Pay Scales: Maths Teaching and Marking in the UK

[vampire_kitten]

(cross-posted to gradstudents

Comments

[carmine_rose]

Oh my God. 15 minutes prep time? It takes longer than that to print/photocopy handouts. Your university is seriously taking the piss. Even an hour is unrealistic, especially if it the first time you've taught on a course. And 8 minutes per coursework marked? "Just mark faster?" That's outrageous. I'm sorry, I have no suggestions, just horror and sympathy. What bastards.

[vampire_kitten]

Thanks, it's good to know it isn't just us thinking that :)

[carmine_rose]

And I hadn't even read the comments when I posted that. It gets better and better! To get paid for 15 minutes prep time, instead of 4 hours (for 4 classes) is shocking. When I was a postgrad, it was acknowledged that the only way you'd actually get paid for the hours you'd really spent preparing was if you were teaching 3 or more classes, because then the 3 hours or more prep time almost matched the one hour per class official prep time payment. But to only pay you for prep for one class is so harsh. I do History, so perhaps have more reading to do that Maths (I'm guessing?) but even so. How long would you say you do spend on prep, on average?

I think the commenter above, who advised that you work to rule, has got it right. But that will only work if everyone does it, or they'll just give your teaching to the scabs/strike-breakers.

[vampire_kitten]

How long would you say you do spend on prep, on average?

I don't teach a class, just one (disabled) student. But I'm paid for that by the access office which is still paying by the hour, so it's not such a worry for me.

We have less reading than history, but just getting to grips with what notation the students are using/ how the along-side lectures are taught can be a nightmare.

The others PhD students are saying a hour for the first time you teach it is probably reasonable, but that it depends massively on the course, how on the ball the students are and how comprehensable the lecture notes/ question sheets are.

[carmine_rose]

Thanks for the info. Do you mean they say 1 hour per class is reasonable, or 1 hour per week/session (regardless of the number of classes taught)?

[carmine_rose]

Also, is this a modern instituion, or a Russell group? Or a more ancient and respected university?

[vampire_kitten]

It's a Redbrick uni.

[carmine_rose]

Thanks. Why am I not surprised? I think a modern instituion would be less likely to pull such a bullshit move because they have a harder job attracting postgrads. Have you any idea whether this is a university-wide innovation, or just your department/faculty?

For reference, at my red-brick university in the Faculty of Arts, they pay £14 per hour, and pay out 2.5 hours per hour taught - 1 hour prep, 30 minutes marking. As on an Arts course, there's usually only 2 essays per student per semester to be marked, and say 12 students in each class, if you average 12 minutes per essay, this often works out ok. Postgrads also get paid £3 per exam script marked.

[mummybeare]

I'm at an older institution too. Faculty of Arts. Our uni just handed down unilateral changes to the way GTAs are paid and they did it after teaching started and with no warning to us

[brittdreams]

Once department's GTAs walked out. Most of the rest of us won't because the students are the ones who will suffer, but the vast majority of them won't care or will see it as a holiday.
That's exactly what the administration is counting on.

[mummybeare]

That should have been "One department's..."

I know it's what they are counting on. I do wonder what the impact would be if we did strike. More, I wonder if there is some more effective way to get the high mucky-mucks to recognise the work we do.

[brittdreams]

We contemplated striking then realized that, since we have no union, they could literally fire us all. Also, the same worry about undergraduate was expressed but tbh, I don't give a damn about them since they are sitting back while getting screwed over and getting angry with us for even thinking of doing anything.

[vampire_kitten]

If you think of a more effective way, do let me know.

[vampire_kitten]

Thanks for the figures :)

[tyopsqueene]

I've worked at red bricks and other established places and have never been paid for prep time; that said I've always earned more than the rate you're being paid (between £20 and £75/hour).

[vampire_kitten]

If they paid us £75 an hour, I think all the complaints would definately go away.