GTA:Can’t Attend a Session?
TL;DR
- Notify the unit leads of absences as soon as possible.
- Where possible, find 'cover' from another GTA on your unit.
- Otherwise, find cover from another GTA not currently assigned to the unit - and provide them with copies of what they need.
- Discord is an excellent place to find cover.
- If not able, tell the staff member you couldn't find cover and can't attend.
- Remember, if you are ill, don't come to work, but let all concerned parties know the situation; it is really that simple.
There will inevitably be occasions when you are unable to attend a scheduled teaching session due to unforeseen circumstances such as illness, personal emergencies, or unavoidable conflicts. When such situations arise, it is essential that you follow the proper procedures to minimise disruption to students' learning and to maintain your professional responsibilities as outlined in your contract of employment.
Notifying Unit Leads of Absences
The first and most critical step when you realise you cannot attend a scheduled session is to notify the unit leads of your absence as soon as possible. This is not merely a courtesy but a professional obligation under your contract. As specified in Clause 3 of your Principal Statement of Terms and Conditions, you are expected to comply with any rules and regulations which the University may issue to ensure the efficient operation of its business and the welfare and interests of its employees and students.
You should contact the unit lead by email as soon as you become aware that you will be unable to attend. If the absence is due to a sudden emergency or illness on the day of the session, you should make every effort to contact them by phone or email well before the session is scheduled to begin. The earlier you notify the unit lead, the more time they have to make alternative arrangements to ensure students are not left without support.
When notifying the unit lead, you should provide clear information about which session you will be missing, the date and time, and if possible, an indication of when you expect to be available to return to work. If your absence is likely to extend beyond a single session, you should communicate this clearly so that appropriate cover can be arranged.
Your GTA Lead, Simon Harper, should also be copied into correspondence regarding absences, particularly if the absence is extended or if you are experiencing ongoing difficulties that may affect your ability to fulfil your teaching commitments. His contact details are provided in your GTA documentation.
Finding Cover from GTAs on Your Unit
Where possible, you should attempt to find 'cover' from another GTA who is already assigned to work on your unit. This is often the most straightforward solution, as GTAs working on the same unit will already be familiar with the course materials, the student cohort, and the expectations of the teaching sessions.
When approaching a colleague to request cover, you should do so professionally and courteously. Explain clearly which session needs covering, provide the date and time, and offer to reciprocate if they ever need cover in the future. Remember that your colleagues are also managing their own PhD work and teaching commitments, so whilst many will be willing to help, you should be understanding if they are unable to assist.
If a colleague agrees to provide cover, you must ensure they have all the necessary information to run the session effectively. This includes providing them with copies of the teaching materials, any marking rubrics if applicable, information about where the session takes place, and any specific instructions from the unit lead about what should be covered in that particular session. You should also brief them on any particular issues or questions that students have been asking recently, so they can provide continuity of support.
Once you have arranged cover with a colleague, you must inform the unit lead immediately to confirm that cover has been arranged and to provide details of who will be covering the session. This ensures that the unit lead is aware of the situation and can contact the covering GTA if necessary.
Finding Cover from GTAs Not Assigned to Your Unit
If you are unable to find cover from a GTA already working on your unit, you should attempt to find cover from another GTA not currently assigned to the unit. This may require a bit more organisation, as the covering GTA will need to familiarise themselves with the course materials and the specific requirements of the session at short notice.
When asking a GTA from outside your unit to provide cover, you must provide them with comprehensive information and materials. This includes not only the basic teaching materials but also context about the course unit, the level of the students, what has been covered in previous sessions, and any particular pedagogical approaches that are used in the unit. You should also provide them with contact details for the unit lead in case they have questions or concerns before or during the session.
It is your responsibility to ensure that the covering GTA has everything they need to provide effective support to the students. Inadequate briefing or insufficient materials could result in a poor learning experience for students, which ultimately reflects on the quality of teaching provided by the School of Computer Science.
You should give the covering GTA as much notice as possible, ideally at least 24 hours before the session, to allow them time to prepare adequately. If the absence is more sudden than this, you should be particularly thorough in your briefing and offer to be available by phone or email during the session in case the covering GTA has urgent questions.
Using Discord to Find Cover
Discord is an excellent platform for finding cover when you are unable to attend a session. The CS GTA Discord server provides a communication channel where you can quickly reach out to the wider GTA community to request assistance. The link to the GTA Discord is provided in your GTA documentation and should be accessed through the official channels.
When posting a request for cover on Discord, you should provide all relevant information in your initial message to make it easy for colleagues to decide whether they can help. This should include the date and time of the session, the course unit, the location, and a brief description of what the session involves. You should also indicate whether you have teaching materials available and how you will provide these to anyone who offers to cover.
The Discord server is monitored by GTAs across different units and at different stages of their doctoral studies, which means there is often someone available who can assist, even at relatively short notice. However, you should always use Discord as a supplement to, rather than a replacement for, direct communication with the unit lead. Even if you have posted on Discord, you must still notify the unit lead directly that you are seeking cover.
Remember that Discord is a professional communication tool in this context, and your messages should maintain the same level of professionalism as you would use in email communication with staff. Once someone offers to provide cover, you should move to email or direct messaging to provide the detailed information and materials they will need.
When You Cannot Find Cover
If you have made reasonable efforts to find cover but have been unable to do so, you must inform the unit lead immediately that you could not find cover and cannot attend the session. This notification should be made as soon as you realise that you will not be able to arrange cover, rather than waiting until just before the session is due to start.
When informing the unit lead, you should provide evidence of the efforts you have made to find cover. This might include mentioning that you contacted specific colleagues, posted on Discord, or checked with GTAs on other units. This demonstrates that you have taken your professional responsibilities seriously and have done everything reasonably possible to minimise disruption.
The unit lead will then need to make alternative arrangements, which might include covering the session themselves, asking another member of academic staff to assist, or in some cases, cancelling or rescheduling the session. Whilst this is not an ideal outcome, it is far better than leaving students waiting for a GTA who does not arrive, or worse, not informing anyone and simply failing to attend.
You should be aware that repeatedly failing to attend sessions or regularly being unable to find cover may have implications for your ongoing employment. As specified in your contract, you are required to be available for the work assigned. Reliability and professionalism in meeting your teaching commitments are key aspects of this assessment.
Absence Due to Illness
If you are ill, the guidance is straightforward and unambiguous: don't come to work, but let all concerned parties know the situation. This is not only important for your own health and recovery but also a matter of health and safety for students and colleagues who could potentially be put at risk if you attend work whilst unwell.
When you are too ill to work, you should follow the University's sickness absence procedure as outlined in Clauses 35 and 36 of your contract and detailed in the Sickness Absence Policy available on StaffNet. You must comply with the notification and verification requirements for sickness absence, as failure to do so may disqualify you from receiving Statutory Sick Pay (SSP) and University sick pay.
The notification procedure typically requires you to inform your line manager (your GTA Lead, Simon Harper) as soon as possible on the first day of absence, and to provide regular updates if the absence extends beyond a few days. You should also inform the unit leads of any sessions you will miss due to illness, although your primary responsibility is to notify your line manager.
If you are absent due to sickness, you should report the sickness hours through the appropriate channels. The contract specifies that if you are absent from work due to sickness or injury, you will be eligible to receive sick pay in accordance with the terms and conditions handbook available on StaffNet. However, this is conditional on following the proper procedures.
You should not attempt to work when you are genuinely too ill to do so. Not only is this detrimental to your health and recovery, but it also sets a poor example for students and could potentially spread illness to others. Your welfare and wellbeing are important, and the University has policies in place to support you during periods of illness.
Where possible, even when you are ill, you should try to arrange cover with a colleague, but this is secondary to notifying the appropriate staff members. If you are too unwell to make these arrangements yourself, you should simply focus on informing your line manager and the unit lead, and they will make the necessary arrangements to ensure the session is covered.
The key message regarding illness is simple: if you are ill, you must not come to work, but you must let all concerned parties know about the situation as soon as possible. This approach protects your health, maintains professional standards, and ensures that appropriate arrangements can be made to support students' learning.
Professional Responsibilities and Accountability
Your attendance at scheduled sessions is a fundamental part of your contract of employment. As stated in your Principal Statement of Terms and Conditions, you are expected to work such hours as are necessary for the proper discharge of your duties and responsibilities. The hours you are contracted to work have been agreed at the start of the semester and allocated to specific teaching sessions.
Whilst the University understands that genuine emergencies and illnesses occur, consistent failure to attend scheduled sessions or failure to follow the proper procedures when you cannot attend may be treated as a disciplinary matter. Under Clause 31 of your contract, the University has the right to terminate your employment without notice in cases of gross misconduct, gross negligence, or gross incompetence.
It is therefore essential that you take your attendance obligations seriously and that you follow the procedures outlined above whenever you cannot attend a scheduled session. Being proactive in communicating absences, making reasonable efforts to arrange cover, and following the University's policies demonstrates the professionalism expected of staff at the University of Manchester.
If you find that you are regularly struggling to meet your teaching commitments due to conflicts with your PhD work, personal circumstances, or health issues, you should speak with your GTA Lead, Simon Harper, as soon as possible. As noted in the welfare guidance, if you feel you are undertaking too many GTA modules or hours, especially if you feel overwhelmed or are falling behind on your PhD work, you should notify your supervisor, unit leads, or GTA Lead. There is support available to help you manage these challenges, but this can only be provided if you communicate the difficulties you are facing.
Further guidance on GTA responsibilities and support can be found on the FSE GTA Hub and the University's GTA pages on StaffNet. If you have any questions about the procedures for managing absences or need support with any aspect of your GTA role, you should contact CS GTA Administration or your GTA Lead for advice. ```