Course Administration

Campus space
You and your professor must work with Facilities Management (858-534-2930) and Campus ITS for matters relating to room access and/or classroom technology. Per the campus, "If you have a class that arrives to a locked campus classroom or lecture hall at the scheduled class time, in order to get someone out to unlock that room as quickly as possible, please call Facilities Management directly at (858) 534-2930. Facilities Management is the unit that unlocks and locks all general campus classrooms and lecture halls each day, so they are the ones who can help the quickest. Please feel free to share this number with your TAs as well, just in case they need it."

Department Space
You and your professor must work with Dirk Johnson and the Office of Engineering Computing for matters relating to room access and/or classroom technology. Contact these parties well in advance of the start of the term to ensure that you know the process and timeline for getting keycard access.

Dawn Love is the point of contact for all questions/concerns about course textbook matters and desk copies.

Please use the web form at the link below to request that course material be placed on reserve for student use. Reserves check out of a limited load period (3 hours or 24 hours). Requests should be submitted early to ensure students’ timely access to materials. Click here to submit course material to be placed on reserve.

The campus provides very basic supplies (eg. chalk, erasers for chalkboards, whiteboard cleaner, etc.) for teaching in campus spaces. The Department provides the following supplies for teaching in campus and dept. spaces:

  • Whiteboard markers and cleaner
  • Chalk and erasers
  • Pads of paper (lined, graph, and blank)
  • Pens (black and red)
  • Batteries (AA & AAA)
  • Laser pointers / wireless presentation remote controls

Department supplies can be picked up from Mayer Hall Addition room 2623 front desk Mon-Fri 8am- 2:30pm. If there are other supplies needed for instruction, please contact Catherine McConney for guidance on how to obtain supplies you need. You may be referred to another staff member to make arrangements to retrieve the supplies you need, or your supplies may need to be ordered, so please reach out well in advance of when you will need the supplies. 

Ahead of the start of the term, the instructor will decide if they want their Instructional Assistant(s) to order and/or pick up quizzes from Triton Print & Digital Media. 

Steps to Prepare to Place an Order: 

  • Look over the steps to place an order and contact Dawn Love well in advance of placing your order with any questions/concerns about the steps below .
  • Check your UCSD email for the AUTHORIZED COA # sent to you by Dawn Love (you will need to enter this on your form). 
  • Plan when you will send your quiz order. You need to send your quizzes to Triton Print & Digital Media well in advance so that quizzes can be reprinted if necessary ex. due to printing errors. 
  • Instructors decide who will pick up quizzes from Triton Print & Digital Media well in advance. Please note that the pick-up locations, CSC-A and Gilman Service Center, are located across campus from Mayer Hall. Instructors or IAs should make appropriate arrangements for transportation or schedule extra time for travel.

Steps to Place and Pick Up an Order:

  1. Click on and customize this blank order form. Enter all required information, noting the following:
    • Bill Copy to: Jasmyn Wuerthwein, Mail Code: 0354
    • Shipping: Enter your name, your phone number, The Physics Department, and your office building/room number. For pickup location, check either CSC-A (Campus Services Complex-A at 1 Greenhouse Lane) or Gilman Service Center (curbside service in Gilman Parking Structure).
    • Project Name: Files sent to tritontritonprint@ucsd.edu
    • Fill in the details needed for your exam ex. 2 sided, staple, collate etc.
  2. On Upper top right, you will need to include the AUTHORIZED COA # sent to instructors by Dawn Love
  3. On the lower right side, please include the date submitted and date due. Under "other information” please include your email address and any additional details.
  4. Email your customized order form along with the quiz files to tritonprint@ucsd.edu. Please allow at least 2 business days to process your order. You should receive an email confirmation.
  5. Pick up your Exam: You will receive an email from Triton Print & Digital Media when your order is ready for pick-up at CSC-A or Gilman Service Center.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding orders placed through Triton Print & Digital Media, please contact them at tritonprint@ucsd.edu or 858-534-3020 (Hours are 7:30am-5:00pm).

Quarterly Campus Evaluations

As part of the University's commitment to maintaining excellence in education, both students and instructors of record are invited to evaluate the performance of their IAs each quarter. This evaluation process is integral to our campus's ongoing efforts to enhance the learning experience. Completed evaluations for each quarter can be accessed through the campus portal here. Single Sign-On required.

IA Feedback

In addition to the campus-wide evaluations, the Physics department provides IAs with the opportunity to share their experience and provide feedback on the instructors they worked with. We value the insights of our IAs and recognize the importance of their perspectives in improving our programs. IAs can submit their feedback through our dedicated form here. To ensure comprehensive feedback, quarterly emails will be sent to IAs nearing the end of each term to solicit responses to this form.

Your input is crucial in helping us maintain the quality of our instructional support and foster an environment conducive to learning and growth.

Some instructors might ask their IAs to enter final grades using eGrades during the grading period. While IAs can enter grades, only the instructor of record can actually submit the grades to the Registrar's Office.

Sign in eGrades using your Single Sign-On username and password. If you would like assistance with eGrades please review the eGrades information page, write to eGrades@ucsd.edu, or call 858-534-3144.
Access eGrades at: http://egrades.ucsd.edu

Please note the following regarding non-UCSD students who enroll in UCSD classes through the Extended Studies Concurrent Enrollment program:

Grades for Concurrent Enrollment students can be entered in eGrades, but only at the first log in. After that point, Concurrent Enrollment students won’t appear in eGrades and they will have to be submitted through this secure upload link. Please distribute the link as needed.

For information on Academic Integrity and how to report cheating please visit their website.

For more information on quiz and exam accommodations for students registered with OSD see the following webpage and contact Dawn Love with any questions.

Some of the large lower division Physics courses such as PHYS 1A, 1B, and 1C use scantron grading. A scantron machine is available in Mayer Hall Addition room 2526. Scantron training is scheduled every quarter, typically in week 1, by Dawn Love. ​​​

Problem Sessions (PBs) are typically used for going over homework. PBs are not formal parts of classes and so students cannot be required to participate in these sessions and the ability to succeed in the class cannot be dependent upon participation in these sessions. PB sessions are scheduled upon request by the instructor/TA, only. Requests must be sent to Toni Moore and must include ALL of the following information:

  • The specific course and section (eg. PHYS 2B A00)
  • The weeks you want your PB session to meet for the particular section (eg. weeks 1-10)
  • (1) The preferred day, (2) start time and (3) end time for your PB session for the particular section (be specific). If providing multiple options, provide a list with multiple options, you must provide 1, 2, and 3 for each option you list. 
  • The minimum number of seats for your PB session.for the particular section

Please Note: Campus procedures indicate that PB session requests in campus space will begin being scheduled after week 2. If you want your PB sessions to start in week 1 of the term, the campus will be alerted so they can look into granting an exception to their standard procedures. The campus has indicated that "classes will always take priority over these types of requests, so reserving space during popular times on TR will be much less likely than MWF or after 5pm. If you are requesting a problem session anytime between 8am-5pm, then it should be scheduled at a standard teaching time (i.e., M 3-3:50pm, not M 3:15-4:30pm)."

Review Sessions (RE) are typically used to help students prepare for the final exam). REs are not formal parts of classes and so students cannot be required to participate in these sessions and the ability to succeed in the class cannot be dependent upon participation in these sessions. RE sessions are scheduled upon request by the instructor/TA, only. Requests must be sent to Toni Moore and must include ALL of the following information:

  • The preferred day, start time and end time for your RE session (eg. December 6 from 6p-750p). If listing several options, list them in order from most-to-least preferred (eg. December 6 from 6p-750p or December 5 from 2-350p or December 5 from 6-750p)
  • The minimum number of seats for your RE session.
  • The modality of your RE session (in-person or remote)

Please Note: Campus procedures indicate that processing of RE sessions offered in-person during final exam week will begin once we have ensured that all final exams that need a room have one assigned.  

 

Helping Students

IAs must not provide advice on enrollment matters. Instead, it is mandatory that IAs direct undergraduates with enrollment questions to our department through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC); non-UCSD students should be directed to email the department at advising@physics.ucsd.edu).

UNDERGRADS: Please refer undergraduates to the UG Physics Advising webpage so they can see the full scope of advising options available to them including, days, hours, and locations. ​​​​​​

GRADS: Please refer graduates to the Grad Physics Advising webpage so they can see the full scope of advising options available to them, days, hours, and locations. ​​​​​​

     

    Policies, Procedures, Resources

    Please see campus policies on Confidentiality of Student Records which are based on the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Please refer students to the VAC if they would like to file a FERPA waiver to allow you to communicate information about a student record to a third party.

    The use of third-party educational tools is governed by the campus to ensure compliance with student privacy laws, regulations, and guidelines. Please click here and ensure you are in compliance with campus requirements ahead of starting to use a third-party educational tool.

    Instructors must comply with campus policies on Confidentiality of Student Records, including the retention, distribution, retention, and disposal of examination papers. IAs should NOT be asked to hold onto exams beyond their IA contract date for the term; it is the instructor's responsibility to retain exams. Instructors can click here for assistance from the Physics Department in properly disposing of exams after the required retention period (i.e. after one full quarter after the course has been taken place, as described in the "Retention of Examination Papers" section of this page of the UCSD Catalog). 

    The Academic Student Employee Unit (BX) is a systemwide bargaining unit (except for UCSF) comprised of graduate teaching assistants, readers, tutors and other instructional assistants who work in support of faculty and lecturers.

    View the Current Contract

    IAs are sent their quarterly IA contracts via the Instructional Assistant Data Management System. Contracts include a description of duties.

    IAs are expected to report leave in the Ecotime Campus Payroll timekeeping system.

    For more information regarding IA leave eligibility please see article 18 section C of the union contract.