CCA Assistantship Common Application

We are excited you are interested in being a Teaching Assistant or Graduate Studio Assistant during the upcoming semester!

We have many opportunities available. You may apply to either one or several. Additional information can be found here: https://portal.cca.edu/learning/graduate-affairs-community-engagement/graduate-assistantships/

Application Deadline: Varies based upon semester. View the current application for timelines.

Graduate Teaching Assistant Position Description
Teaching Assistants (GTAs) play a vital role in the classroom community--offering course-focused mentorship, support, technical expertise, and conceptual engagement to help students reach their educational goals. In addition, TAs learn from faculty how they design their course, and teach the curriculum–gaining insight into what it is like to be faculty, as well as growing their own teaching practice. TAs assist during and outside of class-time and may be involved with working one-on-one with students, teaching lessons and/or leading demonstrations, critiques, or discussions, grading/reviewing assignments, preparing lectures or presentations, and/or completing special projects as needed.

Graduate Instructional Assistant - Specialized Classroom Support, Position Description
Graduate Instructional Assistants (GIA) provides assistance to the classroom community through office or administrative tasks, aiding the instructor(s) with critiques of student work, holding weekly office hours to support students outside of class, organizing workshops, library research, and other tasks as directed by the course instructor(s). This role has a unique component as the student in this role possesses skills in the area of the classroom the instructor is seeking in order to successfully offer the course. Skills may include special software experience and/or knowledge of tools generally used within the classroom.

Most GIA's are expected to work an average of 5-8 hours per week. Faculty and GIA should set the schedule together, keeping in mind that some work may occur outside of the regularly scheduled course time slot. As employees of CCA, GIAs may work with sensitive information and are expected to maintain confidentiality.

Graduate Studio Assistant Position Description for Exhibitions & Public Programs
Note: The Exhibitions and Public Programming GSA position is structured slightly differently. Please read the job description here before applying: The CCA Exhibitions Team seeks an individual passionate about contemporary art and writing to work with CCA Exhibitions staff to define the scope, standards, and goals of the online publication, and map out a strategic publication schedule. They will be encouraged to identify opportunities to increase readership and engagement, and help develop partnerships with CCA academic programs, student groups, and administrative departments, as well as external communities. In addition, the Graduate Assistant in Exhibitions and Public Programs will serve as Lead Editor of RRR and will be responsible for recruiting writers, illustrators, and other content creators from within the CCA student body, and ushering their work through the editorial process.

Graduate Coaching Assistant, Learning Resource Center
Graduate Coaching Assistants (GCAs) take a leadership role with California College of the Arts’ peer coaching program. Under the supervision of Sarah Kruse, Associate Director of Student Success, Learning Resources, GCAs provide mentorship to academic coaches and aid in their training and supervision.  They serve as first point of referral for students who may have more complex coaching needs and engage in operational leadership duties that can include: co-facilitating workshops; coordinating classroom visits by coaches; monitoring staffing during drop-in coaching hours; helping coaches to find substitutes when ill or reaching out to students to reschedule appointments as needed; helping the Associate Director to update training modules, Portal, and Moodle content; assisting with orientation, tabling, and other events; developing and distributing marketing materials; helping to monitor the functionality of computers and furniture set-up of the learning resource center (LRC); managing access to the LRC by students and study groups as needed; and other special projects as assigned.

As student affairs paraprofessionals, GCAs are expected to engage in best practices in peer coaching and to become knowledgeable about FERPA, student affairs resources and referrals, methods of supporting a diverse student population (including BIPOC students, ELL students, LGBTQIA+ students, neurodiverse students, and students with disabilities), software and instructional technology that is required for successful coaching, and appropriate responses to possible student emergencies or concerns about conduct.  They participate in a compensated training program and receive supervision and mentorship from the associate director of OSS, Learning Resources, faculty coaches, and others.

Candidates for GCA positions normally have at least one semester of teaching or coaching/tutoring experience either at CCA or prior to enrollment.  Exceptional communication skills (verbal and written), patience, flexibility, and reliability are key to success in these positions.

Expectations + Hours

Teaching and Instructional Assistants: Most work an average of 6 hours per week. Faculty and TA/IA should set the schedule together, keeping in mind that some work may occur outside of the regularly scheduled course time slot.

Faculty generally expect TA/IAs to support class preparations the week prior to classes beginning--you wouldn’t want to miss this anyway, as this is a critical time to give input and help shape the course with faculty.

TA/IAs should help with class preparation and have opportunities to participate in the teaching experience. As employees of CCA, TAs may work with sensitive information and are expected to maintain confidentiality.  

Graduate Studio Assistants: GAs work 8-15 hours per week. Day-to-day supervision is by the appropriate studio manager. Training in health regulations will be provided to ensure safety standards are being met. As employees of CCA, GSAs may work with sensitive information and are expected to maintain confidentiality.

Graduate Coaching Assistants: GCA work 8-10 hour per week. Duties consist of 60% one-on-one coaching with CCA students and 40% LRC administrative assistant tasks and training support. Coaching training and regular check-ins provide professional development and guidance. Hours are flexible and are developed with graduate students' current schedules. 

HOW TO APPLY?
When completing this form, please have a copy of your upcoming course schedule on hand so you know your availability to TA/GSA. TA/IAs must be available ALL of the hours that the class meets.
Students wishing to be considered as TAs or GSAs must be in good standing, maintaining Satisfactory Academic Progress as outlined in the "Academic Progress for Graduate Students" section in CCA Graduate Programs and Policies and must not be on academic probation or academic suspension as defined therein.

FIRST JOB AT CCA?
If this is your first job at CCA (work-study, TAship or otherwise) you will need to verify your employment eligibility by completing an I9 and presenting required documents. This information is typically prompted for you to complete online in Workday as a message from CCA's Office of Human Resources once you've been officially hired in Workday. You can contact CCA’s HR Department for more information (hr@cca.edu).

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
If you do not have a US Social Security Number, you will need to procure one prior to beginning your position. The process for doing so can be found on the CCA Portal Pages here. You should have already received an email from me and from the International Student Services Office (ISS) containing the appropriate paperwork and an opportunity for you to set up an appointment with an ISS representative, who will direct you further about applying with the US Social Security Administration.

Compensation
Hourly Rate: $23.22
TA workload = 6 hours/week; approximately $2,090/semester
GSA workload = 8 - 15 hours/week; approximately $2,750-$5,225/semester
Legally mandated maximum is 300 hours/semester

MANDATORY TA ORIENTATION: You will be provided with a synchronous and an asynchronous orientation option once you've been hired and completed onboarding with Human Resources. The orientation is considered the first day of work.

MANDATORY GSA ORIENTATION: Will be scheduled one-on-one with selected candidates