PRL Course Assistant Application Information

Course Assistants play a critical role in creating and maintaining the safe and supportive teaching and learning community in the PRL. Every year the PRL reviews candidates to fill positions that will be vacated by graduating students; we seek to form a cohort of CAs with diverse backgrounds and skills that will engage with students in the lab.

About the PRL CA Role

PRL CAs spend 20 hours a week between working in the PRL and directly supporting classes; all PRL CAs will have some role in various PRL courses throughout the year. We will ask for process specialization interest in the application form.

  • The PRL is open in 4 hour blocks: Mon-Fri 8:30am - 11pm, Sat 8:30am - 5:30pm, and the shift schedule is set at the beginning of the quarter.
  • A 50% CAship is accompanied by a salary and a tuition grant that covers 8-10 units per quarter. 
  • CA Training takes place in the PRL during the two weeks before the start of Autumn quarter.
  • Coterm applicants: you must have completed at least 180 units towards your undergraduate degree and be on Graduate billing before the Autumn when you would start a CA position (though your UG degree does not have to be complete yet).

CA Application Materials

The CA application consists of an application form and a portfolio (that includes items 1-4 below), along with a transcript (that will be uploaded separately). Links to other media such as videos and websites can be included in the portfolio, but the primary format of the portfolio should be a PDF.

  1. Autobiography (limit 1 page) Help us understand your life experiences and passions!
  2. Statement of Purpose (limit 1 page) Why do you want to be a PRL CA?
  3. Resume
  4. Portfolio (show and tell us about your past design and making work)
  5. Transcript (unofficial copy ok, separate from the rest of the portfolio)

 

We strongly encourage interested candidates to speak to members of the PRL Leadership and CA team during Winter quarter.

An Information Session was held in the PRL Classroom on Thursday, March 7. Info Session Slides