Go to the LFS TA Application here: https://ta-app.landfood.ubc.ca
Please note, for security reasons, the LFS TA website requires VPN connection for anyone trying to access the site off-campus. Click here for information/instructions on VPN.
To apply for a TA position within LFS, you need to complete and submit an online application. Please note – you MUST be a registered student at UBC Vancouver during the term you are TA’ing (this applies to both Winter Session and Summer Session TA’s). Unclassified and Undeclared students are not eligible to TA.
There are usually a limited number of TA positions available during Summer Session (approximately 20, with hours ranging from about 40 to 90 hours/assignment). The Summer Session application is usually posted for a ten calendar-day period in late February or early March. It should be open by March 15th.
The application for Winter Session (both terms) is posted on March 31 and is open until April 30. Official Offers for Winter Sessions, terms 1 and 2 positions will be made from May-August.
After the application deadline, the LFS TA Application is closed. Instructors will begin selecting their TA’s. The Administrative Coordinator will assist you through the appointment process if an instructor has selected you as a TA, but will not have information about whether you are being considered for a position.
Occasionally, a new TA position will become available. There are a number of reasons for this: increase in course enrolment, change in TA, etc. When positions are available, notification can be sent out to all current LFS graduate students through the Graduate Student email list maintained by the LFS Graduate Studies Office, and posted on the TA Info Portal. If an instructor is interested in offering you a position, and you did not apply to TA for their course during the application period, you will be contacted directly by the instructor. If you agree to apply for the position, you will need to do so through the LFS TA Application. You and your instructor should email the Academic Coordinator at lfs.ta@ubc.ca to arrange for you to apply through the LFS TA Application.
If you are selected as a successful candidate for a position, you will receive an email with offer details that will include the name of the course, the term of the appointment, the number of assigned hours and the wage classification. Read it before accepting the offer, and keep a copy for your records.
If you accept an Offer in the LFS TA Application, and are hired, you will also receive a letter of employment through Workday, which you will need to accept to be considered hired. You can find more information about Workday on the LFS website.
A full TAship normally involves an average of twelve (12) hours per week for the Winter Session (September 1 to April 30), for a total of 384 hours. This average applies to exclusive quadruples of adjacent months, beginning in September (September – October – November – December; January – February – March – April).
TAship that exceeds 384 hours by up to sixteen (16) hours in total may be considered a full Teaching Assistantship. This total of 400 hours is a combined total of TA hours from all courses the TA is working in at the University. The salary for a partial TAship shall be calculated on a pro rata basis.
When a student is offered a TA position, they shall indicate accurately the nature of the position(s) they already hold for the same appointment period to ensure that appropriate hourly limits are not exceeded. The student should report this information to their supervisor (i.e., the course instructor).
Students are responsible for monitoring the number of TA hours they plan to accept over both Winter Terms. If LFS TA candidates are considering a TA combination that may result in over the 400-hour limit, they may reach out to the Academic Coordinator for assistance to resolve the situation.
If a TA candidate accepts combined TA hours that are over the 400-hour limit, LFS may rescind an LFS TAship offer whether or not it has already been accepted by the TA candidate.
GTA Pay Classification
Graduate Teaching Assistant pay classifications are GTA 1 and GTA 2. A GTA 1 is a graduate student who has completed two (2) years’ service as a graduate student teaching assistant. A GTA 2 is a graduate student with less than two (2) years’ service as a graduate student teaching assistant.
Please keep your LFS TA Application profile details up-to-date, including degree in progress, year of degree, and anticipated graduation date.
Especially add any Graduate TA positions held anywhere outside of the Faculty of LFS, and any LFS GTA experience prior to 2020. (Undergraduate TA experience hours cannot be counted toward GTA Pay Classification.) Include all details requested: Name/location of school (if not UBC), Year, Term (W or S)+ Term number, Course code, Course number + section number, total number of GTA hours worked for the course.
It can help to include the total TA hours worked for each course. (Your ‘Previous TA Experience’ field can be found on your LFS TA Application profile’s Additional Information tab.)
If you are an international student, you MUST have a valid student/work permit and SIN, and will be required to upload a clear photo or scan of these documents.
A word on supporting documentation and privacy
In order to prepare TA appointments, some students may be asked for supporting documentation. International students will also need to submit a valid copy of their Study Permit and/or SIN documents.
Domestic students will need to upload an offical copy of their SIN.
If you are concerned about confidentiality of these documents, please note – these files are only accessible to the administrator of the online application (the LFS Academic Coordinator), the LFS Finance and LFS Human Resources office. These staff members participate in setting up your appointment(s) and payroll.
The site of the online TA application is protected with a secure certificate which encrypts the transmission of your documents.
In addition, file storage cannot be viewed without administrator level permissions.