Professor Aaron Passell teaches an interdisciplinary lecture course in Urban Studies, “Introduction to Urban Studies.” Because of the class’s immense popularity, he is short at least one Teaching Assistant and is looking for a NY-area graduate student (does not have to be at Columbia!) who might be interested in this position.

PLEASE CONTACT PROFESSOR AARON PASSELL TO EXPRESS INTEREST IN THIS POSITION.  apassell@barnard.edu

 

Class will meet Tuesday and Thursday from 11:40a to 12:55p, beginning Thursday, September 9, in Barnard 304.  I would like at least one TA to attend each class meeting to generate/contribute to a collective lecture notes document (probably Google docs) that you could all consult when marking papers and conducting discussion sections.  Everyone is welcome at every class, but I understand you have other commitments.  I am happy to let you work out a coverage schedule.  I expect to have 150+ students signed up for the class.  I expect class and discussion sections to meet in person in masks.

 

You will each conduct one discussion section weekly, approximately 30 students for approximately one hour, at a time that you choose, usually in the late afternoon or evening.  These sessions will likely go over the readings in more detail than I could do in lecture, but you are also welcome to bring other material in or pursue directions that emerge from the group’s interests.  I’m happy to discuss further.  These sections probably won’t start until the 2nd or 3rd week of class, as we wait for enrollments to settle down and look for good times and room.

 

You will also grade the writing assignments for your section, three during the semester and one submitted during their exam period in December.  These assignments are generally 1,200-1,500 words and we will develop a rubric for each together and consult on the grading process.

 

The pay for the semester is $3,000 and I will need to connect you with my department administrator to get you added to the payroll system.  I recognize that this is not much and try to minimize the demands associated with the position.  That said, if you are working on a paper for a conference or interested in a topic that we are covering in class and would like to use some of our lecture to share that, I am open to your contributing to class however you’d like.  That also extends to questions and comments during our lecture meetings, of course.  If you like the work and perform reasonably, I will be eager to have you back for a smaller Spring course and the next Fall.