Teaching Assistants lead discussion sections and grade written work in lecture courses. They may teach 3-4 fifty-minute sections depending on course enrollment and available funding. The number of teaching assistantships available in any semester depends upon the funding allocated by the College of Letters and Science. In addition to a stipend, the positions provide various fringe benefits such as health insurance and tuition remission, meaning that tuition is paid on your behalf. To spread financial aid to as many students as possible, the department does not normally grant students who receive teaching assistantships any other departmental funds (except for prizes, readerships, research/conference travel assistance, or Emergency Aid) during the semester in which they hold their teaching assistantship. The Committee also tries to arrange its nominations for University awards so that students will not hold teaching assistantships and University awards concurrently. The department evaluates all TAs through the instructing professor’s class visits and the results of teaching evaluations.