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Teaching Fellow Frequently Asked Questions

 

Payroll, Appointment, and Logistical Issues

When will I be paid?

  • You will be paid on the 15th of the month for that month. You will receive email notification when your paycheck is ready for viewing in Peoplesoft. If you are a new employee, you will need to contact the Graduate Office to ensure the necessary paperwork has been filled out.

I have a new bank account and want to change my direct deposit, what do I do?

  • You can make the change yourself online through the Peoplesoft program.
    • You will need your ID # and PIN: go to http://harvie.harvard.edu/
    • Click on Peoplesoft, in the upper right hand corner of the screen
    • Click on the following items in this order….self service; employee; view; personal information; you will come to a window where you can update your information and this is your actual your payroll record.

    I need a Social Security Number, how do I get one?

    • Go to http://www.ssa.gov/online/ss-5.pdf Print and complete the form. Get a letter from Brenda and take both items to the closest Social Security office is in Davis Square one stop on the red line. This will take 10-21 days to have processed.

    I am an international student, how much can I work?

    • You can work 20 hours per week. A section is expected to be 7 hours per week. You can teach up to half time, 20 hours per week. This is three sections. You will be paid for a majority of the time during the 5 month term with an additional one time payment during the last month of the term.
    • You may be on both the TF payroll and the hourly payroll if you are a Harvard enrolled student.

    Where do I hold my office hours.

    • Office hours are held down in the basement of Littauer. As you go down the stairs, take a right through both sets of doors. There are three offices located on the left of the hallway and you may use the sign up sheets for your office hours. Recall that you have one office hour for each section taught.

    Where is my mailbox?

    • Mailboxes are located on level 200, outside the Graduate Office.

    Can I get in the building after hours?

    • Yes, your ID has been registered for Littauer access. Be advised that the card reader on the back door sometimes is on the fritz. The front door seems to always be operational. If neither works, let Brenda Piquet know by email of the problem, please include your ID number.

    I need to make copies, what do I do?

     

    • Whenever possible, please use Gnomon Copy service to print your teaching-related files rather than the Xerox printers.  Simply email an electronic copy of your print job to gnomon@aol.com, with the following information:
      # of copies to be made, specify double sided and stapled (if desired), Bill to: EcXXXX (course number), Prof. FirstName LastName, Deliver to: Harvard University, Department of Economics, Room 200 Your Name and Contact Info
    • If you are unable to use Gnomon, please contact the Graduate Office for a copy code.

    Is there a handbook for TF's?

     

    How do I schedule my sections?

    • Depending on the size of the course your Head TF may schedule your sections. You will have too coordinate with them. If it is a smaller course you may schedule your sections electronically. You will have to attend a register and perhaps attend a short training session. This is highly recommended for sections that are large. Please visit:

    http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/fasro/faculty/sectioning.jsp?cat=faculty&subcat=courses

    I want to give non-Harvard students access to the course website.

    • Non Harvard people taking courses should apply for an XID and provide that information to the Head TF or faculty assistant for inclusion in the website for emails and ID protected access to the course website. Instructions are at: https://xid.harvard.edu/xid-apps/

    There is a mid term, where do I get blue books aka: Examination Booklets

    • Examination booklets for hour or midterm examinations may be obtained from Charles Botosh, Jr., in Science Center 125 (617-495-5094). A Harvard officer or faculty identification card must be shown to receive them.

    Can I tell when my exam will be given?

    • Each course is given an Exam Group Number and that number corresponds to dates set by the Registrar's office. Exam Date/Exam Group can be found in either the Course Catalog or the Information for Faculty Offering Courses.

    Classrooms

    How do I schedule rooms for sections?

    • Discussion sections are booked on a first-come, first-serve basis. The FAS Classrooms Office begins scheduling discussion sections two weeks before classes begin. Each term the classrooms office expects to notify head teaching fellows of discussion section classroom assignments a week before the start of the term. Please note that all section assignments are tentative until all courses settle into their final classroom assignments shortly after Study Card Day (a week after classes begin). FAS courses have priority over all FAS discussion sections. If a discussion section needs to be moved to accommodate the needs of a course, the head teaching fellow will be notified immediately.
    • To request a classroom, email the FAS Classrooms Office at classrms@fas.harvard.edu. Put the course number/name in the subject line. Your email should list the following information:
      • Section Room request for EconXXXX
      • Day
      • Time
      • Room type
      • Size of section
      • Media needs

      Please remember that the classrooms office is staffed by two people who handle thousands of requests in addition to yours, and they are all important.

      I don’t want an FAS classroom, or there aren’t any. Where do I go from here?

      • Additional Classroom Information
        • Media Technology Services Contact MTS after you receive a room. For classrooms in Sever Hall, call 617-495-9470. For all other classrooms (excluding those in the Science Center), call 617-495-9460. MTS maintains a website with photographs of FAS classrooms that have permanently installed media equipment: http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~ims/Class/classfront.html. (For Science Center media requests, call 617-495-5357.)
        • FAS Registrar's Classroom Inventory The Classroom Inventory Chart lists all the classrooms scheduled by the FAS Registrar's Office. It includes capacity, style of room, and prominent media features.

      Our classroom is too small, and the instructor wants me to get it changed. What do I do?

      • Contact David Wright at david_wright@fas.harvard.edu and he will negotiate with the Classrooms Office on the faculty member's behalf. Please make sure that you are specific about what you need in a room - size, media, etc.

      Website Access

      I don't have access to my course's web page, who can help me?

      • Your faculty member, their assistant, the Head TF, or Brenda Piquet can provide you access to the course websites.

      Who do I contact for technical help the course iSite?

      Evaluations

      Will I be evaluated?

      • Yes, All courses and TFs for undergraduate courses are CUE-evaluated at the end of term. This is done online. Faculty receive the results shortly after the term ends; and you should receive notification when your results are in as well.  You should be in touch with the course head or Brenda to get your results if you don't have them.

      What happens if I score badly on CUE?

      • For scores 3.0 and under, you will receive a letter from the Dean of Academic Programs urging you to seek assistance from The Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. If you score below 3.0 two semesters in a row, you will not be allowed to teach. This is outlined in the TF Handbook: The Office for Academic Programs reviews the forms for any member of the instructional support staff whose average “overall” rating on the 5-point scale (1=low, 5=high) is below 3.00. In these very few cases, the office sends a letter of concern to that instructor, copied to the course head(s), urging him or her to seek appropriate counseling on how to improve his or her teaching. If members of the instructional support staff who have received such cautionary letters fall below 3.0 a second time, they may be prohibited from further teaching in the FAS.

      What happens if I do really well teaching?

      • The Bok Center, in conjunction with the CUE Office, awards the Harvard University Certificate of Distinction in Teaching to outstanding teaching fellows at a special reception each semester. Award recipients have achieved 4.5 or above on the CUE evaluation's 5-point scale, with at least 7 respondents from a section. The number of award recipients has risen steadily over the past decade, and now stands between 15 and 20 percent of the teaching-fellow population.

      Do I need to arrange to be Videotaped?

      • Yes, all first-time Teaching Fellows are required to be videotaped. Arrangements can be made through the Bok Center.

      Teaching Specific

      I have a ton of questions, is there one place with all the answers?

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