We foster a supportive community for our students, and Teaching Assistant (TA) hours are the heart of these efforts. Experienced upper-level peers provide guidance and support to those in introductory programming courses.
Now in its sixth year, our TA program includes more than 30 trained undergraduate tutors who are available most evenings to support students as they build their computer science skills. These upper-level students are paid to serve as knowledgeable, peer-to-peer mentors.
TA Hours
We launched our formal Teaching Assistants (TA) program in 2017 to provide students with consistent, faculty-supported access to trained peer tutors. The program centralizes tutoring hours and creates opportunities for students to strengthen their computer science skills by working with experienced upper-level students.
Tutoring is free for any student enrolled in CS 149, 159, 227, 240, or 261. TA Hours are offered Sunday through Thursday, with in-person support available in a CS computer lab from 5–9 p.m. and online support from 9–11 p.m.
During TA Hours, students can receive one-on-one help from trained tutors. It’s also a lively hub for CS majors—a place to connect with classmates, build community, and stay on track with coursework.
TA Training
Our TA program was founded by Professor Dee Weikle and is now led by Professors Kevin Molloy and Michael Stewart. Together, they oversee tutor training, weekly team meetings, and ongoing professional development to ensure tutors use best practices in supporting student learning.
TAs are trained to uphold academic integrity while guiding students through challenges, modeling effective learning strategies and a growth mindset, and empowering students to become confident, independent learners.
