Learning Assistant FAQ

Students can work up to 25 hours per week in on-campus jobs, and LA hours are typically 5-10 hours per week. As long as the hours for your other on-campus job still allow you to attend the required events for LAs and your total time does not exceed 25 hours, you can do both. Many LAs do hold more than one job on campus. 

We cannot access work-study funds for the LA position. However, you can have a work-study position and be an LA at the same time, as long as your total hours do not exceed the maximum of 25 hours per week for on-campus positions.

Attending weekly preparation sessions every Friday from 11am-1pm or 12-2pm (depending on your course assignment) is a requirement for all LAs. If you have a significant conflict with this time, you will not be eligible to LA and we recommend that you apply again in a later semester. If you have a minor conflict with this time (e.g., you will be 10 minutes late each day) and have been offered an LA position, please email us at STEMCommunities@txstate.edu and we can discuss how to proceed.

We typically require that you have received at least a B in a course that you will LA for. If you are currently enrolled in an LA-supported course and are applying to LA for that course, we will check your grade after the semester ends. 

If you received a lower grade due to extenuating circumstances such as a personal and/or family emergency, we encourage you to still apply.

There is no formal GPA requirement for this position. However, we do consider grades and academic standing during the application review process.

If you have received AP credit for an LA-supported course or taken the course at another institution, you are eligible to apply to LA for that course. 

Grades are important, but they're not the only factor we consider. While we do typically require an A or B in the course you're applying for, having an A doesn't guarantee acceptance, and having a B doesn't put you at a disadvantage. We're looking for a well-rounded applicant, and your grades are just one piece of that puzzle.

Absolutely! Your essays are a crucial part of your application. We have multiple reviewers who carefully read your essays, looking for students who provide thoughtful, personable answers that demonstrate they're a good fit for our LA program.

No, a professor's recommendation is not required for your application. However, during the review process, we may reach out to faculty for input on applicants.

Unfortunately, CHEM 1335 does not qualify you to be an LA, because it is not an LA-supported class. These courses are structured differently and cover distinct subject areas. However, if you have taken PHYS 2325, you are eligible to apply to be an LA for that course.

Yes, enrolling in the pedagogy course (HON 3210, PHYS 3210, or BIO 3210) is required for all new LAs. If you are offered an LA position and your situation makes it prohibitively difficult to enroll in the 2-credit version of the course, we may give you permission to enroll in a zero-credit version with appropriate justification. Most new LAs will enroll in the 2-credit version.

Registration for the pedagogy course is by permission only. You will be given permission to register if / when you receive an offer to be an LA. 

You will be able to specify your preferences for course / section assignments on our scheduling survey, after you accept your LA appointment. We do our best to accommodate as many of your preferences as we can while still keeping all sections fully staffed. It is usually the case that we cannot fulfill all of your requests because your schedules are typically highly constrained and some sections tend to be more popular than others for whatever reason. You may also find that the professor you want to work with doesn’t teach any sections that fit with your own schedule. We request that you remain flexible and open-minded as we create a schedule that works best for everyone.

There are 2 related programs that support LAs – the STEM Communities Project (which is a grant-funded effort) and the Physics LA Program (which is an ongoing program). The email just acknowledges that both exist, not that you will be scheduled into a physics course.

Creating the schedule is a multi-step process, and the exact timing may vary from semester-to-semester. We typically make the schedule within a week to a month after the scheduling survey is due, and will send out a draft schedule to everyone at that point. There are usually a few adjustments that need to be made initially due to schedule changes etc. After a few days, we will make any needed changes and send out a "near-final" schedule and will check with you before making any additional changes (e.g., we will ask you if we want to make a switch to help out another LA). You can say no to those requests if you have built other things into your schedule at those times.

Most LAs work between 5-10 hours per week. 5 hours per week is the minimum that you will work, which is the time commitment to LA for one course. You may pick up extra hours by working at a Study Center, holding Review Sessions, or working in a second section of the same course.

LAs are paid $14 / hour.