Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PTA) Roles

Introduction

Postgraduate research students in Physics, and in some cases other disciplines, are invited to apply for Postgraduate Teaching Assistant (PTA) roles roughly one month before the start of the academic year. All PGRS have the opportunity to teach or undertake other duties (e.g. demonstrating, marking, etc.) and are actively encouraged to do so, as this is an important part of career development. The University normally allows full-time PGRS to be employed as PTAs for up to 180 hours in an academic year and provides with support and training to enable them to undertake their duties effectively.

How to apply and the recruitment process:

• Complete this application form:
  • AppFormPhysicsPTA.docx
  • AppFormPhysicsPTA.odt
  and return it by email to the PTA Coordinator by the deadline specified in the 'Call for Applications' email.
• Physics will consider all applications and will offer roles based on experience, qualifications, availability and indicated preferences. The aim of the process is to ensure all roles are filled with appropriately qualified and willing personnel.
• Applicants will be contacted once the allocation process has been completed, with information about the role(s) allocated, along with the number of hours involved and the total pay for the work.
• Once applicants have indicated that they are willing to accept their allocated roles, the College will be issue contracts and letter of appointments for the work and the arrangements for payment will be made.

Important notes:

• All PGRs involved in teaching must complete at least stage 1 of the
  • Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE)
  course, provided by the University. Some roles may require LTHE Stage 2 training.
• All students (including UK nationals) must have the appropriate:
  • Proof of right to work in the UK
  before any employment can commence, and must get HR Services (Room 356, Northcote House) to inspect their passport and visa (if applicable) before they start working.
• The University's
  • Code of Practice for Employment of PGR Students
  contains full details about the requirements and regulations for employment while studying at Exeter.
• International Students with 'Tier 4' visas are not permitted to be employed for more than 20 hours per week and this limit refers to any single week, i.e. not averaged over a longer period.

General PTA Roles and Hours (2018/19)

These are provisional figures and documents but are not expected to change unless drafting errors are found.

Senior PTA Roles and Hours (2018/19)

These are provisional figures and documents but are not expected to change unless drafting errors are found.

These roles are normally undertaken by PDRAs, but in special circumstances experienced PGRS may be appointmented.

Payment Arrangements

General information about the pay and conditions of PTAs is published by the University:

• Postgraduate Teaching Assistants

Payment will normally be paid in monthly instalments (in arrears) via the University Payroll System. In

In their letter of appointment, students will be asked to complete sections A-E of the PD85 form (if they do not already have a University payroll number) and to submit this with their Hours Allocation Template (HAT) and proof of their right to work in the UK to the Finance Office. The Finance Office will then complete the remaining information, confirming the total hours contracted and payment arrangements. Payment will be made using the standard 'Occasional Teacher A' University rate, which is £16.91 per hour in 2018/19 including holiday pay.

Timesheets will normally be used by the Module Coordinators to ensure students are fulfilling the hours contracted.