Critical Community Engagement
Eighth College
Website: https://eighth.ucsd.edu/engagement-program/index.html
The Critical Community Engagement (CCE) program at Eighth College invites applications for TA positions for the 2025-2026 academic year to support CCE 120: Community Partnership and Project Design. This role provides graduate students with experience in community-engaged pedagogy, participatory action research, and applied project development. As a TA, you will work closely with students as they collaborate with local community partners, gaining skills in facilitation, project-based learning, and ethical engagement with external organizations. The position offers an opportunity to develop mentorship and teaching skills while supporting students in applying interdisciplinary research to real-world challenges.
CCE 120 is the capstone course in the CCE sequence, where students put their learning into practice by designing and implementing projects in partnership with local organizations. TAs play a key role in guiding students through this process, facilitating discussions, supporting research and writing, and liaising with community partners to ensure ethical, reciprocal engagement.
TAs attend and assist with two sections of CCE 120 per quarter, working in concert with faculty to provide structured guidance on project design and implementation. They lead two discussion sections per week, focused on critical community engagement, research ethics, and partnership-building. In addition to providing feedback on student work, TAs help assess projects and support students in applying participatory action research (PAR) methods to their collaborations.
This is a 50% appointment (~20 hours per week, 220 hours per quarter), and TAs are expected to commit for the full academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring) unless otherwise arranged.
Key Responsibilities
- Attend the CCE 500 pedagogy seminar weekly to refine instructional and facilitation skills.
- Assist with two sections of CCE 120 per quarter, working alongside faculty to support students’ project development.
- Facilitate two weekly discussion sections, guiding students through ethical frameworks, community-engaged research methods, and applied project design.
- Help students develop written and public-facing components of their projects, ensuring they align with ethical and community-centered research practices.
- Hold two office hours per week to provide individualized support.
- Assist in assessing student work, ensuring projects demonstrate critical reflection, reciprocity, and responsible community engagement.
- Coordinate with community partners, supporting students in navigating partnerships and ethical collaboration.
Qualifications
- Interest in community-engaged research, participatory action research, and social justice education.
- Experience with writing instruction, undergraduate mentorship, or qualitative research methods.
- Commitment to anti-racist, pro-Black, and equity-driven pedagogies.
- Ability to facilitate collaborative learning environments and support students in applied research and project-based learning.
- Graduate standing at UC San Diego with departmental approval to hold a TA position.
For additional details, please contact Associate Directors:
Nicole Kenley nkenley@ucsd.edu
James Crawford jacrawfo@ucsd.edu
revised 3/3/2025