Department Policies  >  Absence From TA Duties

A TAship is considered a form of employment. The students you teach and your supervising professor rely on you for a sense of consistency and trust. As such, you are not allowed to take days off and simply switch with another TA in exchange for taking some of their sections at a later date.

It is departmental policy that if you are TAing and you plan to be gone for more than 3 working days, you are expected to fill out a form (Department Leave Form) giving reasons for your absence. This must be done at least TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO DEPARTURE. In the past, the department has approved leaves for graduate students who are attending mathematical meetings in their area of expertise. Leaves without a mathematical basis are generally not approved.

Graduate students should be prepared to explain how they have made arrangements to take over their sections when they are gone along with an address and phone number where they can be reached while they are away. This form must be approved by the professor for whom you are a TA and the Graduate Vice Chair. TAs who fail to fill out the form or notify their supervising professor will forfeit their wages and could lose their funding from the graduate program.

If you are gone for 3 days or less, you need to notify your instructor, the other TAs with whom you are working, and the Senior TA. This can be done via email. However, it is worthwhile to exchange phone numbers with your instructor and the other TAs at the beginning of each new quarter. If you are sick, and need a replacement, then you should try to contact one of the other TAs from your class to take over for you. If they cannot fill in for you, you should contact the Senior TA to try to find a replacement.