Private Universities Don't Use TAs?

[HisRoyalHighness]

I was reading the website for one of the schools to which I was admitted and found out that "due to our status as a private educational facility we do not use TAs." This surprised me until I thought back to my undergrad, which started at UC Berkeley and ended at NYU. At Cal we had tons of TAs - for every class. At NYU we never had a TA - for any class. Why do private universities not make use of TAs but public universities do? Is it the difference in tuition, meaning private students expect direct involvement from the professor, or something else I'm missing?

[cogneuroforfun]

I interviewed for neuroscience at Duke and Yale and they both use TAs. However, it depends on department, I think: Duke's Neurobiology did not require their graduate students to TA, but Psychology & Neuroscience there did require 3 or 4 semesters as a TA. At Yale's BBS neuroscience, they require two semesters of TA.

[HisRoyalHighness]

Hmmm.. so it's dependent on school or department? I wonder why this particular school used the language "as a private educational system (or university?"

[Dreams]

Hmmm.. so it's dependent on school or department? I wonder why this particular school used the language "as a private educational system (or university?"

Definitely dependent on school and department because there are several private unis that I know use TAs and the opposite.

[hornedfrogmeg]

I went to a private school and we used TAs. However it was a small school so I didn't have TAs except in 2 or 3 courses during my whole undergrad career. And when TAs were used, they never taught except for my Psychology Lab one semester. It definitely depends on the school and department. I do wonder why being a private university has anything to do with not having TAs.

[rising_star]

At my private undergrad, we never had TAs teaching classes. They led discussion sections only. Sometimes programs don't use TAs because they don't have an undergrad program for which they'd need them.

[Comfect]

I went to what I'm going to be argumentative and call the most prestigious private university in the world, and we definitely had TA-equivalents (different terminology, because by golly we have to be Different). Then I visited Oxford, which is public (although of course not American), and there weren't TAs. So I'm not sure why they would suggest that being private or public has to impact the existence of TAs.

[fortiesgirl]

NYU uses TAs, we had them in a few depts where I took classes. I know they have them because it is offered as part of the financial aid package for many of their grad department. I didn't go there for undergrad though, so maybe that explains the discrepancy. The TA only taught one or two lectures in a seminar I took (lecture attendance was optional for grad students).

[belowthree]

At my private undergrad, we never had TAs teaching classes. They led discussion sections only. Sometimes programs don't use TAs because they don't have an undergrad program for which they'd need them.

Oh wait are we talking about TAs actually *teaching* classes? That almost never happens at the public school I'm at completing my undergrad degree... discussion sections only. On extremely rare occasions a TA will be pulled in to teach a course during the summer.

[HisRoyalHighness]

Nope - this university doesn't use TAs at all. Here is the exact language:

As a private university, ______ does not offer teaching assistantships.

[fortiesgirl]

Nope - this university doesn't use TAs at all. Here is the exact language:

How are they supposed to train a doctoral student to teach then? That is part of the training process, no? I'm probably stating the obvious, but you should inquire about how they intend to offer you teaching experience (if that's what you intend to do after you earn your degree). Edit: Quite honestly, I am not too familiar with your field.

I just remember my grad professor saying something like his TA (who was ABD the time) was going to teach his first or second lecture after having shadowed him for a period of time. He was observed and evaluated, like any other professional would be in that position.

[belowthree]

Some fields really don't care about teaching experience. I think they figure that if someone isn't already a decent teacher they can learn by doing. If the person turns out not to be a good teacher, then they just stick them to teaching graduate students.

It's a little weird, but in the research heavy fields they decide whether or not to hire you because of your research. If you turn out to be a good teacher then they'll let you teach classes where that's needed and if you turn out to be a poor teacher they'll let you stick to teaching courses where people don't care. So in some fields whether or not an applicant is trained to teach is not that relevant.

That said, even in my field most program mandate people spend at least a little bit of time as a TA.

[slowbro]

I went to what I'm going to be argumentative and call the most prestigious private university in the world, and we definitely had TA-equivalents (different terminology, because by golly we have to be Different).

Oh, just come out and say "teaching fellows" or "TFs" instead of making veiled references

[Comfect]

Oh, just come out and say "teaching fellows" or "TFs" instead of making veiled references

I would. But then, like all my friends back home, you'd make fun of me for that. Can't win .

And yes, I do mean I've been laughed at for calling them TFs. :mrgreen:

[Louiselab]

I went to NYU. I had a TA in every class. Even classes with only 8 people in them. so whoever put that up there is perhaps the most typical NYU person.. a little brain dead.

[HisRoyalHighness]

That's funny because during my time at NYU from 2006 - 2008 I never had a TA. N-E-V-E-R. Not a single class. Not in any of the schools including Gallatin, CAS or SCPS. Guess your experience wasn't universal.

[Hevan24]

I went to NYU for undergrad. Had TAs in some of my classes, usually intro and MAP courses if the class had 100+ students. If the OP transferred from Berkeley, perhaps he took intro courses there? That might explain the lack of TAs at NYU and having them at Berkeley. If you're in larger, lower level classes you'll have TAs. I certainly had them in CAS. Gallatin does not use TAs because their classes are seminar style and small. I never took any classes at SCPS, but aren't their class sizes under a 100?

Anyway, private universities use TAs.

[HisRoyalHighness]

Yeah - I never took any intro classes at NYU - they were all done at Cal. Which probably explains why I never had a TA at NYU. I don't think while I was at NYU I had a class with more than 25 students in it and some had as few as 8.

I guess the particular U I wrote about just doesn't use TAs for some reason. Which sorta sucks for me because that means I won't get a TA position but it's better for students to be instructed and graded directly by their professors. My loss is their gain.