GTA:Providing Feedback
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
TL;DR
As a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Manchester, your feedback is particularly important to us. We recognise that you're uniquely positioned to identify what's working well and what could be improved, both for GTAs and for the students you support. The University actively encourages you to share your experiences, raise concerns, and contribute to shaping the future of the GTA programme.
Your contribution to teaching is both recognised and valued, and the University is committed to supporting you throughout your GTA journey. Whether you're new to teaching or an experienced GTA, multiple support routes are available to help you navigate challenges, raise concerns, and ensure you have a positive experience that complements your research.
Quick Reference Contact Card
Save these contacts in your phone or email for easy access:
| Purpose | Contact | |
|---|---|---|
| General GTA queries | Simon Harper | simon.harper@manchester.ac.uk |
| Wellbeing support | Bijan Parsia | bijan.parsia@manchester.ac.uk |
| GTA culture | Ainur Begalinova | ainur.begalinova@manchester.ac.uk |
| Anonymous feedback | Feedback Form | https://forms.office.com/e/gUgMcY5yvg |
| Emergency | Campus Security | 0161 306 9966 |
General GTA Programme Feedback and Concerns
- Simon Harper – Main GTA Lead
- simon.harper@manchester.ac.uk
- Contact Simon for queries about GTA policies, training, general teaching concerns, or suggestions for programme improvements
Wellbeing and Personal Support
- Bijan Parsia – Wellbeing Support
- bijan.parsia@manchester.ac.uk
- Contact Bijan if you're experiencing wellbeing challenges, stress related to your GTA role, or need guidance on maintaining work-life balance
GTA Culture and Community
- Ainur Begalinova – GTA Culture
- ainur.begalinova@manchester.ac.uk
- Contact Ainur if you have concerns about GTA culture, community issues, how your GTA work is affecting your research progress, or questions about the GTA experience
Anonymous Feedback
- Anonymous GTA Feedback Form
- Use this form to provide anonymous feedback about any aspect of your GTA experience. Your honest feedback helps us identify issues and improve the programme for all GTAs.
What to Contact Each Person About
Simon Harper (GTA Lead) – simon.harper@manchester.ac.uk
Contact Simon for:
- Questions about GTA policies and procedures
- Concerns about training requirements or quality
- Issues with allocation of teaching hours
- Problems that haven't been resolved at course unit level
- Suggestions for improving the GTA programme
- Queries about your rights and responsibilities as a GTA
- Difficulties in finding cover for sessions
- Concerns about professional standards or treatment
- Payment or contract issues that haven't been resolved through normal channels
- Any general GTA-related queries or concerns
Bijan Parsia (Wellbeing) – bijan.parsia@manchester.ac.uk
Contact Bijan for:
- Stress or anxiety related to your GTA role
- Difficulty managing the balance between teaching and research
- Personal circumstances affecting your ability to teach
- Concerns about burnout or overwhelming workload
- Need for signposting to additional wellbeing resources
- Issues affecting your mental health or wellbeing
- Confidential discussions about personal challenges
- Concerns about work-life balance
- Support during difficult periods
- UCU information
Ainur Begalinova (GTA Culture) – ainur.begalinova@manchester.ac.uk
Contact Ainur for:
- Suggestions about GTA culture and community dynamics
- Issues about how GTAs are perceived or treated within the department
- Issues with supervisor support regarding teaching commitments
- Questions about balancing GTA work with PhD milestones
- Concerns about equity in GTA workload distribution
- Ideas for fostering a positive GTA community
- Issues affecting the broader GTA experience
- Feedback on how GTA culture could be improved
Anonymous Feedback Form – https://forms.office.com/e/gUgMcY5yvg
Use the anonymous form for:
- Sensitive concerns you're not comfortable raising directly
- Feedback about systemic issues affecting multiple GTAs
- Suggestions you'd prefer to make anonymously
- Concerns about treatment by staff or other GTAs
- Honest feedback about training effectiveness
- Issues you've observed affecting other GTAs
- Any concerns where you prefer anonymity
Other Important Feedback Routes
Immediate Course-Related Feedback
- Your Course Unit Leader – Your first point of contact for any issues relating to specific teaching sessions, materials, or student interactions
- Your Discipline GTA Lead – For broader teaching concerns within your discipline
Semester Feedback Sessions
- End-of-Semester Wrap-Up Sessions – Attend these to provide structured feedback that helps improve future iterations of course units
- Beginning-of-Semester Induction Sessions – Essential for understanding expectations and raising any concerns early
Academic Progression and Workload Concerns
- Your PhD Supervisor(s) – Discuss any concerns about teaching workload impacting your research progress
- Your School/Department GTA Lead – If concerns cannot be resolved with your supervisor
Payment and Contract Issues
- Your Faculty P&OD Services Team – For any concerns about payments, contracts, or terms of employment
- FSE GTA Admin – For Faculty-specific administrative queries
Serious Concerns and Emergencies
- Head of School – If issues cannot be resolved at course unit or departmental level
- Campus Security: 0161 306 9966 – For emergencies or immediate safety concerns
- SafeZone App – For emergency assistance on campus
Types of Feedback We Value
We welcome all types of feedback, including:
Positive Feedback
- What's working well in your GTA role
- Excellent support you've received
- Effective training or resources
- Positive experiences with students or colleagues
- Best practices worth sharing
Constructive Feedback
- Areas where support could be improved
- Training gaps or needs
- Administrative processes that could be streamlined
- Resource needs
- Suggestions for enhancement
Concerns and Issues
- Problems you're experiencing
- Systemic issues you've observed
- Treatment or behaviour concerns
- Policy implementation challenges
- Workload or balance issues
Remember
- Your feedback helps shape the GTA programme for future cohorts
- No concern is too small to raise – early intervention often prevents bigger issues
- You have a right to appropriate training, support, and fair treatment
- The University values your contribution and wants you to succeed in both your teaching and research
- Multiple support routes are available – choose the one that feels most appropriate
- Anonymous feedback is valued and helps identify systemic issues
- Positive feedback is just as important as constructive feedback
If you're ever unsure who to contact, start with your Course Unit Leader, or Simon Harper as the main GTA Lead – they can direct you to the appropriate person or resource.