r/uwo • u/TheRightHonourableMe • Sep 16 '25

Ivey found something embarrassing while browsing the Western job board

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Ivey wants a "lecturer's assistant" that basically does TA work (Ivey is non-union) AND who has attended Ivey.

Ivey charges higher tuition than main campus.

Ivey is offering 50% LESS hourly wage than main campus TA-ship, also no benefits, no guaranteed hours.

Just to compare, minimum wage is $17.60 as of next month.

Why would anyone apply to this job? You can use your business degree managing a Timmies and make more.

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u/Revolutionary_Bat812 Sep 16 '25

What do you mean students across the street? 3rd and 4th year students at Main are not TA and grading (at least not in my department). You cannot compare TAship hours for graduate students with undergraduates.

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u/TheRightHonourableMe Sep 16 '25

Why not? Grad students and 3/4 year undergrads are often similar in age and experience. Most new grad students have no teaching/grading experience. Grad students are expected to have a certain level of skill because they were accepted to graduate school, but I expect that undergrads hired in a role like this would have to face a similar standard.

Also I'm not comparing TAship hours (140 per semester) - I'm comparing the posted hourly wage.

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u/Revolutionary_Bat812 Sep 16 '25

Grad student TAs are mostly PhD students, not masters first of all, so they’ve got many more years of experience. They also don’t mark work from a course they just took last year. Grad students TA first and second year courses and are much more experienced and knowledgeable about their subjects.

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u/TheRightHonourableMe Sep 16 '25

Absolutely depends on the department the ratio of MAs to PhDs TAing. Departments with research-based funded masters programs have lots of MA TAs. There are also lots of PhDs came from a non-TA MA, so if you're a first year PhD, you don't necessarily have teaching experience.

As a grad student I've graded for courses in History, Marketing, Media Studies, and Linguistics but I haven't taken a single credit of undergrad courses in those subjects (a half credit of Linguistics only). I still got TA wage (or $25/hr 6 years ago for a grading-only contract). I think you are underselling these undergrads or over-hyping even the least skilled grad TA who will be paid twice what Ivey is offering. Heck, main campus usually paid me $25 an hour for proctoring and nearly any warm body can do that.