Become a Learning Assistant

Learning Commons Learning Assistants (LAs) work in a small team with faculty members to implement application-based teaching approaches, often in large-lecture classrooms, to promote active learning and transform course curriculum. Common in-class LA responsibilities may include facilitating group discussions, guiding student groups through problem sets, and addressing student questions through redirection and collaboration.

Outside of class, Learning Assistants hold drop-in weekly office hours to promote engagement outside of class and attend regular meetings with faculty and other LAs for their own professional development.

Learning Assistants are NOT required to be subject-matter experts in the course they support, as the main goal is to be an approachable and relatable problem-solving partner to the student. Training is provided to support Learning Assistants in asking guiding questions, using the student’s resources and open resources (like course materials and the Internet), to find the answer to a question when they do not know the answer themselves.

Competitive Learning Assistant applicants will have: 

  • Completed at least one full year of college (by the start of employment) 
  • 3.0 GPA or above is required (and must maintain a 3.0 University GPA and a 3.0 Term GPA in order to remain eligibly employed) 
  • B+ or above in the select courses connected to the position
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills

Final LA placement decisions will be made based on faculty requests, candidate availability, Learning Commons needs, and final budget approvals. We appreciate your flexibility and understanding as we work to provide on-campus COOP opportunities to as many candidates as possible.  

Learning Assistant position openings are based on faculty requests for support in specific courses. Below is a list of courses commonly supported by LAs. Other courses may have openings for LA positions based on faculty requests:

  • BIOL 1081/82
  • BIOL 2001C/02C
  • CHEM 1020
  • CHEM 1030/31
  • CHEM 1040/41
  • MATH 1061/62
  • MEDS 2030C
  • MEDS 4052C
  • PHYS 1051/52
  • PHYS 2001C

This list is subject to change based on faculty requests. If you are interested in supporting a course not listed above, you are encouraged to reach out to the faculty of the course you are interested in supporting for more information. 

Students comfortable supporting multiple courses and/or faculty increase their opportunities to be placed in an LA position. In their application, students should indicate ALL courses that they are comfortable working with and qualified to support (must have completed the course prior to the start of their LA position).

  • On average, a new Learning Assistant will work 5-7 hours per week, comprised of the following tasks:
    • 3 hours/week: attend lecture/class
    • 1 hour/week: hold Office Hour
    • Up to 1 hour/week: meet with faculty and other Teaching Team members
    • Up to 1 hour/week: prepare for class
    • 45 minutes every other week: meet with other new LAs for continual professional development
  • Some LA positions for specific courses have slightly different hourly commitments:
    • BIOL 2001C/2002C Labs: 8-9 hours/week - attend two 2-hour lab sections (4 hrs/week total), attend 2-hour Teaching Team meeting (2 hrs/week), hold Office Hours (2 hrs/week), meet with other new LAs (45 min every other week)
    • BIOL 2001C/2002C Lecture: 7-8 hours/week – attend lecture/class (3 hrs/week), meet with Teaching Team (up to 1 hr/week), prepare for class (up to 1 hr/week), hold Office Hours (2 hrs/week), meet with other new LAs (45 min every other week)
    • MEDS 2030C: 6-10 hours/week – attend lab (6 hrs/week for 2 sections, 3 hrs/week for 1 section), meet with Teaching Team (up to 1 hr/week), prepare for class (up to 1 hr/week), hold Office Hour (1 hr/week), meet with other new LAs (45 min every other week)
    • MEDS 4052C: 3-5 hours/week – attend lecture/class (2 hrs/week), meet with Teaching Team (up to 1 hr/week), prepare for class (up to 1 hr/week), hold Office Hour (1 hr/week), meet with other new LAs (45 min every other week)

Applicants moving forward in the consideration process will be asked to submit at least 1 reference.

References from faculty, especially those who teach in the subjects that applicants are looking to support, are strongly encouraged. It is best practice for applicants to contact the faculty they plan on requesting references from early on in the application process, in order to ensure they are comfortable submitting a recommendation.

Other professional recommendations should be solicited from former employers for relevant positions or from individuals who have overseen the applicant during ongoing and substantive community service or other projects. Recommendations from personal or family friends or other UC students will not be accepted.

Once you have reviewed the position responsibilities and qualifications, visit the Student Employment webpage and apply. You are able to select more than one position you want to apply for within the application, but you should not select all positions.

Questions? Contact the Learning Commons Front Desk at learningcommons@uc.edu.