CS 2910: Session 1: Welcome and Ethics

1. Summary of TA Practicum course structure
   • Meetings several different times each week
     • Required sessions repeated at all listed times
     • Elective sessions may be one-off, depending on instructor
   • Attend 3 required + 3 elective for full participation
     • Attending two copies of the same session does not count
   • TA 3 hours a week; I’ll ask your supervisor “Give your TA a letter grade” at the end of the semester.
   • Final paper due last day of classes
2. Who to ask what
   • Most things go through your supervisor
   • Payroll, paperwork, and keys: CS Department office
   • Problems with your supervisor: me, your advisor, or the department chair
   • Evidence of abuse or other serious problems: EOP or Tom Horton (see below)

3. Questions?

4. Discussion of ethics
   • Equity
     • Quote from former undergrad: “good luck getting help if you aren’t a pretty girl”
     • Subconscious and automatic inequity unless careful
     • Suggestion: walk a path
     • By default, who will be under-served? over-served?
   • Conflict of interest
     • Inform supervisor
     • Kinds of conflicts of interest
     • Amorous relations and TAing
     • Private tutoring while TAing
       • When not on the clock, not a TA; must act without special TA knowledge (of test cases, etc) and within bound that apply to student generally (see Honor Code pledge).
       • Suggestion: say “Sorry, but because I’m a TA I can only answer questions when I’m on the clock as a TA.”
   • FERPA
     • the Family Education Rights Protection Act states (among other things) that it is illegal to share grades with persons other than (a) course staff, (b) university administration, and (b) the student being graded.
     • Notably, emailing grade information via unencrypted means is generally considered to a violation of this law.
   • As a university (and thus state) employee, you are a mandatory reporter
     • See university policy and its linked documents, notably Just Report It.
     • Tom Horton stays current on university training on this topic and can help you out if the situation arises
   • When in doubt, ask

5. Discussion of reading