and Deadlines
Students apply to all TA, UCS2, Reader, and UCS1 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. Please note that effective Fall 2023, EECS does not hire UGSIs. Undergraduate students may be considered for UCS2, Reader, and UCS1 appointments.
Please note that EECS policy permits students to hold one departmental ASE appointment per semester.
Requirements for First-Time TAs (GSIs) and UCS2s
All first-time TAs (GSIs) and UCS2s (including appointments in fall and spring semesters and during Summer Sessions) are required to fulfill the following requirements, which the GSI Teaching and Resource Center oversees:
- Attend the First-Time GSI Teaching & Resource Center Conference.
- Complete the GSI Professional Standards & Ethics Online Course. Please note, per the May 2, 2016, revised Graduate Council’s memo on Appointments and Mentoring of Graduate Student Instructors, every first-time GSI must complete the online course Professional Standards and Ethics for GSIs before they interact with students (in person or online) in their role as an instructor.
- Either have completed or be enrolled in a 300-level semester-long pedagogy seminar on teaching in the discipline offered by the department. First-time TAs (GSIs) and UCS2s who fail to pass the 300-level course must retake and pass the course before they are eligible to teach again.
UCS2 Partial Fee Remission Information
EECS UCS2s (Undergraduate Course Staff 2s) are eligible for a partial fee remission based on the appointment percentage of the value of the full fee remission guaranteed under Article 11 – Fee Remission of the UAW 2865 Collective Bargaining Agreement.
UCS2 Fee Remission Structure
| Appointment Percentage | Fee Remission Percentage |
|---|---|
| 20% | 40% |
| 25% | 50% |
| 30% | 60% |
| Above 30% | 100% |
Upcoming Events
In accordance with campus-wide policies pertaining to Academic Student Employees (ASEs), all first-time EECS Graduate Student Instructors as well as Undergraduate Course Staff must attend the following events before interacting with students in-person or online in their role as an ASE. UCS2s are also required to complete the GSI Professional Standards & Ethics Online Course as specified below.
- GSI Teaching ConferencePlease check the teaching center’s website to pre-register for the teaching conference.
- ASE Orientation DatesAll first-time ASEs are required to attend the New ASE Orientation over Zoom with representatives from UAW 2865, the union representing all ASEs at UC Berkeley.
- GSI Professional Standards & Ethics Online CourseCompletion of this course is required for all first-time UCS2s before teaching at UC Berkeley.
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 GSIs, UCS2s, readers, and UCS1s.
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 course staff.
Non-Native English Speaker UCS2 English Proficiency Requirement
All prospective UCS2s who do not speak English as a native language must pass a spoken English proficiency test before they may serve as UCS2s. 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 UCS2.
To determine if you have satisfied the English Language Requirement, you can take the English Language Proficiency Questionnaire.
Contact
EECS GSIs
For any questions or concerns, please contact the Graduate Support Team at gsicoordinators@eecs.berkeley.edu.
EECS UCS2s, Readers, and UCS1s
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.