Campus space
You 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 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 your reservation to ensure that you know the process and timeline for getting keycard access. Note: 2218 typically remains unlocked.

Instructors can request desk copies directly from publishers. The UC San Diego Bookstore provides a helpful resource with publisher contact information and guidance for this process: Publisher Desk Copy Information. Please contact your instructor to request a desk copy if needed.

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

Pickup Information

Department supplies can be picked up at the front desk in from Mayer Hall Addition, Room 2623, during the academic year:

• Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday: 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM
• Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM

If you need other supplies for instruction, please contact Catherine McConney for guidance. Depending on the request, you may be referred to another staff member or need to wait for items to be ordered. To ensure you have what you need, please reach out well in advance.

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 Triton Printing.
   • 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 Triton Printing. 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 Triton Printing 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 the eGrades Team or call 858-534-3144.

Click here to access eGrades.

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 their website.

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. ​​​

The Curriculum Manager (Toni Moore) is the point of contact for course scheduling matters.

Problem Sessions (PBs) are typically used for going over homework. Though PBs appear in the Online Schedule, 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 only scheduled upon request by the instructor/TA (requests can be submitted anytime after the schedule goes live). PBs can be run by the instructor and/or by the TA, however,  if TA is asked/expected to run a PBs, this must be listed on the TA Responsibility form they were given as part of their employment expectations.

Instructors/TAs must send PB session requests to Toni Moore and must include ALL of the following information (incomplete requests will not be consdiered):

• 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

After contacting Toni with the required information, you can expect an initial reply regarding the request within 2 business days excluding campus holidays. Please note that the submission day is not included in this timeframe.

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)."

The Curriculum Manager (Toni Moore) is the point of contact for course scheduling matters.

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 only scheduled upon request by the instructor/TA (requests can be submitted anytime after the schedule goes live). REs can be run by the instructor and/or by the TA, however,  if TA is asked/expected to run a REs, this must be listed on the TA Responsibility form they were given as part of their employment expectations.

Instructors/TAs must send RE session requests to Toni Moore and must include ALL of the following information (incomplete requests will not be consdiered):

• 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)

After contacting Toni with the required information, you can expect an initial reply regarding the request within 2 business days excluding campus holidays. Please note that the submission day is not included in this timeframe.

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

The Curriculum Manager (Toni Moore) is the point of contact for course scheduling matters.

TA Office Hours (OHs) specific times when TAs are available outside of regular class sessions to meet with students. During office hours, students can ask questions, seek clarification on course material, get help with assignments, discuss grades, or address any other academic concerns they might have.

OHs are typically announced at the beginning of the semester and are held in an office or virtually, depending on the course format. They provide a more personalized, one-on-one (or small group) opportunity for students to engage with their instructors outside of the classroom.

TAs seeking to use department space for OHs must submit a request to Toni Moore. Requests must include ALL of the following information (incomplete requests will not be consdiered):

• The course and section you are associated with (eg. PHYS 1A A00)
• The day(s) of the week you hope to host office hours.
• The start and end times you hope to host office hours.
• The number of seats you would like the room to seat.

After contacting Toni with the required information, you can expect an initial reply regarding the request within 2 business days excluding campus holidays. Please note that the submission day is not included in this timeframe.

After you have been assinged a room, refer to the "Access to Assigned Rooms, Technology in Assigned Rooms" information. 

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

Instructional Assistants are expected to adhere to UCOP Guidelines for Academic Accommodations (see the Do's and Don'ts, especially).

Students registered with OSD should follow the procedures on the OSD webpage to establish OSD accommodatons. Students and professors should contact the Physics Department OSD Liason, Dawn Love, with any questions.

For Use in Course Syllabi: Accommodations are specifically for students with documented disabilities as recognized under the Americans w/ Disabilities Act (ADA) and do not automatically apply to other students. To request accommodations for short-term or long-term disabilities, students should complete the required steps through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). See the UCSD Physics OSD webpage for departmental guidance.

Students registered with OSD should follow the procedures on the OSD webpage to establish OSD accommodatons. Students and professors should contact the Physics Department OSD Liason, Dawn Love, with any questions.

For Use in Course Syllabi: Accommodations are specifically for students with documented disabilities as recognized under the Americans w/ Disabilities Act (ADA) and do not automatically apply to other students. To request accommodations for short-term or long-term disabilities, students should complete the required steps through the Office for Students with Disabilities (OSD). See the UCSD Physics OSD webpage for departmental guidance.

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. ​​​​​​

• To reach out electronically, current UCSD undergraduates contact PHYSICS through the Virtual Advising Center (VAC).
• To reach out electronically, non-UCSD undergraduates email advising@physics.ucsd.edu.

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. ​​​​​​

• To reach out electronically, current graduate students email Sharmila Poddar.
• To reach out electronically, non-UCSD graduate students email apply@physics.ucsd.edu.

Please see the campus resources for instructors advising students.

Please see the campus resources for faculty helping students in distress.

Please see the campus procedures for addressing disruptive behavior in the classroom.

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.

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.

• Teaching + Learning Commons Workshops
• Programs for Graduate Students and Postdocs
• IA Welcome Packet
• Resource Guide for Teaching as an Instructional Assistant at UC-San Diego