Employment Checklist for Teaching Assistants (Acrobat Format)
Important! This is the complete checklist of all of the things you must do or policies you must comply with in order to be appointed as a TA in this program. Please review this checklist carefully and make sure you have attended to all issues in a timely manner.

Welcome to New Graduate Students from the Student Response Center
The Student Response Center (SRC) is available to provide professional, timely and accurate information on the areas of financial aid, billing, and registrar-related services such as course registration.

Teaching Assistant's Conference
All new Teaching Assistants are required to attend the annual Teaching Assistants' Workshop held in August just prior to the beginning of classes. Information about that event can be found at the Center for Teaching and Learning web site.

Your UB ID Card
You will need your UB card as soon as possible for many reasons including establishing your official UB E-mail account. You can now go online to submit your photograph prior to arrival on campus. You can then just pick up your card rather than waiting in line to have your photo taken here.

Getting Your UBIT Name
You need to know your UBIT name in order to access your email. The instructions in this folder will advise you of the process for getting your user name (UBIT name) and password.

Setting Up Your University E-mail Account
Validate your new university email account as soon as you arrive. You must use your university account, as all email contact from this office will be sent to that address only. If you do not ordinarily use your university account, you must have your university mail forwarded to your primary email account.

Establishing New York State Residency
If you are not a New York State resident, you must file for New York State residency through the Office of Student Accounts during your first year if you are to avoid additional tuition charges. Out-of-state residents receiving tuition scholarships will be supported at the out-of-state rate during their first year only; thereafter, the scholarship will cover their tuition at the in-state rate. If you do not comply with this requirement to establish New York State residency, you are personally responsible for the difference between the in-state and the out-of-state tuition charges. Establishing residency in NY State takes time and effort, and in order to avoid the financial burden of paying the out-of-state differential in tuition, you are advised to begin the process immediately upon arrival. If filing for residency will impose a serious hardship on you -- such as disqualifying you for any financial aid you may hold -- you may petition the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences for an exemption from this requirement. International students are not eligible for New York State residency and are, therefore, exempt from this requirement.

Graduate Student Health Insurance for TA's and GA's
For specific health insurance questions, contact Human Resources at 716-645-5000. If you have insurance through another employer, spouse, or your parents, you can waive insurance participation by completing the Sub-board I Waiver.

Graduate School Resources
This page features a listing of varied resources of use to graduate students including academic deadlines, forms, financial aid information and scholarship and research funding information. The information can be found at http://www.grad.buffalo.edu/index.php

MyUB - Accessing Your Classlists!
MyUB is available to UB faculty, students, and staff. MyUB is a web-based, personal portal to the online UB resources you need most. MyUB is where you will gain access to your classlists after you become the instructor of record in the online course file. To access your MyUB site, all you need is your UB IT name and password.

Instructional Technology Services
ITS provides a comprehensive set of services to support the use of information technology in the educational process including: Video Duplication, Video Camera Taping Requests, Camcorder Loans, Language Tape Duplications, Technology Room Equipment Access, Coordinating Conferences and Special Events, Video Loans and Media Feeds.

Technology Cabinet Combinations
To receive a combination for a technology cabinet, visit the ITS page, input your UBIT and click submit. Combinations are instantly emailed to you.

World Civilizations Committee Meetings:
All participating faculty, staff and teaching assistants are also invited to become members of an interesting academic and pedagogical group—The World Civilizations Committee. This committee comes together for regular consultations (usually each month during the academic year) about major issues of interest. Committee topics have included issues such as:

• Challenges in teaching large lectures, especially as UGC 111-112 is a general education requirement.
• New texts (the Committee formally votes on accepting texts for possible use by instructors) and other pedagogical tools (e.g., maps, CD-ROMS, videotapes)
• Use of various forms of student assessment in addition to the standard cognitive tests and writing assignments.
• How the background characteristics and interests of UB students affect their learning abilities and attitudes toward World Civilizations.
• Effective utilization of results from mid-semester teaching evaluations and UBCATS end of semester evaluations.
• How best to link the respective skills and interests of teaching assistants with those of faculty

Committee meetings often include lunch and opportunities for informal discussion, in addition to formal presentations. We encourage faculty and teaching assistants to attend these meetings in order to take advantage of professional development opportunities. We hope every TA will attend at least one meeting each semester to see how oversight of the program is managed and to participate in the process. TA's are encouraged to present text reviews, offer insight into successful teaching practices to their peers, and to engage in the ongoing pedagogical debate.