For the past few months, the McGill student community has seen a noticeable decline in the number of teaching assistants and conferences. Following the university’s general budget cuts, the school’s Faculty of Arts, which has the largest number of students, has been facing cuts of 15 to 20 per cent in the teaching support for each department. Ultimately, this change will result in less teaching assistant (TA) positions and working hours available to graduate students, posing a concern to both graduate and undergraduate students.
TAs are a valuable addition to the academic milieu. They alleviate the pressure placed on professors by assisting them in grading and providing additional support to students regarding course material. Furthermore, TA-ing is a paid position that can open doors for graduate students interested in pursuing academia or teaching as a career. However, TAs often face exploitation, with many working overtime without compensation: an issue that is bound to be exacerbated by the budget cuts.
These budget cuts heavily impact conferences, an element that is central to many courses at McGill. As a student in the Arts, I find conferences to be highly conducive and valuable to my academic experience. Due to their smaller size, participating in conferences is less intimidating than participating in larger classroom settings. Conferences allow for smoother exchange and conversation between students and their TAs. They encourage us to develop our abilities to express and communicate our ideas to one another, enabling close collaboration and intellectual stimulation as we engage with different perspectives. Owing to the facility of exchange in conferences, these spaces also give way to new friendships, which are easier to form there than in lectures with over 100 students.
The smaller groups that make up our conferences also allow us to apply course material in greater detail, as we can focus on topics that are unclear in class. For example, in a course I took last year, one of our assignments involved presenting an analysis of a particular class reading at our conference. This assignment enabled both the presenters and listeners to better understand the course topic. Our TA encouraged us to converse among each other following every presentation, which felt very inviting and casual, as everyone had the space to share their ideas. Moreover, with everyone presenting, we were able to practice our communication and public-speaking skills in a safe and encouraging environment.
Many courses consider participation for students’ final grades. This grading component is most efficient when assessed in conferences. Taking into account that certain students are less comfortable with public speaking, conferences are the perfect space to progressively develop and strengthen this skill. Students feel more inclined to speak up and ask for help on course material from TAs who are younger than professors and thus can feel more approachable, which is especially pertinent in the Arts.
In a faculty whose areas of study is strongly committed to critical thinking and communication skills, cutting conferences reduces the opportunity for students to apply these skills within an academic context. Hence, the practice and art of exchange and analysis, which are central to a university’s pedagogical experience, is weakened.
I have personally witnessed how a lack of TAs and conferences raises concerns for students. I am currently enrolled in a course with only one TA for nearly 200 students. Aside from the student- to-TA ratio being shockingly low, there are also no conferences for the course. The only way for students to ask questions regarding course material is by email or during office hours. With 200 students, such a system is incredibly inefficient. I find it unfortunate that we might no longer have this designated space of discourse to engage in different perspectives with our peers and delve into course content.
Limiting access to conferences negatively impacts the student experience. Without these spaces, we simply attend class, absorb information, and go on with our schedules. Even though we still have the opportunity to participate during lectures, conferences facilitate a more critical learning experience, which encourages us to work on our analytical and quick-thinking skills. In turn, this contributes to our understanding of course material, pushing students to engage in dynamic discussion. The conversational lens offered by conferences allows us to not only obtain better grades, but also pick up course material in a more enjoyable and less laborious manner.