Frequently Asked Questions from Students to Learning Assistants
Who is my Learning Assistant (LA)?
I need help! What do I do?
I have a question about an assignment or project, who do I talk to?
I have a concern with a member of the LA program, what do I do?
What are the different roles involved in the Learning Assistant Program?
What is the Program Committee?
Where are my LAs holding their office hours?
Can I only talk to LAs I have seen in labs?
I’m doing well in my computing course, should I still talk to a Learning Assistant?
Are Learning Assistants paid?
Why would I want to be a Learning Assistant?
How can I become an LA?
When are applications open for positions in the Learning Assistant Program?
Who is my Learning Assistant (LA)?
A list of the learning assistants for a course should be available on the course’s Canvas page.
I need help! What do I do?
Contact information of your Learning Assistant team should be provided on the course’s Canvas page.
If you have questions about the Learning Assistant Program, email us at cselearningassistant@gmail.com.
I have a question about an assignment or project, who do I talk to?
This FAQ section is not meant to answer course specific questions. Any course specific questions (i.e. projects, grades, assignments, labs) should be directly communicated to a Learning Assistant and/or instructor of the course.
I have a concern with a member of the LA program, what do I do?
If you are comfortable in having a faculty member of our Program help you, Dr. Bhuvana Gopal, one of the School of Computing Professors can be contacted at bhuvana.gopal@unl.edu.
Note: Our faculty may be required to report certain issues, thus an introductory email is recommended to help the faculty better support you.
You may navigate to the University’s policies regarding Title IX and/or Student Code of Conduct to gain a better understanding of an issue you may have and how our community can protect you.
You can also reach out to the following campus resources to help support you:
- UNL Victim Advocate: 402-472-0203
- University Health Center Counseling and Psychological Services: 402-472-5000
- Student Legal Services: 402-472-3350
- Against a student — UNL Interim Student Affairs Vice Chancellor Bill Watts: 402-472-3755
- Against a student — UNL Title IX Coordinator Meagan Counley: 402-472-3417
- Against an employee — UNL Human Resources Office Assistant Vice Chancellor Steven Beck: 402-472-3101
What are the different roles involved in the Learning Assistant Program?
Learning Assistant (LA): Undergraduate student trained to assist first-year students in classes using office hours, lab sections, hack sessions and through grading.
Coordinator: Faculty member who work with Senior Leaders (SLs) to run the program. They make final decisions on any matter, given the advice of the SLs.
Senior Leader (SL): Experienced LA who work with Coordinators to maintain and to improve the program. They are responsible for much of the day-to-day administration of the program, as well as training and recruitment.
Course Leader (CL): LA with previous experience with a given course and instructor. They help to manage a course and can be called upon to provide quality control in grading as well as provide advice to LAs.
What is the Program Committee?
The Program Committee consists of the administrative roles: Program Coordinators and Senior Leaders. They meet at least weekly to continually improve the Learning Assistant Program.
Where are my LAs holding their office hours?
LAs have 3 different places they hold their office hours:
- Avery 15: This lab is in the basement of Avery. You’ll find your LAs with name stands.
- Learning Community Room: You can visit this space if you are part of the Learning Community.
- Online: Several hours of the day, some LAs will be holding office hours through the web browser called Zoom. Learn more about your UNL Zoom account here.
Check your LAs office hours schedule which you can find on your course’s canvas page and/or our web page.
Can I only talk to LAs I have seen in labs?
No, any LA should be able to help you with your question, even if they are not focused on your course. However, it is best to LAs who are focused in your course, which you can find a list in our staff webpage or your canvas page.
I’m doing well in my computing course, should I still talk to a Learning Assistant?
Yes! Learning Assistants were also students who did well in their computing course, thus can help give advice on how to understand the concepts at a deeper level, further your learning, and improve your experience in the computing field.
Are Learning Assistants paid?
Yes, all undergraduate student positions in the Learning Assistant Program are paid.
Why would I want to be a Learning Assistant?
Learning Assistants get to help students understand computing, join a community of people involved in computing, and do so while getting paid!
How can I become an LA?
The process of becoming an LA is the following:
- Applicant submits an application.
- Program Committee screens applications to ensure they meet the requirements.
- Member(s) of the Program Committee interviews the applicant with a mixture of behavioral and technical questions.
- Qualified applicant is given an offer and goes through onboarding to fully become an LA.
When are applications open for positions in the Learning Assistant Program?
We release LA applications every semester and Senior Leader applications every Spring semester virtually. We will announce it through flyers, on our webpage, and through School of Computing newsletters like Bits & Bytes. You can find more information here.