Date of Posting: March 29, 2019
Period of Employment: Term 1 (September 1 – December 31, 2019); Term 2 (January 1 – April 30, 2020)
Current Salary: Graduate Teaching Assistant I (Doctoral) or equivalent – $32.53/hour; Graduate Teaching Assistant II (Masters) or equivalent – $31.30/hour
Application Procedure:
Click here to submit your online application form.
Late applications may be considered.
UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply.
General Duties:
Attending lectures, holding office hours and meeting with students, keeping class records, creating and selecting class materials, presenting new material/lecturing, leading discussions and answering questions, conducting review sessions, holding tutorials and lab sections, duplicating materials, preparing/collecting solutions to questions, grading and providing feedback on assignments and exams, invigilating exams, assigning course grades, ordering and obtaining AV equipment and materials.
Please note that the following TA positions are not open to current MPPGA students.
Course Descriptions:
GPP 501 – Microeconomic Analysis for Public Policy (Term 1, 2 positions, 192 hours each)
This course will introduce you to the analytical tools used in microeconomics that can be applied to public policy problems. We will start with the competitive market benchmark and then examine situations where markets fail. Each source of market failure will be examined from a theoretical perspective, followed by policy examples.
GPP 502 – International Macroeconomics (Term 2, 2 positions, 192 hours each)
This course introduces students to the challenges of an interlinked global economy through the lens of modern macroeconomics. In this course, students will learn about international linkages through labour; capital and goods markets; monetary and fiscal policy linkages; currency; and debt crises. Students will have opportunities to explore analytical models and apply them to the recent experience of the world economy. This course will also address students’ awareness of global issues affecting business and enhance students’ critical and integrative thinking skills.
GPP 503 – Measurement and Data Analysis for Policy (Term 1, 2 positions, 192 hours each)
This course is an introduction to the fundamental analytic tools for policy analysis and program evaluation. Its emphasis is on developing the ability to critically consume and clearly communicate quantitative evidence. The course has three core objectives. First, you will develop the critical quantitative skills necessary to understand and interpret public policy analysis. Second, you will develop the ability to choose among appropriate approaches and tools when conducting research on policy issues. Third, you will develop the ability to clearly communicate quantitative evidence in a manner that is accessible to a range of audiences, incorporating data visualization where appropriate.
GPP 504 – Policy Analysis and Evaluation (Term 2, 1 position, 192 hours)
Course description. This course teaches the fundamentals of policy analysis and project evaluation, with an emphasis on the behavioral psychology and practical decision making considerations that underlie policy making, stakeholder engagement, and implementation processes. Both quantitative and qualitative assessment methods will be used and real-world cases in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Asia, and Africa will be relied on to illustrate key points.
GPP 505 – Domestic and Global Policy Process (Term 2, 1 position, 192 hours)
This is a graduate level course which provides a survey of the key concepts, theories, and frameworks necessary to understand how policy is created and implemented. The course explores foundational concepts and theoretical frameworks to help understand the policy process and works through the various stages of the policy process: agenda-setting, policy formulation, decision-making, implementation and evaluation. In the process, the course examines multi-level governance and challenges with globalization (trade, humanitarian intervention, and climate change) and de-globalization (e.g. Brexit).
GPP 506 – Public Management (Term 1, 1 position, 192 hours)
This course examines major issues in modern public management and policy implementation. Key themes are: (a) growing interdependence between government agencies, non government organizations and private firms in the delivery of public services and public policies; (b) alternative service delivery structures including public private partnerships, contracting out and franchises; (c) the shifting boundaries between politics, public management and civil society; (d) the impact of advanced communications technologies on public management and the control of information; (e) the accountability “explosion”; and, (f) the ethical obligations of public managers and those they deal with.
GPP 507 – Environmental Law and Policy Frameworks (Term 2, 1 position, 192 hours)
This course will provide a practical and lively overview of how environmental law and policy is created, implemented, and enforced at the international, national, and sub-national levels. Students will learn about the evolution of environmental law and policy, legal institutions, and the major areas of law that relate to ecological sustainability (e.g. constitutional law, international law, municipal law, human rights, Indigenous law). The course will examine and critique substantive laws, principles, and policies dealing with specific issues such as pollution, toxic substances, water, climate change, environmental assessment, and biological diversity. A central theme will be the differences between law and policy on paper and in practice. Students will be expected to engage in critical thinking about the effectiveness, efficiency, and equity of laws, policies, and institutions related to environmental protection, while considering the broader ecological, political, social, and economic context.
GPP 508 – Policy in Context (Term 2, 1 position, 192 hours)
This course will provide students with critical thinking and tools drawn from liberal arts learning to provide a path towards inter-cultural communication skills, entrepreneurship, and effective community engagement in policy work. It will provide students with analytical skills with which to reflect on and challenge assumptions built into policy contexts, to gather information, and work in cooperation with various stakeholders. We aim to produce policy entrepreneurs capable of cross disciplinary and cross cultural dialogue, who can make use of contingency and reflexivity in addressing real-world policy issues.
GPP 509 – Communicating Policy (Term 1, 1 position, 192 hours)
Digital technology has upended the practice and discourse of public policy by breaking down silos between experts, journalists, policy makers and engaged publics. Where policy was once the purview of elite institutions and made in back rooms, it is now mediated in the nebulous and rapidly evolving digital media space. This class will explore the diverse mediums through which policy is generated, debated and contested. The course will be grounded in conceptual discussions of communications, digital technology and public policy, and also be experiential in nature. Students will be expected to produce weekly content and to actively participate in collective work and discussion, both online and in class.
GPP 590A – Global Policy Project (Term 1-2, 1 position, 384 hours)
The Global Policy Project (or GP2 / GP squared), is a 6-credit course that MPPGA students must complete in their second year of the program. The course starts in September and ends in March (7 months). GP2 is designed to provide MPPGA students an opportunity to develop policy practice and research skills by integrating previous learning into a client-based, real-life situation, have an understanding of policy implementation in the field and develop a specific area of policy expertise through deeper professional work experience. The client is with, some exceptions, located overseas and therefore the course includes a 3 week field trip to their location. Students will work in groups of 5 and engage various stakeholders defined by the policy challenge that the client identifies. Research methodology, project management, writing policy briefs and team work are some of the key learning outcomes.
The TA’s responsibilities will also include (i) helping student teams liaise with clients, (ii) assisting with and evaluating literature reviews, (iii) ensuring methodological rigour, (iv) and assisting in project management. TA candidates with professional overseas experience will be preferred.
GPP 590B – Global Policy Project (Term 2, 1 position, 192 hours)
The Global Policy Project (or GP2 / GP squared), is a 6-credit course that MPPGA students must complete in their second year of the program. The course starts in January and ends in March (3 months). GP2 is designed to provide MPPGA students an opportunity to develop policy practice and research skills by integrating previous learning into a client-based, real-life situation, have an understanding of policy implementation in the field and develop a specific area of policy expertise through deeper professional work experience. The client is with, some exceptions, located in Vancouver or Canada and therefore the course does not require international travel. Students will work in groups of 5 and engage various stakeholders defined by the policy challenge that the client identifies. Research methodology, project management, writing policy briefs and team work are some of the key learning outcomes.
The TA’s responsibilities will also include (i) helping student teams liaise with clients, (ii) assisting with and evaluating literature reviews, (iii) ensuring methodological rigour, (iv) and assisting in project management. TA candidates with professional overseas experience will be preferred.