Published: 08/18/2022

The Stanford Center for Innovation in Global Health is hiring for a Teaching Assistant to support instruction for [SUSTAIN 140] Environmental Humanities: Finding Our Place on a Changing Planet. Learn more and apply below!

Background: A new course in Stanford’s Doerr School of Sustainability dives into the cultural, ethical, and philosophical roots of environmental challenges in order to make sense of a rapidly-changing reality and inform possible solutions.

“Environmental Humanities: Finding Our Place on a Changing Planet,” offered Fall 2022, will challenge students to reckon with the emotional challenges of witnessing global environmental change, imagine what a better future would look like, and think critically about how to get there. Students will examine unprecedented ecological destruction through a diverse array of lenses, including environmental sciences, history, philosophy, anthropology, economics, psychology, art, and Indigenous ways of knowing – as well as outdoor experiences and immersive storytelling. 

Job description: We are seeking teaching assistants (TAs) to help with course instruction. TAs will be required to attend lectures twice a week, engage in discussions, grade assignments, manage Zoom and presentation technology, manage the course site, and help with lecture preparation and execution. Time commitment is estimated at 10 hours a week. More details on responsibilities can be found below.

Timeline: The course takes place Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1:30-2:50pm – with a field trip on Saturday, October 29. This position begins Monday, September 12 and ends Wednesday, December 21, with time allotted for pre- and post-course work. The course itself runs Tuesday, September 27 to Friday, December 16.

Course instructors: The interdisciplinary teaching team includes:

Application: To apply, please fill out this form, which requires a resume and information about your background, experience, and interest in the position. Please email Erika Veidis with any questions: eveidis@stanford.edu

Responsibilities: 

  • Attend class 
  • Provide a list for sign-in by students at each class and record attendance
  • Develop and implement a system for tracking class participation, with a comments field for quality
  • Post the syllabus, course overview, and assignment descriptions to Canvas and make sure these are up to date
  • Populate Canvas site with Zoom links, assignment submission guidelines, and any other information needed
  • Monitor and respond to comments on Canvas and answer emails
  • Coordinate guest speakers – sending them reminders about their guest lectures, providing directions to class (for in-person visits) or Zoom links, preparing short introductions, drafting follow-up thank you emails, and helping coordinate honoraria as needed
  • Help manage student assignments:
    • Course materials: 
      • Make sure course materials are accessible and posted
      • Familiarize yourself with course materials so that you can pose questions to spark discussion
    • Small projects and essays: 
      • Develop rubrics for grading and explain to class 
      • Answer questions in days leading up to due date
      • Provide help or direct students to resources
    • Final project:
      • Assign groups (depending on class size)
      • Work with instructors to provide a few example projects
      • Collect and review proposed topics
      • Give feedback as requested while students are working on projects
      • Create a rubric for grading and explain to class
      • Schedule presentations
      • Create template for feedback on final presentations
      • Assemble feedback 
  • Assign grades and provide feedback in coordination with instructors
  • Monitor grading on Canvas and alert instructors to concerns
  • Give feedback to instructors on any aspect of the course