Policies

The Graduate Student Academic Appointments Handbook is a guide that provides essential information for potential and current appointees to these positions.

The Policy on Appointments and Mentoring of Graduate Student Instructors (Revised May 2, 2016, pdf) outlines the roles and responsibilities of departments, faculty, and GSIs in the preparation and mentoring of GSIs on the UC Berkeley campus.

The Graduate Division’s Appointments Policy page provides comprehensive information for faculty, staff, and students on graduate student academic appointments and the fee and tuition remission program.

The Employment Contract for Academic Student Employees is the labor agreement between the University and the graduate student employees’ union (UAW 2865).

The GSI Center’s Appointment and Administrative Questions FAQ identifies eligibility and preparation requirements for first-time GSIs.

The Guidelines Concerning Scheduling Conflicts with Academic Requirements (pdf), revised by the UC Berkeley Academic Senate Committee on Educational Policy, document policies for working out scheduling conflicts that arise between class schedules and students’ extracurricular commitments, such as athletics and musical performances.

The Academic Calendar and Student Accommodations – Campus Policies and Guidelines lists on a single page several campus policies and resources pertaining to instruction. These resources and rights are available to GSIs, as graduate students themselves, as well as to the students they instruct.

Resources

For general questions:

Working as a GSI: Frequently Asked Questions is a quick resource guide that addresses matters related to working as a GSI.

The Annotated Campus Resource List provides contact information for a variety of questions and issues that may arise in the course of a GSI’s work with students.

For teaching and learning issues:

The online Teaching Guide for GSIs offers extensive information and tips for leading sections, grading, developing students’ skills, and handling plagiarism and cheating.

Digital Learning Services provides workshops and assistance on using instructional technology in teaching, including classroom equipment and bCourses.

Classroom Technology Services provides support for classroom teaching and check-out services for technology equipment.

The UC Berkeley Library offers services in support of teaching and can assist GSIs and their students in developing successful library research assignments and in conducting library research.

The Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) documents the academic accommodations needed by individual students who have disabilities. DSP provides this documentation to students’ instructors and gives guidance on how to implement accommodations.

The Athletic Study Center helps administer exam proctoring if conflicts arise between the exam schedule for a course and the travel schedules of student athletes.

The Student Learning Center has tutoring programs for undergraduate students and can help students identify ways to improve their writing and strengthen their study skills.

Department Faculty Advisors for GSI Affairs are faculty members appointed in each department to help ensure that GSIs receive appropriate preparation, mentoring, and supervision. They can also assist with problems not resolved between GSIs and the faculty members with whom they teach.

The Center for Student Conduct can answer questions about responding to possible cases of cheating, plagiarism, classroom disruption, and other forms of academic misconduct.

For safety and health issues:

The Campus Police Department (UCPD) provides emergency assistance, safety programs, and other services for the UC Berkeley campus. In an emergency on campus, call 2-3333 from a campus phone or (510) 642-3333 from a cell phone.

The Urgent Care clinic at University Health Services, located in the Tang Center at 2222 Bancroft Way, offers walk-in medical care for UC Berkeley students. Contact by phone at (510) 642-3188.

Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), in addition to offering counseling to UC Berkeley students, can assist GSIs with issues such as reducing stress, handling difficult students, recognizing students in distress, and referring students with difficulties to the appropriate services.

The Mental Health Handbook is CAPS’s reference guide for assisting students who may be experiencing emotional distress and for referring them to the most appropriate campus resources.

Addressing Sexual Violence & Sexual Harassment Prevention is a one-stop web page giving complete campus information about responding to incidents of sexual violence and sexual harassment.

The Academic Accommodations Hub points students and instructors to supportive resources to ensure all students have a fair chance at academic success. These resources are for everyone; students have a right to use them, and instructors should be familiar with them.