Teaching Assistant Request Electronic Form
MET provides teaching support for on-campus courses to supplement the activities of the faculty and better allow our faculty to focus on course quality. Teaching assistant support is provided for individual course sections by request on a need-basis, is contingent on the availability of funding, and is not guaranteed.
Support Allocations:
Because the size and kind of courses offered at MET are highly variable, the approved teaching assistant allocation for a course section may range between 3 and 10 hours per week. The allocated hours are based on the instructor’s request for an individual course section, and depend on 1) enrollments, 2) the number and complexity of assignments, and 3) the complexity of content in the course, in addition to the availability of funding. Consideration of these factors allows us to support both large courses and smaller courses with complex needs in an equitable manner. Students may only work up to the number of hours per week that are approved by the deans. Faculty are expected to handle the remainder of any other grading or course preparations.
Based on available funding, the general guidelines for Teaching Assistant allocations in 2025-26 MET on-campus classes are:
| Enrollments |
Hours/week |
| Up to 19 |
No assistant |
| 20 – 24 |
3 hours |
| 25 – 29 |
5 hours |
| 30 – 35 |
7 hours |
| Over-enrolled courses |
10 hours |
Any exception from these guidelines requires a Chair’s justification and Dean’s approval and is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
Timeline and Process:
Course support requests are highly dependent on course enrollments. As such, allocations are typically not approved until two weeks before classes start, to ensure that decisions are based on relatively stable enrollment numbers. Courses that reach their maximum capacity earlier may be reviewed earlier.
- Faculty submit their request for individual course sections via the online form below up to one month before the semester. All requests must be accompanied by a justification for why a TA is needed, including the number of assignments in the course, and the amount and type of work that students enrolled in the class are doing. A detailed justification provides important context for the reviewers and speeds up the processing of the request:
- The number and kind of assignments enrolled students are completing
- The responsibilities you would expect a student to cover
- Any unique needs your course has due to its content or activity format
- Department chair or program director reviews the request to ensure the course is eligible for a TA. If the course section has any unusual needs or the request falls outside of the normal allocation guidelines, the chair should provide a comment with that context when approving the request.
- Office of the Dean reviews the request to ensure it meets eligibility criteria.
- Deans review the request and make the final decision on TA support allocation. Their decisions are communicated to the requesting faculty.
- Office of the Dean coordinates with the faculty and MET Finance to set up the selected TA for each request. An appointment letter for the position with the approved start date is sent to the TA, with a copy to their supervising faculty.
- The student reviews appointment letter and returns a signed copy of the agreement to the Dean’s Office prior to starting work.
Course Support Activities:
Teaching assistants’ duties can vary depending on the needs of the class and the number of hours of support a course has been allocated. Students may only work up to the number of hours per week that are approved by the deans. Faculty are expected to handle the remainder of any other grading or course preparations.
Types of on-campus course support activities may include, but aren’t limited to:
- Grading and/or maintaining accurate records of all grades in the form specified by the instructor
- Attending class and supporting in-class activities
- Holding office hours between lectures to assist students individually or answer questions
- Assisting in other preparations for class meetings (posting assignments on Blackboard, photocopying and distributing hand-outs, preparing PowerPoint slides from lecture notes, proctoring exams, assisting in grading projects, etc.).
Eligible Teaching Assistants:
It is preferred that a teaching assistant is a current MET student who has either already taken the course and received a grade of A or A-, or who has a background in the subject area. They should not be a student currently taking the course. A former student or other non-student may be selected as a teaching assistant if a qualified student is not available. University staff members who already work full-time may not work as teaching assistants.
Faculty should identify their own Teaching Assistant. After the request has been approved by the deans, please confirm with your selected TA that they are available to take the position.
TAs may begin working only after the requests have been approved by the deans, contracts have been received, and the selected TAs have completed the required employment paperwork. Please refer to the Student Employment Office’s website for information on hiring policies and procedures.
(Updated August 18, 2025)
Submitting Requests
Faculty (not students) should use the App for any new Fall or Spring semester requests:
Please do not use this form for Summer Term course TA requests. Those requests go directly through the Summer Term Office.
If you have any questions about your request, or need to make adjustments to an existing request, you can contact Lyn Ariyakulkan, Manager of Faculty Actions: lyna@bu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Has my request been received or processed? How do I check the status of a request?
You will receive email notifications to your BU email address once a TA request has been submitted and as it moves through the approval process. These email notifications contain the latest status update on your request. If you have not received a notification that your TA has been approved, a decision is pending.
How do I select a TA and who do I send their information to?
Faculty should identify their own Teaching Assistant. If you have identified a TA for the position at the time of submitting a request, please include their information (full name, BU ID, and email address) in the request form.
If you are uncertain who to select as your TA, please contact your program or area coordinator for suggestions. TA requests may still be submitted without student information attached and can be updated at a later time by either updating your original request or emailing Lyn Ariyakulkan (lyna@bu.edu) with the student information.
Please note requests are not reviewed or approved based on the student who is selected for the role.
Can I have more than one TA assigned to my course?
Faculty are discouraged from splitting their TA positions (i.e. serially-appointed TAs and simultaneous appointments). Only one TA will be assigned per course and changes are not permitted throughout the semester, unless an extenuating circumstance requires that a new TA must take over (e.g. resignation, illness, leave). Since TA positions are intended for the duration of one semester, having one TA per course section allows for students to get to know their TA and experience more consistency with course support.
How do I know if a student is available to take a TA position?
Faculty are encouraged to communicate with their prospective Teaching Assistants about their interest and capacity to work in a TA position should it be approved. Please confirm that your selected TA is available to take the position after the request has been approved by the deans.
Can I combine the enrollments from two of my classes to meet the allocation guidelines?
No, sections that do not meet together should not be combined and will not be considered in determining allocations. Faculty may submit requests only for individual course sections.
What is the timeframe for getting my request approved?
Course support requests are highly dependent on course enrollments. As such, allocations are typically not approved until two weeks before classes start to ensure that decisions are based on relatively stable enrollment numbers. Courses that reach their maximum capacity earlier may be reviewed earlier.
The Deans Office reviews each individual TA request received from full-time and part-time faculty at MET, so processing times may vary depending on the current volume. We encourage faculty to submit requests closer to the start of the semester and thank you for your patience as we work through each request!
What is the hourly rate for TAs?
As of September 1, 2025, MET Teaching Assistants are paid $20.60 per hour.
What do I need to know about working with domestic versus international students/non-students?
All students/non-students must be eligible to work in the United States and reside in the U.S. while working in this role. TAs may not work remotely from a non-US location.
International students who are enrolled part-time must generally be in their final semester of study in order to be eligible to work. International former students (not currently students) must have OPT and Employment Authorization in place to be eligible to hold a TA position.
Please confirm with international former students (non-students) that their work authorization is valid for the desired term of appointment.
My TA has been approved! What’s next?
After your TA has been approved, their information will be verified in the system. They will then receive an onboarding email detailing next steps and contract at their BU email address. Depending on their current employment status (e.g. new hire or returning student worker) and visa status (if applicable), they may need to complete onboarding forms and other employment paperwork to fully process their hire. This contract outlines the start and end dates of the position, number of payments expected to be received, maximum weekly hours, and other details pertaining to their TA position. Students are required to review the contract and return a signed copy of the agreement to the Dean’s Office prior to starting work.
When can my TA start working?
TAs may begin working only after the requests have been approved by the deans, appointment letters have been received, the selected TAs have completed the
required employment paperwork, and a signed copy of their appointment letter is returned to the Dean’s Office. For students who are working at BU for the first time, this means completing various onboarding forms (i.e. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) Non-Disclosure agreement, Student Employment Confidentiality agreement, and International Form – only for international students), as well as an I-9 form within the first three days of their start date. Please refer to the
Student Employment Office’s website for information on hiring policies and procedures.
Students are not permitted to start working before these steps have been completed or before the start date listed on their contract.
Did my TA get a contract?
All supervising faculty and instructors are copied on contracts sent to their TAs via Adobe Sign. Please be sure to check your BU email address. If your TA has not received a contract, their position has not yet been processed.
How many hours has my request been approved for?
The final decision made by the deans on TA support allocation are reflected in the email notifications “Teaching Support Request Status Updates”, as well as in the contract that all parties receive.
Students are not permitted to work more than the total number of approved hours as outlined in their contract. Faculty are expected to work with the TA to ensure they do not exceed the approved amount of hours.
My TA is no longer available or needs to resign, and I need to assign a new student. How do I update my request?
Please email Lyn Ariyakulkan (
lyna@bu.edu) with the replacement/new student’s information if work has not yet begun.
If the student has already started working and resigns from the position, please complete the MET RA & TA Resignation Form and return it to lyna@bu.edu and metfac@bu.edu. Please then submit a new request, noting it is for a replacement TA.
I don’t have access to the request form. Who do I contact?
If you continue to experience any difficulties in accessing the request form, please reach out to Lyn Ariyakulkan at
lyna@bu.edu.
When will my student get paid?
Students must complete the required employment paperwork (I-9 form) in a timely manner in order to be set up in payroll and receive payments. As of Spring 2025 , currently matriculated students are hired into hourly positions and are required to submit weekly timesheets in order to be paid.
Full pay periods run from Mondays through Sundays, and students are paid on Fridays in the week following. Student employees who have not yet set up direct deposit are mailed physical paychecks on the Friday after payroll runs. Supervisors should note that it may take up to a week for mailed checks to reach the students.
Is my TA part of the union (BUGWU)?
MET TA positions have been streamlined into two distinct job titles:
1) Graduate Teaching Assistant (BUGWU)- matriculated graduate student from any school at BU who is working in a teaching assistant position. They are union-eligible, and paid on a weekly basis upon submission of their timesheet.
2) Teaching Assistant (non-student, non-union)- anyone who is not a matriculated graduate student is not included in the union. They are paid on a semi-monthly (15th, and last business day of the month) salaried basis.
Where can I find more information on the implementation of the BUGWU collective bargaining agreement?