Nathan J. Delson

Even though Prof. Delson is not a PI, I would like to share my experience working as TA/Reader for him. I worked with Prof. Delson in MAE 30A and MAE 30B for two quarters in 2021 (remote teaching). Overall, I enjoyed working with him.

Workload

I think the workload is not low, actual working hours every week are very close to the appointment hours on average (20 hours/week for 50% TA position).

For TA, my work including

• Held recitations (problem-solving sessions), exam review sessions, and office hours every week
• Wrote solutions for homework and exams
• Edited and uploaded lecture recordings weekly (remote situation)
• Arranged and proctored exams, hosted 1-on-1 oral exams (20-minute interviews) with ~40 students every quarter
• Graded assignments, and exams and provided feedback to the instructor.
• Guided students to complete their Statics in Everyday Life projects in MAE30A.
• Attended lectures.

There are other TAs or readers to help with some of the tasks (like grading assignments and exams). The number of instructional assistants (IA) depends on how many students enroll in a course.

Communication

I think the communication between TA and instructor is very good.

Our TA/reader team has weekly Zoom meetings with Prof. Delson, which will be scheduled at the beginning of the quarter. The weekly meeting usually lasts 30 min. Prof. Delson will schedule 1-on-1 meetings with you if needed. Because TA usually needs to attend lectures, I can talk with him every time after the lectures. Prof. Delson also sends emails to all of us for course updates, tasks, etc. Email communication is also very frequent.

Support

Prof. Delson was the only professor I met who cares about my situation at UCSD. At that time when I was working with Prof. Delson, I was going to quit my Ph.D. and I was looking for jobs. Prof. Delson asked about my situation and showed his concerns. He was very supportive and help me to find other opportunities.

Compensation for IA

In 2021, 50% TA salary was $2507.66/month before tax and $2140/month after tax. Salary for Readers is much lower, at $17.26/hour rate. TA/Reader get extra paid for extra time working for oral exams. If you work as TA/Reader, your tuition fee will be covered by your teaching appointment, but it won't cover NRST (Non-Resident Supplemental Tuition).

How to get an IA position

Prof. Delson usually teaches 2-3 courses every quarter. That means he will hire several TA/Readers every quarter. Usually, students who have worked with him have a better chance to continue working with him. For new students, send emails to him if you are interested in working with him. There will be interview-like exam problems you need to solve to show your knowledge and ability to work as an IA with him.