Student Employment

Requirements: Students who received a grade of B or better in either BIOL BC1011/BIOL BC1012 or BIOL BC1501 & BIOL BC1503 are eligible to apply for Lab Teaching Assistant (TA) positions in BC1501 & BC1503 in the 2020-2021 academic year.

Responsibilities:Assist the lab instructor during each 3-hour lab section with the following: grading of pre-lab quizzes; ensuring that students follow lab procedures, including lab breakdown and lab safety instructions; providing knowledgeable feedback to students on their questions regarding the lab material; proctoring exams. Lab TAs are expected to prepare for each lab on their own time (~1 hour per week for lab prep). The starting salary for the position is $15/hour.

BarnardWorks Job ID: This position has been filled.

All questions regarding introductory-level lab employment opportunities should be directed to the Associate Lab Director, James Casey (jcasey@barnard.edu). All positions will remain open until filled, beginning Monday, April 20th. 

This position is no longer available for AY2020-2021 due to a move to remote teaching for the introductory lab courses.

Responsibilities: Lab assistants are an integral part of Barnard's Introductory Biology Labs. Duties for the position include the following: setting up and breaking down lab materials, cleaning lab materials (test tubes, beakers, etc.), labeling lab ware (PCR tubes, beakers, etc.), preparing and distributing solutions, providing general care for plants and animals, completing errands at nearby locations, and light office work (photocopying, data entry, etc.). 

Requirements: A minimum of 3 work hours per week is required of all lab assistants. Available work shifts are listed on the application, but there is some flexibility in scheduling specific start and end times of some shifts. Daily and weekly instructions will be provided, so no experience is necessary. A strong work ethic and sense of responsibility are required for the position. Starting salary for the position is $15/hour.

BarnardWorks Job ID: This position is no longer available for AY2020-2021 due to a move to remote teaching for the introductory lab courses.

All questions regarding introductory-level lab employment opportunities should be directed to the Associate Lab Director, James Casey (jcasey@barnard.edu). All positions will remain open until filled, beginning Monday, April 20th. 

Teaching assistants are needed for the following courses. In order to TA for a course, you need to have taken the course prior OR have relevant wet lab skills suitable to the course needs. TAs will offer weekly office hours or prepare the lab space each week under the guidance of the professor teaching the course. In some cases, TAs are expected to stay during the lab period to answer student questions. Course-specific questions should be addressed to the appropriate faculty member listed below. 

• BIOL BC2500 MATLAB for Scientists (1 section)
• BIOL BC3320 Microbiology (1 section)
• BIOL BC3321 Lab in Microbiology (1 section)

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Responsibilities: The teaching assistant for BIOL BC2500 Matlab or Scientists will assist Professor Allison Lopatkin in remote instruction of this course for the fall 2020 semester. Assistant must be a prior student in the course, in which performance and skill qualify them for this position OR a student whose research experience & dry lab skill level qualifies them for the job. This course will be offered Tuesdays from 1:00 - 6:00 pm. Up to two positions will be available for this course. 

TAs must be able to work at least 3 hours/week to hold two office hours per week and to give feedback on anonymized problem sets (~1 problem set/week or 9 problem sets/semester), as discussed with Professor Lopatkin. 

All questions regarding employment eligibility and expectations should be directed to Professor Allison Lopatkin (alopatkin@barnard.edu).

BarnardWorks Job ID: This position has been filled. 

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Responsibilities: 

The teaching assistant(s) for BIOL BC3320 Microbiology will assist in remote instruction of this course for the fall A 2020 block of the semester. This course will be offered Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 2:40 - 3:55 pm.

TAs must be able work about 7 hrs/week and are expected to be present during the class lectures to manage them (e.g. setting up break out rooms, organizing questions, etc.) in addition to prep work for class, such as handling powerpoint files. TAs do not need to have taken this course before. To be eligible to apply, students are expected to be reliable, time efficient, organized, and knowledgeable with Zoom. 

All questions regarding employment eligibility and expectations should be directed to Professor JJ Miranda (jmiranda@barnard.edu).

BarnardWorks Job ID: 12892

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Responsibilities: 

The teaching assistant(s) for BIOL BC3321 Lab in Microbiology will assist in remote instruction of this course for the fall 2020 semester. Assistant must be a former student in the course or have relevant research experience; performance and laboratory skill must qualify them for this position. This course will be offered Tuesdays from 1:00 - 6:00 pm.

TAs must be able to work up to 10 hours/week and must be present during the lab section in addition to helping out outside of the lab section in preparation for the week's lab, as discussed with the instructor (TBA).

All questions regarding employment eligibility and expectations should be directed to Professor Hilary Callahan (hcallaha@barnard.edu).

BarnardWorks Job ID: 9163

This position will not be available for the AY2020-2021 due to a move to remote instruction for upper-level labs.

Responsibilities: Biology Departmental Lab Assistants will perform basic lab maintenance jobs in various faculty research labs within the Biology Department. Jobs include (but are not limited to): glassware cleaning, stocking inventory, waste removal, and some office work.  Departmental Lab Assistants will work under the supervision of the Biology Department Lab Manager, Basil Perkins. Please note that this NOT a research position.  Previous lab experience is not required.

Requirements: Previous lab experience is not required, but completion of any college-level science course is preferred.  Freshmen and sophomores who would be interested in continuing through the spring semester are encouraged to apply! Available work shifts are listed on the application form, but there is some flexibility in scheduling specific start and end times.  Daily and weekly instructions will be provided, so no previous experience is necessary. A strong work ethic and sense of responsibility are required. A minimum of three 2-hour shifts is strongly preferred. Starting salary for the position is $15/hour.

BarnardWorks Job ID: This position will not be available for the AY2020-2021 due to a move to remote instruction for upper-level labs.

All questions regarding upper-level lab assistant employment opportunities should be directed to the Senior Lab Manager Basil Perkins (bperkins@barnard.edu).

With the exception of introductory lab courses and some upper-level lab courses where applications are required, most lecture (and some lab) TA positions are offered to students who express interest to the faculty member teaching a course that they have demonstrated mastery in. We recommend approaching a faculty member directly early in the fall or spring once courses for the following semester have been announced (or even earlier than that if you know that a course is offered every year/semester). For example, if you are enrolled in genetics in the fall and have been performing well in the course, you may want to approach the professor teaching it in the spring to ask whether they have already selected TAs for that semester.

In order to be a TA for a lecture course, you must have completed it successfully; the expectation is that you will be able to reliably host office/workshop hours 1-2x per week for students to drop in and ask questions or work on problem sets. You may also be asked to sit in during the time(s) a course is offered to assist in answering questions at the end of class (if your schedule permits). You should consult directly with the professor teaching the course regarding expectations.

For lab courses, you don't necessarily have to have taken a course if your laboratory skills qualify you to be a TA. For example, in the spring semester, you might be comfortable with fly work due to training you've received conducting research on fruit flies and can approach the professor for Lab in Animal Behavior to ask whether they are still seeking a TA the subsequent fall, despite not having taken the course yourself. For lab courses, you will often be given guidance on what is expected of you in order to TA a course; often times, lab courses require break down/set up of equipment and reagent preparation as opposed to requiring you to hold office hours. Some TAs are expected to be available during the time the class is offered to assist the instructor. You should consult directly with the professor teaching the course regarding eligibility and expectations since these vary from course to course.

You may want to approach a faculty member about being a TA for a course during their office hours or by email if you are unavailable at that time. You can include a CV or resume when contacting them if you have prior experience as a teaching assistant/peer tutor, but this experience is not required. Frequently attending office hours to get to know a professor while you are taking a course is an excellent way to develop a relationship with them outside of the classroom. The most successful TAs are patient, knowledgeable, reliable, and friendly and genuinely want their peers to succeed in the course.

BarnardWorks is the site where you will find JobX and TimesheetX. The biology department can post student employment opportunities on JobX allowing you to apply to any opening online. We then review applications and hire directly from JobX, seamlessly sending the hire to TimesheetX where you can then record your hours to get paid. If you have questions, please do not hesitate to email the Beyond Barnard office (beyondbarnard@barnard.edu).

Use BarnardWorks to search by the ID number (listed above) on JobX associated with the position you are interested in. Remember that you can always have your resume and/or cover letter reviewed at Beyond Barnard before applying. 

If you have already secured employment with a faculty member to TA a different course not listed above, contact the department administrator, Melissa Flores (mflores@barnard.edu), for more information. You will be expected to have completed the paperwork described below before your hire can be processed. 

Before you can log hours and be placed on payroll, you will need to complete the appropriate employment paperwork. Take a look at the required forms, as well as information about Drop-In Hours.

Important: print your forms, sign them, and bring them to Elliott Hall along with acceptable ID for your I-9 (which you must submit if this is your first on-campus job). All forms can be dropped off at Beyond Barnard during their daily Drop-In Hours (12-1 pm, Elliott Hall, 2nd fl), during which they can also help you with any other questions you might have.

As a reminder, you will have to submit a new W4 and WTPA at the start of the calendar year. All departmental positions are paid on an hourly basis. 

The department administrator, Melissa Flores, will hire you on BarnardWorks for the number of hours you are expected to work as discussed with the professor or staff member associated with the course you are assisting with. You will then fill out your timesheet and submit it for approval every two weeks. You are expected to submit these on time to be paid on time. Failure to do so will result in payment being disbursed on the following pay date (two weeks later). 

Many students receive either a Federal Work Study (FWS) award or a Barnard College Job (BCJ) award as part of their financial aid package.

Please note: Students cannot earn beyond their work awards. If you see that your award is running low and you wish to continue working, please contact the Financial Aid Office to see if you are eligible for an increase.

FEDERAL WORK STUDY AWARDS (FWS)

Students with a FWS award are granted awards based on their financial need. These awards are federally subsidized, and may be used to fund employment for any of the positions listed above. 

BARNARD COLLEGE JOB AWARDS (BCJ)

Students with a BCJ award have been designated an amount of money they can earn as part of their financial aid package. This amount can only be used for jobs on Barnard’s campus and therefore makes the awardee eligible for any of the positions listed above.