Teaching and Graduate Assistants can play an important role in ensuring classrooms are accessible and inclusive spaces. While the instructor of record is ultimately responsible for ensuring that accommodation needs are met within the course, teaching and graduate assistants help to ensure a welcoming inclusive environment and, in some courses, help support the implementation of student accommodations.
In general, a TA/GA should only have access to accommodation information that is critical for them to effectively complete their responsibilities. Any information not directly related to their responsibilities should not be shared. Examples of when you might share accommodations with a TA/GA include:
- A TA/GA is proctoring or helping schedule exams. In this situation, the TA/GA would need to know about exam accommodations to ensure students have the appropriate times, spaces, and technology arranged appropriately.
- A TA/GA is helping students in an activity that requires mobility across campus. In this situation, the TA/GA would need to know about any potential accessibility barriers related to accessing the spaces.
- A TA/GA is helping students complete work within a lab space so would need to know about accommodations that may impact lab participation and access.
Please keep in mind, discretion should be used when sharing any information about student accommodations. Accommodations should be kept as private as possible. Information sharing with a TA/GA should be limited to information critical to their role. If you have questions about what is reasonable to share, please contact SAS.
TA/GA and Peer Groups
Since a TA/GA is a UNH student, it is important to note that accommodations should not be implemented by someone in the student’s peer group or at the same degree level. For instance, an undergraduate student should not be responsible for implementing the exam accommodations of a fellow undergraduate student. As needed, SAS can help instructors determine what would be appropriate.
Information to Provide Teaching and Graduate Assistants
Depending on the specific role within the course a TA/GA should be provided with different levels of detail about accommodations. There is some baseline awareness that we recommend all every TA/GA has, but also additional information depending on what they are doing in the course.
All Teaching and Graduate Assistants supporting your course, should have a foundational understanding of disability, accessibility, and how to help students connect with SAS. Every TA/GA should be provided with information related to:
- Disability awareness/etiquette (Disability 101 | Accessible UNH), accessibility (Accessible UNH | Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion), and accommodation basics (Understanding Accommodations | Student Accessibility Services)
- Accessible and inclusive supports already built into the course.
- How to help students connect with the instructor for questions about accommodation implementation or if there is a disability disclosure.
- How to help students connect with SAS (Contact SAS | Student Accessibility Services).
You may have a TA/GA who will be responsible to supporting the implementation of accommodations. If a TA is responsible for implementing activities potentially impacted by accommodations, in addition to the above information, the TA should be provided with guidance that details:
- Expectations related to student privacy (Implementation Essentials | Student Accessibility Services).
- Expectations and responsibilities based on their specific role in the course.
- A specific plan detailing how they will help implement the accommodations for the course.
- What to do if a student has concerns about accommodation implementation.
Please keep in mind that, even with instructional responsibilities, the instructor of record is still ultimately responsible for the implementation of accommodations within the course. Accommodation letters will be sent directly to the instructor of record, and the instructor is responsible for informing the TA/GA about necessary steps to ensure accommodations are effectively implemented.
If a TA/GA has instructional responsibilities, in addition to the above information, they should be provided with guidance that details:
- Information related to inclusive and accessible instruction (Accessible UNH | Diversity, Equity, Access & Inclusion).
- Information about implementing accommodations (Implementing Accommodations | Student Accessibility Services).
- Clear expectations around implementation of accommodations.
- Expectations if students express concerns about accommodation implementation.
