Tutors

Tutors are support staff who assist the TA and lectures in courses by helping students. They are paid according to the UCT HR rates (assistance mode) on a claim-basis.

Tutor Eligibility

In order to be eligible as a tutor, the following generally applies. It may be different in particular courses, so be sure to talk with the TA or course convenor.

1. Only registered students can be appointed as tutors.
2. Appoint Tutors two levels up from your course (this may be course dependent).
3. Tutors should indicate on the Tutor Application form their AYOS (Year of Study. It can’t be more than AYOS 4). If they are straddling two years, then their AYOS will be the lower year.
4. If you're a foreign student, ensure your study visa doesn't expire earlier than 31st December of that year.

Tutor Selection

1. Tutor are, as you probably guessed, chosen based on their prior experience of having completed the course they are planing to tutor, or having the necessary competence in the subject concerned.
2. In engineering courses, there tends to be a large component of practice and lab-based work. A large portion of tutoring time involves assisting students in the lab. Therefore, the availability of the tutor to assist in labs or practical assignments, being able to use the tools and components involved, are typically key factors in deciding tutors to select.
3. Tutoring is not only about technical competence in understanding the tools, there is also the important inter-personal dimension: desirable attributes of tutor including being able to speak clearly and provide clear explanations and direction. Being patient. And importantly, being able to encourage and support problem-solving practice but not just solving the problems for the students.
4. For undergraduate courses, generally the TA is involved in finding and doing a shortlisting of tutors, which is then reviewed and approved by the course lecturer (although the lecture may approve the selection, the final approved can be vetoed by department administration if the candidate is signing up to an excessive amount of tutoring or has a high course load).

Application Process

1. Tutor Application Form
2. HR101 - Personal Details Form – Ensure the forms are signed and they leave nothing out.
   1. If a Tutor worked at UCT before, they should indicate their staff/employee number and tax number on the HR101 form.
3. Attach SA ID (both sides of credit card ID)
4. Foreign Students to attach a copy of Passport and Study Visa
5. Attach a stamped letter from the bank (confirmation of banking details)

Claim Forms

Claim forms are required to be submitted once a month for the hours worked. For details on auto-generating claim forms, see Admin Scripts and the Specific Tutor Claim form Script on GitHub.